17 Delicious Recipes to Make with Apples

Posted on September 24 2019

Delicious Apple Recipes

As the days turn colder, the apple trees begin to bear their seasonal crop and many people will be heading to their local orchard. Use this handy reference to find an orchard near you.

Is there anything better in the Fall than a fresh, crisp, just picked apple? No way! Apples are wonderfully versatile fruits. You can serve them in a variety of ways for a range of delicious tastes and textures. Here is just a small sampling of what you can make with the tasty fruit.

1. Dried Apples

Dried apples are a tasty, portable and a healthy snack, perfect for after school, in the lunchbox, or to curb that late morning or afternoon hunger. Core 1 small apple; slice into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Arrange on an oiled baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees F until dry but still soft, 2 to 3 hours. Vacuum seal your dried apples in snack size bags for on-the-go treats.

2. Applesauce

Homemade apple sauce is so much better than what you find in the jar. The childhood classic is fairly easy to make healthy (depending how much sugar to choose to add). Bonus: Use the sauce to make an applesauce cake (#3). Quarter 4 pounds apples. Simmer with 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of salt, partially covered, until soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Pass through a food mill. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter. Learn some tricks to vacuum sealing your leftover applesauce.

3. Applesauce Cake

Applesauce makes the cake exceptionally moist. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom. Set aside. In another bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter, 2 cups packed light-brown sugar, and 1/4 cup honey until light and fluffy. Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Beat in 2 cups of applesauce (#2). Generously coat a nonstick 9-inch tube pan with cooking spray. Spoon batter into pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (but slightly wet), 50 to 60 minutes. After it's cooled, dust with confectioners' sugar before serving, if desired.

4. Apple Butter

Contrary to what some think, there is no butter in apple butter. A fruit butter is simply a very thick, smooth fruit purée. After simmering and puréeing those apples, you’ll be able spread them over whole-grain toasts and bagels for many breakfasts to come (a great alternative to butter or margarine). Cook 1/2 cup sugar in a large skillet until deep amber. Add 4 cups applesauce (#2) and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes.

5. Poached Apples

No reason that pears get to have all the poaching fun! Bring 3 cups of apple juice, ½ a cinnamon stick and 1 inch fresh ginger thinly sliced to a boil. Add 2 apples, peeled, cored and halved, cover with parchment simmer until tender, 8 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of chopped toasted walnuts.

6. Apple Popcorn Balls

Make dried apples (# 1); chop enough to make 1/2 cup. Boil 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup each butter and light corn syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until a candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees F, about 8 minutes. Mix with 6 cups popcorn, 1/2 cup chopped pecans and the chopped dried apples. Transfer to a buttered pan; cool slightly, then form into balls.

7. Apple Pie

This list just would not be complete without an apple pie. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Pour over 5 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and sliced. Place all in a premade pie crust. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of lemon juice on top. Cut 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, and 1/2 cup butter or margarine together, and top pie with the mixture. Take two 15 inch pieces of parchment paper and enclose pie; fold edges up 3 times. Place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven, split parchment open and cool pie on wire rack. DO NOT open parchment covering while baking! Serve warm, or at room temperature. Bake apple pies for gifts and vacuum seal them with the pulse or manual mode in our gusseted rolls.

8. Apple Muffins

Start off your morning with a scrumptious, warm apple muffin. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12- cup muffin pan with cooking spray or line with baking liners. Place 1 1/2 cups diced apples and ½ cup granulated sugar in a medium bowl; toss to coat and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a large bowl. Next, stir 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup salted butter (melted and cooled), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 large eggs, lightly beaten into apple mixture; add to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 19 minutes. If you have any extras you can vacuum seal your muffins to eat them later. Read more here about if you can vacuum seal bread.

9. Apple Cake

Make your home smell like absolute heaven and bake up this fantastic apple cake. Whisk 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon each salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Shred 1 apple and squeeze dry, then whisk with 2 eggs, 1/2 cup each vegetable oil and milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold into the flour mixture. Bake in a buttered 9-inch-round pan at 350 degrees F, 20 minutes; cool. Beat 8 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 stick butter, 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon each lemon juice and vanilla, and a pinch of salt; spread on the cake.

10. Caramel Apples

Carmel apples make a perfect Halloween party treat. Cook 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling, until golden. Off the heat, stir in 1/4 cup cream and 1/4 teaspoon each vanilla and salt. Transfer to a 4-cup liquid measuring cup; cool slightly. Insert wooden sticks into 4 apples; dip in the caramel. Set on oiled parchment paper to harden.

11. Apple Stuffing

Complete up your meal with a side of apple stuffing. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a small baking dish. In a medium saucepan, 2 tablespoons salted butter over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup diced onion, 1/4 cup diced Granny Smith apple, and 1/2 cup chopped celery (about 1 medium rib). Cook until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning, salt, and a pinch of pepper. Mix in 4 slices stale white bread cubed 1 inch. Pour 1/4 cup chicken broth over the top, and stir to coat. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until top of the stuffing is toasted and crunchy.

12. Apple Fritters

Apple fritters are somewhat sweet, tender, and fluffy, and are absolutely packed with flavor. Whisk 1/2 cup each flour and seltzer with a pinch each of salt and apple pie spice. Slice 2 peeled and cored apples into 1/4-inch-thick rings. Dip in the batter and deep-fry in 375 degrees F oil until golden; drain on paper towels and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

13. Apple Sauerkraut

Store-bought sauerkraut undergoes an amazing transformation when cooked with apples. Cook 1 diced apple and a large pinch each of caraway seeds, ground allspice and sugar in 2 tablespoons butter until slightly soft. Stir in 1 pound drained, rinsed sauerkraut and warm through. There are some wonderful sous vide recipes you can find online too with corned beef or pork shoulder.

14. Apple Juice

Use your leftover core and peels from your apple pie (#7) to make a light, pleasantly sweet apple juice without a juicer. Place 3 red apples with the peelings and cores into a saucepan (remove seeds), and stir in 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water picks up the apple flavor and color, about 30 minutes. Drain the apple juice, discarding solid pieces, and stir in 1/4 cups of white sugar until dissolved. Allow to cool before drinking.

15. Creamy Apple Slaw

Your family barbeque isn't complete until there's a side of creamy coleslaw. Mix 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard and 2 teaspoons apple cider. Toss with 1 cup each grated peeled celery root and apple, and salt, pepper and parsley to taste.

16. Sangria

Ahh, sangria – while usually more of a summer drink, you can absolutely drink sangria anytime. In a large pot or bowl, combine 2 bottles chilled dry red wine, 1 cup brandy, 1 cup orange juice, and 1/4 cup superfine granulated sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add 2 oranges, cut into thin rounds, 2 lemons, cut into thin rounds, and 3 Key limes, cut into thin rounds, 2 apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator and add 2 cups cold club soda. Serve in glasses over ice.

17. Add ’em to Salads

Apples brighten up any salad and add some juicy crunch to those greens. You can read more here about vacuum sealing lettuce.

This list of 17 things to do with all those apples really just scratches the surface. There’s so many more apple concoctions to try: baked apples, apple cider, apple cider donuts, apple chutney, apple pancakes, apple-cheddar fondue…you get the point, the options are endless (and yummy)!

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