Believe it or not, autumn is right around the corner! Pretty soon, the weather will be cooling down (as much as it can in Texas) and we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. Changing seasons means new experiences, switching up your wardrobe, and eating the best in-season foods. Autumn is known for its warm, comfort meals and limited-time restaurant menu drinks and other sweets. However, nothing hits the spot like homemade autumn desserts akin to those your mom or grandmother made for the holidays. That’s why we made this list of desserts that will make heads turn at any holiday or dinner party. Here are seven favorite autumn desserts fit for any fall celebration:
- Pumpkin pie
- Cinnamon apple cheesecake
- Cranberry crisp
- Pecan pralines
- Sweet potato pie
- Apple cake
- Vegan pumpkin loaf
Pumpkin pie
Baking a pumpkin pie is one of our favorite ways to make the most of the fall season. It’s one of, if not, the most popular and beloved Thanksgiving desserts. So popular that you can buy pumpkin pie filling at the grocery store! But a can of pumpkin and a frozen pre-made crust will do just fine. Allrecipes’ pumpkin pie includes spices like nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon and yields eight servings. Top it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for a boost of sweetness.
Cinnamon apple cheesecake
The first of our apple autumn desserts is cinnamon apple cheesecake. Did you know that many varieties of apples come in season during fall? Apples make for great baking ingredients and toppings like in this recipe by Taste of Home. What makes this recipe special is that it also includes instructions for making a delicious oat and walnut crust. For its topping, you will saute apples and coat them in a cinnamon glaze made on the stovetop. Serve and keep your cheesecake cold by transporting it in a quality cooler.
Cranberry crisp
Cranberries are another fruit you see come in season in fall. People love eating cranberry sauce with their Thanksgiving dinner, so why not incorporate cranberries into autumn desserts? Before we talk recipes, let’s get one thing straight: the difference between a crisp and a crumble. They are similar dishes, but what makes a crisp a crisp is its oat and nut topping that becomes crunchy in the oven. Gimme Some Oven’s cranberry crisp is made with fresh, tart cranberries and a sugar and cinnamon crunchy topping. It has a quick prep time of 10 minutes and yields 8-10 servings.
Pecan pralines
Pecans are a southern dessert staple, usually found in pecan pies. But these pecan autumn desserts are even easier to serve and easier to make: pralines. Pralines are candy-like treats made with nuts and whose texture should melt in your mouth. It consists of a simple ingredients list of butter, sugar, and plenty of pecans. What makes Country Living’s pecan praline recipe unique is that it includes melted vanilla ice cream instead of heavy cream or evaporated milk. After heating up your ingredients to 240 degrees, spread the praline mixture onto baking sheets to cool and serve at room temperature. It’s hard to have just one, but it’s important to avoid overeating on Thanksgiving even with all these delicious treats!
Sweet potato pie
A sweet potato pie has a lot in common with a pumpkin pie. Both are some of the most popular autumn desserts and have a pie crust that is baked before the rest of the filling. They also include some of the same ingredients listed in this five-star recipe from Trisha Yearwood of Food Network. Many reviewers acclaimed that this recipe produced the best sweet potato pie they have ever tasted. This nine-inch pie’s recipe is easy to follow as you watch an attached clip of Yearwood alongside the instructions.
Apple cake
As you’ve probably guessed, apple cake is our other favorite apple autumn dessert. After all, cake is known for being a dessert of celebration and community. This recipe made by Betty Crocker brings together all the autumn comfort flavors you could wish for. They also provide some tips for a better eating experience. One tip is to choose apples that are slightly tart and hold their shape like Granny Smith and Braeburn apples. Like the sweet potato pie, Betty Crocker has produced a short video detailing its preparation steps for visual learners.
Vegan pumpkin loaf
We didn’t want to leave out vegans and those with lactose intolerance from enjoying autumn desserts. That’s why we’ve provided this vegan and WFPB alternative to a classic Thanksgiving treat. All it takes to make this recipe vegan is adding plant-based milk and leaving out the cream cheese stripe. What you might not expect is that this recipe by Simple Veganista calls for unsweetened applesauce to replace oil and create density. Lastly, she chooses to sprinkle her pumpkin loaf with pumpkin seeds just before baking it in the oven for an hour.
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