Are you searching for gourmet dessert recipes that are both easy to make and thoroughly decadent? The autumnal harvest yields some of the year’s most indulgent and memorable flavors. Just one bite of a vegan blueberry crisp or Champagne chocolate mousse, and your guests will be clamoring for more. Get ready to thrill your family and friends as we share easy dessert recipes that are just perfect for a fall filled with gourmet entertaining.
Tarte Tatin Dessert
When you think of fall, delicious, just-ripened apples are bound to spring to mind. Whether you can pick your favorite variety right off the tree or mindfully shop for options at your local farmers’ market, choosing the tastiest options has never been easier – and your dessert recipes will thank you for it. It’s no wonder that one of Food & Wine’s favorite fall dessert recipes is Tarte Tatin with Crème Fraîche. It looks divine and tastes even better, despite it being relatively easy to create. Food & Wine raves: “The apples in this luscious tart are cooked in a rich caramel sauce” and “when turned out of the pan, the lightly spiced apples are melt-in-your-mouth tender.”
For this easy dessert recipe, you’ll need four pounds of apples – Golden Delicious are the preferred choice, but you can opt for your favorites. If you are a genius at puff pastry, you’ll want to prepare that before you begin the bake. However, buying ready-made puff pastry works just as well, and it will allow you to focus on creating a truly indulgent caramel sauce. A Champagne pairing with this dessert is always a good idea, but a Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley will hit all the right notes.
Cranberry Clafouti
If you can make pancake batter, you can make clafouti. Described as being “in between a flan and a pancake” by Martha Stewart Living, this French fruit dessert is surprisingly easy to make but will be a sure hit for any fall gathering. Preparation is approximately 15 minutes, and you can pluck the cranberries fresh or use frozen without sacrificing taste.
Champagne Chocolate Mousse
When Rachael Ray In Season was asked about its favorite late fall dessert recipes, Champagne Chocolate Mousse came immediately to mind. This quick to prepare twist on a classic is so festive that you can serve it for an elegant fall dinner party or any winter holiday celebration. You will be shocked at how easy this sumptuous dessert is to make – the total time from preparation to serving is only 30 minutes. The key to this decadent wonder isn’t just using something tantalizingly sparkling in the mix, but the very best chocolate morsels. Craft chocolate from a chocolate maker like Scharffen Berger or gourmet dark Belgian chocolate chips from Callebaut can be a splurge, but so worth it.
Apple Crostata
This apple crostata dessert recipe is one of Martha Stewart Living’s favorite fall treats. As the Magazine explains: “This rustic free-form take on apple pie has sharp cheddar cheese in the crust which adds richness and a slight savory tang.” A pre-made cheddar pie dough disk makes this a relatively easy recipe to prepare, while tart Granny Smith and McIntosh apples just off the tree make this recipe sing. Each step of this recipe crafts a pie that looks decidedly upscale. Don’t forget the crowning glory – warm apricot preserves that are lightly brushed over the apples as soon as the crostata is taken out of the oven. Pair it with your favorite Prosecco and let the applause begin.
Fig and Frangipane Galettes
Food & Wine raves that their Fig and Frangipane Galettes are among the most “crave-worthy fall desserts.” We have to agree. The secret to these decadent free-form tarts is the “fresh figs and almond paste.” The Frangipane can take some time, and you will far prefer using a food processor than trying to create it by hand, but the galettes can be made the day before your dinner party and stored at room temperature until you are ready to present them. Food & Wine suggests serving this late-fall delicacy with “a juicy, dark-fruited ruby port” as the warm glow of great food and wonderful friends settles around you.
Raspberry-Hazelnut Macaroons
In the “tastes gourmet but is actually easy” desserts category, Food & Wine applauds the serving of Haselnussmakronen (aka Raspberry-Hazelnut Macaroons). Every bite is a delight, and you would never know that the recipe only requires five ingredients (whole hazelnuts, egg whites, kosher salt, sugar, and raspberry jam). This German dessert can be made a few days before your festivities, and it looks so inviting on a plate that your guests might not wait until dessert to start sampling.
Roasted Pears in Butterscotch
How do roasted pears in a butterscotch sauce sound to you? Pears are at their best in the United States from August through October, making a roasted pears dessert recipe a “must” for autumn dinner parties. Rachael Ray In Season is a big fan of this easy recipe which takes less than 20 minutes to make and uses only six ingredients. In it, your favorite pears are roasted and then drizzled with a rich butterscotch sauce that can be made with just a hint of Scotch whisky for a little added heat. The final flourish is a topping of chopped pistachios. Don’t be surprised if you come back to this enticing dessert over and over again throughout the season.
Vegan Blueberry Crisp
Martha Stewart Living’s Vegan Blueberry Crisp is an easy dessert recipe that will tempt the taste buds of all of your guests. This recipe relies on six cups of blueberries – allowing you to pick and choose the best varieties on the bush in early fall. Once you have your blueberries, the Magazine reveals: “The berries are tossed with sugar, cornstarch, and fresh lemon juice, then topped with a rolled oat-and-almond crumble.”
Pair this special treat with a ripe-fruit forward Champagne for celebrations or an elegant and structured Malbec for quiet nights among friends.
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