This December seasonal produce guide will help you continue eating seasonally into the winter months! Soup, stews, roasted veggies, and warm meals are where it's at this month. Plus, festive holiday recipes using colorful fruits and veg!
Eating seasonally feels easy in summer and fall, but once the ground freezes and winter settles in, it can seem like the options shrink fast. And while that's true for some fruits and veggies, there's still so much delicious seasonal produce to enjoy.
Here in Wisconsin, a lot of winter produce is stored from fall or shipped in from warmer states, and that's totally okay! It may be a similar situation where you are, or maybe you're in a warmer state that can still grow fruit and veg. Either way, seasonal eating isn't about perfection; it's about doing what you can with what you have.
I can reliably find cabbage, root vegetables, sweet potatoes, and potatoes grown locally through winter… and I'm absolutely still loading up on oranges and grapefruits (because, hello, winter citrus season).
This guide covers what's generally in season for December, plus ideas for finding local options near you! Plus plenty of cozy, festive recipe inspiration (including one of my favorite pomegranate recipes: wild rice salad!).
Jump to:
- What's in Season in December?
- Seasonal Recipes to Make in December
- Gorgeous Wild Rice Salad with Pomegranate (Holiday-Ready!)
- Kale Salad with Feta and Pomegranate
- Easy Cranberry Orange Yogurt Muffins
- Easy Cranberry Relish with Orange & Apple (5 Minutes!)
- Maple Cranberry Almond Granola
- Simple Sautéed Apples
- Cozy Apple Crisp with Oats (Easy Fall Dessert!)
- Easy Apple Pear Crisp Recipe for Cozy Nights
- Miso Curry Delicata Squash & Tempeh (One-Pan Dinner)
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash (Quick, Roasty & Caramelized)
- Roasted Butternut Squash Made Easy (Cubes or Halves!)
- The Coziest Butternut Squash & Apple Soup for Chilly Nights
- Simple Oven-Roasted Delicata Squash
- The Coziest Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup You'll Make All Season
- Healing Ginger Lime Chicken Noodle Soup
- Quick Moroccan Roasted Carrots with Creamy Tahini Sauce
- Veggie Black Bean Tacos with Carrots + Lime
- Air Fryer Parsnips
- Easy + Savory-Sweet Honey Roasted Parsnips
- Fast & Easy Oven Roasted Beets Without Foil
- Simple Citrusy Greens Salad with Beets and Carrots
- Simple Herb Roasted Beets
- Comforting Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Easy Recipe!)
- Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Smoky Black Beans
- One Pan Berbere Chicken with Dill Roasted Potatoes
- Kale Potato and Onion Frittata
- Easy One-Pot Sweet Potato and Turkey Chili
- Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes & Kale
- Skillet Veggie + Bean Enchiladas with Sweet Potato (One Pan!)
- Ground Chicken Taco Sweet Potato Bowls
- Easy Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup with Kale
- Maple Walnut Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Italian Chopped Brussels Sprouts Salad (Vegetarian!)
- Delicious Savory Crustless Kale Pie with Chickpea Flour
- Bright + Crunchy Healthy Vinegar Coleslaw (Meal Prep Friendly!)
- No Fuss Whole Roasted Chicken with Herbs
- Seasonal Eating Challenge!
What's in Season in December?
In December, be sure to stock up on:
- Fruits: apples, pears, cranberries, pomegranates
- Vegetables: winter squash, sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, fennel, potatoes
- Herbs: Sage, thyme, rosemary
Canned & frozen goods: These are packed at peak freshness, making them perfect for enjoying off-season produce (like berries or tomatoes). I reach for canned tomatoes all winter long, especially in my chicken tortilla soup!
Shopping Locally
If you can, try to get in at least a couple locally sourced goods this month! Visit a farmers market with a friend, stop in to your local co-op, or see if any fall CSAs are available near you.
Eating locally helps reduce our carbon footprint (by reducing transportation time) and get us the freshest, most nutrient-rich veg and fruits available.
Pro tip: If you're new to seasonal eating, just pick one of these veggies or fruits this week! Chances are you probably already have a recipe you love using it. Or, check out the recipes below for inspiration!
Seasonal Recipes to Make in December
Pomegranates & Cranberries
These two bring some color and sparkle to a winter table! Pomegranates add bright, juicy pops of sweetness to salads, grain bowls, and festive dishes, while cranberries bring that cozy, tart winter flavor we all crave.
Perfect for brightening up heavier winter foods or making any dish feel instantly holiday-ready. Cranberries are also in season November, around Thanksgiving!
Gorgeous Wild Rice Salad with Pomegranate (Holiday-Ready!)
This wild rice salad is packed with pomegranate, kale, feta, and walnuts for a colorful, hearty salad that's perfect for fall and winter gatherings. Better yet, it can be made ahead!
Kale Salad with Feta and Pomegranate
This kale salad with feta and pomegranate is loaded with superfoods and other flavorful ingredients: sweet pomegranate arils, salty feta, red onion, salted maple butter almonds, and homemade vinaigrette. Bring as a dish to pass over the holidays, or enjoy at home!
Easy Cranberry Orange Yogurt Muffins
These wholesome cranberry orange muffins are fluffy and bursting with fresh cranberry and bright orange flavor in every bite! Made with wholesome ingredients and naturally sweetened, they're the perfect brunch or breakfast treat for the holidays or winter weekends.
Easy Cranberry Relish with Orange & Apple (5 Minutes!)
My family favorite cranberry relish recipe made with orange, apple, and fresh cranberries. Ready in 5 minutes for a bright, tangy, no-cook Thanksgiving side that you can make advance!
Maple Cranberry Almond Granola
Maple cranberry almond granola is naturally sweetened, and perfect for delicious breakfasts and snacks at home or on the go!
Apples & Pears
These fall favorites carry us beautifully into December thanks to cold storage, which means you can still find crisp, juicy fruit all winter long!
To keep them fresh for longer at home, store them in the crisper drawer in the fridge, and they'll last weeks longer than on the counter. Make sure to separate them from other fruits and vegetables, as they release ethylene gas and ripen surrounding fruits faster. Use them for baking, snacking, or adding a crisp & juicy brightness to salads.
Simple Sautéed Apples
These simple sautéed apples taste like apple pie filling and can top anything your heart desires! Spoon warm over your morning oatmeal, pancakes, cakes, ice cream, or French toast. Or, serve chilled on top of yogurt or overnight oats.
Cozy Apple Crisp with Oats (Easy Fall Dessert!)
This cozy apple crisp recipe strikes the balance between wholesome and indulgent, so it's the perfect cozy and sweet addition to your fall or holiday table! The oat topping creates an incredible texture atop saucy, cinnamon-spiked apples.
Easy Apple Pear Crisp Recipe for Cozy Nights
This easy apple pear crisp combines tart apples, sweet pears, and a buttery oat crumble for the perfect cozy dessert. Simple to make, and always a hit with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Winter Squash
Winter squash is classic cozy season food, and there are so many different kinds! Butternut, acorn, delicata, kabocha, spaghetti squash... they all store beautifully through winter, which means you can count on sweet, nutty squash for soups, sheet pan roasts, and hearty grains bowls all month long.
Keep them in a cool, dark spot and they'll last for weeks, sometimes months. When you need a nourishing, hands-off dinner, roasted squash is always there for you.
Miso Curry Delicata Squash & Tempeh (One-Pan Dinner)
This one-pan miso curry delicata squash and tempeh dinner is big on flavor and low on effort. Perfect for a nourishing weeknight meal! Adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day.
Air Fryer Butternut Squash (Quick, Roasty & Caramelized)
This air fryer butternut squash recipe makes tender, caramelized cubes in 20 minutes. Perfect for healthy sides, bowls, salads, or meal prep!
Roasted Butternut Squash Made Easy (Cubes or Halves!)
Roasted butternut squash is a delicious and nourishing fall staple for soups, butternut mash, side dishes, grain bowls, and salads! Learn how to roast butternut squash halves or cubes.
The Coziest Butternut Squash & Apple Soup for Chilly Nights
This creamy butternut squash and apple soup is cozy, lightly sweet, and full of fall flavor. Perfect for weeknights or as a simple holiday starter, it's made with wholesome, seasonal ingredients and finished with your favorite toppings.
Simple Oven-Roasted Delicata Squash
Roasted delicata squash is a healthy, simple, and elegant side dish that can be easily paired with a main meal or tossed into hearty grain bowls and salads. Perfect for fall and winter seasonal eating!
Root Vegetables (Beets, Carrots, Parsnips)
Our root veg friends are a truly hardy bunch in winter... sweet, earthy, and reliably local even when everything else has gone dormant.
They hold up beautifully in storage, which means you can roast, mash, or simmer them into soups all December long. Keep them fresh in the crisper drawer of your fridge, and they'll stay fresh for weeks. When you need color and nourishment in the colder months, root veggies always hit the spot!
The Coziest Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup You'll Make All Season
This carrot and sweet potato soup is the coziest one-pot meal for chilly days! It's warmly spiced, silky, and packed with nourishing veggies. Made with carrots, sweet potatoes, aromatics, and broth, it blends into a smooth, feel-good soup for weeknight dinners or meal prep.
Healing Ginger Lime Chicken Noodle Soup
A simple twist on the classic, this chicken noodle soup features ginger, garlic, lime, and cilantro for added flavor and health benefits. With brown rice noodles, this soup is also gluten-free!
Quick Moroccan Roasted Carrots with Creamy Tahini Sauce
These sweet, savory Moroccan-spiced roasted carrots might just become your new favorite easy side dish. Roasted until caramelized with warm spices like cinnamon and cumin, then drizzled with a simple tahini sauce, they're flavorful, nourishing, and perfect alongside any protein or grain bowl.
Veggie Black Bean Tacos with Carrots + Lime
Easy black bean tacos baked with carrots on a sheet pan! Done in about 30 minutes for an easy weeknight meal that will satisfy any taco craving.
Air Fryer Parsnips
Air fryer parsnips are the quick and easy side dish you've been looking for! These delicious root veggies are transformed by the air fryer into a slightly sweet roasted veggie with soft insides and lightly crisped outsides. Done in just 20 minutes (prep time included).
Easy + Savory-Sweet Honey Roasted Parsnips
Sweet, caramelized, and perfectly roasted, these honey roasted parsnips are a simple yet flavorful side dish. With caramelized edges and a tender center, they balance earthy sweetness with a touch of honey and a hint of salt. Perfect for cozy dinners, meal prep, or adding to salads and grain bowls!
Fast & Easy Oven Roasted Beets Without Foil
No foil required! Just tender, caramelized roasted beets that cook faster when halved, and peel easily after cooking (no more stained cutting boards!). Perfect for tossing into bowls, salads, or enjoying on their own.
Simple Citrusy Greens Salad with Beets and Carrots
This simple citrusy salad with beets and carrots is fresh, vibrant, and packed with winter flavors. Featuring leafy greens, crisp raw beets, crunchy carrots, and a bright citrus vinaigrette, it comes together in just 15 minutes. Enjoy it as a refreshing side or add protein for a hearty, nourishing meal!
Simple Herb Roasted Beets
These simple herb roasted beets and sweet, savory, and one of my favorite salad ingredients! Roasting beets caramelizes their sugars and brings out their sweetness, while olive oil, herbs, and salt add a savory flavor.
Root Veggie Storage Tips: If your root veggies have greens attached, remove those before storing in the crisper drawer of your fridge (helps prevent dehydration). Place the roots in an open container with a damp cloth over the top. Root veggies greens can be stored separately and sautéed with butter, olive oil, salt, and garlic for a simple side.
Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes
Winter comfort staples that never get old! And sweet potatoes are honestly my love language. These hearty, long-lasting tubers are easy to find all season (often locally!) and endlessly versatile (think soups, mashes, roasts, skillets...).
Note, sweet potatoes need warm weather to grow, but are often still around in cooler seasons due to how long they keep in storage.
Store them in a cool, dark place (not the fridge, though!) and they'll keep for weeks. They're the definition of simple, nourishing comfort food when you need it most.
Comforting Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Easy Recipe!)
Easy roasted sweet potatoes that come together in 30 minutes using your oven! These are perfect as a simple side dish that the whole family will love, or a sweet and comforting add-in to your favorite salad, bowls, or tacos.
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Smoky Black Beans
These stuffed sweet potatoes are loaded with smoky, saucy black beans and all your favorite toppings. Cozy, nourishing, and made almost entirely from pantry staples.
One Pan Berbere Chicken with Dill Roasted Potatoes
This one-pan berbere chicken with dill roasted potatoes is bold, cozy, and no-fuss-perfect for an easy dinner with big flavor. Serve with cucumber salad, pickled onions, and feta for fresh and balanced dinner.
Kale Potato and Onion Frittata
This kale, potato, and onion frittata is a creamy, cheesy, and healthy brunch option that can use the produce of the season. Frittatas are great for brunch or making ahead for protein-packed breakfasts or lunches. They're also great for an easy dinner!
Easy One-Pot Sweet Potato and Turkey Chili
A nourishing sweet potato turkey chili recipe that comes together easily! Perfect for keep it simple, cozy, and protein-packed any night of the week.
Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes & Kale
This black bean quinoa salad tastes delicious in cooler months and uses winter produce - kale, onion, and clementine. Cozy roasted sweet potatoes, punchy pickled red onion, salty feta, and a tangy cumin orange vinaigrette make this salad pop with flavor. Enjoy as a delicious meal prepped lunch or winter potluck dish!
Skillet Veggie + Bean Enchiladas with Sweet Potato (One Pan!)
These veggie and bean skillet enchiladas are a quick, one-pan twist on classic enchiladas-no rolling required! Loaded with pinto and black beans, sweet potatoes, and melty cheese, they're flavorful, satisfying, and perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
Ground Chicken Taco Sweet Potato Bowls
Cozy, flavorful, and ready in about 30 minutes! these ground chicken taco sweet potato bowls make the perfect weeknight dinner or meal prep lunch. With seasoned taco meat, roasted sweet potatoes, and all your favorite toppings, they're hearty, nourishing, and endlessly customizable.
Easy Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes
These pressure cooker mashed potatoes are so creamy, delicious, and easy to make! Mashed with whole milk Greek yogurt, you get that sour cream flavor and thick, creamy texture with an extra dose of protein in the mix. Use an Instant Pot or a Ninja Foodi!
Brassicas (Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage)
Gotta love us some winter-hardy veggies! Brassicas thrive in the cold, and some even get sweeter after a frost. Which makes them amazing for December!
Kale thrives in hoop houses, cabbage stores beautifully, and Brussels sprouts stick around through early winter. They're nutrient-dense, hearty, and perfect for everything from crunchy slaws to cozy sautés and sheet-pan dinners.
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup with Kale
This easy chicken tortilla soup recipe is the perfect nourishing, warming, delicious soup for winter! Using canned pantry staples and winter-hardy kale helps include seasonal produce, while freshly pan-fried corn tortilla strips add the best flavor and keep this soup gluten free. Yum!
Maple Walnut Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Maple walnut roasted Brussels sprouts are perfect for cozy fall and winter dinners! Crispy edges, caramelized flavor, and just enough sweetness to steal the Thanksgiving side show.
Italian Chopped Brussels Sprouts Salad (Vegetarian!)
Fresh, crunchy, and bursting with flavor! This Italian chopped Brussels sprouts salad comes together in 15 minutes with peperoncini, olives, and a zesty brine dressing. Perfect for pizza night, meal prep, or your holiday table.
Delicious Savory Crustless Kale Pie with Chickpea Flour
A savory crustless kale pie recipe made with kale, caramelized onions, chickpea flour, feta and eggs. It's the perfect make-ahead meal for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or any meal of the day. And it's vegetarian!
Bright + Crunchy Healthy Vinegar Coleslaw (Meal Prep Friendly!)
This vinegar-based, simple everyday coleslaw recipe is our absolute favorite! It's all-purpose, so it can be used as a stand-alone side or salad, or as a crunchy topping for tacos, BBQ, or any sandwich/wrap.
Storing Brussels sprouts & cabbage - Place Brussels sprouts in an open container covered with a damp cloth in the fridge. Cabbage can be left out on a counter for a few days, but for longer term storage, place it in the crisper. Outer leaves might wilt, which is totally normal. Just peel them off!
Herbs: Rosemary, Thyme, Sage
No Fuss Whole Roasted Chicken with Herbs
This simple whole roasted chicken recipe is made with fresh herbs and comes together in about an hour for the perfect elegant, nourishing dinner and most amazing house smells (and leftovers!).
Seasonal Eating Challenge!
Ready to start eating seasonally, or max out your CSA or garden produce? Try completing the challenge steps listed below to nourish yourself and the planet.
- Connect! Sign up for my newsletter and follow me on Instagram @rootsnradishes for more seasonal recipe guidance and inspiration.
- Farmers market field trip. Take one trip to a local farmers market or farm stand (better yet, combine it with social time with a friend or family!). A local co-op or grocery store with some local produce is okay too!
- Pick a veggie or fruit. Pick up one or more of the ingredients featured here.
- Make a new recipe. Make one of the recipes in this produce guide!
- Tell me about it! Let's be a community of seasonal eaters! Tag me on Instagram or email me 🙂 I want to hear about what you bought and what you made with it <3
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