If you’re anything like me, baking and cooking is a great destresser. As classes begin to ramp up and the temperature begins to drop, you may be craving some warm and sweet fall flavors. Look no further! With both dessert and dinner recipes, I have the guide for the best fall foods that will satisfy your cravings. These vary in difficulty, but I have included some tips and tricks to make your experience as delicious as possible. Enjoy!
- Chai Sugar Cookies
-
Any Swiftie from the 1989 era will immediately recognize this chai sugar cookie recipe. Taylor Swift famously took a sugar cookie recipe from this baker’s blog and transformed it into a chai delight. The blogger then republished the recipe with Swift’s changes, which is what I have linked here! The recipe calls for a mixture of different warm spices, but I would recommend simply cutting open a chai tea packet and dumping that in there instead. These cookies are big, sweet, and just the right amount of chewy. The icing is a necessity to add some moisture and extra fall flavor to the cookies.
- Pumpkin Crinkle COokies
-
Every winter since I learned how to cook, I have made chocolate crinkle cookies: a soft chocolate cookie rolled delicately in powdered sugar. They were such a hit that I decided to try out a fall version last year, and became addicted! These cookies are more cakey than crispy due to the pumpkin puree, but it just makes them all the more melt-in-your-mouth. The “dough” will be wet and sticky, but you can chill the mixture for a bit in the fridge to make it easier to roll in the powdered sugar.
- Cinnamon Rolls
-
Cinnamon rolls are the classic comforting fall food and can be eaten at breakfast or as a dessert. This recipe is completely homemade (dough, filling, icing), so this is great if you have a free weekend morning. However, if you’re craving delicious cinnamon rolls during finals week and have no time to make a whole dough, you can easily upgrade store-bought Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls! Fit all the rolls into a cake pan, and pour a mixture of ½ cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp of vanilla extract, and 2 tbsp of brown sugar evenly over the rolls before putting it in the oven. The cinnamon rolls will soak up the cream and become even softer and sweeter!
- APple Crumble
-
If a pie is too much of a commitment, apple crumble is the right choice! The best part of this recipe is that you don’t even have to peel the apples; just core them and cut them into your desired size. If you would prefer a softer or harder apple texture, I would recommend changing the size of the pieces instead of the cooking time because you want to make sure the crumble is fully cooked (it uses flour). You can even drizzle some caramel sauce on top to give it that extra fall flavor. This recipe is so versatile that you can even serve it in the summer over ice cream.
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta
-
You may be hardcore judging the title right now, but I swear that pumpkin in savory dishes is totally underrated. Though you might be tempted to use store bought, making pasta sauce is such a quick and easy way to add to your weeknight dinners, even after a long day of classes. The flavors of sage, brown butter, and pumpkin will ensure you still get your fall food fix. It is definitely sweeter than, for example, marinara sauce, but it’s still uniquely delicious. If you want a more spiced version, you can mix breadcrumbs with a bit of nutmeg and lightly toast it in the oven or in a pan. Sprinkling that on top of the plated pasta will add a fun texture and flavor.
- Chili
-
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention soup, the best meal to ward off any rainy fall blues. I chose chili because I have personal chili memories associated with Halloween. In my hometown, there was one street that everyone would go trick-or-treating, and at the end of the road, there was a chili contest! A couple families would serve their own unique chili recipes for free with toppings of cheese or sour cream. There was spicy chili, ones with more tomatoes, beans, meat, etc. If you wanted, you could then donate money into respective containers to vote for which chili you liked the best. All proceeds would go to the organization the winner chose, so it was a great way to warm up as you trick-or-treated while also supporting a great cause. While I unfortunately don’t know any of those recipes, this one is just as good and customizable!
I hope this inspires you to swap out your Pumpkin Spice Latte for something more homemade this October. Have fun trying out all these delicious fall flavors!