3 Easy Autumn Desserts to Try This September 🍂

As fall approaches and the summer heat starts to fade—well, kind of—ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice make their way to the front of my spice rack.

This isn’t my typical genre of posts, but in great anticipation for colorful leaves and chiller weather, I can’t resist sharing 3 fall desserts I’ve already been enjoying this September!

We’ll go back to our regular program after this, I promise.

3 Super Easy Autumn Desserts to Try This Fall

If you’ve followed me for a long time, you may know that my husband is gluten free, so any homemade meals & desserts for the two of us must be gluten free.

Good for me, a lot of desserts centered around Autumn are already gluten free or can easily become so with a touch of creativity.

Being pregnant has only made my favorite Autumn dishes even tastier! In addition to heightened taste buds, fall scented candles filling the shelves of my local Walmart means baby girl’s due month is getting closer and closer! 🥹

To keep myself distracted, I’ve been making all the delicious delicacies of the season since early to mid August, so I thought it’d be fun to share them with you.

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

6.3oz box vanilla wafers* (makes approx. 1½ cup crumbs)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
½ cup coconut oil, melted**

*I use Kinnikinnick’s gluten free vanilla wafers. They taste delicious!

**I use refined coconut oil, so it doesn’t taste like coconut. Melted butter can also be used.

CHEESECAKE INGREDIENTS:

1 8oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup pumpkin pureé (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
½ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 8oz tub whipped topping, thawed (NOT the stuff in a spray can; it won’t work the same)
Caramel sauce, for drizzle topping*

*I love this specific caramel for drizzling!

DIRECTIONS:

Pull cream cheese out of the fridge and set aside to soften at least 30 minutes before starting the recipe.
Empty the box of vanilla wafers into a high powered blender. Blend until the cookies are the texture of sand—no clumps/large pieces! You can also crush the cookies in a zipped sandwich bag.
Pour the crumbs into a large mixing bowl. Add the cinnamon & brown sugar. Stir until combined. Add the melted coconut oil or butter. Stir.
Lightly wipe a pie tin or a square 8in pan with oil & firmly press the crust into the pan. Don’t worry if there isn’t enough to create a crust for the sides. The cheesecake will still hold together.
Place the crust in the fridge to chill while you make the cheesecake.
In a large mixing bowl, whip together the cream cheese & pumpkin pureé.
Next, whip in the brown sugar & spices until combined well.
With a silicone spatula, gently fold in the whipped topping.
Dollop the cheesecake in the pie tin & evenly smooth out the top. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour and a half or overnight before serving.
Slice up & serve! Drizzle caramel sauce on individual slices, if desired.

Lazy Peach Crisp (Made With Canned Peaches!)

TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

1 cup rolled oats, blended into a flour
¼ cup rolled oats, not blended
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt
2-3 tbsp neutral oil, add until crumbly

PEACHES:

1 29oz canned peaches in real fruit juice, drained
1 tbsp granulated white sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

Grease an 11 × 7 casserole dish. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Blend 1 cup of rolled oats in a high power blender. My Magic Bullet makes it into a coarse powder.
Add the oat flour to a small mixing bowl. Stir in ¼ whole oats, brown sugar, maple syrup, spices, and salt. Once combined, add a tablespoon of oil at a time just until the mixture comes together as a crumble topping. Set aside.
Drain the cans of peaches. Add the peaches to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cornstarch on top. Gently stir until the peaches are coated well with everything. I use my hands to avoid breaking any peaches.
Transfer the peaches to the greased pan. Using your hands, crumble the topping over the peaches.
Slide the dish into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn up the heat to 425°F and bake for another 10-15 minutes. This earns the topping a more golden brown color.
Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving, so the juice from the peaches can thicken up.
Serve as is or top with vanilla ice cream!

Butterfinger Rice Crispy Treats

This recipe may not smell like cinnamon, but I have made it a LOT the past month. It’s so easy and fast to make that it’s the first pick in my household when we want something sweet.

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup neutral oil (or butter)
4 cups mini marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups rice crispy cereal*
⅔ cup butterfinger pieces

*If you need this recipe to be gluten free, ensure that the cereal you’re using doesn’t contain gluten. The name brand, Rice Krispie, isn’t gluten free.

DIRECTIONS:

In a small nonstick pot, add the oil and turn on low heat. Let it heat up; it doesn’t have to come to a simmer. If using butter, heat until it’s melted.
Add the mini marshmallow and vanilla extract, stirring frequently with an oiled silicone spatula (learn from my mistakes). Once melted and combined, cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Immediately take the pot off the heat. In a large mixing bowl, add the cereal. Add more or less to your liking. Stir in the marshmallow fluff until combined well.
Carefully feel the temperature of the rice crispy treats with your hand. You want the mixture to be cool enough to the touch to handle but still sticky enough to hold the Butterfinger bits. Stir in the Butterfinger bits.
Coat a 11 × 7 pan with parchment paper and gently press the rice crispy treats into it. If you push the treats too firmly, they will be stiff and lose some of the signature “crackle”—as my husband would say.

What Are You Baking This Fall?

I would love to know what you’re baking this fall! My absolute favorite Autumn dessert would still have to be the classic apple crisp. 😉

Sunshine in the Haze