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Home From Apple Picking! Now What? 10+ Ways to Use Your Freshly Harvested Apples
Creative, delicious, and easy ways to use all those apples sitting on your kitchen counter!
You went apple picking. You had a great time. You took the cute pictures, drank the cider, maybe ate an apple straight off the tree…and then you got home and realized you now have approximately 47 apples sitting on your kitchen counter.
Okay, maybe not 47. But enough that you’re starting to wonder if your family can realistically eat that many apples before they start rotting.
The good news? You absolutely do not need to eat them all as-is. Freshly picked apples are one of my favorite fall ingredients because they can go in just about everything, from breakfast and snacks to salads, dinners, desserts, and even appetizers. And while there’s certainly nothing wrong with simply biting into a crisp, juicy apple, there are plenty of ways to turn your apple-picking haul into something a little more exciting!
So before you start Googling “how many apples can one person eat in a week,” here are 10+ easy and delicious ways to use up your freshly harvested apples.
First, let’s talk about the nutrition of apples.
Apples are one of those foods that are easy to overlook because they can feel so familiar and they're a very popular fruit. But they’re actually a pretty nutrient-dense fruit and a great addition to meals and snacks. Apples provide fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants, including plant compounds called polyphenols. Much of the fiber and many of the beneficial plant compounds are found in or near the skin, so when you can, keep the peel on!
The fiber in apples can also help make them a more satisfying snack, especially when you pair them with a source of protein or fat. Apple + peanut butter, apple + cheese, or apple slices with yogurt dip are all great snacking options! You don't need to overcomplicate it. Sometimes an apple is just an apple, and that's a perfectly good snack. But when you have an entire basket of them? That's when things get fun.
1. Make baked apples
Let's start with one of the easiest options: baked apples.
Core your apples, fill the centers with a mixture of oats, nuts, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter, and bake until they're tender. You get all of the cozy flavors of apple pie without making an actual pie.
This is one of my favorite ways to use apples when I want a dessert that feels special but doesn't require a ton of work, or the fuss of making a pie. Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, Greek yogurt, or enjoy them on their own.
2. Turn them into apple pie French toast bake
If you're looking for a weekend breakfast that makes your kitchen smell amazing, apples and French toast are a pretty hard combination to beat.
Sauté chopped apples with cinnamon and a little brown sugar and spoon them over French toast. Or take it one step further and make an apple pie-inspired French toast bake that you can prep ahead of time. It's also a great way to use up several apples at once. And yes, this is one of those breakfasts that can absolutely double as dessert. YUM!
3. Make homemade applesauce
You do not need a complicated recipe to make applesauce. Peel or leave the skins on your apples, chop them up, add them to a pot with a little water, cinnamon, and whatever level of sweetness you prefer, and let them cook until soft. Mash or blend until you reach your desired consistency. The best part about homemade applesauce is that you can make it exactly how you like it. Chunky? Keep it chunky. Smooth? Blend it. Extra cinnamon? Go for it. And if you have a LOT of apples, applesauce is a great way to use several at once.
4. Add apples to your snack board
You don't always need to turn your apples into a recipe. Slice them up and add them to a snack board with cheese, crackers, nuts, hummus, and maybe a little something sweet. The crisp, juicy apple adds a fresh element that balances out richer foods like cheese and prosciutto. One of my favorite combinations is apple + sharp cheddar + crackers.
Or try:
Apple + goat cheese
Apple + peanut butter
Apple + brie
Apple + prosciutto
Apple + honey
Apple + walnuts
This is also an easy way to make a snack board feel seasonal without buying a bunch of specialty ingredients.
One of my favorite ways to eat apples is with this pumpkin fluff dip recipe! It's super easy and so delicious!
5. Make a fall salad
Apples belong in salads! The sweetness and crunch are such an easy way to make a basic salad more interesting. Add sliced apples to greens with roasted squash, pecans, goat cheese, dried cranberries, or grilled chicken. For dressing, something with a little sweetness and acidity works beautifully, think apple cider vinaigrette, balsamic, or a simple honey mustard dressing.
And if you're making a salad for a crowd, slice the apples right before serving or toss them with a little lemon juice to help prevent browning.
Try this Autumn harvest apple salad by Half Baked Harvest!
6. Add apples to dinner
Apples aren't just for breakfast and dessert! Their natural sweetness works surprisingly well with savory foods. Add diced apples to a grain bowl, serve them alongside pork or chicken, or toss them into a fall-inspired sheet pan dinner with sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. You can also add thinly sliced apples to a grilled cheese sandwich. Trust me.
Apple + sharp cheddar + grilled bread = fall grilled cheese.
You could also try apples with:
Pork tenderloin
Chicken sausage
Roasted sweet potatoes
Butternut squash
Brussels sprouts
Wild rice
Farro
Sharp cheddar
Goat cheese
Or try this delicious apple cider skillet chicken by Sally's Baking Addiction! It's one of my favorites. I made it just recently:
7. Add apples to Lunch - perfect for the kids!
If you want something a little different than the usual apple crisp or apple pie, these Crunchy Apple Stacks are such a fun way to use your apple-picking haul. They combine crisp apple slices with crunchy, sweet toppings for an easy snack or dessert that feels a little more special than simply slicing up an apple.
They're also a great option when you want to put your fresh apples front and center without doing a ton of cooking. Simple, crunchy, sweet, and perfect for fall!
8. Make apple muffins or bread
Have a lot of apples? Start baking! Chopped or shredded apples work beautifully in muffins, quick breads, pancakes, and baked oatmeal. They add moisture, sweetness, and plenty of fall flavor.
Apple muffins are also a great grab-and-go breakfast or snack because you can make a batch and freeze them for later. And if you're using particularly sweet apples, you may find you don't need as much added sugar as you would with a less-sweet variety.
Try this easy apple cinnamon muffins recipe from All Recipes!
9. Make apple pie oatmeal
If you're tired of eating the same bowl of oatmeal every morning, add apples! Cook diced apples with cinnamon and stir them into oatmeal, or cook the apples right along with the oats. Top with chopped pecans or walnuts, a spoonful of peanut butter, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
It tastes like apple pie but takes significantly less effort. This is also a great use for apples that are starting to get a little soft. They don't need to be perfectly crisp when you're cooking them.
10. Make a dessert!
Sometimes the best thing to do with a giant bag of apples is make dessert! Apple pie, apple crisp, baked apples, apple muffins, the options are endless. Apples are naturally sweet, so they bring plenty of flavor to baked goods while adding fiber and nutrients, too. And honestly, you don't need to turn every apple recipe into a “healthy” dessert. Let dessert be dessert! Enjoy a warm slice of apple pie with your favorite people, or make a simple apple crisp when you want something a little easier.
11. Get creative!
If you're not sure where to start, try something new!
Make these air fryer apple fries
Try these delicious apple cinnamon rolls
Bake these apple brownies
Make an apple pie dip
Snack on some apple chips
Try these apple samoas
or even make an apple pie granola for your breakfast!
12. Freeze your apples for later
And finally, you don't have to use every single apple this week. If you're completely overwhelmed by your apple haul, freeze them! Wash, peel if desired, core, and slice your apples. Toss them with a little lemon juice to help prevent browning, then spread them out on a baking sheet and freeze until solid before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container.
Frozen apples are perfect for:
Smoothies
Oatmeal
Apple crisp
Muffins
Pancakes
Sauces
Baked oatmeal
Slow cooker recipes
They won't have the same crisp texture once thawed, so I wouldn't plan on eating them straight from the freezer as a snack. But for cooking and baking, they're a great way to extend the life of your apple-picking haul.
A few tips for your apple haul
Before you start turning your kitchen into an apple-processing facility, there are a few simple things to keep in mind:
Store apples in the refrigerator. They'll generally stay fresh longer in the fridge than they will sitting on the counter.
Use your bruised apples first. They don't need to be perfect to be delicious. Cut away any bruised spots and use them for applesauce, baking, oatmeal, or smoothies.
Keep some apples for snacking. Not every apple needs a purpose beyond being an apple! Wash one, grab it on your way out the door, and call it a snack.
Don't feel like you have to use them all immediately. One of the best parts about picking your own apples is that you can enjoy them throughout the season.
So...what should you do with all those apples?
A little bit of everything!
Keep a bowl of apples on the counter for easy snacks. Bake something cozy on the weekend. Add sliced apples to your lunch. Throw them into a salad. Make a batch of applesauce. Put them on a cheese board. And if you still have more apples than you know what to do with, freeze some for later. The goal of apple picking isn't to come home and feel stressed out, it's to enjoy the season!
So grab an apple, make something delicious, and don't overthink it 🍎 :)
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