Let’s get one thing straight: you can be a fall girlie, but not be a pumpkin spice girlie. Apples, pears, caramel, and maple all perfectly encapsulate the season without a single hint of pumpkin. Here are a few of our favorite non-pumpkin baked goods that we’ll be whipping up as soon as that first fall breeze hits our face. Let’s take a look!
Apple Crisp Shortbread Bars
These apple crisp shortbread bars are the perfect excuse to get away to your local apple orchard and do some apple picking. Then once you get home with your apples, jump right into this recipe to create a buttery shortbread base, topped with warm, gooey cinnamon apples and finished off with a crunchy crumbly topping. These apple crisp shortbread bars pair nicely with some vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle, we’re just sayin’. Get the full recipe here!
Caramel Stuffed Brown Sugar Cookies
These cookies are soft, chewy, thick, stuffed with caramel, infused with brown butter, and topped with sea salt. And yes, these are ‘so good they should be illegal’ served warm. Oh, and the best part is that these cookies require zero chill time, so they take about 45 minutes from prep to being pulled out of the oven. (And promptly devoured.) Get the full recipe here!
Honey Roasted Pears
If you’re looking for a super simple sweet treat, then honey-roasted pears are just what you’re looking for. As the pears roast, they caramelize, becoming sweeter and sweeter. You can eat these pears solo, with whipped cream, or ice cream. This is also a great dessert for a crowd because you can make a lot at one time and everyone’s sweet tooth will be satisfied. Get the full recipe here!
Cranberry Crumble Tart
The tart cranberry filling paired with a buttery shortbread crust is *chef’s kiss* and creates a delicious balance. This is also a super versatile dish because not only can it be eaten for breakfast, but it can also be dessert, and if you really love it, you can serve it up again at Thanksgiving and Christmas. (And anytime you want because you’re an adult!) Get the full recipe here!
Chocolate Orange Cake
If you love the combination of dark chocolate and orange, then this is just the cake for you. It’s rich, moist, packed with tons of flavor, and topped with a scrumptious chocolate orange ganache. The best part? This cake may look fancy, but it’s super simple to make. You can also use this recipe to whip up some chocolate orange cupcakes. Get the full recipe here!