21 Healthy Apple Recipes to Keep You Warm & Cozy This Fall

apple pie bread

These healthy apple recipes are the perfect way to take advantage of apple season. From simple sweets to comforting soups, this mix of sweet and savory dishes has something to offer just about everyone. Recipes like our Apple-Pie Bread and Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are delicious ways to enjoy fall's best fruit.

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Apple-Pie Bread

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This easy everyday apple-pie bread makes a great breakfast-on-the-go with a cup of coffee. The fragrant spices typical of apple pie and the tender bits of baked apple inside also make it worthy as a healthy after-dinner dessert. Enjoy it warm from the oven with a pat of butter or cream cheese or keep it on your counter for a tasty treat during the week.

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Apple Cider Chicken

Apple Cider Chicken

Fresh apples and apple cider add fall flavor to this quick chicken sauté.

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Cinnamon-Sugar Dusted Apple Cider Donuts

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Fluffy and light with a warm cinnamon flavor, you'll be craving these homemeade donuts (with a hot cup of coffee) all fall! Because apple cider can be harder to find year-round, take advantage of when it's "in season." Don't forget to make a few extra batches and freeze the donuts to enjoy when cider isn't available.

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Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

butternut squash soup with apple grilled cheese sandwiches

Layering apple slices into grilled cheese sandwiches adds a little crunch to a favorite soup dipper. And creamy butternut squash soup with ginger, cumin and turmeric is a nice change of pace from grilled cheese's usual tomato soup partner. Serve the duo for a comforting and easy weeknight dinner for the family. The soup keeps well in the fridge, so save leftovers for lunch or dinner later in the week.

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Apple Custard Cake

Apple Custard Cake
Jacob Fox

To give this apple custard cake a nutrition boost, we use whole-wheat pastry flour in place of all-purpose, adding an extra gram of fiber per serving. A little of the batter gets mixed with an extra egg and spread on the cake before it's baked, yielding an ultra-creamy and custardy top. For the cleanest slices, use a serrated knife to cut the cake.

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Apple, Bacon and Sweet Potato Mini Casseroles

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These sweet and savory mini casseroles are ready in just an hour. Refrigerate or freeze the leftovers to enjoy later.

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Apple-Cinnamon Muffins

Apple-Cinnamon Muffins

These healthy apple-cinnamon muffins will put you in an autumnal state of mind no matter the time of year. Sprinkling the muffins with sugar before baking gives them a crispy top, just like a coffee-shop muffin—but these are a whole lot more nutritious than your average coffee-shop muffin, thanks to wholesome ingredients like white whole-wheat flour. Serve them for breakfast or a grab-and-go snack.

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Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices

Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices
Caitlin Bensel

These baked cinnamon apple slices have just the right level of tenderness and bite and a gooey apple caramel that forms at the bottom of the pan. Enjoy this healthy dessert spooned over ice cream, with biscuits or served over yogurt—the options with these are endless!

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Sweet Potato, Sausage & Apple Casserole

Sweet Potato, Sausage & Apple Casserole
Will Dickey

This sweet potato, sausage and apple casserole is perfect for brunch or dinner. The crunchy top of the toasted bread combines winningly with a custardy filling studded with apples, sweet potatoes and savory sausage.

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Fried Apple Pie Rolls

Fried Apple Pie Rolls

In this healthy take on apple pie, egg roll wrappers stand in for pie crust, saving you calories and the headache of rolling out dough. We like to use Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape and provide tart balance to the sweet filling. Try dipping these handheld crispy treats in whipped cream.

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Baked Apple Oatmeal

a recipe photo of the Baked Apple Oatmeal
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop stylist: Shell Royster

Just like apple pie, the warm flavors from cinnamon and vanilla combine in this baked apple oatmeal. Baked apple oatmeal is the perfect breakfast for busy fall mornings—you can make a batch ahead of time and enjoy it throughout the week. Whole milk adds to the creaminess, but you can swap it out for a nondairy alternative if you prefer.

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Wild Rice Stuffing with Apple & Sausage

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This amazing wild-rice stuffing recipe is bursting with rustic fall flavors, including rye bread, sausage, apples, dried cherries, pecans and fresh herbs.

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Miso Apple Bars

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Miso is not just for soup! This fermented bean paste's rich umami flavor balances the sweetness in this apple dessert recipe. More ways to use miso: whisk into a dressing or stir into sautéed vegetables with a bit of butter too.

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Sweet Potato Hash Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

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Diced sweet potato, bell peppers and apples make a vegan stuffing inspired by the flavors of sausage. To add that savory flavor, we use poultry seasoning (don't worry, there's no actual poultry in it!). Piled into portobello mushroom caps, it creates a beautiful and filling plant-based main dish—perfect for the holidays.

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Apple Dutch Baby Pancake

Apple Dutch Baby Pancake

This one-pan puffy oven-baked pancake recipe will wow brunch guests. Make it your own by swapping out the apple for pear slices, or switch up the spices and try cardamom or ginger in place of the cinnamon.

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Stuffed Pork Loin with Wild Rice

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A clever knife technique is the key to this stuffed tenderloin, which gets rolled up with a sweet-savory combo of wild rice, apples and cranberries.

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Apple-Cinnamon Mini Doughnuts

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These bite-size baked apple doughnuts have all the flavor of their fried counterparts with fewer calories. Serve plain for breakfast, with an afternoon cup of coffee or alongside whipped cream for an after-dinner treat.

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Slow-Cooker Vegan Butternut Squash Soup with Apple

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You'll never guess this crock pot butternut squash soup recipe is just dump-and-go simple. The boost of flavor from maple syrup, apple-cider vinegar and spices makes all the difference! Serve this light soup as an appetizer for a vegetarian Thanksgiving feast or with a salad and crusty bread for weeknight dinners.

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Ham, Gruyère & Apple Galettes

Ham, Gruyère & Apple Galettes

Prepared pie crusts make assembling these free-form tarts quick and fast. Feel free to swap in your favorite jam, meat or cheese. Serve with a simple green salad for an easy brunch or light dinner.

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Slow-Cooker Creamy Butternut Squash-Apple Soup

slow cooker creamy butternut squash apple soup

The sweetness of the Granny Smith apple shines through the creaminess of the blended butternut squash, a combination that is sure to whet appetites. Don't be afraid to keep blending the soup-more air yields tastier, frothier soup. Garnish with additional fresh rosemary sprigs, if desired. To make this a vegan butternut squash soup, omit the heavy cream and use your favorite plant-based milk or yogurt instead.

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Apple Coffee Cake

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Apples lend their sweet-tart flavor to this warm and comforting apple coffee cake. The nutty oat and pecan filling in the middle of the cake also acts as a crispy topping that's drizzled with a sweet vanilla glaze.

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