It’s finally shoulder season, when summer begins to give way to fall. At the farmers markets there are the last tomatoes and the first apples, cool mornings turn into warm afternoons, and there’s an anticipatory energy in the air. And, as always, there are things to bake and reasons to bake them, from a simple bread that will keep lunchboxes full to an apple cake that can sweeten any gathering — and of course, the first pumpkin bakes of the season.
1) Apple Fritter Cake
In this recipe, the beloved apple fritter is reimagined as a sliceable, snackable bake. The moist, sturdy cake, made using the reverse creaming method, supports a huge heap of diced cinnamon-scented apples. The vanilla glaze on top gives this homemade cake doughnut shop appeal.
This recipe appears on our list of the 49 Best Fall Recipes, Ranked. Find the full list here!
Get the recipe: Apple Fritter Cake
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Vietnamese Cinnamon and Pure Vanilla Extract
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Apple Buñuelos (Apple Fritters), Apple Crumb Cake
2) Harvest Pumpkin Scones
If you’re already baking with pumpkin this season, this recipe is an excellent way to use up leftover purée. (It only calls for half a cup!) Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg give these scones the scent of autumn, while Cinnamon Sweet Bits add extra pockets of spice in every bite.
Get the recipe: Harvest Pumpkin Scones (or Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones)
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Cinnamon Sweet Bits and Pumpkin Pie Spice
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Easy Whole Grain Pumpkin-Banana Bread, Pumpkin Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
3) Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars
If you love oatmeal raisin cookies but wish they were even softer and chewier, these oatmeal cookie bars are for you. And, as an added bonus, they’re much faster to pull off. Tuck a few in back-to-school lunchboxes, then save the rest of the batch for afternoon snacking.
Get the recipe: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars
To make this recipe, you’ll need: King Arthur Rolled Oats
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Brown Sugar and Oat Fig Bars, Oatmeal Cream Pie Bars
4) Super Fudgy Sourdough Brownies
You don’t even need flour for these gooey brownies — they’re made entirely with sourdough discard, which shrinks the ingredient list and provides a dense, ultra-fudgy texture. Plus, these come together in a single saucepan to minimize cleanup and maximize ease.
Get the recipe: Super Fudgy Sourdough Brownies
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Chiptastic Chocolate Chip Blend and Triple Cocoa Blend
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sourdough Chocolate Cake
5) Small-Batch Cinnamon Rolls
With a yield of just two soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls, this recipe is ideal for small households. If you want them hot and ready first thing in the morning, you can prepare the rolls and let them rise in the fridge overnight, then bake when you wake up. (Watch Kye show you how to make them!)
Get the recipe: Small-Batch Cinnamon Rolls
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Vietnamese Cinnamon
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Small-Batch Brownies, Small-Batch Biscuits
6) Everyday Bread
This simple pan loaf from our Big Book of Bread is worth keeping in your daily rotation. Sweetened with a touch of honey and enriched with milk and a smidge of butter, this whole wheat sandwich bread (made with Golden Wheat Flour!) can be used for whatever you need: PB&Js, lunchbox sandwiches, grilled cheese, and more.
Get the recipe: Everyday Bread
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Golden Wheat Flour
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
This Golden Wheat Flour isn’t just great for baking — it’s also great for the planet. It's milled from regeneratively grown wheat, which means farmers adhere to practices that promote soil health, conserve water, and prioritize traceability — vital components of sustainable agriculture. Learn more.
7) Apple-Pear Pie
It’s the start of apple pie season! Mix things up with this twist on the classic, which pairs two of fall’s harvest fruits for a sweet, tangy filling. Cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla complement the fruit without overpowering, yielding a pie that's balanced and comforting.
Get the recipe: Apple-Pear Pie
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Instant Clearjel and Vietnamese Cinnamon
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Apple Pie, Secret Ingredient Apple Pie
8) The Most Pumpkin Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Is it too early for pumpkin? Maybe. Do we already crave pumpkin anyway? Yes! This tender loaf, which uses a full can of pumpkin purée for maximum fall flavor, is spiced with cinnamon and ginger and has an ample amount of chocolate chips throughout. (To make this gluten-free, substitute King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for the all-purpose flour in this recipe.)
This recipe appears on our list of the 49 Best Fall Recipes, Ranked. Find the full list here!
Get the recipe: The Most Pumpkin Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Semisweet Chocolate Chips and Sparkling Sugar
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Easy Pumpkin Bread, Fudgy-Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
9) Laminated Challah
Challah meets croissants in this rich, flaky twist on tradition: a gorgeously striated braid with a butter-crisped crust and a feathery, pull-apart interior reminiscent of a delicious pastry. Unlike classic challah (which is typically made without dairy so that it can be served at meals that include meat), this version laminates the egg-rich, honey-sweetened dough with layers of butter for a celebration-worthy treat perfect for Rosh Hashanah this month.
Get the recipe: Laminated Challah
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Professional Pastry Brush
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Harvest Apple Challah, Pumpkin Challah
10) "Kitchen Sink" Cookie Bars
Just like the very best "kitchen sink" cookies, these bars live up to their name, packing in “everything but the kitchen sink” (plus, there’s no scooping or shaping required). Toss in the tail ends of a bag of chocolate chips, pretzels, crackers, or even cookie crumbs — the best version of these clean-out-the-pantry treats are salty, sweet, chewy, gooey, and crisp, all at once.
Get the recipe: "Kitchen Sink" Cookie Bars
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Callebaut Semisweet Chocolate Chips
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Cowboy Cookies, Seven-Layer Bars
11) Cinnamon Apple Pull-Apart Bread
This autumnal bread is enriched with milk and eggs so that it bakes up soft and tender, ready to fall apart at the lightest tug. Tucked between each layer is a sweet, cinnamon-scented apple filling, made even more fragrant and gooey with a splash of vanilla and a bit of brown sugar.
Get the recipe: Cinnamon Apple Pull-Apart Bread
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Instant Clearjel and Vietnamese Cinnamon
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Jalapeño-Cheddar Pull-Apart Bread, Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread
12) No-Bake Chocolate and Date Energy Bars
We highly suggest making your own energy bars: You’ll know exactly what goes into them, plus they’re way tastier than anything you can buy. These no-bake bars feature a cashew-and-date base that’s simultaneously fudgy and chewy; on top is a thick layer of salted chocolate, so they feel like the world’s healthiest candy bar.
Get the recipe: No-Bake Chocolate and Date Energy Bars
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Rolled Oats
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Chia Energy Bars, S’more Granola Bars
13) Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
If you consider a PB&J to be one of the world’s great sandwiches, these peanut butter and jelly cookies are for you. Big and crinkly with bendy centers, crisp edges, and a salty-sweet coating, these sandwich-inspired cookies get their jelly flavor from Jammy Bits, little jewels of concentrated fruit flavor that stay suspended throughout the cookies in a way proper jam never could.
Get the recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
To make this recipe, you’ll need: King Arthur Raspberry Jammy Bits or King Arthur Blueberry Jammy Bits
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Classic Peanut Butter Cookies, Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
14) Baked Alaska
Baked Alaska is back — and this new recipe gives you the chance to make your own custom version at home. We love to use homemade raspberry and mango no-churn ice cream — the tart fruit makes the dessert surprisingly refreshing — but you can mix and match flavors to suit your taste. This impressive dessert takes some time to prep and assemble, but the gorgeous results are well worth it.
Get the recipe: Baked Alaska
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Baker’s Torch
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Mango Float Ice Cream Cake, Mini S'more Cakes
15) Lemon Tiramisu
Temps still screaming summer, even though it’s September? Make this ultra-light and refreshing tiramisu, which swaps out coffee and cocoa for tart lemon, plus a generous layer of mousse-like mascarpone. It’s a great make-ahead option for any upcoming gatherings, too.
Get the recipe: Lemon Tiramisu
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Lemon Oil
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Berry Tiramisu, Tiramisu
Cover photo by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova.
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