5 Fall Desserts for a Crowd That Disappear Before Seconds

These are the cozy, crowd-pleasing desserts that make people hover near the dessert table “just checking” what’s there. They’re easy to scale, easy to serve, and full of fall flavors like apple, cinnamon, pumpkin, maple, and toasted nuts. Think sheet pans, bake-ahead options, and the kind of aromas that make your whole place smell like a hug.

Hosting a potluck? Football watch party? Friendsgiving? You’re covered. Let’s bake desserts that travel well, slice cleanly, and taste even better on day two. Grab a whisk—your people will be asking for these recipes, trust me.

1. Caramel Apple Slab Pie With Crunchy Oat Crumble

All the nostalgia of apple pie, none of the fussy lattice. A slab pie feeds a crowd without breaking a sweat, and the buttery crust plus a crisp oat crumble gives you the best of both worlds. It’s sturdy, slices neatly, and shines with a drizzle of warm caramel.

Ingredients:

• 2 refrigerated pie crusts (14–16 oz total), room temp
• 3.5 lbs firm apples (Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or mix), peeled and sliced 1/4 inch
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom (optional but wonderful)
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/2 cup jarred or homemade caramel sauce, plus more for drizzling

Oat Crumble:

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced

To Finish:

• Flaky sea salt (optional)
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 10×15-inch rimmed sheet pan. Unroll the pie crusts and overlap/press them to cover the pan, letting excess hang over the edges. Patch with scraps as needed. Chill while you prep apples.
2. In a large bowl, toss apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, cornstarch, and vanilla. Let sit 10 minutes until juicy.
3. Make the crumble: In a bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with your fingers until clumpy.
4. Spread apple mixture evenly over crust (leave juices behind if there’s a lot). Dot with butter bits. Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel over apples.
5. Sprinkle oat crumble over the top. Fold any overhanging crust inward to create a small border.
6. Bake 35–45 minutes, until the crumble is golden and the apples are bubbling. If edges brown too fast, tent loosely with foil.
7. Cool at least 30 minutes. Drizzle with more caramel and a pinch of flaky salt if you like.

Serve warm squares with vanilla ice cream. For a twist, add 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans to the crumble. Make-ahead friendly: bake earlier in the day and rewarm at 300°F for 10–12 minutes before serving.

2. Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

This is the pumpkin cake that wins bake sales. It’s plush and cinnamon-y, and the tangy maple frosting makes people close their eyes on the first bite. A sheet cake is your friend when you need easy slicing and zero drama.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup neutral oil (canola or grapeseed)
• 4 large eggs, room temp
• 1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of fine salt

Optional Toppings:

• Toasted chopped pecans or pepitas
• Ground cinnamon for dusting

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 13×18-inch rimmed sheet pan (or a 9×13 for a thicker cake; bake longer).
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk sugars with oil. Add eggs one at a time, then pumpkin and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with milk. Do not overmix.
4. Spread batter in pan and smooth the top. Bake 18–22 minutes for sheet pan (28–35 for 9×13), until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool completely before frosting.
6. Make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy.
7. Frost cooled cake. Sprinkle with pecans or pepitas and a light dusting of cinnamon if you’re feeling fancy.

Slice into neat squares and serve. For extra maple vibes, drizzle with a teaspoon of warmed maple syrup just before serving. Want it dairy-light? Swap cream cheese frosting for maple glaze: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar + 3–4 tbsp maple syrup + pinch salt.

3. Brown Butter Pecan Blondies With Dark Chocolate Chunks

These bars are buttery, nutty, and just chewy enough—like fall in blondie form. Browning the butter adds toffee notes, and the pecans get toasted and deeply flavorful. They travel like champs and cut into tidy squares for a crowd.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
• Flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment, leaving overhang.
2. Brown the butter: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until it foams and brown bits form, 5–7 minutes. Immediately pour into a mixing bowl to cool slightly.
3. Whisk in brown sugar until glossy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold into wet ingredients until just combined.
5. Stir in toasted pecans and chocolate chunks. Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle with flaky salt if using.
6. Bake 22–27 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs (not wet). Don’t overbake.
7. Cool completely before lifting out and slicing into 24 squares.

Serve as-is or warm slightly so the chocolate gets melty. Variations: swap pecans for walnuts, add 1/2 cup dried cherries, or stir in a teaspoon of espresso powder for depth. These freeze beautifully—wrap tightly and thaw at room temp.

4. Chai-Spiced Pear Crisp With Almond Streusel

Apple crisp’s elegant cousin. Juicy pears meet cozy chai spices and a crunchy almond streusel. It’s naturally crowd-friendly and even better with a scoop of vanilla or honey ice cream. Bonus: it’s gluten-flexible and not too sweet.

Ingredients:

Pear Filling:

• 8 ripe but firm pears (about 3.5–4 lbs), peeled, cored, sliced 1/2 inch
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• Pinch of black pepper (trust me, it wakes up the flavor)
• Pinch of fine salt

Almond Streusel:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (or almond flour for GF-friendly)
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 8 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, toss pears with sugars, lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pepper, and salt. Spread evenly in the dish.
3. Make streusel: Combine flour, oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in butter until crumbles form.
4. Scatter streusel over pears. Bake 35–45 minutes, until topping is golden and pears are bubbling and tender.
5. Cool 15 minutes before serving so the juices thicken.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries to the pears for a tart pop, or swap pears for apples if that’s what you have. To make fully gluten-free, use certified GF oats and almond flour in the streusel.

5. Maple Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars With Cinnamon Sugar Crust

Snickerdoodles, but make them party-sized. These bars bake in one pan, so no scooping or multiple batches, and the hint of maple makes them taste like a cozy sweater. The cinnamon-sugar crust on top is crunchy and irresistible.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine salt

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of fine salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment.
2. Beat butter with granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Beat in maple syrup. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
3. Whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
4. Spread dough evenly in pan (dampen fingers or use an offset spatula). Stir topping sugar, cinnamon, and salt; sprinkle evenly over dough.
5. Bake 20–25 minutes, until the top is set and lightly golden at the edges. Cool completely in the pan.
6. Lift out with parchment and slice into bars.

Serve with coffee or hot cider—perfect for game day or office treats. For a twist, swirl 1/3 cup cinnamon-sugar through the middle: spread half the dough, sprinkle half the topping, dollop remaining dough, then finish with the rest of the topping.

Make-Ahead And Serving Tips

• Plan for transport: Sheet pans and 9x13s are easy to cover and carry. Keep a roll of foil handy.
• Timing: Most of these taste even better after resting. Bake in the morning for evening events.
• Extras: Set out a little station with caramel sauce, whipped cream, and chopped nuts so guests can customize.
• Allergies: Label nuts and dairy. The pear crisp is easy to make gluten-free.

Ready to make everyone’s favorite fall memory? Pick one (or all), preheat that oven, and let your kitchen smell like cinnamon and happiness. These 5 fall desserts for a crowd are the kind that get recipe requests—don’t be surprised when you’re asked to bring them again next time, seriously.