Sweet and sumptuous plum and apple crumble is super easy to make. Our version contains orange zest and cinnamon which gives it a festive feel. You can make it in small, individual ramekins or one big dish so people can help themselves. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream which will melt on top.
Baking a batch of rich gooey brownies is a guaranteed way to lift spirits on a dark day. These ones contain 70% dark chocolate (use the best quality you can get) and hazelnuts for a pleasing crunch.
If you love gingerbread cake and fancy a baking challenge, have a go at these gingerbread soufflés. They contain the rich flavours of rum, dark chocolate, ground cinnamon, ginger and vanilla, but are as light as air. They must be cooked right before eating and served with vanilla custard.
There’s nothing like the warming scent of this sweet pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and clove cake baking in the oven. It has an incredibly soft, moist crumb because it uses olive oil instead of butter. The icing on top is an orange and lemon glaze, and sprinkling of green pistachios.
We love a comforting cobbler with its crumbly and buttery biscuit dumplings. This one uses tinned pears and prunes which makes it easy and speedy. However, you could swap in other seasonal fruit such as figs, apples or plums.
This homemade millionaire’s shortbread is incomparable to shop-bought. It has a crumbly base, a thick layer of vanilla, Biscoff and date caramel, and is topped with smooth, dark chocolate – be sure to choose the best you can find. It’s also vegan.
Pure decadence, this dessert features layers of sponge fingers soaked in rum and coffee, and pillowy whipped cream. While tiramisù usually takes a long time to develop its flavour, this speedy version can be ready in just 12 minutes.
When you need a really easy and comforting pudding, this one fits the bill. A layer of sliced shop-bought brioche (you can make your own if you really want) is topped with homemade frangipane and apple slices. Once baked, it’s glazed with apricot jam, sprinkled with flaked almonds and dusted with icing sugar.
This is a super indulgent take on rocky road and looks amazing. Dried apples, Dutch stroopwafel (caramel wafers) and mini marshmallows give it chew, while hazelnuts and salted pretzels add crunch.
Get the recipe for toffee apple and salted pretzel rocky road here
You won’t believe how easy it is to make this vegan banana ice cream cheesecake. The base consists of oats and hazelnuts blitzed in a blender. And the cheat's ice cream filling is made with frozen bananas, cinnamon and cocoa powder. The whole thing is topped with warm blueberry compote.
Treat yourself or a loved one to a batch of freshly-baked florentines. The biscuit is similar to brandy snaps and laced with crystallised ginger, almonds and orange zest. These ones are dipped on one side with white and milk chocolate which looks stunning.
These triple chocolate cheesecake brownies are insanely rich and decadent. They feature a layer of dulce de leche and toasted hazelnuts in the middle, and are topped with orange and almond baked cheesecake.
Get the recipe for triple chocolate cheesecake brownies here
Dark chocolate chips and cardamom give carrot cake an autumnal spin. It’s topped with a toasty browned butter and cream cheese frosting, orange zest and chocolate shavings. The cake can keep for up to four days – but we reckon it'll get eaten sooner.
This caramelised banana crumble is more hearty than summer fruit versions, making it perfect for colder weather. Sticky dates, maple syrup and desiccated coconut join bananas in the filling, and the topping is nutty and spiced. It’s excellent with a silky, homemade almond and cardamom custard or your favourite shop-bought brand.
Nothing says autumn like a slice of velvety pumpkin pie. This one has a homemade pastry case, but you can take a shortcut by using a shop-bought one if you like. You can also find pumpkin purée in a can.
With its crisp, caramel crust and luxurious custardy centre, who can resist crème brûlée? Baileys Irish cream liqueur gives this one a grown-up twist. If you don’t have a blowtorch, you can use the grill to caramelise the sugar on top.
This chocolate pudding is baked in a big dish, making it ideal for the whole family to share. The best thing about this dessert is the rich sauce which is hidden at the bottom of the dish, under the soft sponge. Serve with double cream or ice cream for extra decadence.
This British dish is quintessential comfort food and many people’s grandparents would have made it. It contains plump dried fruit, spongy, custard-soaked bread, and is spiced with grated nutmeg and vanilla.
Rum babas, small sweet cakes soaked in fragrant rum syrup, are a classic French creation. You can make them more or less boozy depending on your taste. They can be stored in their syrup for up to a week.
Dark chocolate ganache, sweet caramel and crisp pastry – what’s not to love about chocolate caramel tart? This one is super easy as it uses a ready-made base and it’s also entirely vegan.
Cheesecake is always a winning dessert and this white chocolate version, even more so. It has a crumbly biscuit base and the filling is light, sweet and super creamy, with white chocolate buttons melted in. You’re going to want a generous serving.
It’s always nice to have a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies in the house. This recipe makes 16 giant, chewy double chocolate ones. However, you can easily halve or double the quantity of ingredients to make more or less.
This large sheet cake is the perfect pairing for an afternoon cup of tea or coffee. The sponge is light, with a crusty top and chunks of juicy cherries and bitter dark chocolate baked in.
Get the recipe for dark chocolate and cherry sheet cake here
This gingerbread cake packs a serious punch. It contains black treacle and brown sugar for sweetness, plus stem ginger and ground ginger for warmth. The dense texture comes from the wholemeal flour and oatmeal. It will keep for up to a week and actually improves after a few days.
A vegan dessert that’s oh so decadent – there are just a few steps to making it. The puds are made with the egg substitute aquafaba (the water drained from a can of chickpeas), plus olive oil, flour and ground almonds. The recipe also includes instructions on how to make dark chocolate sorbet and a warm peanut butter caramel, but you could use shop-bought versions.
These beautifully marbled blondies are the perfect pick-me-up. They have a dense and fudgy texture and sensational flavour thanks to white chocolate, hazelnut praline, pecans, prunes and a pinch of sea salt.
Apricots, almonds and marzipan complement each other nicely in this hearty crumble. You can use canned fruit or even rehydrated dried fruit when apricots are out of season. Serve it warm from the oven with crème fraîche.
The only thing better than fudgy, dark chocolate brownies is dark chocolate brownies served with dulce de leche. This recipe shows you how to bake the perfect batch, plus make the sweet milk jam, in under two hours.
Get the recipe for chocolate brownies with dulce de leche here
A big portion of sticky toffee pudding is the perfect way to end an autumnal meal. It's a classic British dessert that features moist sponge made with chopped dates which is covered in a warm toffee sauce.
These small cakes hide a dark molten chocolate centre and make an ideal dessert for a decadent night in. What’s more, they're ready in under 30 minutes. Serve with berries and double cream.