Ingredients like apple, cranberry and pumpkin are the best for baking in autumn's crisp, cool weather! These are the absolute best fall potluck desserts.
It has to be human nature to crave something warm, sweet and cozy on chilly fall nights. But when it’s dark at 5:00 pm, I’m hardly feeling ambitious enough to bake a whole big thing. That’s when I turn to easy fall desserts. No crazy baking techniques, tools or ingredients (no tricks, just treats, one could say)—just the usual cozy fall treats I look forward to baking again every autumn.
We made sure to gather together lots of pumpkin and apple dessert recipes because we know that’s what you’re craving most once September hits. But there are also plenty of other recipes using flavors associated with fall, like maple, sweet potatoes, cranberries, brown butter and nuts. Almost all include fall spices, because what’s a cozy fall treat without a little cinnamon?
Expect all kinds of autumn desserts, like brownies, cakes, cookies, pies, bars, crumbles and trifles. Even if you’re oven-less or oven-averse, there are a few no-bake fall desserts in here. Bonus: A lot of these are make-ahead friendly and feed at least eight, so they’re perfect fall potluck desserts. Whatever autumn desserts you choose, always make sure there’s a pint of the best vanilla ice cream sitting in your fridge to go with them. Honestly, that’s a rule no matter the season.
1/35
Pumpkin Brownies
From the Recipe Creator:
Chocolate and pumpkin pair up to make a family-favorite fall dessert. These pumpkin brownies are fantastic for parties and picnics. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Pumpkin brownies combine the ease of making brownies with the flavors of pumpkin and warm fall spices. The bright orange garland that trails throughout is so striking that I don’t think anyone will be able to resist a slice or two.
2/35
Caramel Apple Crisp
From the Recipe Creator:
When my kids and I make apple crisp, we use all sorts of apples to boost the flavor and texture. Add melted caramels, and you’ve got something scrumptious. —Michelle Brooks, Clarkston, Michigan
Apple crisps are your typical fall dessert, so we leveled up ours with caramel and apple cider. A package of caramels negates any need to make caramel from scratch—a tricky technique for any new bakers out there.
3/35
Pumpkin Mousse
From the Recipe Creator:
If you've had your fill of pumpkin pie, this cool and creamy pumpkin mousse is perfect for you. Its light and fluffy texture won't make you feel stuffed after your favorite turkey dinner. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
I love the idea of everyone getting their own little dessert. This pumpkin mousse, with its pretty layering, is so cute and easy to serve when everyone is ready for the dessert course. The mousse is made with cream cheese, pumpkin puree and instant vanilla pudding, then layered with crushed gingersnaps for a little warmth and texture.
4/35
No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
From the Recipe Creator:
This no-bake pumpkin pie includes a delicious cream cheese layer. It's a terrific make-ahead dessert because it needs to refrigerate a few hours. —Donna Freund, Dubuque, Iowa
No oven? No problem! You can still bring a gorgeous pumpkin pie to the potluck. In all honesty, this no-bake pumpkin pie might be even more luxurious than the classic.
5/35
Frosted Pumpkin Cranberry Bars
From the Recipe Creator:
With tangy dried cranberries tucked inside and a creamy brown butter frosting, these mildly spiced pumpkin bars are doubly delightful. It's a good thing the recipe makes lots, because once you taste one, you won't be able to resist going back for more! —Barbara Nowakowski, Mesa, Arizona
As if pumpkin and cranberries weren’t already an unbeatable pairing, these bars are finished with brown butter frosting for extra intrigue and decadence. Their bar shape makes them easy to decorate, slice and serve too—perfect for a busy potluck party.
6/35
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
Dotted with cranberries, orange zest and vanilla chips, these cookies are so colorful and fun to eat. They look lovely on a dessert tray and would be a great addition to your Christmas cookie lineup.
—Pat Habiger, Spearville, Kansas
Looking for easy fall desserts sans pumpkin or apples? Oats, cranberries, orange zest and white chocolate chips are the mix-ins for these autumnal cookies.
7/35
Pumpkin Cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
These easy pumpkin cookies are pleasantly spiced. Everyone enjoys the soft, cakelike texture too. —Lisa Chernetsky, Luzerne, Pennsylvania
Pumpkin cookies already lean a little more cake than cookie, thanks to all the moisture from pumpkin puree. Top each cookie with cream cheese frosting, and these are basically bite-sized pieces of cake without your having to actually make a tricky layered dessert.
8/35
Brown Butter Blondie with Speculoos Buttercream
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe is full of fall flavors without being pumpkin-spiced. And who doesn't like cookie butter? —Shannon Copley, Upper Arlington, Ohio
Cookie butter is such an underrated fall flavor, so we used it in this frosting to elevate a batch of blondies. The browned butter helps too.
9/35
Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
These apple butter thumbprint cookies scream fall! Silky centers of apple butter sit on top of cinnamon-y, snickerdoodle-esque cookies. —Nancy Mock, Southbridge, Massachusetts
If you’re looking for a way to use up leftover apple butter—or a reason to go pick some up—these apple butter thumbprint cookies are full of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 cup apple butter.
10/35
Pumpkin Bread
From the Recipe Creator:
This pumpkin spice bread recipe is at least 40 years old. It makes a very moist bread. It's been described as tasting like pumpkin pie without the crust. —Delora Lucas, Belle, West Virginia
Scientifically, I don’t think the fall season can end without your oven producing a loaf of pumpkin bread (kidding!). This perfect base recipe has room for all your favorite mix-ins, like chocolate chips or nuts, but purists can leave it as is.
11/35
Maple Shortbread Cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
Whenever I visit friends in Lutsen, Minnesota, I make sure to buy maple syrup there because I think it's even better than the syrup in Quebec. These delicious cookies can be decorated with sprinkles but they're just fine as is. —Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario
Maple is the whole shebang in this shortbread recipe. From the maple-flavored cookies to the maple syrup-enhanced glaze, these shortbreads need no pumpkin, apples or pears to evoke the taste of autumn.
12/35
Apple Pandowdy
From the Recipe Creator:
This apple pandowdy, which comes from a very old cookbook, is tangy and delicious. —Doreen Lindquist, Thompson, Manitoba
Here’s the easy version of a classic apple pie, called an apple pandowdy. With an apple-butterscotch base layer that’s baked with a biscuity crust, it has all the same great flavors and components as an apple pie, with half the labor.
13/35
Caramel Apples
From the Recipe Creator:
Who doesn’t love a good gooey caramel apple? Make a double batch because these treats always go fast! —Karen Ann Bland, Gove, Kansas
Here’s our classic caramel apple recipe. It’s perfect for purists who won’t add anything other than peanuts, but we’ve also included tons of fun caramel apple variations to try, like apple crisp, pumpkin pie, cookies and cream, and campfire s’mores versions.
14/35
Cream-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes
From the Recipe Creator:
Here's a charming use for pumpkin. Bursting with flavor and plenty of eye-catching appeal, these sweet and spicy filled cupcakes are bound to dazzle your family any time of the year. —Ali Johnson, Petersburg, Pennsylvania
Everyone will love the sweet surprise in the middle of these pumpkin cupcakes just as much as the pumpkin-shaped top. Reviewers rave about these cupcakes, claiming that even those who don’t usually like pumpkin love these cupcakes.
15/35
Cranberry Pecan Cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
These are so tasty and simple to prepare! Each delightful little cookie is loaded with cranberries, nuts and vanilla, giving them the taste of a treat that’s taken all day. —Louise Hawkins, Lubbock, Texas
We’ll let you in on a secret: These cookies start with a package of sugar cookie dough. That’s right, there’s no need to make cookie dough from scratch. Just fold in pecans, white chocolate chips and cranberries, and everyone will assume they’re fully homemade.
16/35
Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
From the Recipe Creator:
This apple cider doughnut cake looks like a giant doughnut covered in cinnamon sugar! Thanks to the apple cider and applesauce in the batter, the Bundt cake has lots of apple flavor. —Margaret Knoebel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Everyone loves apple cider doughnuts, but I’ll be the first to admit that I do not like to fry food in my home. That’s why this apple cider doughnut cake makes such a great and easy alternative. It has all the same amazing apple cider doughnut flavors, but the batter bakes in a Bundt pan.
17/35
Cranberry Orange Bread
From the Recipe Creator:
Tart berries, crunchy nuts and sweet chocolate are simply scrumptious when mixed together in this easy quick bread. Sometimes I'll top it off with an orange-flavored glaze. —Donna Smith, Fairport, New York
Can I be honest with you? Whenever I bake this cranberry orange bread, it doesn’t even last 48 hours in my home (population: 2). We can’t help but have a slice for breakfast, a midday snack and dessert.
18/35
Dipped Gingersnaps
From the Recipe Creator:
I get tremendous satisfaction making and giving time-tested Yuletide treats like these dipped gingersnaps. Dipping them in white chocolate makes much-loved gingersnaps even more special. —Laura Kimball, West Jordan, Utah
There’s something so satisfyingly perfect to me about cinnamon, molasses, ginger and white chocolate. I think they balance one another perfectly—the flavors of smoky, toasty, spicy and creamy incorporated into one for the perfect fall treat.
19/35
Applesauce Spice Cupcakes
From the Recipe Creator:
I began making these moist cupcakes in grade school and still bake them today. —Edna Hoffman, Hebron, Indiana
There’s so much autumnal flavor in these cupcakes, from the applesauce to all the fall spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Don’t forget to whip up a cream cheese frosting!
20/35
Caramel Pecan Ice Cream Dessert
From the Recipe Creator:
My mother passed this old-time recipe on to me because she knew I'd want to make it. I love desserts—especially this one! —Mary Wright, Morriston, Ontario
For anyone who loves texture in their desserts, our caramel pecan ice cream dessert is full of it. Each slice is basically an ice cream sandwich, using homemade pecan oat streusel to sandwich caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream.
21/35
Caramel Apple Bar
From the Recipe Creator:
This caramel apple board cuts apples into slices, so you can try a bunch of different topping combinations instead of committing to one or two for a whole apple. —Sarah Fischer, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
A caramel apple bar is a delightful and unexpected dessert. Everyone gets to try all sorts of gourmet caramel apple variations while talking, sharing and generally interacting with one another. Not to mention, it’s so easy for you to put together.
22/35
Salted Caramel Cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
These chocolate chip cookies are speckled with bits of homemade caramel for a salted caramel and chocolate flavor in every bite. Plus, browned butter takes the flavor of the dough from average to amazing! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
You don’t have to go all out with pumpkin spice and freshly picked apples to get an awesome fall dessert. Even something as easy as adding bits of caramel to already irresistible chocolate chip cookies can make them feel more fitted for fall.
23/35
Apple Crumble
From the Recipe Creator:
The neighbor who shared this recipe with me predicted that I'd serve it often, just as she has for more than 30 years. It's easy to put together and is wonderfully fruity. I like to serve it with ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. —Diann Mallehan, Grand Rapids, Michigan
In this apple crumble, a mound of apples cooks down in a brown sugar-cinnamon sauce with a buttery walnut cake topping. It’s easy, it’s homey and it’s wonderfully fall-flavored.
24/35
Caramel Heavenlies
From the Recipe Creator:
Before I cut these bars into triangles, I trim the edges so all the cookies look the same. My husband and daughter love this part because they get to eat the scraps. —Dawn Burns, Lake St. Louis, Missouri
Caramel heavenlies are like the fall version of the saltine toffee bark we see around Christmastime. Brown sugar and cinnamon lend these confections their autumnal flavor, and almonds and coconut pair well with the caramelly flavors, making them similar to Samoa cookies.
25/35
Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
From the Recipe Creator:
There's more to pumpkin than pie, as this impressive trifle proves. It looks so elegant with alternating layers of gingerbread cake and pumpkin/butterscotch pudding. Try making it ahead of time for a fuss-free dessert when you're planning to entertain guests. —Lyla Lehenbauer, New London, Missouri
A pumpkin and gingerbread dessert is the perfect recipe to make when you’re in that in-between time of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here, gingerbread cake is layered with butterscotch pudding and spiced pumpkin puree, so there is no shortage of warm and cozy flavors.
26/35
Pumpkin Pie Bars
From the Recipe Creator:
These bars taste like a cross between pumpkin pie and pecan pie—yum! If you can't find butter cake mix, yellow cake mix works. —Sue Draheim, Waterford, Wisconsin
These bars aren’t a pumpkin pie baked into a 13×9-inch pan. They’re more like a crustless pumpkin pie with a cakey pumpkin filling, rather than a custardy one, topped with a pecan crunch for added texture.
27/35
Cranberry Curd Bars
From the Recipe Creator:
These cranberry curd bars are vibrant, creamy and packed with fall flavor. Fans of cranberry will be delighted to see these on the dessert tray. —Margaret Knoebel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
While delicious fall desserts are often quite beige. These cranberry curd bars with their vibrant pink hue are anything but. Plus, I find their tart, bright cranberry-orange flavor refreshing during the cold months.
28/35
Easy Apple Cake
From the Recipe Creator:
After testing many apple cake recipes with fresh apples, I found this old-fashioned easy apple cake that is moist, dense and down-home delicious. Even better, it's quick to fix, and when it's served warm with whipped cream or a dollop of frozen custard, it's one of my family’s very favorites. —Sherry Ashenfelter, Waterville, Ohio
Apple cake is unbelievably easy and ready in an hour, start to finish. Studded with fresh apples and chopped walnuts, it’s perfect as is, but it’s even better with homemade whipped cream and salted caramel sauce.
29/35
Pecan Pie Brownies
From the Recipe Creator:
Chopped pecans top these chewy, chocolaty brownies for an irresistible dessert. The nutty pie topping has a gooey texture that ties this treat together. —Molly Allen, Hood River, Oregon
Like our pumpkin brownies, these pecan pie brownies infuse the best parts of the classic Thanksgiving pie with a batch of chocolaty brownies. Bonus, it’s about half the work of making a pecan pie from scratch. That’s called a win-win.
30/35
Pear Bundt Cake
From the Recipe Creator:
Next time you make cake from a mix, try my easy and delicious recipe. The pears and syrup add sweet flavor and prevent the cake from drying out. And since there's no oil added to the batter, this tender fall-perfect cake is surprisingly low in fat. —Veronica Ross, Columbia Heights, Minnesota
Feel free to use fresh or canned pears in this beautiful pear Bundt cake. Fall baking spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg would make it so much cozier for fall. Knowing me, I’d also add a quick vanilla glaze made from confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla extract.
31/35
Sweet Potato Pie
From the Recipe Creator:
This creamy sweet potato pie is subtly spiced and slices beautifully! We suggest baking up a few sweet potato pies around the holidays to give to friends and family. —North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission
Sweet potato pies are sweeter, fluffier and more flavorful than their pumpkin pie cousin. Keep it easy by using one of the best premade pie crusts from the store, so all you have to focus on is perfecting the filling.
32/35
Hot Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
From the Recipe Creator:
Hot chocolate is my go-to winter indulgence. To go with it, I like this moist pumpkin cake dusted with cocoa for an extra chocolate boost. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
All the familiar flavors from hot chocolate combine with autumnal pumpkin in this cozy Bundt cake. The real secret ingredient, though, is ground chipotle pepper, which just enlivens the warm flavors a bit more without making anything spicy.
33/35
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
From the Recipe Creator:
My kids start begging me for these cakelike sandwich cookies as soon as autumn arrives. I haven't met a person yet who doesn't like these fun treats. —Deb Stuber, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
For those who have never had whoopie pies, they’re basically cake sandwiches. Here’s a pumpkin cream cheese version that’s just as delicious as it sounds. Bonus, they are easy to make and really feed a crowd.
34/35
Carrot Spice Thumbprint Cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
Carrot cake is a family favorite, and these delicious cookies with shredded carrots, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, cinnamon and cloves taste very similar. They’re even topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. With each cookie it feels as if you’re eating a piece of carrot cake, but no fork is needed! —Susan Bickta, Kutztown, Pennsylvania
I swear, it seems as if every person who tries carrot cake loves it. I’ve never heard of someone disliking carrot cake! Here it is in a thumbprint cookie version, with the quintessential cream cheese frosting as the center.
35/35
Orange-Cranberry Nut Tarts
From the Recipe Creator:
My friend gave me a recipe for orange cookies. I just had to embellish it. Now my friends and family crave these tarts. —Nancy Bruce, Big Timber, Montana
If you’re hoping to bring home leftovers of these orange-cranberry nut tarts, go ahead and reserve some for yourself now. With an orange-flavored tart dough, cranberry-orange nut filling and white chocolate drizzle, everyone will stand over these all night.
Potluck Fall Desserts FAQ
What are traditional fall potluck desserts?
Traditional autumn desserts include pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin roll, apple crisp, pumpkin bread, caramel apples, apple cider doughnuts, apple cake and all the classic Thanksgiving pies. Basically, any easy dessert that includes pumpkin or apples is made often enough during the fall season to be considered a classic.
What fall desserts for a crowd can I make ahead?
Most fall desserts for a crowd can be made one day ahead of time. For autumn desserts best served warm, assemble the recipe up to the point just before baking, then cover the dish and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to bake, remove the dish from the fridge 30 minutes before baking to prevent it from cracking in the oven.
What unique desserts can you make with pumpkin?
Unique and cozy fall treats to make with pumpkin include our dark chocolate pumpkin truffles, our take on the viral pumpkin tiramisu, a very fancy pumpkin creme brulee, this beautiful chocolate pumpkin tart, a two-for-one pumpkin cheesecake pie and adorable little spiced pumpkin ice cream puffs. These pumpkin dessert recipes are fun, unique and unexpected—a far cry from the typical pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or loaf of pumpkin bread!
