Fall Recipes – Top 5

And just like that, fall has crept up on me. Maybe because I’m not working in retail this year, so I completely missed all of the decorations? Maybe because I don’t browse stores leisurely anymore so I’m blind to the stack of pumpkins while I rush to grab my shampoo before corona catches me? Maybe I’ve always been shit at telling time and the crumbling of society as we know it doesn’t help that? Definitely the last one. So if I had only known fall was coming, I could’ve prepared some new fall recipes. But I didn’t, so you’re getting this: a roundup of some of my favorite fall recipes from the ~past~.
Now these hold special places in my heart because they’re part of the story of my blog. BUT – some of these are pretty early. Like, I didn’t know what I was doing early. Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t know what I’m doing, but I hide it behind better photos and more creative recipes. So visit the old posts at your own risk. One day soon I’ll spruce them up with new photos and make sure everyone is up to snuff. But for now they’re cute-but-ugly little time capsules, and I love that for them. So without further ado, I present: my top 5 fall recipes!

Has the world gone overboard on pumpkin spice? You bet your Ugg boots it has. But I’m part of the problem, and I’m here to say I’m not sorry. I’m also not sorry I used a boxed cake mix for this cake, which is so moist and full of flavor from the addition of the canned pumpkin. Also this is one of those time capsule posts that I would totally update to remove the ugly photos, but they tell a story that’s v dear to me so….we’re leaving it. Just make the cake and frost it prettier than I did, ok?

This has a special place in my heart because I made it in my first off-campus college apartment with my best friend, and we managed to get ok photos despite the fact that there wasn’t a single window in the whole space? Student living is rough, y’all. This recipe also includes apple butter, which I totally have plans to make for the first time later this season. Unless I totally fail, in which case I never said that. But if you don’t want to make your own, hit up your local orchard. They could use the business this year for sure!
3. Apple Cinnamon Banana Bread

Oh this is a doozy. I have a bit of an addiction to banana bread. I’ve stuck everything in it from pineapples to chocolate, and I’m not done yet. But this iteration is one of my favorites, because it tastes how fall feels. Serve it warm with some maple syrup on a cool day when the leaves are changing… honestly a magical experience and I’m mad I don’t have some with me right now. The almost-bad bananas I shoved in my freezer to save last week are calling my name.

Ok here’s what’s great about this: what’s the worst part of making a cheesecake? THE DAMN CRACK. Every cheesecake I’ve ever made has cracked, no matter how slowly I try to cool it or if I used a bain-marie or not. So you know what every cheesecake I’ve ever made also has? A gorgeous topping, like this cooked apple fan. They are there purely for flavor and joy, and any crack-hiding capabilities are simply a bonus. The use of apple pie-flavored Oreos for the crust was genius, yet shortsighted, because that seasonal flavor has gone to the great supermarket aisle in the sky. Graham crackers work wonderfully as a substitute.
Number 1… Joanna Gaines’ Apple Pie!

Ok confession time… I like the cheesecake recipe better because I actually developed it and make things from scratch and took better photos of it. But this has such a high place in my heart because it was my FIRST ever blog post! It also happens to be my most popular, and the reason my blog has over half of its views… so yeah, I’m not biased to love this at all. Anyways, thank you to Joanna Gaines for providing the inspiration to start this blog! Sorry for using a store-bought pie crust on your gorgeous pie.
There you have it folks – my top 5 fall recipes from my blog! I have some ideas for more fall recipes later on, so stay tuned to see if any of them will top the ones on this list. Until then, here’s to good drinking, great eating, and even better living!