Autumnal Dessert Recipes

October is here and my favorite season is officially upon us! I’ve always had an affinity for autumn, especially living in the Pacific Northwest. The crisp air, the changing leaves, the cozy sweaters, all of the quintessential fall things.

During this time of year, I start doing a lot more baking and I enjoy trying out new recipes. This year, I have three autumnal dessert recipes that I’ve been absolutely loving and am so happy to share with you!

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin and October are truly a perfect pair. I wanted to try some pumpkin recipes this year and this cookie recipe, with cream cheese frosting, turned out perfectly spongey and tastes just like fall!

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
10 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can canned pumpkin

Cream Cheese Frosting

5 tablespoon butter, room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar until combined.
Mix in egg, then blend in pumpkin and vanilla. Add in flour mixture and mix until combined.
Scoop balls of dough onto baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes.
While cookies are baking, whip together butter and cream cheese for frosting.
Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla until combined.
Once cookies are cool, frost with cream cheese mixture.

Apple Cinnamon Roll Casserole

This casserole is the perfect sharing dessert. Combining the warm, gooey dough with the delicious, tart apples, this recipe will leave your kitchen smelling delectable and your tummy feeling happy!

Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with icing
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup crushed or chopped pecans
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pie plate with cooking spray.
Separate cinnamon rolls and cut each piece into 4-6 pieces. Place in large bowl and toss in diced apples and pecans.
Whisk together butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a small bowl.
Add syrup mixture to large bowl and toss all ingredients together till evenly coated.
Transfer to pie plate and spread out evenly, like a casserole.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cinnamon rolls are cooked thoroughly.
Microwave icing for 10-15 seconds, then drizzle over casserole.

Butterscotch and Peanut Butter Bars

I wanted to expand on my go-to peanut butter cookie recipe and tweak it a bit, to present it in a new way. By adding some yummy butterscotch and stronger peanut butter flavors, I think this is a great recipe to enjoy at any time during an autumn day!