It’s Fall coming back to me now
With fall in full swing, it’s time to break out the recipes that feel like home.
‘Tis the time of pumpkins, apples, and cinnamon, all of which contain a ton of health benefits. Pumpkins are considered a superfood, a title given to fruits and vegetables that are nutrient-dense. In this case, pumpkins are rich in vitamins A, C, and potassium.
And while an apple a day doesn’t necessarily keep the doctor away (it can reduce the number of visits, however), it’s still packed with nutrients like antioxidants and fiber, and it reduces your risk of cancer and heart diseases. Although it’s best eaten whole and raw, there are many other ways to include them in your diet.
As for cinnamon, you don’t need to douse yourself in a cinnamon shower to gain the nutritional benefits. Just a single teaspoon helps control diabetes and lowers the chance of cancer.
All three are tasty and healthy— a win-win situation in our books!
Additionally, with the abundance of squashes in stores, it’s the perfect start to soup season. The promise of cloudier days and rainy weather brings the craving for something warm, but no worries because I have your back.
Transform your home with these 15 cozy recipes from TikTok and YouTube. If you didn’t love fall before, get ready to fall in love with it now.
1. Pumpkin Spice Latte
Of course, we have to start with a pumpkin spice latte.
After all, it’s one of the most famous drinks to associate with autumn. You can use canned pumpkin or start from scratch with a fresh pumpkin if you’re up for the challenge.
All you need for this recipe is pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and espresso. Really, the amount of each ingredient is up to you. Want your latte to be sweeter? Add a little more sugar.
When you cook at home, you’re the head chef!
2. Pumpkin Pie Milk Tea
Fall might be a time for warm recipes, but we can’t exclude our favorite iced drinks. If you like pumpkin spice lattes and milk tea, this one’s for you!
Feedmeimei always comes through with drinks, and this is no exception. All you have to do is create your milk tea with black tea, sugar, and hot water. Add your steeped black tea to a shaker with ice, creamer, and pumpkin pie spice, and shake it up to make your pumpkin milk tea.
What’s even in pumpkin pie spice? While it varies by taste, you can mess around with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or cloves, and ginger to create the signature taste of pumpkin pie. If you don’t want to experiment with your spices, most grocery stores have a bottle in their baking aisle.
Feedmeimei adds pumpkin boba to her drink, which you can find how to make here. Alternatively, you can stop with the pumpkin here and use whatever drink add-on you like.
In a separate cup, add ice, and your milk tea, and top it off with whipped cream or sweet cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy!
3. Pillsbury Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
Who doesn’t like Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls?
And to make things even better, of course, Pillsbury has Pumpkin Spice Rolls to make the fall weather complete. All you have to do is pop open a can and put each pre-cut roll into a greased casserole dish.
Add just enough heavy cream to cover the bottom of the dish and set aside. Is heavy cream absolutely necessary? No, but it makes the rolls softer and richer. Of course, it’s all up to you! While Carangelo adds heavy cream, some have opted to substitute it with pumpkin spice creamer to accentuate the flavor.
In a smaller bowl, add melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. You can also put pumpkin pie spice if you want a stronger pumpkin taste.
Pour your butter mixture over your cinnamon rolls and cover with foil. In about 40 minutes, you have yourself a set of soft and fluffy pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls.
Others have added pecans on top for some crunch, but you can choose to keep it plain. It’s your autumn treat, so make it how you like it!
4. Pumpkin alla Vodka
If you’ve had pasta alla vodka, it’s time to try the fall-inspired pumpkin alla vodka.
It’s the right amount of creamy and rich, perfect for a pasta night. With pumpkin puree, it fits right into an autumn potluck, so dig up a can of pumpkin and get cooking!
5. Fall Sangria
This one is not for the kids, so tuck the kiddos away and bring out the fancy glasses.
All you need to make this boozy beverage is white wine, apple cider, maple syrup, bourbon, and some cut-up apples and oranges—it’s pretty much fall in a cup. You’ll need some cinnamon sticks for extra flavor.
The next step? Just dump them all into a pitcher. If you’re serving right away, Ann suggests adding ice to the pitcher. Otherwise, it’s advised to chill the pitcher in the fridge for 2-3 hours to really enhance the flavor.
6. Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash soup is not something to miss out on.
As the name suggests, butternut squash—when cooked—has a soft, buttery texture with a nutty taste. Perfect for soups that aim to be creamy and rich!
While cutting into the squash can be a bit of a challenge, it’s absolutely worth the work. All you have to do is slice one squash in half and rub the flesh with oil and salt.
For the seeds, you can take them out prior to baking and bake them separately with some seasonings or discard them after it’s been baked.
Leave the squash in the oven until they’re soft, and then scoop out the flesh and blend it with a whole roasted garlic. In a pot, add the blended mixture and your choice of seasonings.
While Andronico keeps it simple, you can always choose to modify it to your taste. Some like to add sauteed onion, carrots, and apples to give the soup a more complex flavor.
7. Apple Crisp
Whether you call it a crisp or crumble, this is the kind of recipe where you measure with your eyes and your tastebuds.
All you need are apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice for the main portion of the dessert. For the crumble mixture, you need flour, oats, pecans, sugar, cinnamon, and butter.
While a “little bit of butter” can vary for all of us, keep in mind you’re not eating the whole thing in one sitting (I sure hope not).
Your flour mixture sits right on top of the apples, and then you bake until golden brown. Pair it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you’ve got yourself a delicious, warm treat.
8. Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
You can’t have autumn without soups.
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are some of the most iconic dishes to go together. Whether you make it from scratch or use canned tomato soup, it’s sure to bring back some warm memories.
The trick with grilled cheese is to spread a special mixture on your bread as you toast (or grill) it. Lagerstrom uses mayonnaise, butter, and mustard; you can always tailor it to your taste. A recipe from Tasty incorporates herbs into her spread, which you can find here.
9. Apple Cider Donuts
Apples, cinnamon, and sugar are the ultimate trio of fall desserts.
While it may be a little more time-consuming to make, it’s absolutely worth the labor. It’s warm, crispy, and it has that sugar-cinnamon crust to top off that autumn feel.
Snag some friends or family, and you have yourself a bonding activity that ends with a tasty treat!
10. Aunt Vivian’s Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potatoes might look a little funny, but don’t let that discourage you.
When cooked right, it has a creamy texture and a slightly sweet, nutty taste. It’s also packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and contains anti-cancer properties—Bonus! Nutrition aside, the versatility of the sweet potato’s taste and texture is the reason why it’s used in both savory and sweet dishes.
Sweet potato pie, like many other pies, can be topped off with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to really complete your creation.
11. Savory Hand pies
Some people call it hand pies or pasties, but whatever it is, it’s delicious!
And it’s much easier to make than you think. Puff pastry dough comes available in many stories, so you don’t have to make your own unless you want to.
All you have to do is prepare the filling, and that’s most of the work!
12. Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken pot pie, but with a twist!
Super simple pot pie with ingredients you can find in any store. All you need for the filling is a can of cream of mushroom soup, a can of cream of chicken, peas, carrots, corn, and, of course, Dan-O’s Seasoning.
Some people have also used leftover rotisserie chicken just to empty their fridges and save some time. And if it suits your taste, you can also add some potatoes and celery for extra flavor.
For the pie crust, you can use premade dough if you don’t want to make your own. Scrape your cooked chicken mixture into the pie crust and top with phyllo dough, the perfect crunchy, flaky topping to your savory dish.
In 25 minutes, you have a steaming, mouthwatering pot pie.
13. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cocktail
For some of us, Cinnamon Toast Crunch was—or is—a breakfast staple in the house.
Now, for the adult version, ChampagneAng kicks it up a notch by turning our favorite cereal into a cocktail.
Similar to a Cinnamon Toast Crunch Shot, all you need is Fireball, RumChata, and Root Beer. You can also crush up some actual Cinnamon Toast Crunch and rim the glass, or just use a cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Super simple and easy, and it just might bring back some warm childhood memories.
14. Pumpkin S’mores Dip
This is perfect for a small party! Simple and easy to put together.
Here’s what you need: pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, graham crackers, and marshmallows.
Mix the pumpkin, the pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract at the bottom of an oven pot and then add a layer of chocolate chips. Top with a generous number of marshmallows and stick it in the oven until the top has browned.
All you have to do now is take those graham crackers and dip!
15. Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Pumpkin Soup
Food should be a good connection with everyone, even those with limitations.
This pumpkin soup is dairy-free and gluten-free, but that doesn’t mean it’s not delicious. It contains garlic, onion, and ginger, three of the world’s favorite aromatics in the cooking realm.
And if you’re not limited in options, you can always choose to substitute ingredients for those you’re most accustomed to. The beauty of food is that it’s flexible and caters to everyone.
Let’s just Fall it a day.
Autumn is the time to get together with friends and family and to rekindle connections.
Sometimes, fall can be a time to make new relationships or even to take a moment to repair yourself. So, take the time to step back and breathe. Call up some people to spend time with (or if you need space, that’s always an option, too) and enjoy the moment.
Go on, make yourself a treat.
