Fall is the season of cozy! With tons of fresh produce like pears, apples, winter squash, and hardy greens (just to name a few), these easy fall recipes are perfect for busy days that still have homemade food and comfort.
When the air turns crisp and the leaves start to turn, my kitchen basically becomes a cozy soup factory. Cinnamon, roasted veggies, a pot of something simmering on the stove... all the fall vibes, please! Fall is when I start wearing sweaters indoors and out, and leaning into the kind of meals that make you feel grounded and nourished (bonus points if they also make your house smell amazing).
If that's your vibe too, you're in the right place. This collection of easy fall recipes is made for busy home cooks who want to eat seasonally but also need dinner to happen before 9 p.m. (preferably with minimal clean-up). No complicated prep, no long ingredient lists. Just cozy, wholesome meals that taste like fall and actually fit into real life!
If you want to deep dive on seasonal produce first, check out my October seasonal produce guide and November produce guide! Otherwise, read on for soups, chilis, roasted veggies, curries, fall salads, a few baked treats (because balance), and even cozy breakfasts. These are my go-to recipes for when I want that homemade, seasonal feeling without turning dinner into a full-blown event.
So grab a bowl, light a candle, and let's dig into cozy, nourishing meals that make the most of fall's harvest, all simple enough for busy weeknights and comforting enough for weekends in.
Jump to:
- Cozy Fall Dinners
- 25-Minute Pumpkin Curry with Chickpeas (Thai-style!)
- Skillet Veggie + Bean Enchiladas with Sweet Potato (One Pan!)
- Comforting Pumpkin Pasta with Fresh Sage
- Nourishing Soups
- Easy One-Pot Sweet Potato and Turkey Chili
- Creamy Thai Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
- The Coziest Butternut Squash & Apple Soup for Chilly Nights
- Spicy Tomato and Red Lentil Soup (Cozy, High-Protein, & Easy!)
- Simple Fall Sides & Salads
- Roasted Butternut Squash Made Easy (Cubes or Halves!)
- Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes & Kale
- Wild Rice and Pomegranate Salad
- Easy + Savory-Sweet Honey Roasted Parsnips
- Comforting Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Easy Recipe!)
- Simple Oven-Roasted Delicata Squash
- Easy Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Fall Baking & Breakfasts
- Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats (Cozy Fall Breakfast!)
- Apple Pie Yogurt Bowls
- Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (No Mixer!)
- Cozy Apple Crisp with Oats (Easy Fall Dessert!)
- Easy Pumpkin Granola Recipe with Pumpkin Seeds
- Almond Butter Apple Crisp
- Helpful Tools for Fall Cooking
- Fall Recipe FAQs
Cozy Fall Dinners
We all want fall dinners that are cozy, but let's make it practical! AKA the kind of meals that make your kitchen smell amazing but don't take all night to cook (and clean, ugh).
These are the dinners I turn to on chilly weeknights when I want something homemade, nourishing, and even a little soul-soothing (but easy). They're sure to nourish with fall produce like squash, sweet potatoes, and hearty greens!
25-Minute Pumpkin Curry with Chickpeas (Thai-style!)
This easy Thai pumpkin curry recipe is cozy, creamy, and ready in just 25 minutes. Made with canned pumpkin, chickpeas, kale, and red curry paste, it's the perfect weeknight dinner. Serve it with rice or quinoa for a satisfying meal everyone will love!
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.
Comforting Pumpkin Pasta with Fresh Sage
This delicious and creamy pumpkin pasta recipe comes together in 25 minutes and is a warm, comforting, and nourishing meal for fall or winter dinners!
Nourishing Soups
Fall is the start of soup season… which means it basically becomes my entire personality for several months! There's just something about a cozy bowl of soup on a chilly night that hits all the right notes: warm, nourishing, and endlessly customizable (and a family dinner win, every time).
These recipes are hearty enough for dinner, simple enough for weeknights, and packed with fall produce like squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. Plus, they make the best leftovers, so you cooking dinner doubles as meal prep.
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.
Creamy Thai Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
This Thai butternut squash soup is thick and creamy with red curry paste, fresh ginger, and coconut milk. It comes together easily in one pot for a weeknight win. So comforting for fall!
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.
Spicy Tomato and Red Lentil Soup (Cozy, High-Protein, & Easy!)
This cozy tomato and red lentil soup is slightly spicy, packed with veggies, and naturally high in plant-based protein. It's the perfect comforting meal for chilly fall and winter days, especially with grilled cheese croutons on top!
Pro Tip: Make a double batch and freeze individual portions for easy lunches or dinners in the future. I like to stash them in mason jars in the freezer so I can just thaw, reheat, and top with a drizzle of olive oil or Greek yogurt for extra coziness.
Simple Fall Sides & Salads
Fall sides and salads don't get nearly enough credit. They're the unsung heroes of cozy dinners with their color, flavor, and ease of prepping. I love serving roasted veggies and hearty greens alongside soups, curries, chili, or a protein (like everyday chicken meatballs) for that perfect balance of fresh and comforting.
Plus, who doesn't love a roasted sweet potato?! These are the kind of sides that make you feel like you've got your life together (even if you're eating them in sweatpants while watching Friends reruns).
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.
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!
Wild Rice and Pomegranate Salad
This chilled wild rice and pomegranate salad is bursting with flavor and crunch! Sweet studded pomegranate seeds meet salty feta, savory wild rice and onion, crunchy walnuts, earthy kale, and basil beneath a simple orange vinaigrette. Great for make-ahead lunches or holiday dishes to pass!
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!
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.
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!
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!
Pro Tip: Roast extra veggies while your oven's already on. They make amazing add-ins for salads, grain bowls, or quick lunches later in the week!
Fall Baking & Breakfasts
Fall baking, breakfast recipes, and cinnamon-spiked house smells are basically self-care disguised as cooking! Because everyone needs a coziness with a little nostalgia in the morning.
These recipes keep things simple but still feel special, so they're perfect for weekend baking projects, make-ahead breakfasts, or those moments when you just want something warm, sweet, and grounding.
Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats (Cozy Fall Breakfast!)
These pumpkin overnight oats are a nourishing fall breakfast that taste like pumpkin pie! Since they can be made ahead, they're great for back-to-school season when mornings get busier.
Apple Pie Yogurt Bowls
These nourishing apple pie yogurt bowls are perfect for starting your days with a protein-packed, healthy breakfast! With sautéed apples that taste like apple pie filling, these yogurt bowls taste festive and make the most of those fall and winter apples.
Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (No Mixer!)
A super moist and wholesome fall treat, this pumpkin chocolate chip bread hits the spot every year! Enjoy as a snack with coffee, make it with your kids as a fun fall activity, or share with guests at holiday gatherings. YUM!
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. YUM!
Easy Pumpkin Granola Recipe with Pumpkin Seeds
This easy pumpkin granola recipe has ALL the cozy fall vibes! Perfect for breakfast or a wholesome back-to-school snack, it's made with real pumpkin and packed with nourishing ingredients like oats, flax, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds. Top yogurt bowls or enjoy by the handful!
Almond Butter Apple Crisp
A twist on classic apple crisp, this almond butter apple crisp is a healthier, real food dessert recipe with plenty of cinnamon, that'll make your house smell amazing. Almond butter, oats, and spelt flour give that topping some extra texture and heartiness.
Pro Tip: If you're meal-prepping for the week, double your batch. Quick breads and crisps freeze beautifully, so you'll have something you can pull out of the freezer the night before Thanksgiving or Christmas later in the season.
Helpful Tools for Fall Cooking
You don't need a lot, but these items making cooking with fall produce super easy and efficient! I use these tools daily or weekly all season long:
- Rimmed sheet pan - In fact, I like have two on hand for roasting veggies in batches.
- Dutch oven or large soup pot - Perfect for making big, cozy batches of soup or any one pot meal.
- Immersion blender - This is one of my favorite kitchen tools! I use it for blended soups and love that I don't have to transfer anything to a separate blender.
- A good chef's knife - Fall is hearty vegetable time, and squash and potatoes can be hard to cut with a small or dull knife.
- Mixing bowls - Great for tossing veggies in olive oil, mixing your pumpkin bread batter, or holding apple slices for crisp.
- Mason jars or glass containers - Excellent, plastic-free options for freezing and storing leftovers, and layering pumpkin overnight oats.
Fall Recipe FAQs
Personally, I almost always reheat them gently on the stovetop. That way you can cover them, keep moisture in, and not have to take it out of the microwave multiple times to stir and test.
Yes! Soups & stews freeze beautifully. Just place them in an airtight glass container or mason jar once cooled, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, reheat, and enjoy.
I hope these cozy, easy fall recipes bring warmth and ease to your kitchen!
Tag me @rootsandradishes if you make one, and join my email newsletter for more simple, seasonal recipes all year long.
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