For a lot of people fall starts as soon as the pumpkin spiced lattes and pumpkin beers arrive on shelves. For those of us who hate pumpkin-flavored anything (I can’t be the only one, right?) the influx of fall seasonal flavors can be a bit depressing. But never fear! If you want to celebrate fall flavors without any hints of pumpkin, there are still a lot of great options. Here are a few delicious, comforting recipes that use other festive flavors.
1. Beer and Bacon Mac and Cheese
What’s more comforting after a long day than homemade macaroni and cheese? Macaroni and cheese with beer and bacon. This recipe is easy, indulgent, and the best way to recover from an impossible test or paper. Plus, it gives you an excuse to splurge on good beer—you could get a six-pack of a craft beer and take a break from the Keystone and Busch.
2. Caramel Apple Butterfinger Bars
This recipe is a great way to combine classic fall ingredients with some of your leftover Halloween candy. As if caramel apple recipes aren’t delicious enough, this recipe adds chocolate and peanut butter by using crushed butterfingers. Using green apples keep this recipe from being too sweet. But be careful, it can be easy to eat half of the pan in one setting.
3. Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Cider
If you want to be festive, but you’re also a little lazy, this is the perfect recipe for you. All it takes is apple juice, cinnamon sticks, caramel, whipped cream and a slow cooker. For those nights when you just want to stay in under a blanket, this cider is a great treat. And it makes your apartment smell amazing.
4. Spaghetti with Bacon and Squash
If you’ve been hoping to try out squash, this recipe is a perfect starter. It takes only 40 minutes, and most of that time is the squash and bacon cooking in the oven. Cheesy, comforting, and quick—this pasta is the ultimate fall weeknight recipe.
5. Gingerdoodles
Introducing Gingerdoodles: Half Ginger Snap cookie and half Snickerdoodle. Cinnamon, molasses, and lots of sugar make up this recipe. What can be better? It isn’t the easiest or fastest recipe (you have to make two different types of cookie dough) but it’s a great treat to make for a girls night or for those rainy weekend afternoons.