20 Vintage Fall Recipes We Should All Be Making

Fall is full of nostalgia for many people. It reminds us of going back to school after summer vacation, the rapidly approaching holidays and family gatherings, and a whole new array of foods. Sweet root vegetables like parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, and starchy squash come into season, as do apples, pears, and cranberries. The cooler weather means that hot chocolate and cozy cups of tea will hit the spot, and spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger will help suffuse your body with warmth.

Aside from the cooler weather and changes in the produce aisle, fall has a scientific reason for evoking such a strong sense of nostalgia: it has its own smell. As leaves and other plants break down with the changing season, they give off a sweet, musky smell that is carried to our nostrils on clear, crisp air. Scent is closely tied to emotion, and whenever that distinctive fall smell floats its way towards us every year, it transports us right back into the past.

Of course, baking is one of the best ways to turbo-charge the emotions brought on by Autumn smells. A fresh apple pie or batch of gingersnaps will fill your home with comforting smells and remind you that the holidays are right around the corner. You could use the new season as an excuse to try new recipes, but for one of the most nostalgic times of year, why not lean all the way in and indulge yourself with some cozy classics?

If you're ready to throw yourself headfirst into the fall spirit but aren't ready to jump into a multi-hour recipe, look no further than this apple brown betty. Even better, you might not even have to make a special trip to the store, and you'll be able to use up leftover bread that you're struggling to finish. It's made by layering apples, bread, and butter in a dish with brown sugar and spices. Bake it for 55 minutes to allow the apples to turn soft and buttery.

Recipe: Classic Apple Brown Betty a la Mode

There are few dishes as quintessentially autumnal as pumpkin pie, and we've got one that ensures everyone will get a generous helping. Instead of using a regular pie dish, make sure you have a springform pan like you'd use to make a cake. Not only will it make the pie easier to remove, but it will allow you to make it extra thick. Our recipe also calls for homemade caramel sauce and streusel for an even more decadent dessert.

Recipe: Buttery Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie Recipe

If you've ever been to a restaurant and been served a dry, chewy pork chop, you might have assumed that this particular cut of meat isn't worth cooking. However, this recipe not only ensures that the meat is flavorful but that it is juicy and succulent as well. Breaded, seasoned, and seared, the chops are then simmered in apple cider, shallots, and herbs for a moist, flavor-packed cut of pork that is the perfect centerpiece to build a meal around. Mashed potatoes, greens, and even fresh apples are top choices.

Recipe: Apple Cider Pork Chops

You might associate icebox cake with summer, but this one could change your mind. You'll start by cooking the apples with spices to soften them (filling your kitchen with their sweet aroma along the way) and then layer them with vanilla-flavored cream cheese, caramel sauce, and cookies. Refrigerate the concoction for at least eight hours, and you'll have a dense, mouthwatering dessert that tastes like fall. If it's still hot outside, it's the perfect transitional treat, keeping you cool while embracing the impending seasonal shift.

Recipe: No-Bake Caramel Apple Icebox Cake Recipe

We mean no disrespect to apple pie when we say this, but apple crisps are half the hassle and just as tasty as their crusty cousins. Our recipe takes a mere 15 minutes to get into the oven and produces a fragrant, buttery dish topped with sweet, crunchy streusel. This recipe includes oats and walnuts in that delicious topping, so you're getting plenty of healthy fats, fruit, and fiber along the way. Baking the dish for 40 minutes will ensure that the apples are as smooth as custard.

Recipe: Classic Apple Crisp

Whether you adore sweater weather or wish that summer could stay forever, when the first cold front of the season blows through, you'll probably find yourself craving warm, comforting dishes, and this recipe for chicken and dumplings should be your first port of call. It has all the healthful ingredients in a classic chicken soup — chicken, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and herbs — but makes things creamy and decadent with evaporated milk, cornstarch, and canned biscuit dough for the dumplings. Rich and velvety, it is ideal for cold autumn days.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Apple butter is one of the most versatile condiments out there, and it turns out that it's pretty easy to make. All you need are fresh apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Once you've washed, peeled, and chopped the apples, you'll put all the ingredients into your slow cooker and let it do its thing for six hours. An immersion blender will remove any lumps that are still leftover after all that cooking time. You can use the resulting spread on everything from toast and oatmeal to meat and cheese.

Recipe: Crockpot Apple Butter

One of the hurdles to making apple cider is that it takes so darn long. With a slow cooker, however, you can leave it to work its magic without any supervision. This recipe takes all of four minutes to prepare, requiring you to do nothing more than put apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, cloves, star anise, and orange slices into the cooker and letting it heat for an hour and a half. Feel free to spike it with a little booze if you're looking for an alcoholic version.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Apple Cider

You probably don't need anyone to convince you that pecan pie is delicious. That toasted, nutty flavor and crispy on the outside but gooey on the inside texture is one of the greatest combinations in the history of pie-making. Our recipe doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, and it even makes things easier by calling for a store-bought crust. You can, of course, make your own, but the beauty in this dessert is all in the filling. Just make sure to let it cool long enough to set before diving in. 

Recipe: Classic Pecan Pie

You don't have to wait for fall to make cinnamon rolls. You could argue that cinnamon rolls should be on regular rotation in your household. However, there's just something about the smell of cinnamon and yeasted bread just out of the oven that screams (or sings) autumn. Our recipe keeps things simple and classic. No novel ingredients or fancy workarounds, just a homemade dough, homemade filling, homemade glaze, and results that will make you wish you'd doubled the measurements. You'll need to set aside a few hours, but you won't regret it.

Recipe: Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

If the mere mention of cabbage soup conjures thoughts of pungent-smelling, watery gruel, you probably won't be leaping at the chance to make it anytime soon. However, if you trust us on this one and give it a try, you may find that your entire cabbage soup worldview is transformed forever. This recipe is packed with vegetables and herbs, yielding a hearty, flavorful meal that will keep you warm and delight your taste buds. It can also be stored in the freezer for three months, so you might want to make extra.

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Cabbage Soup

Even if you aren't traipsing through the rain-soaked Yorkshire Moors like a character in an Emily Brontë novel, chances are, the prospect of a hot toddy on a cold day will sound downright heavenly. This combination of whiskey, honey, lemon juice, and hot water is an age-old classic. You get heat from the water and the burn of whiskey, combined with a little TLC for your throat from the honey and lemon. It's easy to see why it's been touted for its supposed medicinal properties over the years.

Recipe: Warm and Cozy Hot Toddy Recipe

Even if the word "lebkuchen" doesn't ring a bell, the taste of this delicious treat probably will. If you've ever enjoyed the intense, spicy flavor and chewy texture of gingerbread, you'll like this recipe. Dating back to the Middle Ages, lebkuchen takes the term "vintage" to a whole other level. Luckily, it doesn't take any specialist knowledge to recreate. All you need are a few pantry staples, warming spices, almond meal, butter, brown sugar, honey, milk, orange zest, and an egg. Altogether, it only takes about 35 minutes.

Recipe: Lebkuchen (German Gingerbread Bars)

When you think of apple recipes for fall, your mind might immediately jump to apple pie, but there are so many ways to use this versatile autumnal fruit, and cake should not be overlooked. This recipe calls for a medley of spices, including allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground mace, ground cloves, coriander, and ginger. It also calls for sour apples, which create a mouthwatering contrast with the sweetness of the brown sugar. The sponge itself is moist and light, and includes sour cream, which adds flavor and moisture.

Recipe: Simple Spiced Apple Cake

As if apple cider weren't delicious enough on its own, this beef stew will have you marveling at its aptitude for savory dishes as well. Autumn calls for hearty soups and stews, and this one has the added benefit of a hint of sweetness and spice from the apple cider and cinnamon sticks. Fresh cranberries contribute a tartness that pairs surprisingly well with the meat, something you'll probably have experienced when pairing cranberry sauce with turkey at Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, barley adds thickness and an earthy flavor to the proceedings.

Recipe: Cinnamon Apple Cider Beef Stew

By the time fall hits, party season is just around the corner, and one of the best ways to elevate a gathering is to have fancy drinks. This retro grasshopper cocktail is a statement. Bright green and full of sweet, minty flavor, it is indulgent, crowd-pleasing, and eye-catching. It's also easy to make. All you have to do is shake heavy cream, crème de cacao, and crème de menthe in a cocktail shaker with ice. Just make sure to use white crème de cacao to maintain the bright green color.

Recipe: Retro Grasshopper Cocktail

If you're from the Midwest, gooey butter cake is a fact of life, served at family gatherings, church functions, and school potlucks. And when the fall rolls around, pumpkin gooey butter cake is often the dessert of choice on the Thanksgiving table. Dense and gooey in the middle, it has a texture all its own, which is achieved by making it in two layers — one cake layer on the bottom and one buttery, cream cheese layer on top. Swap this for pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and you won't hear a single complaint.

Recipe: Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

No fall food lineup would be complete without chicken pot pie. This quintessential comfort food is a must during chilly weather, a velvety, buttery, and even somewhat healthy dish that will make you feel warm, cozy, and maybe even a little sleepy thanks to all its decadence. There are many ways to make a great chicken pot pie, but our recipe goes the extra mile by incorporating garlic, herbs, and Parmesan into the crust and adding sherry, sage, and lemon zest to the filling. It's a slam-dunk that is worth the time and effort.

Recipe: Chicken Potpie

If you're going to make an apple pie, make a Dutch one. Made with a four-spice mix called "speculaaskruiden" (you can make your own with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger) and encased in a soft, sweet crust with the texture of sugar cookies, this goes above and beyond the classic apple pie recipe. Sweet and spicy, it also has the benefit of being several inches thick. Make sure to use a springform pan to fit all the filling in. You'll want every last apple slice.

Recipe: Dutch Apple Pie (With a Sugar Cookie Crust)

If you're planning a special occasion and want to go all-out with the entree, this chicken roulade will more than do the trick. Remarkably, it isn't nearly as complicated to make as it looks. You'll start by brining and flattening the chicken into thin sheets of meat that can easily be rolled into spirals. Flavor-wise, you've got the sweet tartness of dried cranberries, tanginess of goat cheese, toasted earthiness of walnuts, and kick of Dijon mustard. Make sure to let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe: Walnut-Crusted Cranberry Chicken Roulade

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