41 Gorgeous Desserts to Make This Fall

From the Recipe Creator: This maple-flavored cake with candied walnuts honors beloved my grandpa, who made maple syrup when I was a child. It honors his memory and has proven to be a favorite with family and friends throughout the years. —Lori Fee, Middlesex, New York

From the Recipe Creator: Tangy ginger, tart lemon and puckery cranberries make this melt-in-your-mouth cake as crisp—and gorgeous—as autumn. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

From the Recipe Creator: My mother-in-law gave me this recipe a while back and I just love it! I make it for my husband and his friends during hunting season and it's a big hit. —Lorelle Edgcomb, Granville, Illinois

From the Recipe Creator: Whenever I get a craving for a tasty old-fashioned treat, I make this cake. Great cooks in my family have been baking it for generations, and their families have been enjoying the wonderful spice flavor and rich frosting. —Nancy Duty, Jacksonville, Florida

From the Recipe Creator: Whenever I visit friends in Lutsen, Minnesota, I make sure to buy maple syrup there because I think it's even better than in Quebec. These delicious cookies can be decorated with sprinkles but they're just fine as is.—Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario

From the Recipe Creator: This wonderfully light dessert is our standby at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The hint of pumpkin and the refreshing ice cream make a most delicious after-dinner treat. —Gayle Lewis, Yucaipa, California

From the Recipe Creator: Pecans and butter give this cake the same irresistible flavor as the ever-popular butter pecan ice cream flavor. —Becky Miller, Tallahassee, Florida

From the Recipe Creator: I entered this pie in a local baking contest and ended up winning! Bartlett pears hold up well when baked, adding a nice layer of texture. —Darlene Jacobson, Waterford, Wisconsin

From the Recipe Creator: Mariann James of Ferguson, Missouri created a sweet and salty favorite with her original recipe for chocolate spice cake with caramel icing. The spicy chocolate cinnamon cane sugar was a perfect addition to her unique cake. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

From the Recipe Creator: A honey of a salute to late-summer pear season, this cozy dessert looks both elegant and decadent. Wrapped in puff pastry, the pears resemble little beehives. —Heather Baird, Knoxville, Tennessee

From the Recipe Creator: Traditional bread pudding gives way to autumn's influences in this comforting dessert. I add apples and pecans to this slow-cooked version, then top warm servings with ice cream. —Lori Fox, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin

From the Recipe Creator: Filled with a homemade cranberry curd and smothered with one of the fluffiest frostings you've ever had, this tall cake will make a memorable impression at any gathering. —Julie Merriman, Seattle, Washington

From the Recipe Creator: My family prefers this to traditional pumpkin pie, which is just fine with me. It feeds a crowd, so I need to make only one dessert instead of several pies. —Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah

From the Recipe Creator: This yummy pie has old-fashioned appeal, but is so easy to prepare. Serve it with ice cream drizzled with maple syrup or top it with maple- or cinnamon-flavored whipped cream. —Barbie Miller, Oakdale, Minnesota

From the Recipe Creator: These nicely spiced, big soft ginger cookies are perfect for folks who like the flavor of ginger but don't care for crunchy gingersnaps. —Barbara Gray, Boise, Idaho

From the Recipe Creator: Every year when the cranberries are harvested, my family looks forward to eating this cheesecake. —Nairda Monroe, Webberville, Michigan

From the Recipe Creator: My son loves pear crisp, but one night I was making bread pudding. He asked if I could make both. I compromised by combining two desserts into this one dish. It's absolutely fantastic! —Kurt Wait, Redwood City, California

From the Recipe Creator: There's more to pumpkin than pie, as this impressive trifle proves. It looks so elegant with alternating layers of gingerbread cake and pumpkin/butterscotch pudding. Try making it ahead of time for a fuss-free dessert when you're planning to entertain guests. —Lyla Lehenbauer, New London, Missouri

From the Recipe Creator: Bring these extra special cupcakes to your next event and watch how quickly they disappear! With a caramel topping and spice cake base, they're the perfect mix of two favorite fall treats. —Diane Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas

From the Recipe Creator: ORIGINALLY a pear crumble pie, I shortened this to a crumble when I often was too short of time to make a pie crust. I've also found canned pears work as well as fresh, so that makes it even easier to prepare. -Kezia Sullivan, Sackets Harbor, New York

From the Recipe Creator: This beautiful layered cake has a creamy filling with a mild pumpkin flavor and a little spice. It is quick and always turns out so well. The nuts and caramel topping add a nice finishing touch. —Trixie Fisher, Piqua, Ohio

From the Recipe Creator: We love the combination of classic fall fruits in this cake. I bake the apples on the bottom to keep them plump and moist, then flip the cake so they're on top. This is best served warm with vanilla ice cream, but we enjoy digging in any time of day. —Christina Yahraes, San Francisco, California

From the Recipe Creator: As a teenage foreign exchange student in the south of France, I was horribly homesick. Then my host family's Grandmother Miette arrived and asked if I'd like to help her bake this nutty tart from scratch. It turned my trip around and inspired my lifelong passion for baking. Weighing ingredients, roasting nuts, kneading dough—the art of baking transcends language. —Lexi McKeown, Los Angeles, California

From the Recipe Creator: My grandmother made this treat every year for Christmas. It’s much better than everyday apple pie. The recipe is a family treasure. —Maxine Theriauit, Nashua, New Hampshire

From the Recipe Creator: A good olive oil cake isn't overly sweet, so it can just as easily be a breakfast treat or an afternoon snack as a dessert. —Lisa Kaminski, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

From the Recipe Creator: My grandmother occasionally brought over this wonderful cake warm from the oven. The spicy apple flavor combined with the sweet cream cheese frosting made this recipe one that we treasured. Even though I've lightened it up, it's still a family favorite. —Lauris Conrad, Turlock, California

From the Recipe Creator: I made sweet potato cakes for my kids when they were younger and they told me in their little voices, “Mommy, you’re the best baker.” Little did they know that was Mommy’s first attempt at homemade cake! —Billie Williams-Henderson, Bowie, Maryland

From the Recipe Creator: Like an apple pie without the pan, this scrumptious tart has a crispy crust that cuts nicely and a yummy caramel topping. —Betty Fulks, Onia, Arkansas

From the Recipe Creator: When I was little, my grandpa always had a bag of caramels in his truck and a few in his pocket. Whether we were camping or going to a movie, I enjoyed sharing caramels with him. Now I try to put caramel in as many of my desserts as possible, including this sweet and salty tart. —Leah Tackitt, Austin, Texas

From the Recipe Creator: I make these pumpkin treats every autumn and they are gone in minutes. The spice combination is perfect for fall, and it is all wrapped up in a pretty little cake.—Deb Lyon, Bangor, Pennsylvania

From the Recipe Creator: This down-home dessert takes on a touch of elegance when I serve it warm and drizzled with a thin orange custard sauce. It's so pretty that I often make it for dinner guests using either fresh or frozen cranberries. —Margery Richmond, Fort Collins, Colorado

From the Recipe Creator: I like spritz cookies because they're easier to make than rolled cutouts but I can still be creative with different shapes and sizes. Feel free to substitute vanilla or rum extract for the maple flavoring. —Dierdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri

From the Recipe Creator: This apple cheesecake won the grand prize in an apple recipe contest. With caramel both on the bottom and over the top, every bite is sinfully delicious. —Lisa Morman, Minot, North Dakota

From the Recipe Creator: Savor your favorite fall flavors with this scrumptious bread pudding, served warm with a sweet vanilla sauce. Yum! —Judith Bucciarelli, Newburgh, New York

From the Recipe Creator: After testing many apple cake recipes with fresh apples, I found this old-fashioned easy apple cake that is moist, dense and down-home delicious. Even better, it's quick to fix, and when it's served warm with whipped cream or a dollop of frozen custard, it's one of my family’s very favorites. —Sherry Ashenfelter, Waterville, Ohio

From the Recipe Creator: I adapted a Bundt cake recipe to create this layer cake. Cranberries, walnuts and homemade frosting make it taste so delicious that you'd never guess it starts with a convenient cake mix. —Sandy Burkett, Galena, Ohio

From the Recipe Creator: I remember coming home sullen one day because we'd lost a softball game. Grandma, in her wisdom, suggested that maybe a slice of hot apple pie would make me feel better. She was right. —Maggie Greene, Granite Falls, Washington

From the Recipe Creator: When I was young we produced several ingredients for this longtime favorite on the farm. We raised pumpkins in our large vegetable garden, and made our own butter and lots of sour cream using milk from our dairy herd. —Evonne Wurmnest, Normal, Illinois

From the Recipe Creator: Next time you make cake from a mix, try my easy and delicious recipe. The pears and syrup add sweet flavor and prevent the cake from drying out. And since there's no oil added to the batter, this tender fall-perfect cake is surprisingly low in fat. —Veronica Ross, Columbia Heights, Minnesota

From the Recipe Creator: My father, who was born and raised in Vienna, Austria, would tell us stories about how his mother covered all the kitchen counters with dough whenever she made apple strudel. This recipe is a modern, delicious way to carry on part of my family's heritage. —Sarah Haengel, Bowie, Maryland