As we all prepare to dive headfirst into PSL, cozy sweaters, and soup season, it can be a little sad to let go of our favorite summer foods until next year. To help get you excited for fall and out of your back-to-school slump, we have created the perfect #fallaesthetic menu. Featuring classic fall flavors (not just pumpkin spice) and some new fall food ideas that are trending, this menu will inspire you to embrace the “it’s fall ya’ll” mentality.
Breakfast
The best fall breakfasts are warm, sweet, and savory. Flavors like apple, cinnamon, chai, and maple would all make excellent additions to your next breakfast, with herbal spice and comforting flavors that are sure to help you wake up and get out the door, even if it’s still dark.
This recipe from Jiaxin’s homecafe on TikTok takes fall french toast to the next level with their Biscoff-stuffed french toast and yogurt with brown sugar and cinnamon-baked apples. Cookie butter is my new favorite fall flavor, and it seems like the perfect addition to the pairing of cinnamon and baked apples. The use of yogurt in this recipe, instead of whipped cream, also gives it a fresher, healthier feel to sneak in some protein, but ultimately this recipe seemed like the perfect thing to warm you up on a chilly fall morning.
To pair with our French toast, this brown sugar pumpkin spice cold brew iced coffee from Mallory Hudson is easy to make at home and even better than the Starbucks PSL (which to me was lacking in flavor this year as it was more cinnamon-forward and less pumpkin-y than previous years launches). The use of real pumpkin spice powder, brown sugar, vanilla, and brown sugar oatmilk creamer will warm you up, even if you’re like me and drink your coffee iced year-round.
Lunch
After your amazing breakfast, lunch is going to need to impress with bright, seasonal fall flavors. This Butternut Bacon flatbread uses simple ingredients that even the newest at-home cooks can handle, and with a great mix of sweet, savory, and heat, this is sure to be a new fall lunch go-to. This recipe starts with a base on Naan bread as your flatbread, then is topped with butternut squash sauce, mozzarella cheese, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, chopped bacon, and red onion. This dish is finished with a bit of arugula and hot honey drizzle, and your vibrant fall lunch is ready.
This next controversial recipe claims to put summer salads to shame, and I have to say it looks like it can back up the claim. This seasonal fall salad from Paige Lindgren uses sweet potato, cooked apple sausage, arugula, pumpkin seeds, and a dressing made of mustard, honey, and olive oil. The combination of mustard and apple sausage made me think of the mustard and cottage cheese diet trend on TikTok over the summer that also featured apple sausage, but just like with that trend, I think the combination of the apple sausage, mustard, and sweet potato is a savory salad win for the fall.
Dinner
To finish off your tour of the perfect fall day menu, this adorable pumpkin gnocchi recipe from @foodwithliz on TikTok elevates any fall dinner party and will surely impress your friends. I used to be really intimidated by the idea of making homemade gnocchi, but after some practice this summer with potatoes, pumpkin gnocchi sounds like the perfect finish to a fall day. This dish features a vegan brown butter parmesan sauce, sage, and topped with pine nuts and fried sage.
If the idea of making your own gnocchi is a little too intimidating for you, this butternut squash and italian sausage pasta from Casey Cheeks at alltypesofbowls is a less technical recipe that offers the same sweet and savory goodness that will warm you up at the end of a cool day. The peppery fennel flavor of the sausage pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the butternut squash. The homemade butternut squash sauce may take a bit of time to prepare, but taking the time to roast the squash, onions and garlic will deepen the flavor of your sauce and give you a truly exceptional fall dinner.