There’s just something about cooking in the fall that makes me want to be in the kitchen a little more. Give me cozy dinners, bubbling baked pasta, warm bread, apples, pumpkin, and pretty much anything that can be eaten straight from the oven.
So I rounded up some of my favorite fall recipes from Dee’s Little Kitchn, including easy weeknight dinners, cozy Italian-American favorites, and plenty of fall baking. Whether you’re looking for something comforting to make for dinner or you’ve come home from apple picking with a giant bag of apples and no idea what to do with them, there’s something here for you.
Cozy Fall Dinners
Let’s start off with some of my favorite cozy dinners, because there’s nothing better than a comforting meal bubbling away in the oven when the weather starts to cool down. These are the kind of hearty, satisfying recipes I find myself craving all fall long.
1. Classic Baked Rigatoni
There are few things more comforting than a bubbling dish of baked pasta, and this classic baked rigatoni is one of my favorites to make when I want a cozy, Italian-American dinner.
2. Chicken Scarpariello
This Chicken Scarpariello with Potatoes and Sausage is tangy, spicy, and the ultimate Italian comfort food.
3. Dutch Oven Pot Roast
This is the perfect dutch oven pot roast for a chilly, cozy night in. Made with a tender chuck roast in a rich red wine sauce.
4. Italian Veal & Peppers
A traditional homestyle Italian meal, veal and peppers simmer in a beautiful tomato broth until tender and flavorful.
5. Apple Cider Stewed Chicken
Chicken thighs are seasoned with warm spices, and then stewed in an apple cider mixture until the sauce has thickened and the thighs are tender.
6. Chicken Cacciatore
This classic Italian comfort food just hits every single time I make it. It’s so easy, made with boneless chicken thighs, packed with veggies and fresh herbs, and stews in a slightly spicy sauce — all to be put on top of rigatoni.
7. Pumpkin Gnocchi
Fluffy gnocchi is swimming in a creamy and (slightly) spicy pumpkin sauce. It’s seasoned with warm spices and evokes everything you love about fall… but with a savory spin.
Apple Recipes
If there’s one ingredient that makes me immediately want to start baking, it’s apples. From apple bread and cake to all the buttery, cinnamon-y things that make the kitchen smell incredible, these are some of my favorite ways to use them all fall long.
8. Apple Pie Bread
I wanted this apple bread to taste like more than just cinnamon swirl bread with a few pieces of apple thrown in. So I decided to make an apple pie filling that took the entire thing to a new level.
9. Salted Apple Cake
This is the ultimate salted apple cake. It’s made with my homemade apple butter for extra depth of flavor, layered with a spiced apple pie filling, and topped with brown sugar, warm spices, and salt. Everything combines for an absolutely epic slice of cake.
10. Slow Cooker Apple Butter
This easy slow cooker apple butter recipe is made with warm spices, lemon zest, and vanilla paste — and tastes like fall in a jar.
11. Apple Butter Coffee Cake
This Apple Butter Coffee Cake has a swirl of apple butter in the center, soft and thick crumbs, and a fluffy cake — making it perfect for the cozy fall season.
12. Apple Fritter Focaccia
This addictive bread is stuffed with spiced apple chunks and homemade apple butter, and then topped with a buttery brown sugar mixture that’s, of course, also dotted with apple chunks.
13. Apple Crisp
Apple crisp is the best fall dessert. Made with sliced apples that are perfectly spiced and a crispy oat topping, this will remind you of your favorite warm and cozy evenings.
Pumpkin Recipes
Fall and pumpkin go together for a reason. Whether you’re in the mood for a cozy breakfast, something sweet with your coffee, or just an excuse to add pumpkin to literally everything, these recipes are made for the season.
14. Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Butter
Inspired by Luke’s Pumpkin Pancakes from Gilmore Girls, these are light, fluffy, and packed with pumpkin flavor — perfect for chilly fall mornings.
15. Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Spiced pumpkin coffee cake is made with real pumpkin puree, swirled with a pumpkin butter middle layer, and finished off with a gorgeous pumpkin spice crumb topping (and a dusting of powdered sugar, of course!).
16. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are pillowy soft, perfectly gooey, and packed with your favorite pumpkin fall flavors.
17. Pumpkin S’mores Bars
A graham cracker & pumpkin chocolate chip cookie dough is topped with marshmallow fluff, crushed up graham crackers, and more chocolate for a s’mores and fall-inspired bar.
18. Pumpkin Butter
This pumpkin butter is so easy to throw together, and can be ready with its ultra-smooth, pumpkin-packed flavor in under 30 minutes.
19. Pumpkin Spice Syrup
This pumpkin spice syrup tastes like quintessential fall. Made with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, vanilla, and brown sugar, it’s perfect for making your own pumpkin spice lattes.
20. Spiced Pumpkin Martini
Inspired by a Pumpkin Martini I had in Salem, Massachusetts, this spiced cocktail is perfect for your fall dinner parties.
Soups
When the weather starts getting cooler, I immediately want a big pot of soup simmering on the stove. These are some of my favorite cozy soups for fall, from hearty meals to comforting classics that are perfect with a loaf of crusty bread on the side.
21. Beef & Gnocchi Soup
There’s nothing more cozy than a bowl of warm soup — now add some shredded chuck roast to that and perfectly fluffy gnocchi and you’ve got yourself a winner.
22. Stracciatella (Italian Egg Drop Soup)
Stracciatella Soup (aka Italian Egg Drop Soup) is an easy, cozy meal made with eggs, chicken broth and two Italian cheeses: Parmigiano-Reggiano and Locatelli.
23. Minestrone Soup
Authentic Italian Minestrone Soup is a hearty vegetable soup made with a tomato base, small-cut pasta, beans, and seasonal veggies.
24. Tomato Bisque
Creamy and full of flavor, this tomato bisque is made with canned tomatoes, hearty vegetables, and is perfect to pair with a grilled cheese.
Cozy Breads & Sides
Some of the best parts of a fall meal aren’t the main dishes at all. Give me a warm loaf of bread, a cozy side, and something buttery straight from the oven, and I’m happy. These are the recipes I want on the table when we’re settling in for the season.
25. Overnight Focaccia
This bubbly overnight focaccia is salty, fluffy, and will become your go-to bread.
26. Homemade Soft Dinner Rolls
These homemade soft dinner rolls are fluffy, buttery, and only require seven ingredients that you probably already have at home.
27. Baked Mac & Cheese
This creamy baked mac and cheese has 4 cheeses and a delicious toasted breadcrumb topping — it’ll be a star side dish at your next family gathering.
28. Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
These buttery rosemary mashed potatoes are creamy, light, and subtlety infused with rosemary, garlic, and thyme.
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