Is there any fruit that screams ‘fall’ more than the humble apple? Apple pie, apple-picking trips, and apple cider (including apple cider doughnuts) are markers of the season. The varieties are endless, and apples go way beyond the bland supermarket red delicious. To celebrate the start of fall, I bought a dozen local apples and made five different recipes to show off everything this simple fruit can do.

Apple 1: Apple Slices

Ok, so this isn’t really a recipe, but you can’t go wrong with a classic. Sliced apples with lemon juice, honey, or peanut butter are the ultimate snack. The fresher you can find them, the better. Consider visiting an orchard to go apple-picking to pick out the best of the crop yourself.

Apple 2: Apple Pie Overnight Oats

Who doesn’t love apple pie for breakfast? Make a healthy, low-effort version of the classic dessert in the form of apple pie overnight oats.

Apple Pie Overnight Oats

  • Prep Time:5 mins
  • Cook Time:5 hrs
  • Total Time:5 hrs 5 mins
  • Servings:1
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 1 apple
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup divided into 1 tbsp measures
  • cup milk choice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • cup rolled oats

  • Step 1

    Chop your apple.

  • Step 2

    Mix with a tablespoon of maple syrup, a pinch of cinnamon, and sea salt.

  • Step 3

    Add your apple mixture to a jar with the milk, the other tbsp of syrup, the cinnamon, vanilla, and oats.

  • Step 4

    Close the lid and pop the whole jar into the fridge overnight. By the next morning, you’ll have a grab-and-go breakfast that tastes like dessert.

Apples 3-6: Apple “Macaroon”

On a recent visit to Atlanta, GA, I found myself at Atlanta Vintage Books. This local used bookstore is a giant maze of shelving, cozy reading chairs, and tens of thousands of used books ranging from 1990s computer manuals to first editions of classics. Among these shelves, I came upon Specialties of the House Hadassah Style, published in 1971.

Specialties of the House is an unassuming volume typed up by hand and enclosed in an orange paper cover bearing a hand-drawn image of a table set with two Shabbat candlesticks and a serving dish. Written by the ladies of the Jamaica, NY Hadassah (a women’s organization focused on providing aid to Israel/Palestine), the book features classic Ashkenazi recipes.

Among the many classic recipes in the cookbook, an uncommon recipe title caught my eye: apple macaroon. Expecting a fall version of the beloved Pesach coconut macaroon, I was disappointed to find that the recipe was actually a slightly-modified apple cobbler. Though it wasn’t what I expected, the “macaroon” was delicious, so I can’t complain. Here’s the recipe:

Photo provided by Kathryn Lakin

Apples 7-11: Apple Cider

If you haven’t had homemade cider before, you’re missing out. Entirely different from apple juice, cider is an irresistible fall drink that will make your whole kitchen smell like a Yankee candle.

Spiced Apple Cider

  • Prep Time:5 mins
  • Cook Time:3 hrs
  • Total Time:3 hrs 5 mins
  • Servings:4
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 5 apples
  • cup sugar
  • tbsp ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
  • tbsp ground allspice or 8 allspice berries
  • Water

  • Step 1

    Quarter the apples.

  • Step 2

    Add apples to large pot with sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and enough water to cover the apples.

  • Step 3

    Boil for an hour uncovered.

  • Step 4

    Turn the stove down to a low flame and let the mixture simmer for two hours.

  • Step 5

    Remove whole spices if using.

For an easier version of this recipe, start with pre-made cider and just add spices before heating.

Apple 12: Goat Cheese and Apple Salad

Apples aren’t just great for sweets. Try this fall salad for a change, and embrace the apple’s savory side.

Note: I made one serving of this salad with my one remaining apple, but here’s the recipe for a full bowl.

Goat cheese and apple salad

  • Prep Time:15 mins
  • Cook Time:0
  • Total Time:15 mins
  • Servings:2
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 1 apple thinly sliced
  • 6 oz arugula or kale chopped
  • red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 cup goat cheese crumbled
  • 1 cup candied pecans
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Pinch ground allspice
  • Salt
  • Pepper

  • Step 1

    Toss arugula or kale with apples, red onion, goat cheese, and candied pecans

  • Step 2

    Make dressing by mixing allspice, olive oil, and balsamic vinaigrette.

  • Step 3

    Dress salad and season to taste with salt and pepper.

This salad comes together super quickly for a filling meal that combines all the flavors of fall.

In just a week, I easily went through a dozen apples. I guess it’s time to go buy a dozen more and see what else they can do.