Ina Garten Just Revealed Her 5 Favorite Fall Desserts, and They're Comfort Food Made Easy

With her iconically indulgent recipes, from Chicken Marbella to Chocolate Cake, Ina Garten has reigned as the queen of fall cooking for years now. If you’re not channeling the Barefoot Contessa when trying to bring your coziest autumnal dreams to life, are you really celebrating the season to its fullest?

Now that the weather is (finally) starting to turn, Garten showed up just in time, generously posting a roundup of all of her favorite fall desserts on her Instagram. So the next time you're craving a homemade sweet treat, you know exactly where to go.

1. French Apple Tart

Originally published in her cookbook Back to Basics, Garten's French Apple Tart only involves about twenty minutes of prep time—and she's called it the "best recipe she's ever developed." It uses a straightforward pastry base from scratch (though she’d likely approve of store-bought pastry dough for those in a rush). 

The dough is laid flat onto a baking sheet and topped with sliced Granny Smith apples mixed with sugar, butter, and jam. You're left with a gorgeous golden-brown pastry that makes you look like a pro baker. 

“Ina there is NOTHING on earth like your glorious Apple tart,” reads one comment on her Instagram. “I make it all the time for my family and friends…and it's pure joy for the appetite!”

2. Pear and Cranberry Crostata

Straight from Barefoot Contessa comes one of Garten’s favorite seasonal desserts to make. She loves changing up the produce she puts in her crostata depending on the season. While apple is another go-to fall crostata flavor for Garten, she’s distinctly called out her pear and cranberry version.

This recipe (again) boasts a simple 20-minute prep time. Pastry dough is laid flat and filled with pears, cranberries, orange zest, and a sugar-and-spice mix. Garten rolls up the edges and bakes it all together for 30 minutes, ending with not one, but two beautiful pear tarts to serve a hungry crowd.

3. Pear Clafouti

This warm, delicate dessert celebrates sweet Bartlett pears, which come into season around September and stay fresh all throughout fall. Garten arranges the sliced pears all around the bottom of a baking dish, then prepares a pear brandy batter to be poured over.

The result is a soft and fluffy clafouti—and while there will be plenty to go around, you may struggle to share. “Your Pear Clafouti recipe is my go-to dessert,” one Instagram user agrees. “Never misses.”

4. Perfect Poached Fruit

Poached fruit is the dish to turn to when you’re looking for a recipe that leans into the produce of the season. It’s elegant, easy, and feels so chic to serve at a party. Garten usually goes for pears, figs, apricots, and prunes, along with citrus zest, vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon to ensure every piece of fruit is soaked in sweet and spicy goodness. 

The result is melt-in-your-mouth tender and deliciously juicy. You can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to serve it with, or let it shine all on its own.

5. Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

Ever heard of Apple Crisp Core? It’s just one more way of embracing the warmth and beauty of the fall season. Of course, you should also celebrate by baking yourself an apple crisp, too.

Garten’s Old Fashioned Apple Crisp recipe uses McIntosh or Macoun apples, combined with citrus juice and zest. The apple mixture is covered in a buttery oatmeal topping and baked for an hour. It’s best served right out of the oven while the apples are still bubbling. Dish it into a bowl and top it with an icy-cold scoop of vanilla ice cream.