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This fall produce guide is an invitation to cook everything cozy and colorful. Think: a hit list of what’s actually in season (squash, apples, pears, all the leafy things), plus recipes that make you want to put them in literally everything—from easy weeknight dinners to those showy side dishes that somehow steal the whole meal. Sweater weather, but for your kitchen!
Nothing really compares to fall finally showing up after a hot, sticky summer. Especially when it comes to what we’re eating. Sure, the tomatoes and watermelon had their moment, but now it’s time for squash, apples, pears, and basically anything you can roast until caramelized and sweet. Cozy slow cooker recipes, hearty side dishes, maybe a pie or two—it’s the season where your kitchen feels like it’s giving you a hug.
And if you’re into seasonal cooking (you are, right?), I’ve got guides for winter produce, spring produce, and summer produce, too. But for now, let’s get into what’s actually in season for fall.
Table of Contents
What Produce Can You Plant in the Fall?
Late summer is when you start thinking ahead—specifically about all the fall vegetables you want to pull from your garden. A lot of spring favorites get a second shot this time of year, and honestly, some of them taste even better when they’ve had a chance to mature in that cooler fall air. Here are some vegetables to consider planting for fall.
- Pumpkins
- Winter squash
- Beets
- Carrots
- Brussels Sprouts
- Broccoli
- Potatoes
- Cauliflower
- Arugula
- Bush Beans
- Cucumbers
- Parsnips
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Zucchini & yellow squash
Tips for Starting Your Fall Vegetable Garden
What to plant: Stick with faster-maturing varieties. Fall doesn’t give you as much time to mess around.
Do the math: Take the “days to maturity” on your seed packet and tack on 2-3 extra weeks (shorter, cooler days slow things down).
Timing is everything: Look up your area’s first frost date, then work backwards from there.
Feed your soil: Summer crops are greedy, so work in some compost or fertilizer before planting again.
Succession plant: Quick growers like lettuces, radishes, and carrots can be planted in waves so you’re not drowning in them all at once.
Companion plant: Pairing the right crops together can mean fewer pests, more pollinators, and generally happier plants.
Mulch, always: Keeps the soil cool, holds in moisture, and gives roots a fighting chance against late-summer heat.
Vegetables In Season for Fall
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Fennel
- Garlic
- Jalapeno
- Jerusalem artichoke
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Leeks
- Mushrooms
- Parsnip
- Pumpkin
- Radicchio
- Squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Swiss chard
- Turnips
Fruits In Season for Fall
- Apples
- Cherries
- Cranberries
- Figs
- Grapes
- Key limes
- Kumquats
- Pears
- Persimmon
- Plums
- Pomegranate
- Quince
Fall Produce: Vegetable Recipes
Fall produce might not be as loud as summer’s peaches and corn, but it more than makes up for it in cozy, earthy flavors.
Curry Pumpkin Cauliflower Soup
This creamy pumpkin and roasted cauliflower soup wraps you in warmth with its comforting aroma and perfectly spiced flavors—a cozy bowl you’ll want all season long.
Hot Honey Roasted Carrots
These hot honey roasted carrots are next-level good—sweet, spicy, and impossible to resist. A sprinkle of pomegranate arils and fresh parsley turns them into a show-stopping side that’s perfect for holiday dinners… or, honestly, any night you want to feel fancy with minimal effort.
Honey Lime Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
These Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes bring a twist to your usual side—tossed in a sweet-and-tangy honey-lime dressing, they’re simple, flavorful, and impossible to resist.
Easy Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls
These 5-ingredient Ukrainian cabbage rolls are stuffed with a savory mix of ground beef, pork, and rice—and the best part? They’re surprisingly easy to make.
Easy Mushroom Ravioli with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage
With only 4 ingredients, this 15-minute mushroom ravioli is pure indulgence—tossed in nutty brown butter and topped with crispy sage for an elevated, effortless dinner.
Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe
With its rich mushroom and wine gravy, Chicken Marsala is the ultimate comfort food—and a weeknight hero. Ready in just 35 minutes, it’s quick enough for busy evenings but fancy enough to serve on a Sunday or for a special occasion.
Best Oven-Roasted Broccoli With Nutritional Yeast
Meet your new favorite veggie side: cheesy, garlicky, perfectly roasted broccoli that somehow manages to be indulgent and healthy at the same time. Warning: you might start craving broccoli daily.
Creamy Roasted Garlic and Parsnip Soup
This roasted garlic and parsnip soup is creamy, comforting, and downright nourishing—a cozy way to savor the flavors of roasted root vegetables.
Roasted Turnips Recipe
My roasted turnips recipe is ridiculously simple—just olive oil, herbs, and spices. They roast quickly and come out perfectly golden, tender, and ready to eat.
Garlic Sautéed Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is hands-down one of my favorite greens to sauté—quick, easy, and packed with garlicky flavor. Next time you spot those bright red stems at the market, grab a bunch and give this recipe a go!
Roasted Butternut Squash
This roasted butternut squash turns a simple weeknight side into something downright special. Cubes of squash caramelized with maple syrup and cinnamon, then finished with fresh rosemary, make a dish that’s elegant enough for a dinner party but effortless enough for any night of the week.
Caramelized Leek Pasta
This oven-roasted kohlrabi is anything but boring. Bright lemon vinaigrette, creamy goat cheese, and fresh tarragon make it sing, while crunchy toasted sunflower seeds add the perfect finishing touch. A side dish that’s crisp, flavorful, and totally memorable.
Roasted Kohlrabi With Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette
This easy oven-roasted kohlrabi recipe turns this quirky vegetable into something irresistible. Tossed with a bright lemon vinaigrette, creamy goat cheese, and fresh tarragon, and finished with crunchy toasted sunflower seeds, it’s a side dish with texture, flavor, and just a little bit of flair.
Garlic-Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
The ultimate Garlic-Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower—simple, flavorful, and ridiculously versatile. With just a handful of ingredients, it’s the kind of side that makes even the most skeptical veggie eaters ask for seconds.
Roasted Smashed Brussels Sprouts
Want truly crispy roasted Brussels sprouts? Smash them. Flattening each sprout creates more surface area, which means caramelized, golden edges and that irresistible crunch in every bite.
Roasted Beets
Learn how to roast beets so they’re perfect every single time—tender, sweet, and just earthy enough. This foolproof method is easy, low-effort, and results in a side dish you’ll actually want to eat.
Fall Produce: Fruit Recipes
When I think of fall fruit, jams and preserves are the obvious moves—but don’t stop there. There’s a whole world of possibilities, from cozy baked foods to, believe it or not, pizzas.
Cast Iron Pork Chops With Pears & Ginger
These cast-iron pork chops get a gorgeous sear, and paired with sweet, tender pears, they make a flavor combo that everyone will adore.
Maple Orange Cranberry Sauce
This Maple Orange Cranberry Sauce takes your classic holiday condiment and turns it up a notch—bright, sweet, tangy, and impossible to resist.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Tangy Apple Slaw
This easy slow cooker pulled pork delivers it all—smoky, sweet, salty, savory, with just the right touch of heat. But it isn’t complete without the sweet crunch from the apple slaw.
Apple Cobbler
Sweet, spiced apples get cozy under a soft, fluffy topping in this classic apple cobbler. Give the filling a quick stovetop pre-cook, then pour on a simple one-bowl batter—comfort in every bite.
Plum Clafoutis
While clafoutis is traditionally made with cherries, plums work beautifully—and they’re way easier to pit. It’s a classic dessert, sure, but with eggs, milk, and fruit, I can’t help but love it for breakfast too!
Pomegranate Salad
Fresh pomegranate, a bright pomegranate dressing, baby spinach, marinated raw kale, honeyed walnuts, and crumbled blue cheese all come together in one big, festive salad—perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any celebration in between.
Persimmon Jam
This persimmon jam is ridiculously easy and only needs four ingredients. Sweet, slightly tangy, and perfectly spreadable, it’s a quick way to turn fall’s favorite fruit into a jar of sunshine for toast, cheese boards, or baked goods.
Kumquat Marmalade
Kumquats are overflowing in my garden right now, and while I could eat them straight off the tree, this ultra-simple, small-batch kumquat marmalade is the next best way to savor them.
Fig & Prosciutto Pizza
This fig & prosciutto pizza is all about fall in every bite. A homemade dough gets layered with sweet fig spread, a spicy caramelized fig and shallot mix, fresh mozzarella, and shredded fontina, then baked to golden perfection.
Cherry Cobbler
This easy cherry cobbler is pure comfort—juicy cherries (fresh, frozen, or canned) baked into a warm, tender cake. Top it with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for extra indulgence.
Curry Pumpkin Cauliflower Soup + 25 More Fall Produce Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 head of cauliflower (about 4 cups chopped)
- 1 white or yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin purée, Make sure you don't buy canned "pumpkin pie" filling
- 14 oz unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 TBSP curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Optional Garnishes
- Drizzle of cream
- Chopped croutons
- Pepitas or sunflower seeds
- Microgreens
- Chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425º F.
- Set up a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread the cauliflower florets over it in an even layer. Drizzle some olive oil over the florets and season them with salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven for 30 minutes without tossing them.
- About 10 minutes before the cauliflower is done, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot. Add the onions and sautée until they've softened and become translucent, then add the garlic and spices; stir to coat. If you need to add extra oil because the pan looks dry, add some more.
- When the cauliflower is ready, add it to the pot along with the pumpkin purée. Give it a good stir, and then add in the broth and coconut milk.
- Bring everything to a simmer, then crank the heat down and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.
- To blend, carefully transfer the soup to a blender (you will do this in batches), and blend until smooth. If you prefer some texture to your soup, you could simply use an immersion blender and blend the soup right there in the pot until you get the texture you prefer!
- Serve and garnish with croutons, pepitas, microgreens, a drizzle of cream, chili flakes, etc.
Notes
Nutrition
More Seasonal Produce Guides…
Seasonal Produce Guide
Summer Produce & What to Make With It
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