Fall is upon us, and as our social media feeds start to fill with irresistible seasonal treats, the urge to get crafty in the kitchen becomes increasingly desirable. As clouds fill our skies, and leaves of brown, red, and orange begin to cover our streets, these four fall recipes are guaranteed to satisfy all your fall-inspired cravings. Here is a step-by-step baking guide to kick off the fall season.

Apple Pie Cookies:

If you’re craving the irresistible taste of homemade apple pie, then look no further than this fun twist on the classic fall dessert. This rendition of apple pie in cookie form consists of a fluffy, brown sugar, and cinnamon cookie, which serves as the perfect base for the sweet yet tart apple syrup to be drizzled atop this cozy masterpiece. Relatively easy to make, this fall treat is the perfect addition to any fall get-together and will leave your taste buds wanting more.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 16 minutes

Yields: 20 cookies

Ingredients:

Apple topping:

3 cups diced apples (3 large apples)

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ cup water

½ cup brown sugar

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp cornstarch

Cinnamon Cookies:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ¼ cups brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Apple Topping:

1. Combine diced apples, water, lemon juice, brown sugar, spices, and cornstarch in a pot over low to medium heat on the stove. 
2. Stir occasionally for five to seven minutes while the mixture simmers until the apples are soft.

Cinnamon cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a larger mixing bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat the mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes until it is fluffy and pale in color.
4. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, beat for 30 seconds.
5. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients on a low speed.
6. Use your hands or a cookie scoop to form golf ball-sized cookie dough balls. Place the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on your baking sheet.
7. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.
8. Remove cookies from the oven and use the button of a ladle to put a small dent in each cookie. Fill each divet with around a spoonful of the apple filling.
9. Bake for an additional 3-4 minutes, let cool, and enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes:

In the mood for a petite fall treat? These delectable pumpkin donut holes are the perfect option. Both soft and sweet, these pumpkin orbs of goodness are sprinkled with a decadent amount of cinnamon sugar, transporting you directly to the pumpkin patch on a crisp fall day.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time 14 minutes

Yields: 16 donuts 

Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour⁣

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder⁣

½ tsp salt⁣

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

¾ cup brown sugar⁣

½ cup granulated sugar⁣

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs⁣

2 cups (1 15 oz can) pumpkin puree⁣

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a donut tin with nonstick spray. 
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. 
3. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, and melted butter together until butter is combined. Add eggs and vigorously mix until combined. Stir in pumpkin puree.⁣
4. Add wet ingredients to the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon the batter into a greased donut hole tin.
5. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out nice and clean.
6. Let the donuts cool in the pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a separate plate.
7. For the topping, mix the sugar and cinnamon. While the donuts are still warm, lightly brush them with melted butter, then coat them in cinnamon sugar and enjoy!

Brown Butter Pumpkin Coffee Cake:

While this coffee cake definitely took the cake for being the most scrumptious of them all, the recipe itself wins for being the most involved. This brown butter pumpkin coffee cake features a delicious and spongy pumpkin cake base topped with a brown sugar streusel and a wonderful maple glaze. Although this recipe takes more time and effort compared to the other three, after taking one bite of this mouthwatering pumpkin delicacy, all that time will be well worth it.

Prep time: 30 minutes 

Cook time: 45-60 minutes

Yields: 1 cake 

Ingredients: 

Pumpkin Spice Cake:

½ cup unsalted butter

1 ¼ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ cup pumpkin puree

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder 

Brown Sugar Streusel:

1½ cups brown sugar

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup soft unsalted butter

1 tbsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Maple Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheight. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. 
2. Place a stick of butter in a small pan on medium to high heat, and stir continuously until the butter is golden brown. Remove from the heat and let it cool. 
3. In a large bowl, combine brown butter, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, eggs, and pumpkin puree. Mix well until combined.
4. To your batter, add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until everything is combined. 
5. To make the streusel: In a small bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter. Mix the ingredients until you have a crumble.
6. In your baking pan, pour half the batter into the pan and add a thick layer of streusel on top, then add the remaining half of the batter on top of the streusel, and top off your batter with the last of the streusel.
7. Bake for 45-60 minutes and enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Pastries

These easy yet extravagant desserts make for the perfect healthy yet tasty treat. Perhaps the most accessible recipe to create, all that is required for this pastry is an apple cut into donut-like shapes, which are then dipped in a mix of cinnamon sugar and wrapped in puff pastry. The sweet apple wrapped in the airy puff pastry makes for the perfect snack to add to your fall treat repertoire.

Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Bake Time: 15 minutes

Yields: 10 Pastries

Ingredients: 

2 sheets of puff pastry

2 ½  tbsp white sugar

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

4 large apples

4 tbsp of milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Unroll puff pastry and roll it out to ensure it is evenly spread.
3. Use a knife to cut the puff pastry into strips that are around ½ inches thick.
4. In a bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix well.
5. Cut the apples into thick slices and use either a knife or an apple corer to cut a circle in the middle of each slice.
6. Coat each apple slice with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
7. Wrap the pastry strips around each apple using milk to help it stick until the apple is fully coated.
8. Brush the top of each pastry with milk and sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on each one.
9. Place the pastries onto your baking sheet around 1½ apart.
10. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the parties are golden brown in color. Remove from the oven, let them cool, and enjoy!