30 Apple Recipes for the Bag Going Soft in Your Crisper Drawer

Published Sep 29, 2026

30 apple recipes covering applesauce and apple butter, savory salads and soups, snacks for kids, and apple desserts like pie, crisp, cake, and tarts.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

There’s pretty much always a bag of apples sitting in my kitchen from September through December. Everyone eats them for a while, and then one day I realize the same four apples have been sitting there untouched for a week. That’s usually my sign to start baking. Sometimes they become applesauce or apple butter, but if I’m not paying attention, I will make apple crisp for the tenth time and call it a day.

Two plates of pancakes with apple compote on top with an extra small dish of more compote and some whole apples around.

I put all of these apple recipes together mostly because I needed to stop doing that. When I’m trying to figure out what to make with apples, I’m usually deciding between something quick, something I can eat for breakfast, or an actual dessert, not thinking about which month of fall we’re in. So that’s how I organized this list too.

Jump to Section

30 Apple Recipes
Classic Recipes
Breakfasts with Apples
Savory Apple Recipes
Kid-Friendly Recipes
Dessert Recipes
Beverages
Tips for Making Apple Recipes
Troubleshooting
For more similar roundup of recipes, be sure to check out:

30 Apple Recipes

I split these apple recipes up based on what I’m actually looking for when I have apples to use. The first section is all the basics I make every year, like applesauce, apple butter, apple chips, and baked apple slices. There’s also a whole section of apple recipes for kids, mostly because the muffins, dips, and cookies disappear much faster in my house than a bowl of sliced apples.

Classic Apple Recipes

Condiments

Applesauce Recipe

Homemade applesauce made with fresh apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A simple stovetop recipe mashed to your preferred texture.

5 from 13 votes

Snack

Apple Chip Recipe (Oven or Air Fryer)

Easy apple chip recipe for crispy chips made with just apples and cinnamon and crisped up in the oven or air fryer.

5 from 74 votes

Condiments

Apple Butter Recipe

Homemade apple butter recipe made with slow-cooked apples, warm spices, and a hint of sweetness. Spread it on toast or pancakes, or add on top of oatmeal.

2 15

5 from 6 votes

Dessert

Easy Baked Apple Slices Recipe

Easy oven-baked apple slices with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and ginger. Serve warm with ice cream or spoon over oatmeal.

5 from 23 votes

Healthy Apple Recipes for Breakfast

Breakfast, Snack

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups

This Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups recipe is a cross between baked oatmeal & muffins. It's made with simple vegan ingredients & makes for a healthy breakfast!

4.9 from 76 votes

Breakfast

Caramel Apple Overnight Steel Cut Oats

This Overnight Steel Cut Oats recipe is one of my family's favorites. Meal prep a batch for a week of easy make-ahead breakfasts!

8 5

5 from 475 votes

Breakfast

Apple Bread Recipe

Moist apple bread made with chopped apples, applesauce, and cinnamon. This easy apple loaf stays soft for days and doesn’t require a mixer.

1 10

5 from 61 votes

Savory Apple Recipes

Side Dish

Butternut Squash Stuffing Recipe

This butternut squash stuffing is made with cubed butternut squash, celery, onions, and fresh sage and thyme mixed with sourdough bread cubes with only 15 minutes of prep!

1 55

5 from 12 votes

Soup

Acorn Squash Soup Recipe

Creamy acorn squash soup made with roasted squash, warm spices, apple, and yogurt that’s lighter than cream-based versions with only 10 minute prep.

5 from 76 votes

Salad

Waldorf Salad Recipe

Greek Yogurt Waldorf Salad with diced chicken, red grapes, celery, apples, and walnuts in a lemon yogurt dressing.

5 from 14 votes

Salad

Apple Walnut Salad

This Apple Walnut Salad is a flavor and ingredient loaded fall-inspired salad that's nutrient dense and vibrant – serve as a meal with added protein or as side salad!

5 from 40 votes

Salad, Side

Apple Slaw Recipe

This Apple Slaw is made with fresh apples, cabbage, carrots, and green onions coated in a homemade slaw dressing with a Greek yogurt base.

5 from 3 votes

Salads, Side Dish

Fall Harvest Salad Recipe

Fall Harvest Salad with roasted sweet potatoes, kale, apples, candied pecans, feta, and a homemade maple tahini dressing.

5 from 36 votes

Lunch, Salads

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Recipe

This creamy Greek yogurt chicken is mayo-free and made with diced chicken, apples, and celery in a fresh dill Greek Yogurt dressing.

5 from 91 votes

Apple Recipes for Kids

Dessert

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip with Apples

This whipped cream cheese fruit dip comes together with just cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. No marshmallow fluff, no special grocery run.

5 from 111 votes

Breakfast

Apple Cinnamon Muffins Recipe

These bakery-style apple cinnamon muffins are made with apples and warm spices and are topped with a 4-ingredient crumble.

5 from 56 votes

Dessert, Snack

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Chewy apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies made with fresh chopped apples, rolled oats, and a few pantry staples. Ready in under 25 minutes!

5 from 49 votes

Breakfast

Apple Pancakes Recipe

Apple pancakes made with grated apple in the batter and a warm cinnamon apple topping. These soft, fluffy pancakes are an easy weekend breakfast.

5 from 26 votes

Snack

Apples with Peanut Butter Dip

This creamy peanut butter dip comes together with Greek yogurt, peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon for an easy snack with apples.

5 from 217 votes

Dessert

Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies

These easy Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies are super soft with great taste and texture but less fat than traditional chocolate chip cookies

5 from 70 votes

Apple Dessert Recipes

Dessert

Easy Apple Pie Recipe

Make this easy apple pie recipe with fresh apples and a premade, store-bought crust. It's the perfect fall dessert!

5 from 294 votes

Dessert

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe

Easy Apple Crisp with oats is a simple fall dessert with apples, cinnamon, crunchy oat streusel topping, and vanilla ice cream.

5 from 60 votes

Dessert

Apple Bread Pudding Recipe

Easy apple cinnamon bread pudding that tastes like apple pie! Made with French bread, honey, apples, and walnuts.

5 from 96 votes

Dessert

Invisible Apple Cake Recipe

Gâteau invisible aux pommes, or French invisible apple cake, made with sliced Honeycrisp apples layered in a custard-like batter and baked until golden.

1 30

4.8 from 24 votes

Dessert

Apple Yogurt Cake Recipe

Moist apple cinnamon cake made with fresh Honeycrisp apples and full-fat Greek yogurt, finished with an apricot jam glaze.

5 from 2 votes

Dessert

Baked Apples with Oats Recipe

Baked cinnamon apples with oats made with a simple oat and pecan filling, baked until soft, and finished with caramel or ice cream.

5 from 22 votes

Dessert

Apple Tart Recipe

Apple tart with thin-sliced apples fanned over puff pastry and finished with an apricot glaze. It bakes up golden and flaky in about 40 minutes.

No ratings yet

Beverages with Apples

Beverages

Homemade Apple Cider Recipe

Old-fashioned apple cider made with fresh apples, lemon, and warm spices simmered together for a cozy, naturally sweet fall drink.

2 25

4.7 from 6 votes

Beverages, Smoothies

Kale Smoothie Recipe

This Kale Smoothie is made with kale, apples, banana, ginger, and coconut milk and blended until smooth. The ginger and green apple keep it from being bitter!

5 from 91 votes

Beverages, Juices

Celery Juice Recipe

Simple celery juice recipe made with fresh celery and green apple. Two ingredients, takes minutes in a juicer, and best consumed right away.

5 from 308 votes

Tips for Making Apple Recipes

Know when to use cooking versus eating apples. Use cooking apples where extra moisture and a softer texture would be beneficial. Use eating apples where you want the fruit to retain its shape and give off less liquid.
Choose apples that are firm, brightly colored, and free of bruises or damaged skin.
Prevent browning when slicing apples for a recipe by putting the slices in a bowl of cold water with a spoonful of lemon juice.
Know your measurements. A large apple will yield 2 cups sliced or chopped. A medium apple will yield 1 ⅓ cups. And a small apple will give you ¾ of a cup. Keep that in mind when preparing apple dessert recipes.

Troubleshooting

How can I prevent cut apples from turning brown?

Toss the sliced apples in a mixture of water and a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Then, pat the apple slices dry with a paper towel before using in recipes. The acid in the lemon juice will slow down the browning and help the apples retain freshness.

What are the best apples for baking?

Since apple dessert recipes are abundant this time of the year, it’s good to know which apple varieties fare better when baked. Baking apples include Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, and Granny Smith. These apples are firm enough to hold their shape without breaking down during the cooking process.

Are apple skins nutritious, or should I peel them for recipes?

Apple skins are packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, compared to the flesh alone. Therefore, keeping the skins on your apples can enhance the overall nutrition. However, whether to peel them or not depends on your personal preference and the specific recipe. Some baked goods will require peeled apples so the skin doesn’t impact the texture and flavor of the dish.