15 Perfect Fall Foods You Need to Make This Year

Make the most of the season with these 15 fall foods. I look forward to making these perfect(ly simple) recipes all year!

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Crisp air just cool enough to make you hug your sweater a little closer, yet not cold enough to chill your bones.

Scenic drives through nature’s boast of its full-color palette.

Hands wrapped around a steaming latte that warms your heart as much as your belly.

Cute sweaters and fashionable boots you’ve been waiting all summer to wear.

Candles lit around your house, filling your home with scents like pumpkin souffle, apple orchard, or vanilla chai.

Is there anything better than fall? If I had to describe fall in one word, it would be … cozy. There’s just something so comforting about the season.

But as much as I enjoy all the things I mentioned above, the most comforting thing about fall to me is the food. Pumpkin spice everything, crisp apples, warm breads, hot soup … oh yes, I love fall food.

If you love fall food, too, then this is a list for you. Over 15 different fall recipes that are sure to satisfy your soul as well as your stomach.

Enjoy the list, and feel free to leave a comment with your favorite fall food!

My Favorite Fall Foods

Chili

You had to know this was coming. Nothing pairs better with dropping temperatures like a steaming bowl of chili. My husband is known for having strict rules about acceptable temperatures for serving chili, but once we hit that threshold, it’s all systems go!

There are about as many different ways to cook chili as there are recipes in your grandma’s kitchen, but here’s our favorite chili recipe!

For more hearty soup recipes, check out my post on my 15 favorite things to make in my slow cooker!
Anything pumpkin!
- Pumpkin Muffins – This recipe from 100 Days of Real Food uses all real food, but I guarantee you will not even miss the white flour or refined sugar!
- Pumpkin Cookies – These pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting from Taste of Home are my favorite, but here is an outstanding real food alternative from Kitchen Stewardship. (Be aware that this recipe makes 6-7 dozen. If you don’t want that many, you could probably cut the recipe in half, but I recommend making up the entire batch and freezing the leftovers!)
- Pumpkin bread – I LOVE this pumpkin spice bread.
- Pumpkin waffles – These pumpkin waffles are perfect for a lazy fall Saturday. Make extras and freeze them for a quick breakfast during the week!
- Pumpkin Bars – I had a hard time finding recipes for pumpkin bars that didn’t call for a boxed cake mix. So when I found this Pumpkin Pie Crumb Cake, I knew I had to try it. I tested it out this weekend, and it was delicious!
- **Update 10/12/17!! I just made these pumpkin pancakes today to use up some leftover pumpkin, and I couldn’t not add them to my list. They were SOOOO GOOD! And by the way my boys gobbled them up, I think they agree. 😉 The only changes I made were subbing whole wheat flour for the AP flour and maple syrup for the sugar.
Apple Crisp

There are hundreds of apple crisp recipes out there, and I don’t think you can really go wrong with any of them. This recipe from Taste of Home was a contest winner, and I can see why! If you’re looking for a simple but delicious apple crisp recipe, this is one you need to try.
Applesauce

Homemade applesauce is my favorite thing to make when I have a bunch of apples to use. It’s simple, delicious, and all my guys go nuts over it. And with my Perfectly Easy Way to Make Homemade Applesauce, it’s a snap to make! With only ten minutes of prep, I can easily sneak it into the margins of even the busiest days.
Butternut Squash

For the longest time, I didn’t think I liked butternut squash.

I have always hated acorn squash, so I assumed that I wouldn’t like butternut squash, either. Perhaps I didn’t realize they were so different. I’m not sure. But when I finally tried it, I was tickled to find out that I am actually a really big fan.

Here is my favorite way to cook butternut squash!
Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is very easy to cook (especially in the Instant Pot), and there are a lot of different things you can do with it. My favorite is tossing it in a little butter and Parmesan cheese, but here are a few other ideas of how to serve it:
- Topped with marinara sauce (just like spaghetti)
- Spaghetti Squash Cabonara
- Cheesy Garlic Parmesan Spinach Spaghetti Squash
- As a burrito bowl
- Spaghetti Squash Fritters
- Like Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Sweet potatoes

I prefer to stick to sweet potatoes’ natural goodness and nutrition. I don’t see any need for the brown sugar that a lot of recipes call for. Sweet potatoes are plenty sweet all on their own!

If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a big fan of keeping it simple. Cooking homemade dinners with little ones underfoot is enough of a challenge some nights. I don’t need to make it any harder on myself by cooking elaborate dishes!

So my favorite way to prepare sweet potatoes is unbelievably easy: baked whole and sprinkled with a little cinnamon. It could not get any easier than that! (Except, maybe, if you have an instant pot.)
Pumpkin Spice Latte

Nothing ushers in the beginnings of fall like the addition of pumpkin spice to every coffee shop in town. And I LOVE the occasional pumpkin spice latte as a special treat. But I don’t love all the sugar and artificial ingredients in most pumpkin spice creamers and flavorings.

Thanks to this recipe from Wellness Mama, I can now enjoy my favorite fall drink guilt-free! It has no artificial ingredients, and only uses a small amount of (real food) sweetener. And it only takes a few minutes to put together! I still wouldn’t make this an everyday thing, but it is perfect for an occasional treat.
Apple cider

This is actually one of Levon’s favorite fall foods, but he loves it so much, I thought it was worth including. I have not ever made my own apple cider before, but I am excited to try it this year! This slow cooker recipe from Wellness Mama is the one I’m going to use once I do.
Oatmeal

This isn’t just a fall food — I could make oatmeal all year ’round — but it’s extra special in the cooler months of the year. I just love the comforting warmth and smell of oatmeal on a chilly fall or winter morning.

I love preparing oatmeal in every kind of way imaginable – baked, soaked, stove-top, steel-cut (ONLY in the Instant Pot, though), overnight … not to mention made into muffins, pancakes, or granola.

Here are 9 Easy & Healthy Oatmeal Recipes You Need to Make!