These Classic Fall Flavors Deserve a Bit of the Spotlight
by RYAN MILEJCZAK
Fall is here, and that means it’s time for fall flavors. It’s hard to deny that the king of fall is the ubiquitous pumpkin spice, but there are plenty more delicious flavors to enjoy during the autumn season.
If you’re looking for alternative flavors to keep you feeling warm and fuzzy as the weather starts to cool, remember that the classics like cinnamon, maple, ginger, and sage can also deliver on taste and nostalgia.
Here are some of our favorite fall recipes that aren’t pumpkin spice.
Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Bars
Adapted from Simply Tara Lynn
Ingredients
Cinnamon Apples
- 4 medium baking apples, such as Honey Crisp or Granny Smith
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- Pinch salt
Oatmeal Bars
- 2 cups oatmeal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- Pinch salt
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 F. While the oven heats, peel, core, and dice your apples. Heat butter in a pan over medium heat and add apples, spices, and salt and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes. Add sugar, cover, reduce to low, and simmer for 3-4 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
Next, add oatmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla, almond butter, and maple syrup to a blender and blend on medium until well combined. Grease an 8×8 pan and pour the batter evenly into the pan. Top with cooked apples and chopped walnuts. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-28 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and enjoy.
Salted Caramel Blondies
Adapted from Not Enough Cinnamon
Ingredients
Salted Caramel Sauce
- ⅔ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Blondies
- 1 ⅔ cups almond flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ginger
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Begin by making your salted caramel sauce. Combine coconut milk with brown sugar in a saucepan over medium, whisking until it comes to a low boil. Then, add the sugar and whisk until fully dissolved. Continue whisking constantly until the sauce is reduced and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in salt and vanilla, and set aside to cool.
Next, make the blondies. First, preheat your oven to 350 F. While the oven heats, combine the almond flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla, then whisk in the egg. Then, work in the dry ingredients slowly until fully combined to create a thick, sticky batter. Grease an 8×8 baking dish and pour your batter in.
Take your caramel and divide into two equal portions. Swirl one portion into the batter and set aside the other for drizzling. Top the blondies with chopped pecans and bake until the edges crisp up and the center no longer jiggles, about 25 minutes. Remove, let cool for one hour, drizzle remaining caramel over top, and enjoy.
Maple Sage Baked Pears
Adapted from Food Gardening Network
Ingredients
- 4 pears, ideally Bosc pears, halved and cored
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 large sage leaves, finely chopped
- 6 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp nutmeg
- ½ cup sweetened granola
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 F. While the oven heats, “hasselback” the pears by placing them flat side down and making a series of thin slices three quarters of the way through the back. Place in a greased baking dish, flat side down.
Next, heat a small skillet over medium low and add the butter and sage. Cook until the butter starts to bubble, about 3 minutes, then add maple syrup and balsamic and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour the mixture over the pears, sprinkle over the cinnamon and nutmeg, and top with granola. Transfer to the oven and bake until pears are soft, about 40 minutes, periodically basting with maple butter mixture. Remove from the oven, baste once more, and enjoy.