41 Fall Desserts Full of Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Is it the maple syrup that makes fall desserts so comforting? The pumpkin purée? The pumpkin pie spice? The brown sugar? The caramel apples? It’s hard to pinpoint the answer, so maybe you (and we) should bake through the full list of our best fall desserts. Yes, that’s it: Let’s all consume each and every one of these sweet fall treats (starting now, of course), and by the end of the season, we’ll feel more confident, assured—and full.

Speaking of confidence: If you need a pastry chef and former competitive barista to tell you that it’s not “basic” to love a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. Please hear out Nicole Rucker, who learned to embrace the very extra beverage after years of self-imposed coffee austerity; heck, maybe drink a PSL while baking an autumnal spice cake to really get in the spirit. That’s so extra, we don’t even know the word for it.

Ready for the recipes? On to our favorite fall desserts: