By Courtney Davison,
Last Updated:Don't let the bare trees and gray skies fool you: There's a veritable rainbow of juicy, delicious fruits that are at their best in the winter months. There's also no better time to turn on the oven. We've rounded up our favorite baked recipes starring in-season fruits. Even sweeter, all of these recipes are whole-food, plant-based, and totally free of animal products and oil. So preheat the oven, don your apron, and enjoy one of these good-for-you goodies today.
Vegan Apple Cake with Maple-Glazed Figs
This warmly spiced, tender apple cake is made vibrant with shredded cooking apple, maple syrup, and applesauce—and finished with glossy balsamic-maple-glazed figs and a hint of ginger. It’s the kind of cozy, rustic dessert that hits just right on a chilly evening, yet presents elegantly enough for holiday gatherings.
Upside-Down Pineapple Cupcakes
dates, sunflower seed butter, and a flax “egg” replace refined sugar and dairy, while pineapple tidbits and chopped dried cherries get caramel-like under heat. A drizzle of pineapple-date sauce—plus a fluff of aquafaba whipped cream if you’re feeling fancy—transforms snack-sized bites into a celebration-ready treat.
Apple Dessert Pizza
Combining two great loves—apple pie and pizza—these delectable mini pizzas stand out in any crowd. The apple pie flavor comes from a topping of sliced apples drizzled with maple syrup and lemon juice and a handful of crunchy granola. Serve with Vanilla Yogurt or a scoop of Vanilla Nice Cream.
Blooming Baked Apples with Cinnamon Nice Cream
Between the earthy walnuts, sweet and tender apples, and tart cranberries, every mouthful of this stunning vegan baked apple dessert is infused with flavor. Top with a simple cinnamon-flavored banana nice cream for a warming dessert worthy of any celebration.
Vegan Apple Pie
Loved from coast to coast and around the world, apple pie is comfort-food heaven. It’s also a great way to use up all those apples. Packed with whole-food ingredients, this vegan apple pie features a subtly tart apple filling that pairs perfectly with the earthy tones of a date-sweetened oat crust. Top with a crumbly almond butter oat topping for extra richness. Serve with Vanilla Nice Cream.
Gingerbread Loaf with Poached Pears
Poached pears have never tasted so good as they do in this moist, perfectly sweet gingerbread loaf. For extra pizzazz, top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and Aquafaba Whipped Cream. Yum!
Cranberry-Orange Bread Pudding
With orange zest, orange juice, and fresh (or frozen) cranberries, this succulent bread pudding bursts with fruity fall flavors. This cozy dessert is a sweet way to end any meal—it’s also a great way to use up not-so-fresh bread!
Persimmon Cake with Pistachios
We're at the tail-end of persimmon season, so try to scoop up some of the juicy red-orange fruits while you still can for this gooey, gorgeous dessert. (Tip: Check Asian markets, as they tend to more reliably carry persimmons in my experience.)
Polenta Cake with Apples and Cherry Compote
Polenta's mildly sweet taste and fluffy texture make it an ideal base for healthy whole grain pies and cakes.
Cranberry-Pear Crumble Pie
In the mood for crumble? Unlike traditional fruit crumbles, which use oodles of refined sugar and butter, this fruity beauty is whole-food, plant-based all the way. The combination of an earthy oat-walnut crust filled with a pear and cranberry filling is heaven in a pie dish. Don't forget to reserve some of the crust to crumble over the top.
Chocolate-Orange Dessert Donuts
We're at peak orange season. These deluxe doughnuts feature a triple dose of the sunshiny citrus fruit, using orange juice, segments, and zest.
Pear Spice Cake
Opt for one of the several pear varieties that are at their best right now to make this warmly spiced cake, which is a fan-favorite.
Apple-Maple Cinnamon Rolls
Apple season begins in the fall but continues through midwinter, too. These melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls make a great holiday-breakfast treat.
Yuca Coffee Cake with Walnuts and Orange Zest
Yuca flour (aka cassava flour) is the key to this light, moist, gluten-free coffee cake. A vanilla glaze adds a dash of decadence.
Mini Apple-Raisin Muffins
Many store-bought mini muffins are high on sugar and low on nutrients—not these. Fruit adds natural sweetness along with fiber, so you can feel good about eating these for breakfast.
Almond Poppy Seed Cake
This festive poppyseed cake is excellent with tea or as a dessert and can be made gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oats. A lemony cashew icing makes good use of fragrant in-season lemons. Feel free to leave off the strawberries. A commenter shares, "I made these for Christmas gifts, and co-workers were amazed with the delicious taste."
Cranberry-Orange Biscotti
These orange-infused crunchy cookies make a great holiday gift for friends and neighbors. Or gift them to yourself, and enjoy with a hot mug of your favorite herbal tea.
Cranberry Carrot Cake with Chocolate Ganache
This low-effort loaf cake takes just 15 minutes of active prep time.
This article was originally published on Dec. 17, 2020, and has been updated.
About the Author
About the Author
Courtney Davison
Courtney Davison is Forks Over Knives’ managing editor. A writer and editor on a wide range of subjects, she co-wrote a nationally syndicated advice column from 2016 to 2018 and co-authored the 2018 book Ask Me Anything: A Year of Advice from Dear Annie. She is a longtime vegan and in her free time enjoys trying new recipes and spending quality time with her cats. Find her on LinkedIn.
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