When fall baking season rolls around, these are some of my favorite ways to celebrate with pumpkin spice, apples, fall cookies, savory bakes, and more.
Fall baking season is here, and even though it’s still 100°F here in Phoenix, I’m ready for all things pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, and caramel!
I put together this Fall Baking Bucket List with three recipes in each category, from easy treats and seasonal favorites to weekend baking projects and recipes made for sharing. Basically, everything you need to bake your way through fall!
How many can you check off this fall? Think of this as your go-to baking list for the whole season. Pick a few recipes, try something new, and check them off as you go!
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake features a moist sour cream pumpkin cake loaded with brown sugar streusel and topped with a maple glaze. Super simple and SO delicious! 1-hour recipe.
Pumpkin Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting are the perfect fall crowd-pleasing treat! The pumpkin spice bars are soft and slightly cakey, and the thick layer of brown sugar frosting on top is slightly crunchy and delicious. Easy to make and transport!
Homemade Apple Galette is so much easier to make than apple pie! This recipe has a buttery, flaky tart crust and a perfectly spiced apple filling. The best rustic dessert to serve a crowd for Thanksgiving.
TikTok VIRAL Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies are loaded with flavor and have a soft yet chewy, ooey gooey texture. The BEST cookies you'll ever taste!
This homemade Peanut Butter Pie is made from scratch with just a few ingredients and will have everyone coming back for seconds! It’s CRAZY good! With step-by-step video.
Make rich, silky caramel sauce in just 15 minutes, no candy thermometer needed! Follow these simple step-by-step instructions for a homemade treat that’s far better than store-bought.
Just 3 ingredients and 15 minutes and you have DIY homemade toffee bits from scratch! They’re absolutely amazing in cookies, brownies, streusel toppings on muffins or pies, or just as a sweet snack.
How to Make Butterscotch Sauce from scratch in just 10 minutes! Just as good as caramel but so much easier. Can be made ahead of time. This recipe makes 1 1/3 cups sauce.
Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are super chewy pumpkin spice cookies, loaded with caramelized butterscotch flavors and gooey chocolate chips. Not a hint of cakeiness here! This delicious fall cookie is so easy to make – you don’t even need a mixer.
Easy Chai Sugar Cookies are thick, soft, loaded with sweet warm spices, and topped with a simple espresso glaze. Perfect 30 minute recipe for a cozy autumn day!
This easy Apple Crisp Recipe has a spiced brown sugar apple filling with an oaty cinnamon streusel topping. Serve with fresh vanilla ice cream on top for the best Summer, Fall, or Thanksgiving dessert!
Caramel Pecan Blondies feature an ultra chewy brown sugar blondie with a hidden layer of rich, gooey, and crunchy caramel pecan filling. Out of this world!
Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake features an ultra tender, slightly spongey cinnamon apple cake with a thick and shiny salted caramel glaze. Perfect for serving a crowd in the Fall, or during the holidays! Easy sheet cake recipe, no mixer required.
This Dutch Apple Pie recipe has a flaky, buttery crust, spiced apples, and a toffee-studded streusel topping. It’s an indulgent twist on the classic that’s sure to become a fall favorite.
How to Make Caramel Apples! The decadent caramel against the slightly tart, crunchy apple is so much fun to enjoy in the fall. This easy Caramel Apples recipe uses a scratch-made caramel that sets perfectly, without being sickly sweet or annoyingly sticky. Add chocolate, nuts, sprinkles, crushed Oreos, or any other toppings you desire!
This copycat recipe for Cosmic Brownies is ultra-rich, fudgy, and chewy just like the kind you buy at the store but oh so much better, with no preservatives!
Homemade Oreo Cookies taste just like the famous store-bought sandwich cookies – but better! These delicious homemade Oreos are easy to make and can be customized with your favorite flavored filling (double-stuffed if you prefer!).
My BEST Ever Chewy Brownies are just as chewy as boxed brownies but with better chocolate flavor. One bowl recipe, ready in less than 1 hour. I've made this recipe over 200 times (no joke!).
Brown Butter Triple Chocolate Blondies are insanely flavorful, with caramel-y browned butter notes, three kinds of chocolate, and a perfectly chewy texture. Ready in under 1 hour!
These cinnamon rolls are ultra-soft, filled with gooey cinnamon goodness, and topped with a rich vanilla icing. They’re way better than Cinnabon, and easy to make ahead!
You'll never buy Pop Tarts again after making my homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts! Warm, buttery, and flaky pastry, brown sugar cinnamon filling, and a thick cinnamon glaze.
If you’re out of instant yeast, use active-dry—and vice versa—1:1. Expect active-dry to rise ~15–20 minutes slower.For bread-machine recipes or very long fermentation doughs, use the yeast specified in the recipe (rather than substituting).
-raised Cinnamon Swirl Bread features soft and fluffy bread with thick swirls of sweet cinnamon. Each slice makes for the most amazing morning toast, or better yet, use it to make French toast for a special occasion!
Craving warm, garlicky breadsticks? My Copycat Olive Garden Breadstick Recipe makes buttery, fluffy, and perfectly chewy breadsticks at home even better than the restaurant!
Easy Cornbread recipe is moist, buttery, fluffy, and so delicious. Topped with jalapeño honey butter. Your friends and family will love this recipe at any summer BBQs or as a side dish for Thanksgiving!
How to Make Buttermilk Biscuits that are tall, flaky, tender, and perfectly buttery. These homemade biscuits are quick and easy to make, ready in just 30 minutes!
These traditional Bavarian-style pretzels have a deeply browned exterior and chewy texture. Surprisingly easy to make and taste delicious served with my 10-Minute Beer Cheese Dip. Also try my Garlic Parmesan Soft Pretzels (pictured at the top of this post) for a savory twist!
Hawaiian Rolls are light, fluffy, and utterly delicious – just like the store-bought version, but even better! Sweet, soft, squishy, and surprisingly easy to make, these are perfect for making mini sandwiches, sliders, and more.
Finally, the perfect Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies, with a thick chewy texture, soft center, and golden brown edges. This kitchen-tested, easy recipe can be made in 30 minutes. Now with gluten-free and egg-free options!
These Double Chocolate Halloween Cookies will be a hit with any crowd! You just need one bowl and about 30 minutes to enjoy these chocolaty cookies. Adored by kids and adults every year.
How to make the most adorable Jack-o'-Lantern Cookies, perfect for Halloween! This recipe features my easy chocolate cut-out sugar cookies, filled with homemade cream cheese frosting. The cutest Halloween dessert ever.
These Halloween Brownies are as adorable as they are delicious! Quick and easy to make, these spooky brownies are the perfect addition to any Halloween party.
How to make the BEST stuffing ever – Soft Pretzel Thanksgiving Stuffing! This recipe is so easy to make and your friends and family will surely be coming back for seconds. You might have just found your new favorite Thanksgiving side dish recipe.
This Browned Butter Maple Pecan Pie is made without corn syrup and has the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors. Truly the best pecan pie I’ve ever had! This recipe is sure to be a hit on your Thanksgiving dessert table.
Store baking spices in airtight containers in a cool, dark, dry place away from heat and sunlight. For the best flavor, replace ground spices every 1-2 years, especially if they’ve lost their aroma.
Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?
No, these aren’t interchangeable. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices, while pumpkin puree is only one ingredient, so substituting one for the other can throw off the flavor and texture of a recipe entirely.
Firm, flavorful varieties that hold their shape in the oven, like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Pink Lady. You can also combine a tart apple with a sweeter variety for more complex flavor. Avoid Red Delicious or McIntosh when making pies, as they tend to cook down too fast, resulting in a mushy pie.
What are the best fall desserts to make ahead?
Most fall desserts can be made or prepped a day or two ahead, which is especially helpful during busy school days and crazy sports schedules! Apple Crisp, Biscoff Brownies, and Brown Butter Maple Pecan Pie can all be prepared ahead of time, making them great options for fall entertaining.
