Tired of Pumpkin Spice? 5 Pumpkin-Free Fall Recipes
Fall in New Orleans is my favorite. Though we may not have changing leaves, October and November usually bring the few weeks of the year where we are gifted Goldie Locks temperatures, not too hot or too cold, but perfect. The sun seems to glimmer and the entire city is in the best mood, everyone happy to talk about the weather and dream about being outside at a festival instead of stuck at work. Local restaurants and coffee shops run fall specials. At home, the crock pots come out for soups and chilis, and that internal desire to bake starts bubbling up in our autumn inspired souls.
With fall comes one flavor that, though not a local delicacy, we cannot seem to escape. While I love Pumpkin Spice as much as the next girl, I think we can all agree there is an over saturation of products and recipes that hit our social media feeds and show up in the grocery store before summer is even over. Suffice it to say, we could live without some of the Stranger Pumpkin Products, such as nail polish, deodorant, and kitty litter.
Here are a few faithful recipes I pull out each year when I am in the mood for a cozy, comforting fall meal or treat, but am over the pumpkin craze:
- The Natural Nurturer’s Whole Wheat ABC Muffins (apple, banana, carrot) – These are perfect for making a double batch and popping into the freezer for quick weekday breakfasts. We add some healthy cream cheese frosting and sprinkles when we are feeling particularly fancy.
- Eat Live Run’s Crock Pot Moroccan Stew – This filling vegetarian stew is packed with veggies and makes your entire house smell like fall in the best way. It also makes great left overs for work lunches.
- Joy the Baker’s Candy Bar Blondies – A perfect way to use up all that left over Halloween Candy!
- Creme De la Crumb’s Chicken Pot Pie Soup – For those of us who are too lazy to bake a crust but still crave the traditional fall dish. My sister told me about this one and it is now a family recipe we all make every year.
- Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies (Joy the Baker) – Yes, these completely live up to the hype, and are absolutely worth the work. Disclaimer, you may want to keep them all to yourself.
