Fall is here, and with it comes the inevitable pumpkin craze – the orange wave, if you will – which pretty much anyone with a beating heart rides straight through to December. This fall I challenge you to put down the pumpkin spice latte and celebrate the season with some classic fall flavors that might have slipped your mind.

1. Apple, Cinnamon, and Brown Sugar

fall flavors

Photo by Christine Pritula

This classic combination is usually found in conjunction with some sort of pastry, like apple pie or apple crisp. While I’ve never been one to turn down a warm slice of apple pie (why, yes, a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream would be lovely), this pairing is delicious all on its own. Why not make it portable by making these cinnamon sugar apple chips?

 

2. Nutmeg

fall flavors

Photo by Stephanie Marshall

Nutmeg is one of the most underrated spices out there. In fact, 76% of the population loves nutmeg and doesn’t even know it, and 100% of the population doesn’t know that 76% of the population loves nutmeg and doesn’t even know it. Numbers are hard, but you know what’s not? Drinking mulled wine. This holiday season, replace eggnog with Vin Chaud. This recipe will leave you warm, toasty, and a little tipsy – the perfect cure for a chilly autumn day.

 

3. Sweet potato

fall flavors

Photo by Katherine Baker

Okay so Hanukkah isn’t exactly a fall holiday, per se, but is that minor detail really gonna stop you from eating latkes? That’s what I thought. For a delicious twist, try out this sweet potato latke recipe. Or try this fall flavor combo: apple bacon stuffed sweet potatoes. 

 

4. Ginger

fall flavors

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

Bonus points to this cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar grapefruit recipe for combining three fall flavors. It may look too pretty to devour, but you can eat easy knowing that all that vitamin C is being put to good use. It is cold season, after all. Click here to find out how to deal with a fresh ginger root.