19 Comforting Desserts You Can Make With Fall Spices By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 24, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is the senior nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close Credit: Ryan Liebe Toasty cinnamon, zesty clove, pungent allspice and more are packed into these fall desserts. These spices can also provide some anti-inflammatory and antioxidant health benefits. Their fragrance and flavor allow them to make some of the most delicious cakes, cookies and pastries, too. Recipes like our Fresh Apple Cake and Pumpkin Brownies will leave the kitchen smelling like an autumn delight. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 19 This Fresh Apple Cake Is Perfect for Apple Season View Recipe Save Photographer: Stacy K. Allen; Prop stylist: Julia Bayless; Food stylist: Ana Kelley Super-juicy apples flavor this mildly spicy fresh apple cake that pairs beautifully with a warm cup of tea. The glaze offers a sweet finish. If you like a thicker glaze, use less buttermilk to thin it. Honeycrisp apples are sweet and slightly tart, but you can use any combination of apples you like, keeping in mind the tarter the apple, the less sweet the cake will be. 02 of 19 Baked Peaches View Recipe Save Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Torie Cox, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen These baked peaches smell like fall in the summer! The cinnamon and sugar glaze gives a caramelized sweetness in every bite. If you want to take this subtly sweet dessert in a more savory direction, skip the ice cream topping and serve the peaches with a sprig of thyme instead, or sprinkle granola over the baked peaches for a texture similar to streusel. 03 of 19 Banana Nut Bread View Recipe Save Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food stylist: Ruth Blackburn Walnuts add crunch and tangy sharpness in this healthy banana nut bread recipe. Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots, or even black bananas, as they will provide more sweetness. The banana nut bread is tender, with a caramelized crust. 04 of 19 Vegan Carrot Cake View Recipe Save Photographer: Stacy K. Allen. Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman This vegan carrot cake recipe with almond flour is packed with carrots, raisins and pecans, which add wonderful texture. Vegan butter and vegan cream cheese combine with rice flour to create a creamy, tangy frosting. Letting the frosting chill in the fridge is crucial so it thickens, giving it a more spreadable consistency. 05 of 19 Pumpkin Brownies View Recipe Save Sara Haas These healthy pumpkin brownies are packed with mini chocolate chips. Warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves pair well with the chocolate for a seasonal twist on a classic dessert. The batter will be thick, so be sure to spread it an even layer for even baking. 06 of 19 Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding) View Recipe Save Karry Hosford This capirotada, or Mexican bread pudding, features layers of nuts, cheese, dried fruit and bread drizzled with cinnamon-infused sugar syrup. 07 of 19 Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting View Recipe Save Sara Haas This healthy pumpkin sheet cake is perfectly spiced from the pumpkin pie spice blend, a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. A tangy, sweet cream cheese frosting helps balance the flavors. This cake is perfect for any fall gathering. 08 of 19 Flaky Apple Pie Bars View Recipe Save Jacob Fox Grab your box of puff pastry for these easy and delicious apple pie bars. 09 of 19 Maple-Cinnamon Sweet Potato Bread View Recipe Save Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf This comforting sweet potato bread is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast or served with a dollop of maple ice cream or sweetened whipped cream for a light dessert. Be sure not to overcook the sweet potato in the microwave—a dry sweet potato will make the bread less moist. 10 of 19 This Sweet Potato Dump Cake Has a Crunchy Streusel Topping View Recipe Save Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf This lightly sweetened sweet potato dump cake with a crumble topping is similar to a sweet potato casserole but with a firm, cake-like texture. If you can't find a spice cake mix, you can use a vanilla cake mix and add cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. 11 of 19 Pecan Pie Dip with Crunchy Pie-Crust Dippers View Recipe Save This creamy and subtly sweet dessert is perfect for pecan pie lovers who don't want to go through the hassle of making an actual pie. Serve it with sliced apples and pears to complement the pie-dough dippers. 12 of 19 Mini Cranberry-Orange Shortcakes with Cranberry Compote & Brown Sugar Crème Fraîche View Recipe Save Ali Redmond These cranberry-orange shortcakes are essentially a cross between a biscuit and a scone. They make a light base for a rich cranberry compote and a brown-sugar-laced crème fraîche topping. These are designed to be on the small side, since there are usually many desserts on offer on Thanksgiving, but you can make them any size you like, just adjust the baking time accordingly. 13 of 19 Pumpkin Snickerdoodles View Recipe Save Sara Haas Canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice are delicious seasonal additions to a classic snickerdoodle. The spice blend adds warming notes thanks to the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. These healthy pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies are light and moist, making them the perfect sweet treat. 14 of 19 Apple Hamantaschen View Recipe Save Brittany Conerly Hamantaschen are filled triangular cookies eaten during the Jewish holiday of Purim. Traditional versions are made with a poppy seed or prune filling, but recipe developer Breana Killeen, who lives in Vermont, thought it would be a delicious way to use the apple butter her mother canned one fall. 15 of 19 Apple Crisp View Recipe Save Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf Keeping the peel on the apple gives a bit of texture and color to this apple crisp recipe. A topping made from oats and pecans adds nuttiness. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. 16 of 19 Air-Fryer Pear Galettes View Recipe Save Photographer: Brie Passano, Food Stylist: Greg Luna Honeyed pears shine in this healthy dessert that comes together in a snap thanks to a store-bought crust. Take these galettes over the top with a spiced whipped topping or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 17 of 19 Air-Fryer Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Rolls View Recipe Save Jason Donnelly Don't skip the rise time before air-frying these cinnamon rolls. It helps make them pillowy instead of dense. Raisins and walnuts are packed into each bite of these sweet rolls. 18 of 19 Baked Pears View Recipe Save Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Kady Wohlfarth These easy baked pears are soft with just a little bite and are perfect with the delicious buttery spiced syrup spooned over the top. 19 of 19 Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze View Recipe Save Ali Redmond This sweet potato pound cake started out as a way to use up leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, but quickly became its own reason to make sweet potatoes. The cake gets better as it sits, so it's a great make-ahead candidate for any occasion. Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, September 2023 Explore more: Healthy Recipes Seasonal Fall Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit