Best Apple Harvest Recipes

Turn a bounty of apples into sweet desserts like pies, tarts and crumbles, or pair apples with meats and vegetables for a more savory take.

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Photo By: Tara Donne

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Bobby Flay's classic doughnut recipe will keep you from having to run to the orchard every time you get a craving for the apple-cinnamon treats.

Get the Recipe: Apple Cider Donuts

Pork Chops with Warm Fennel-Apple Slaw

A firm apple like a tart Granny Smith matches up well with thinly sliced fennel bulbs and juicy seared pork chops. Hello, perfect fall meal.

Get the Recipe: Pork Chops with Warm Fennel-Apple Slaw

Designer Toffee Apples

Nadia G amps up the stick-to-your-tooth fall favorite by dipping apples in toffee (caramel's buttery, more indulgent cousin) and sea salt-coated roasted almonds. Feel free to dip them in other candies, nuts and dried fruit, as shown in this photo.

Get the Recipe: Designer Toffee Apples

Apple Cider Chicken

Sunny Anderson uses apples and apple cider in this creamy, simple chicken dish that comes together in 40 minutes.

Get the Recipe: Apple Cider Chicken

Easy Pastry Shop Apple Tart

Laura Calder's simple rustic tart calls for cinnamon-kissed apple slices to be layered atop a cream cheese and vanilla filling, letting the flavor of the crisp fall fruit shine through.

Get the Recipe: Easy Pastry Shop Apple Tart

Apple Muffins

Filled with chunks of sweet Golden Delicious apples and chopped pecans, these muffins gain substance and nutty flavor with whole-wheat flour — and spare calories but not flavor using low-fat buttermilk.

Get the Recipe: Apple Muffins

Creamy Apple Soup with Grilled Cheddar, Bacon and Apple Sandwich

The secret to this dish? Adding apple in unexpected ways: Apple brandy adds oomph to the soup base while each sandwich is slathered with apple butter before being layered with apple slices.

Get the Recipe: Creamy Apple and Celery Root Soup with Grilled Cheddar, Bacon and Apple Honey Mustard Sandwich

Sausage Skewers with Apple and Sage

Sweet, sour and savory, these tiny pork sausage, apple and sage bites make the perfect cocktail party starter — elegant in appearance, but easy to prepare.

Get the Recipe: Sausage with Apple and Sage

Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie

Sweet-tart apples meet sharp Vermont cheddar in this classic New England take on the favorite fall pie. For even more savory flavor, add extra shredded Cheddar to the top of the pie or serve with a slice of cheese on the side.

Get the Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie

Pork Roast with Spicy Apple Chutney

The perfect accompaniment to a fennel, thyme and garlic pork roast? A sweet, spiced and spicy apple chutney.

Get the Recipe: All-Day Roast Pork, Spicy Apple Chutney, Mashed Citrus Sweet Potatoes, Sauteed Chard

The Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie

Tyler's caramel apple pie — with layers upon layers of thinly sliced apples doused in a red wine caramel sauce and packed inside a domed crust — is the juiciest, meatiest pie you've ever tasted.

Get the Recipe: The Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie

Candy Shop Caramel Apples

Preparing the sort of caramel apples found on the boardwalk or at street fairs is simpler than you might think. With just a handful of ingredients and one heavy-duty saucepan, create the sticky-sweet coating for your apples, then dip in a wide range of candy toppings.

Get the Recipe: Caramel Apples

Apple Rub

Fruity and full of warm spices, this versatile rub — made with ground apple chips — can be used for pork tenderloin, chicken or turkey breasts.

Get the Recipe: Apple Rub

Apple Empanadas with Almond Pastry Cream

This sweet take on the classic Mexican dish calls for apples to be sautéed with cinnamon and brown sugar, then mashed into a sweet filling. Frozen puff pastry saves time in preparation, but a sweet almond pastry cream sauce makes the whole thing taste homemade.

Get the Recipe: Apple Empanadas with Almond Pastry Cream

Smoky Chicken and Cider

This fall stew is perfect for serving at a dinner party or a regular weeknight meal. Apple cider, apple cider vinegar and Golden Delicious apples add sweet and tart flavors to this full-bodied dish, balancing out the smoky bacon and fragrant bay leaves.

Get the Recipe: Smoky Chicken and Cider

Baked Apples with Caramel Sauce

Apples become magically sweet when baked, but a dried fig and almond stuffing, along with a simple caramel sauce, turns this dish into a decadent dessert.

Get the Recipe: Baked Apples with Caramel Sauce

Paneer Fish Cakes with Apple and Fig Chutney

Bal uses leftover salmon to prepare her fish and paneer cheese cakes, though any flaky or canned fish will do. Made with plain yogurt, spices and herbs, these savory cakes are nicely complemented by a sweet apple, fig, almond and raisin chutney.

Get the Recipe: Paneer Fish Cakes with Apple and Fig Chutney

Applesauce Apple Tart

This tart — with little more than brown sugar and ground nutmeg — is all about apples, with a homemade applesauce base and layered apple topping.

Get the Recipe: Applesauce Apple Tart

Belgian Waffles with Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Butter and Sautéed Cider Apples

Bobby's sweet waffles forgo maple syrup and are topped instead with cinnamon-and-cider-sautéed apples.

Get the Recipe: Belgian Waffles with Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Butter and Sauteed Cider Apples

Wonton Ravioli with Apple Cider Glaze

Roger's turkey, pork and Asiago-stuffed wontons are drizzled with a surprising sweet apple cider glaze.

Get the Recipe: Wonton Ravioli with Apple Cider Glaze

Dessert Pizza with Apple and Gorgonzola

David Rocco's dessert pizzas are topped with a variety of fruits, nuts and cheeses. His apple, Gorgonzola and honey pizza recipe hits all the right sweet, salty and savory notes.

Get the Recipe: Dessert Pizza with Variations: Grape and Pine Nut, Apple and Gorgonzola, Mascarpone and Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread

Celeriac Remoulade

Laura Calder's rendition of the classic French remoulade sauce — with vinegar, Dijon mustard, grapeseed oil and fennel — turns a mild celeriac and apple salad into a savory side.

Get the Recipe: Celeriac Remoulade

Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam

Pecorino cheese pairs perfectly with fresh apple slices and a brandy, hazelnut and fig jam, making these crostini a sweet starter or a savory dessert.

Get the Recipe: Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam

Benne Brown Butter Apple Tart

Brown butter adds rich sweetness to this incredibly moist apple tart, and a sprinkled sesame seed topping lends a mildly nutty flavor.

Get the Recipe: Benne Brown Butter Apple Tart

Dessert Pizza

Aida's dessert pizza is mostly sweet, with just a little spice — great for when you need to fix a fast dessert. Top ciabatta or focaccia bread with baked apples and a vanilla-and-clove-scented caramel sauce. A dollop of cream (ice or whipped) finishes this "pizza" off.

Get the Recipe: Dessert Pizza

Chicken Breasts with Apple-Curry Sauce

Sautéed apples don’t always have to be sweet. In this savory version, they’re given an Eastern flavor with curry powder and mango chutney for a healthy chicken dinner.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Apple-Curry Sauce

Apple Cake

Spongy and dense, this fall cake gets its wonderfully bright flavor from Golden Delicious apples, which are ultra-sweet and juicy.

Get the Recipe: Apple Cake

10 Minute Apple Sauce

Alton's classic apple sauce recipe keeps it simple: A combo of Golden Delicious and Fuji apples are steamed with apple juice, liquor, butter, honey and cinnamon and then roughly mashed.

Get the Recipe: 10 Minute Apple Sauce

Fall Fruit Panini

Mild Taleggio is made for pairing with apples, and in this ciabatta sandwich, honey and arugula add sweet, peppery notes. A quick turn through the panini press helps the flavors meld together.

Get the Recipe: Taleggio and Pear Panini

Caramelized Apple Wedges

Butter, apples and bourbon are all you need to make a quick caramel sauce. Wafels & Dinges in New York City drizzles it over homemade waffles and ice cream, but you could also just sneak a bite straight from the pan.

Get the Recipe: Caramelized Apple Wedges