25 Sweet Fall Treats, Ranked Worst To Best

Forget the chili, candy corn, and Thanksgiving turkey. When autumn arrives, the best thing to look forward to is the sweet treats. These foods, including everything from breakfast to dinner, are the highlight of fall and there's seemingly never enough sugar-laden treats, from pumpkin pie to apple crisp. 

But not all favorite fall goodies are created equal. Some embody the definition of fall; they're filled with seasonal ingredients and warming spices, and they embody the seasonal essence of warmth and hospitality. Others, well, no real rhyme or reason — but they sure do taste good. 

Below is a ranking of the very best sweet fall treats. Factored into consideration is the versatility of the dish, ease of the recipe, overall tastes and other fall-infused factors. Read on for the best selections in autumnal fare — and what should be avoided.

Many believe that no Thanksgiving table is complete without a candied yam casserole. Recipes typically feature a base of mashed sweet potatoes, interlaced with brown sugar and covered in lightly browned marshmallows. Although jam-packed with sweet, almost desert-like ingredients, it's nonetheless traditionally placed on the table alongside the bird, mashed potatoes and the other dishes in the main course. 

They are an outlier, a main course-imposter that doesn't deserve precious plate real estate come Thanksgiving. Someone should file a petition to officially make candied yams a dessert, rather than part of the entrée. While it may be true that but that root vegetables, brown sugar, and cinnamon are fall flavors, candied yams belong with the after-dinner pies.

There might be some disgruntled comments about ranking pumpkin pie so low on a list of fall desserts, but there's something about the texture of this dessert that is undeniably off-putting. The crust, first of all, needs to be perfectly done for this pie to succeed (which, unfortunately, is rarely the case with finicky pie crust). Then there's the filling, which needs to be heavily spiced to elevate the dish to more than just flavored mush in a pie shell, but so rarely is.

What isn't up for debate is that pumpkin pie is iconic, a Thanksgiving standby that will always have a place at tables nationwide. But ask yourself: How much of that is just a token nod to tradition? How much of that is because you actually enjoy the taste of pumpkin pie? And finally, when was the last time you ate pumpkin pie when it wasn't Thanksgiving? Quite simply, it's an annual one-timer, not even deserving of a return for seconds. 

Like a little kiss of fall, apple turnovers capture the season without committing too much to the idea. The biggest issue with these pastries, however, is that they are chronically underfilled with apple. 

A typical apple turnover requires the consumer to have to dissect it to find any sort of apple filling tucked inside those delicate layers of pastry. On average, it seems like the typical turnover probably has 80% pastry to 20% filling. At that point, just order a croissant. An apple turnover with more filling? Bring it on. But until those ratios reliably improve, this is one sweet treat best left in the bakery cabinet. 

Apple fritters are an odd dessert. They're technically a donut, but there isn't much in common between these massive, rock-like hunks and a light, airy chocolate-frosted. The batter combines conventional donut ingredients with chunks of fresh apples before plunging them into a pot filled with shallow oil. Once the fritters are finished cooking, they're coated in a thick glaze and served piping hot. 

Apple fritters aren't overtly apple-flavored, so they're one of the more subdued options for serving during the fall season. Where fritters typically go off-the-rails is with improper preparation, such as not having the cooking oil hot enough, which results in a grease-ladened hunk of batter. All-in-all, apple fritters aren't a bad dessert, but they're not that great either.

Even people who aren't donut people tend to become donut people when fall rolls around. Apple cider donuts are a mainstay in New England; there's something about that cinnamon sugar coating getting all over the fingers, dunking one into some warm apple cider, that is indicative of how magical fall can be. 

Those unfamiliar with Yankee cuisine, however, probably wouldn't be able to parcel out the apple cider in its ingredient list. The donuts themselves aren't particularly acidic or strongly apple-tasting, which means that when you strip away the autumnal affectations, apple cider donuts can be just plain bland. 

Dessert for those who hate working with pie dough, apple crisp is full of fall flavors, and is one of the easiest dishes for an amateur cook to prepare. Simply mix apples with a bit of sugar, starch, and lemon juice, then pile them into the bottom of a baking pan. Evenly mix flour, butter, sugar, and cinnamon on top, then bake until golden brown. Put a creative spin on the dessert by adding oatmeal for texture or additional fruits, like cranberries. 

The primary reason apple crisp isn't a top treat is because its flavor can be one-sided. Depending on the apples chosen for the recipe, things can sometimes get overly sweet.

The quintessential all-American dessert — even if its origin wasn't actually in America — it's hard to beat apple pie. Perfect for showing how proficient and technical a baker is in the kitchen, those who master a snappy crust that holds up to a soggy filling, and can perfectly balance the sweetness of the apples, bring the goods.

Apple pie has been interpreted countless ways over the years, with artistic crusts, additional fruits, and in other ways — but apple pie can still be messy, and it isn't as portable as other recipes. If it's not done well, it can be disappointing.

Snickerdoodle cookies trickle from the fall into the winter holiday season — and they're just too good to not savor. To make the perfect traditional snickerdoodle cookie, supplement the cookie with cream of tartar and a thick coating of sugar and cinnamon. 

Snickerdoodles are a classic for a reason. It's hard to resist the unique tang and balanced flavors in every bite. However, this cookie never really screams fall, especially compared to recipes that contain cinnamon, pumpkin, maple, and apple. Nevertheless, it does showcase all the qualities of a darn good cookie. 

Bread pudding doesn't always have autumnal ingredients mixed in, but it does contain dense, custardy bread that sticks to the ribs. There are tons of ways to elevate bread pudding with ingredients like roasted butternut squash, dried fruit, maple syrup, and pumpkin purée. Or, stick to a more traditional variation and serve with vanilla ice cream. 

The primary reason why bread pudding isn't a better fall treat is because it can sometimes be too dense; after a few bites, you feel full. A good dessert always leaves a person wanting more, and should leave enough room to go for it.

Apple dumplings are apple pies made portable; each pillow is filled with copious amounts of spiced apple filling wrapped in pie dough. You can even make mini apple dumplings by wrapping apple wedges in canned crescent dough and coating them in melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar. Pop one in your mouth for an easy after-dinner dessert. 

The only downside to their unique shape is that you can't add a scoop of ice cream without it all falling off. You will also need to cook the filling ahead of time, and add sufficient filling to prevent the dome effect.

The zenith of shareable bread recipes, Monkey bread can be made from home-baked bread pieces, or people can take the easy way out with cubed crescent roll dough. When a sugary cinnamon syrup is added, it makes the pieces of bread stick together; bake, then pop it out of the bundt tin with ease. 

This dessert scores high on fall rankings because of its customizable opportunities. Add pumpkin purée to the sugar mixture, cube up apples with chopped pecans, or add other autumnal touches for a seasonal twist. But don't get it twisted: Monkey bread is not exclusively a fall recipe. 

Pumpkin roll cake delivers the perfect blend of pumpkin-flavored cake and decadent cream cheese swirl. Combine pumpkin purée with a standard cake recipe, bake in a rectangular pan, and adequately cool it before schmearing with cream cheese. Then roll it up, slice it, and serve for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. 

Rolled cakes are always much more difficult to make than it seems. If the cake isn't moist enough, it will crack. Too hot? The filling will melt and splatter out. But those who are patient and take care in the fundamentals will be rewarded with a wholesome, slice-and-serve treat.