Apple Orchard Haul Recipes

One of my favorite parts of fall is a trip to the apple orchard! There’s nothing better than bringing home a big haul of fresh apples and turning them into cozy fall treats. This year, I’m sharing four delicious ways to use your orchard apples, from a caramel apple croissant bake to homemade apple butter, classic apple crisp, and even apple crisp cinnamon ice cream. If you’re looking for a little fall baking inspiration, these recipes are the perfect place to start!

Caramel Apple Criossant Bake

I have a chocolate chip croissant bake I pull out for every special occassion...and this year I had the idea to replace the chocolate with cinnamon apples and the powdered sugar with homemade caramel sauce and it was a 12/10! This caramel apple croissant bake is the perfect combination of buttery, flaky croissants, sweet cinnamon apples, and rich caramel. It’s a cozy fall breakfast or brunch recipe that feels a little extra special, especially when served warm from the oven!

Recipe:

1 13-oz package already baked croissants, ripped into large bite sized pieces

2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups half and half

2 apples- finely diced 

1 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon 

Caramel Sauce (or scroll down for the recipe for the best homemade caramel) 

In a greased 9 x 13 inch pan, place your croissant pieces evenly. In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until well combined. Add in the half and half slowly. Pour mixture over the croissants and top with the chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate over night. The next morning, in a pan add the apples, butter, cinnamon and brown sugar cooing until the apple have softened slightly. Pour mixture over the prepared bake. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes and top with caramel sauce before serving!

Homemade Caramel Sauce: 

1/2 cup of sugar

3 tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup of half and half

1/4 tsp of sea salt (a little less if your butter is salted)

Start by melting the sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stirring pretty consistently, as this could take up to 15 minutes. When the sugar is fully melted with no clumps left, remove from heat and add the butter. Stir consistently until butter is fully melted. Add in the half and half and the salt. If at any point after removing from heat the mixture seems to separate or isn't coming together you can put it back on the heat on low. If you don't burn the sugar this recipe is pretty foolproof and resilient. Just takes a little patience!

Homemade Apple Butter

If there’s one thing that makes the house smell like fall, it’s homemade apple butter simmering away in the crockpot! This recipe is a delicious way to use up your orchard apples, and it’s perfect for spreading on toast, biscuits, or just about anything that could use a little fall flavor.

Recipe:

3.5 pounds of apples, peeled and cored

1 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla

Place the apples, brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours. Once the apples are very tender and brown, use a immersion blender and blend until really smooth. Add in the vanilla and stir. Keep the lid off and cook for another 1-2 hours until some of the liquid is evaporated. Seal in jars once cooled. Keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer!

Apple Crisp

You can never go wrong with a classic apple crisp! Over the years I've perfected my Nanny's recipe and it is truly the most amazing apple crisp! Made with tender, cinnamon-spiced apples and a buttery crumble topping, this is one of my favorite desserts to make during apple season. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate cozy fall treat.

FOR THE FILLING:

5 cups of apples - peeled & sliced

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

FOR THE TOPPING:

½ cup flour

1 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

1 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

Add the apples (after they are peeled & sliced) to a large bowl. Add in sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix until coated. Place in a 9 x 13 pan.

Use a fork to combine the butter and the dry ingredients, for about 2 minutes. There should still be chunks of butter! Place topping evenly over the apples.

Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes! For the last 15 minutes, turn the oven up to 400 degrees. Everything comes together in the perfect caramelized way! Store in fridge and enjoy warm or cold!

Apple Crisp Cinnamon Ice Cream

If you love apple crisp, you have to try it in ice cream form! This apple crisp cinnamon ice cream is a no churn recipe, comes together so fast and is such a fun fall treat! It combines warm fall flavors with creamy, cinnamon-spiced ice cream, cinnamon baked apples and a layer of the crispy crumb topping! Top it off with a little of the homemade caramel sauce from above (recipes listed in the caramel apple croissant bake!).

For the baked apple layer:

2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 cup of sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Add the chopped apples, sugar and cinnamon to a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the apples are soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

For the crisp layer:

1/3 cup of old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup of flour

1/4 cup of brown sugar

3 tbsp butter, melted

In a bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar and melted butter. Mix until evenly combined. Spread the mixture out on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes. Break apart and let cool completely.

For the ice cream layer:

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp of cinnamon

In a mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream on low speed, gradually increasing to medium, until soft peaks form and the whipped cream just begins to hold its shape. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and cinnamon into the whipped cream and mix on low speed until just combined.

To prepare the layers:

In a freezer safe container, (I use these from Amazon!) layer the ice cream, apples and the oat topping. then repeat. Put in the freezer for at least 6 hours to firm up before serving!