September always feels like the start of cozy season in my kitchen. The mornings are cooler, apples and pumpkins are showing up at the market, and comfort food is back on the menu. To celebrate the shift into fall, I’ve pulled together some of my favorite recipes from warm apple treats and pumpkin bakes to hearty dinners that make weeknights easier. These are the recipes I’m reaching for right now, and I think you’ll love them too.
Apple Recipes
- Apple Dutch Baby Pancake
Light, fluffy, and baked in a skillet, this Dutch baby is topped with tender apples and makes breakfast feel extra special. - Homemade Apple Butter
Smooth, rich, and filled with warm spices, this apple butter is easy to make and tastes amazing on toast, muffins, or even stirred into oatmeal. - Apple Cider Donuts
These soft, spiced donuts are baked, not fried, and full of cozy apple flavor. They’re the perfect fall treat with a cup of coffee.
Dutch Baby Apple Puffed Pancake
Apples and cinnamon come together to create a delicious center for this Dutch baby puffed pancake. Make with peaches or plums too! Or try a savory version with mushrooms, onions and goat cheese!
Easy Apple Butter
An easy way to use up apples and create a delicious alternative to butter. Use as a topping or sauce or in baked goods like muffins or quick bread!
Apple Cider Doughnuts
Apple cider doughnuts bake to soft, cake-like doughnuts dipped in apple cider and cinnamon and sugar. It tastes like you visited the local apple orchard!
Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Roll
This classic fall dessert has a light pumpkin sponge cake wrapped around a sweet cream cheese filling. A showstopper that’s easier to make than it looks. - Pumpkin Pound Cake
Moist, rich, and full of pumpkin spice, this pound cake is one of my favorite simple bakes to share with friends or enjoy with afternoon tea. - Pumpkin Spice Drop Cookies
Quick to mix and bake, these cookies bring all the pumpkin spice goodness in bite-sized form. Perfect for lunchboxes or snacking.
Pumpkin Roll Recipe
Easy Pumpkin Roll recipe is made with Libby's Canned pumpkin and is a perfect fall or holiday dessert. Light pumpkin cake rolled around a sweet cream cheese center.
The Best Pumpkin Pound Cake You Will Ever Bake
This dense delicious cake made with pumpkin is the perfect fall treat to enjoy as dessert or with your coffee over breakfast. Rivals Starbucks Pumpkin cake any day!
Pumpkin Drop Cookies Recipe
Pumpkin drop cookies are a wonderful way to celebrate the flavors of fall. The combination of pumpkin flavor and warm spices in a soft, cake-like cookie is simply irresistible. These have been a family favorite for years and I know it will be love at first batch when you make them!
Cozy Savories
- Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Creamy filling, tender chicken, and flaky crust — this recipe is comfort food at its best and always a family favorite. - Shepherd’s Pie
Layers of seasoned meat and veggies topped with creamy mashed potatoes, baked until golden. A hearty dinner for cool nights. - Chili Crisp Toast
Spicy, savory, and a little unexpected — this toast is topped with cottage cheese and a drizzle of chili crisp for a quick snack or light lunch.
How to Make Easy Chicken Pot Pie {Recipe}
An easy chicken pot pie recipe that is full of tender chicken, cream of chicken soup, pre-made pie crust, and frozen veggies! It will save you time in the kitchen and provide a delicious, cozy meal for your family.
Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe with Ground Beef {And Mashed Potatoes!}
This cozy, one-skillet meal is the perfect weeknight comfort food. It’s simple, hearty, and made with everyday ingredients.
Chili Crisp Cottage Cheese Toast
Chili Crisp Cottage Cheese Toast is creamy, protein-packed cottage cheese that gets topped with crunchy, spicy chili crisp for a breakfast (or snack) that’s ready in under 5 minutes. It’s savory, satisfying, and absolutely delicious.
Bonus
Halloween Snack Mix
A fun, sweet-and-salty mix of pretzels, candy, and popcorn that’s perfect for parties or movie nights. Easy to make ahead and endlessly customizable.
Halloween Snack Mix Recipe – How to Make Great Fall Treat!
This Halloween snack mix is an easy recipe that has all of your favorite ingredients to create a perfectly sweet & salty snack mix just in time for the spooky season! From salty pretzels to sweet chocolate candy this Halloween mix is the perfect combination, requires no baking or cooking, and is ready in minutes!
That’s my list of cozy September favorites! Whether you’re baking something sweet with apples and pumpkin or settling into comfort food dinners, these recipes are a great way to kick off fall. Don’t forget to pin your favorites so you can come back to them all season long, and let me know which one you’re making first!
Want to know what tools I use to make most of these recipes? Check out our Lifestyle Hub for easy recommendations!
