Best apple dessert recipes

As the weather becomes colder, the lure of apple desserts become stronger. We like them baked into bubbling crumbles, folded intro strudels, and caramelised and layered into flaky puff-pastry tarts, tartes and tartlets. These are the apple desserts to cuddle up to this winter.

Apple tart with Pedro Ximénez and quince syrup

Apple tart with Pedro Ximénez and quince syrup

Jaclyn Koludrovic’s gluten-free pistachio, lime and coconut cream cake with melon, apple and mint

Jaclyn Koludrovic’s gluten-free pistachio, lime and coconut cream cake with melon, apple and mint

Ricotta hotcakes with apple and honey

Ricotta hotcakes with apple and honey

Apple strudel

Apple strudel

A round, crusty apple pie with a slice taken out of it, sitting on a light-blue linen tablecloth, with golden forks and a tumbler of amber-hued liquid to the side — Photo: Phillip Castleton

Classic apple pie

Classic apple pie

Cutler & Co’s apple terrine with burnt-butter ice-cream, oat crumb and butterscotch sauce

Cutler & Co’s apple terrine with burnt-butter ice-cream, oat crumb and butterscotch sauce

Spiced fuji apple crumble with dulce de leche ice-cream

Spiced Fuji apple crumble with dulce de leche ice-cream

Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin

Mille mele (thousand-layer apple tart)

Mille mele (thousand-layer apple tart)

Apple and and berry pudding in a rectangle dish, with a scoop taken out of it, sitting on a green napkin, with a plate of vanilla ice-cream in the top-left — Photo: Ben Dearnley

Apple and berry budino

Apple and berry budino

Skillet apple pie

Skillet apple pie

Brigitte Hafner’s apfel kuchen

Brigitte Hafner’s apfel kuchen

A flat apple tart, with the top-left corner sliced off, on baking paper and a metal tray. — Photo: Ben Dearnley

Squished apple tart

Squished apple tart

Mulled apple and spelt loaf

Mulled apple and spelt loaf

Rhubarb and apple pie with warm cinnamon custard

Rhubarb and apple pie with warm cinnamon custard

Tarte fine aux pommes

Tarte fine aux pommes

Apple novel with salted liquorice ice-cream

The Agrarian Kitchen’s apple novel with salted liquorice ice-cream

Miso-caramel apples with macadamia crumble

Miso-caramel apples with macadamia crumble

Apple crumble ice-cream sandwiches

Apple crumble ice-cream sandwiches

Doughnuts with apple compote and custard

Doughnuts with apple compote and custard

Apple and cinnamon tarte fines with cinnamon crème anglaise

Apple and cinnamon tarte fines with cinnamon crème anglaise

Mère Roux’s apple tartlet

Mère Roux’s apple tartlet

Ester’s baked apples with burnt cream

Ester’s baked apples with burnt cream

Apple and sour cream yeasted scrolls — Photo: Chris Court

Apple and sour cream scrolls

Apple and sour cream scrolls

Apple and candied ginger self-saucing pudding

Apple and candied ginger self-saucing pudding

Polenta, apple and ricotta fritters

Polenta, apple and ricotta fritters

Brioche apple custard tart

Brioche apple custard tart

Apple-caramel sponge pudding

Apple-caramel sponge pudding

Six round apple buns on baking paper on a metal tray, held by a woman's hands painted with black nail polish — Photo: Ben Dearnley

Apple spice buns

Apple spice buns

Apple Anzac pie

Apple Anzac pie

Apple-vanilla teacake with thick vanilla custard

Apple-vanilla teacake with thick vanilla custard

Three Blue Ducks’ baked apple, soy caramel, crumble and cream

Three Blue Ducks’ baked apple, soy caramel, crumble and cream

Rhubarb, apple and cinnamon cobbler

Rhubarb, apple and cinnamon cobbler

Caramelised apple danish with cardamom icing

Caramelised apple danish with cardamom icing

Apple and blackberry pandowdy

Apple and blackberry pandowdy

A steamed round apple pudding, drizzled with warm apricot jam, on a round plate with a silver fork on the right. — Photo: Teny Aghamalian

Apple Charlotte

Apple Charlotte

Overhead shot of a crusty apple pie with a bit spoonful taken out of the right hand side. — Photo: James Moffatt

Miso caramel apple pie

Miso caramel apple pie

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.