Fall Treats That Do the Trick: Our 16 Favorites
Grab your fuzzy blankets and get ready for some fall treats that will knock your socks off!
Jump to RecipeWhat Are Good Fall Treats?
In the fall, food starts to get a little heartier, the days get a little shorter, and the temperature gets a little cooler. Fall snacks typically have a little bit more sustenance than summer snacks and take on the flavors of fall, like cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, and cloves. And who could forget everything pumpkin and apple-flavored?
If you’re throwing a fall party, try some snacks that are easy to grab, whether it’s a handful of fall-themed Chex Mix, cookies, or chips and buffalo chicken dip!
Just Sweet Fall Treats
Apple Butter Snickerdoodles
Looking for the perfect fall cookie? Look no further than these apple butter snickerdoodles that will hit the spot! Both soft and chewy and packed with cinnamon flavor, these are the cookies that will be gone in a blink! Whisk 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of cream of tartar, and 1/2 tsp of salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Cream together 3/4 cup unsalted (softened) butter and 1 ¼ cups of sugar in a mixer until fluffy. Mix in 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of apple butter. Beat just until mixed. Add in flour mixture and mix until just blended together. Chill your dough for at least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line cookie sheets with parchment. Place 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ⅓ cup of sugar in a small bowl. Scoop cookie dough balls, roll them in the cinnamon sugar and then place them on your cookie sheet. Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes for slightly underdone, 13-14 minutes for fully done. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheets.
Orange-Ginger Honey Cake
Orange and ginger together in a cake? Perfection. The zesty orange pairs perfectly with the spicy ginger, all cut by the sweetness of the honey. Check out this recipe from Two Cups Flour. Whether your package them up for the neighbors, share them with the family, or eat it all up yourself (there’s no judgment here), this will become one of your new favorite go-to.
Here are two other gorgeous variations of orange ginger cakes!
Simple Fall Treats: Turtle Chips
Have you ever had the perfect combination of salty, sweet, gooey, and crunchy? Get ready for this tasty and addicting fun fall snack. Start by arranging whole ridged potato chips in a single layer on a large platter. In a large saucepan, combine 1 package of caramels and 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until caramels are melted. Drizzle over chips. In a microwave, melt 1 package of milk chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of shortening, then stir until smooth. Drizzle over caramel mixture, then sprinkle with pecans. Serve immediately!
Candied Pecans
These will always remind me of the local mall in the best way possible. The buttery, cinnamon sugar coating on the outside makes a smell that’s impossible to resist. Toast the pecans lightly in 2 Tbsp of salted butter in a large skillet. Next, you add in 1/2 cup of brown sugar and constantly stir until it melts and starts to caramelize. Toss in 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and 1/4 cup of water too. Add in 1 tsp of vanilla before you put them in the oven for another layer of flavor!
Spread the pecans on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake them for just a few minutes until they are lightly crisp and a little toasty. It will only take a few minutes! You can also use this recipe to make candied almonds or cashews.
Pecan Pie Bars
Pecan Pie Bars are an easy way to enjoy a pecan pie. It’s a thick, buttery shortbread crust (just 1/3 cup sugar, 3/4 cup of butter, and 1-1/3 cup flour) topped with an ooey-gooey sweet filling and crunchy pecans. At the end of the day, it’s pecan pie you can eat with your hands. What more could you want in a dessert? After you’ve made the shortbread crust, start on the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup of light brown sugar, 1-1/2 cup of corn syrup, 4 eggs, and 1 Tbsp of vanilla until smooth. Add in 1/3 cup of flour and 1 tsp Kosher salt and whisk again until combined. Stir in 1-1/2 cup of pecans.
As soon as the crust is done, pour the pecan mixture on top of the hot crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set. Cool completely before slicing into bars, or refrigerate airtight until ready to serve.
Healthy Fall Treats: Homemade Chewy Honey Granola Bars
For these better-than-store-bought snacks, you’ll only need 7 ingredients: natural peanut or cashew butter, whole rolled oats, honey, vanilla extract, sea salt, crushed peanuts or cashews, and mini chocolate chips. They’re the perfect breakfast or quick snack! They’re also great for packing in the kids’ lunch, too!
Fall Treats With Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice
Pumpkin Maple Pecan Granola
Not many people realize just how easy it is to make your own granola at home. Simple ingredients. Simple prep. And best of all, YOU get to control exactly what’s in it! It’s pumpkin-y, crunchy, and not-too-sweet. My favorite recipe has 3 cups of rolled oats, 1-1/4 cups raw pecans, 1/3 cup raw pepitas, 3 Tbsp sugar, 1/ tsp sea salt, 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey, and 1/3 cup pumpkin puree. Start by mixing the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the coconut oil, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree and whisk. Pour over the dry ingredients and quickly mix with a wooden spoon.
Spread the mixture evenly onto two baking sheets and bake for 23-33 minutes, stirring a bit near the halfway point. Once the granola is golden brown, remove it from the oven and let cool completely. Put it in a parfait or eat it with your greek yogurt. Or just eat it by the handful if you want!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
These rich, indulgent treats with a cheesecake filling are so simple to make! I love desserts that don’t need flour or baking soda. No-bake desserts are where it’s at. Start with a graham crust made of graham cracker crumbs and melted butter pressed into the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking pan, then chill. In a large bowl, combine 32 oz of cream cheese, 4 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1-1/2 cups of sugar. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
Spread half of the cheesecake batter into the chilled baking pan, smoothing the top, and freeze. Add the 15 oz can of pumpkin puree to the remaining cheesecake batter and stir until incorporated. Spoon the pumpkin cheesecake mixture over the frozen cheesecake mixture and spread evenly.
Bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees F. For the crumble topping, combine ½ cup of butter, 1 cup of flour, ½ cup of brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Top the cheesecake with the crumble topping and bake for another 25 minutes.
Pumpkin Pie Parfait
Made with layers of vanilla pudding, pumpkin, whipped cream, and crushed vanilla sandwich cookies, and plenty of fall spices, this delicious and easy fall snack is one of my favorite fall treats because they’re so easy to make. If you’re feeding a crowd, you could scale up and make it a trifle. But if you have just a few people to feed, make it in individual cups that are easy to grab.
Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cloves
- 1 egg white
- 2 Tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cups shortening
Instructions
Whoopie Pie Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets.
- Combine the canola oil and brown sugar. Mix in the pumpkin and eggs. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 tsp vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Mix well.
- Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto the greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies completely cool, then make sandwiches by filling two cookies with Whoopie Pie Filling (below).
Whoopie Pie Filling
- Beat egg white and mix well with the milk, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar. Beat in the shortening and the rest of the cup of confectioners’ sugar. Beat until fluffy.
Nutrition
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
When I was younger, you could often find my grandpa eating a piece of Entenmann’s coffeecake over the sink because when “you eat it over the sink, the calories don’t count.” Oh, Grandpa, if only. If only. For a coffee cake with an autumn theme, turn it into a “pumpkin spice latte” cake.
Start by making a crumb topping: take a fork and combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of packed dark brown sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1/4 cup of cold unsalted butter (chopped into small pieces).
For the cake, whisk together 2 cups of flour, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg, and 1/4 of tsp of ground cloves together in a large bowl until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil, 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup, and 1/4 cup of milk together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Evenly spoon the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9-inch round baking pan. Pour the crumb topping evenly on top and gently press them down into the batter.
Bake the cake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. If a toothpick comes on clean with a moist crumb or two, the cake is done. Once it’s done, drizzle with icing, if you’d like! I like to think this is a coffee cake my grandpa would definitely eat over the sink.
Easy Fall Treats: Apple Recipes
One of the Simplest Fall Treats: Baked Apples
This is one of the simplest but most delicious ways to eat apples. Whether you pop them onto the grill or bake them in the oven, the heat caramelizes the sugar and gives the apple flavor plenty of depth. Be sure to brush them with plenty of butter, and dust them with lots of brown sugar and cinnamon. Serve them with a scoop of ice cream for an easy-to-make fall dessert.
Caramel Apple Nachos
This sweet twist on traditional nachos is an amazing snack that we can’t get enough of. And it uses two of the season’s best flavors: apples and caramel. Use thin slices of apples as the “chips” and add all your favorite toppings: caramel drizzle, chocolate chips, peanut butter, or coconut flakes. It’s a healthier dessert for kids, too!
Mini Apple Pie Bites
My mom used to make these, and they’re the bomb. It’s everything you love about apple pie scaled down into little muffin tin tarts. Perfect for grabbing on the go. To make the apple pie filling, combine 2 large apples (peeled, cored, chopped), 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp flour, 4 Tbsp butter (softened), 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tsp vanilla. You can use a pre-made pie dough for the crust or even sugar cookie dough. After making the pie shells, spoon the apple pie filling into each cup and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F! Perfection!
Apple Cake With Caramel Glaze
I made this for the first time for my college roommate’s birthday. Non-traditional, I know. But it turned out to be a hit! The spicy apple flavor combined with the sweet caramel glaze makes this recipe a fall favorite you’ll want to make every year. You can also use the same recipe to make cupcakes.
Carter Mountain Classic Fall Treats: Apple Cider Donuts
If you ever visit Virginia’s Carter Mountain Orchard, you’re in for a treat. After a long day of picking apples, you can head up to the top of the mountain for their famous treats–apple cider donuts. But if you’re not anywhere near Carter Mountain, you can still bake these tasty treats at home! These cake-like donuts are dense with intense flavor, and you have to try them warm and dipped in cinnamon sugar and apple pie spices. The trick for big flavor is to use reduced (concentrated) apple cider.
Reduce 1- 1/2 cups apple cider, then spray a donut pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Whisk 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp of baking soda, 3/4 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp apple pie spice, and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Then, whisk 2 Tbsp of melted butter, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 cup of milk, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the reduced apple cider, and whisk everything until smooth and combined. Spoon the batter into the donut cavities, then bake for 10-11 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly browned.
Cool donuts for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, and 2 tsp apple pie spice in a medium bowl; dunk both sides of each donut in the melted butter, then generously in the apple spice topping.
It’s Fall– Treat Yo’ Self!
Whether you’re a fan of fun apple-flavored snacks or you’re more of a pumpkin person, try one of these fall treats and share your favorite recipes with the people you love on FamilyApp! Which sounds the tastiest to you?
