As the leaves start to turn colors, and air becomes a little crisper, it can only mean one thing: Fall is officially here! And with fall comes all sorts of delicious food traditions, like pumpkin everything, apple recipes, and of course, all the fall desserts recipes.
We’re sharing everything from easy treats for the kids, to show-stopping pear pie bars that are perfect for a fall dinner party. So, whether you’re planning a fall brunch, a Halloween party for the kids, or a Thanksgiving celebration with the family, these fall desserts ideas are sure to please.
It’s always a good choice to offer a variety of fall desserts for a crowd. It gives everyone a chance to try some new things, and there’s bound to be at least one dessert that everyone will love.
And, let’s be honest…dessert is always the best part of any party!
How Many Fall Desserts Should I Plan?
This really depends on the size of your party, and how many other food items you’ll be serving, but here are some general guidelines:
- If you’re having a small get together, 2-3 desserts should be plenty.
- For a larger party, or if you’re serving dinner as well, 3-5 desserts would be a better choice.
I also have a full guide and a free cheat sheet showing how much food to make for a party. It covers everything from how much ice you need all the way to what size cake to purchase.
Want to avoid spending hours on end preparing food for your party? Click here to download 10 Fast and Easy Party Recipes that don’t take more than 20 minutes of your time to prepare.
How to Display Your Desserts
Whether or not you’re having a dessert bar, it’s always nice to make your treats look as pretty as possible. Here are some simple ideas:
- Use a tiered tray: Displaying mini fall desserts vertically on a tiered tray makes your buffet more interesting, and shows off all the pretty fall colors.
- Garnish with seasonal fruits and vegetables: Cranberries, mini pumpkins, and gourds are all food safe ways to add color and texture to your party tray
- Garnish with fall candy: If you’re planning desserts for kids, scatter some fall M&Ms, Reese’s pieces, candy pumpkins, or candy corn on the dessert tray to make it extra festive.
Fall Dessert Recipes
We're covering all the best fall desserts recipes today, and have even organized it all for you into the following sections:
- Fall snacks for kids
- Fall desserts with apples
- Autumn Cranberry recipes
- Pumpkin recipes
- Chocolate Recipes for Fall, and
- More Fall Dessert Recipes
Fall Desserts for Kids
The best thing about kids party food is that you can let your imagination run wild. After all, what's more fun than playing with your food?
Acorn Treats Brownies
Acorn treats made with Nilla wafers and brownie bites are too cute to pass up, and just as much fun to eat for Thanksgiving class parties.
Mini Cinnamon Roll Bites (No Dough Required)
Make your busy weekend breakfast special with easy mini cinnamon roll bites. Made with sandwich bread, there is no yeast or rising time required!
Popcorn Corn on the Cob Treat Bags
How cute are these popcorn corn on the cob favor bags? Whether you use a homemade popcorn mix, or simply grab the popcorn from a bag, kids are going to love these at your fall parties.
Turkey Pudding Cup Craft for Thanksgiving
Turkey pudding cups make the cutest Thanksgiving craft - and it's even easier with this printable file too.
Fall Dessert Recipes with Apples
Apple picking is one of the best fall activities, and a great way to spend time with family and friends. But what do you do with all those apples afterwards?
Turn them into delicious desserts, of course!
These recipes are perfect for using up a big batch of apples, and will make your whole house smell like autumn.
Apple Roses with Puff Pastry
Learn how to make perfect apple roses with puff pastry that are sure to impress your guests. Including tips and tools to make it easy.
Fried Apple Rings with Caramel and Cinnamon Sugar
Fried apple rings with caramel and cinnamon sugar! With crispy batter and sweet, juicy apple slices, fall desserts never tasted better.
Apple Pie Spiced Pretzels
These apple pie spiced pretzels are an easy treat for fall. Make them as after school snacks, Halloween parties, or as an easy game day appetizer.
Cinnamon Apple Bread with Streusel Topping
This from scratch cinnamon spiced apple bread is a moist quick bread that is full of fall flavors. It smells amazing as it cooks and tastes just as good.
Autumn Cranberry Desserts
When it comes to autumn desserts, there's nothing quite like the tart sweetness of cranberries. Whether they're used as a main ingredient or simply as a garnish, these little berries add a pop of color and flavor that is perfect for fall.
Cranberry Curd Bars with a Pistachio Shortbread Crust
Cranberry curd bars with a pistachio shortbread crust are the perfect holiday dessert bars to make this year. Tangy, sweet, and beautiful, they’re a treat that’s sure to impress!
Orange Vanilla Candied Cranberries
Orange vanilla candied cranberries are sweet and sour little bits of deliciousness that everyone in the family will enjoy.
Pumpkin Desserts
Is there any fall flavor more iconic than pumpkin spice?
From pumpkin pie to pumpkin truffles, these recipes include a variety of flavors and textures that are sure to please everyone in the family.
Mini Pumpkin Pies with Leaf Crusts and Praline Topping
Don't want to serve the same old boring pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving? These mini pumpkin pies with leaf crusts are an easy way to update a classic recipe.
Pumpkin Pie Truffles with Cream Cheese
Yum! These easy pumpkin pie truffles with cream cheese are a perfectly sweet fall treat everyone in your family will love.
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Smooth, creamy, and bursting with pumpkin spice flavor in a graham cracker crust, this ridiculously easy no bake pumpkin cheesecake is the perfect fall dessert.
Pumpkin Pie Bars with a Nutella Swirl
Pumpkin pie bars with a chocolatey Nutella swirl are a unique spin on a fall favorite. Ooey gooey, chocolate Nutella mingles with fall’s favorite vegetable to create an easy, creamy homemade sheet pan dessert that’s perfect for a crowd.
Pumpkin bars with a gingersnap crust
Pumpkin bars with a gingersnap crust! Make them for a crowd, or as a simply anytime treat. (Try them with or without the caramel layer & decide which is best!)
Chocolate Desserts Perfect for Fall
Chocolate is good all year round, especially when it's paired with warm flavors like pumpkin spice, ginger, or even your favorite dark beer.
Here are a few of our favorite chocolate recipes with a seasonal twist that make them even more irresistible.
Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles with a Kick!
These aren’t your everyday chocolates! Make chocolate pumpkin truffles when you want a fall treat with a kick, thanks to pumpkin spice and gingersnaps.
Chocolate Beer Cake with Chocolate Beer Whipped Cream Frosting
Infused with beer in three different ways, this chocolate beer cake is incredibly moist and delicious. You won't be able to stop with one bite!
Beer Brownies with a Pretzel Crust
These beer brownies with a pretzel crust create a surprisingly delicious treat that you and your guests will want to devour come game day.
Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches
Red velvet cookie sandwiches are soft, sweet, and the perfect bite sized version of your favorite red velvet cake. Enjoy them for holidays, parties, or even as an afternoon snack.
More Autumn Desserts to Adore!
We've covered some of the most popular fall flavors so far, but there are so many more to explore!
Pecans, pears, sweet potatoes, and more...fall is a fantastic time to get creative in the kitchen. Make it easy to do just that with these 7+ additional autumn favorites.
Pecan Crescent Cookies
Friends and family ask for these pecan crescent cookies (aka Christmas horns) every year, with their flakey crust and sweet pecan filling.
Brown Sugar Cashew Brittle
A twist on the classic peanut brittle, brown sugar cashew brittle is crunchy and sweet with a hint of toffee and vanilla.
Easy Candied Pecans
Sweet and crunchy, this easy candied pecans recipe is a simple treat that everyone loves, and is perfect as a snack, as a topping for salads, or even as a last minute gift.
Pear Pie Crumble Bars with a Cookie Drizzle
Want a creative spin on holiday treats this year? Then pear pie crumble bars with a cookie drizzle are perfect for you! They are simple, impressive, and tasty!
Sweet Potato Bars with Maple Frosting
Make these sweet potato bars with maple frosting and everyone will ask for the recipe! Full of seasonal flavors, they’re the perfect fall or holiday dessert.
Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies with Molasses
Get your oven ready! Make and extra large batch of these ginger cookies with molasses that are melt in your mouth soft with just the right amount of chewiness. They'll be your new holiday favorite.
Almond Macaroons
Soft on the inside with just the right amount of crunch, these almond macaroons are completely irresistible!
Chewy oatmeal cookies with Beer
Chewy oatmeal cookies made with beer are full of flavor and stay soft for days! Try them with your favorite winter ale or stout and taste the difference.
As you can see, there are so many delicious flavors to explore this fall. And with so many different flavors and textures, making enough fall desserts recipes for your party is easy. The hard part is going to be picking just a few of them!
Before you put on your apron, don’t forget to grab your free copy of 10 fast and easy party recipes. It’s got 10 crowd pleasing recipes that take no more than 20 minutes of your time in the kitchen.
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