Here you’ll find the best apple picking recipes! It’s apple season, and there are so many delicious ways to use this fruit: savory salads, tarts, desserts, cocktails and more. Below are favorite recipes and ideas to help you use up those gorgeous apples you picked.
These are some of my top apple recipes — tried, loved, and perfect for the season.
Apples are a household favorite here. When apple season hits, I’m all in — even more than pumpkin season. I lean toward apple cider flavors over pumpkin, and I make these recipes as soon as the apples are ripe.
If you haven’t gone apple picking yet, now is the time. Honeycrisps are especially crisp, tart and perfect for cooking and baking. We usually go a few times; the kids snack on apples right in the orchard and we come home with bags to use in so many recipes.
Below is a curated mix of savory and sweet recipes — the ones we make again and again. If I had to pick a favorite, it might be the salted apple fritters or the homemade apple cider. Which would you try first?
20 OF THE BEST APPLE PICKING RECIPES
Start with a crowd-pleaser: a mascarpone and bourbon caramel caramel apple dip. Make it before you go apple picking, chill it, and enjoy it the moment you come home.
Salted apple fritters are exceptional — essentially mini fried donuts studded with apple. They’re best eaten soon after frying, so serve them fresh for maximum delight.
An apple butter snack cake is an irresistible option for brunch or an afternoon treat.
For a savory-sweet tart, try caramelized onion, brie and apple — a lovely combination of textures and flavors.
A September salad with kale and apple is perfect for late summer into early fall — bright, crunchy and seasonal.
Try a honeycrisp quinoa kale salad for a hearty, healthy lunch that highlights crisp apple.
The honeycrisp harvest salad is a seasonal favorite, served with a bright vinaigrette that complements the apples beautifully.
Add crunchy spiralized apple slaw to smoky pulled pork sandwiches for a refreshing contrast in texture and flavor.
A stuffed pork tenderloin with butternut, apple and goat cheese is an elegant Sunday dinner that showcases autumn produce.
Oatmeal-baked apples with maple brown butter and toasted hazelnuts are warming and satisfying — great for a comforting dessert or breakfast.
Bourbon baked apples are an easy whole-apple dessert that feel special thanks to a splash of bourbon.
A honeycrisp galette with a cheddar crust pairs buttery, flaky pastry with tangy cheese and sweet apples for an irresistible rustic tart.
Homemade apple cider is a must when you have a bounty of apples — cozy, fragrant, and perfect for gatherings.
Cinnamon sugar apple puff pastry is a simple crowd-pleaser: flaky pastry wrapped around spiced apples. Best enjoyed warm from the oven.
For a fun treat, try chocolate peanut butter fudge–stuffed caramel apples — nostalgic and indulgent.
A red apple cider sangria is a festive fall cocktail that highlights fresh apple flavors.
Smoky apple cider mezcal margaritas add a playful, boozy twist to apple cider and are perfect for special occasions.
A classic apple cider sangria remains a go-to every year — a simple, crowd-friendly drink that celebrates fall.
Apple orchard punch is another crowd favorite — easy to make and full of seasonal flavor.
For a timeless dessert, a cider bourbon apple pie with oatmeal cookie crumble is a perfect finale — rustic, boozy and comforting.
An apple cider donut cake is a bit of work but well worth it for its warm, spiced cake and glaze.
Baked apple cinnamon oatmeal is like a chewy oatmeal cake for breakfast — filling, cozy and ideal for chilly mornings.