The autumn season welcomes warm flavors and introduces a new crop of seasonal produce to our kitchens. We greet all these potent ingredients with pre-heated ovens and seasoned skillets. The leaves are peaking and now so can our culinary game. Here are maple forward recipes you should make right now, through the rest of fall, to savor these fleeting flavors!
From delicata decorated flatbreads to a confectionery maple glaze that sweetly blankets scones and cinnamon rolls, there’s a spectrum of options. Both sweet and savory fall favorites benefit from a little maple. So, if you’re motivated to bake and cook through the season, we have no shortage of recipes to inspire you.
While maple’s ~official~ season is in the spring when sap is harvested and boiled into syrup, autumnal dishes get a boost of balance from maple’s rich and robust profile. Maple pairs so beautifully with pumpkin spice, pears, squash and apples that it’s hard to deny it a spot on the ingredient pedestal September through November. . And so, we’ll call fall maple’s ~unofficial~ season.
Stock up on your next farmer’s market haul and prepare for a rotating menu of delightful flavors for the rest of fall.
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Buttercream
The changing foliage is a sign of the shifting seasons and so is the debut of the first pumpkin spice pastry. Is it truly fall until you’ve had your first taste of pumpkin spice? We’d argue “not really”.
Maple and pumpkin are, unofficially, the flavors of autumn. They’re both rich with a flavorful depth that reflects the vibrant colors and cozy feel of the time of year. This Pumpkin Spice Cake will yield a light, spongy, delicate slice that’s packed with pumpkin’s earthy characteristics. Sealed with a fluffy buttercream, it’s flavored with real maple syrup for a sweet and robust finish. Sprinkling it with cinnamon and maple sugar is an optional detail, and mostly for presentation’s sake.
Apple Cider Donut French Toast
At the first sign of fall, we toss a scarf around our necks and venture on our way to grab a dozen apple cider donuts. It just ~feels right~. Something else that feels right? Turning those donuts into Apple Cider Donut French Toast.
The ride home is the hardest part of this recipe. In the event that you have resisted devouring the entire haul before reaching your kitchen, let the donuts sit overnight. We know that’s yet another challenge, but it’s worth it. The next morning you’ll have a perfect canvas for French toast. Soak the cider-y crumb in a bath of eggs, milk, cinnamon and maple sugar for a supercharged fall delicacy.
Delicata Squash Upside Down Cake
While nothing can replace pumpkin pie, this cake comes close. Easy to make and full of flavor, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and pie-people might convert to cake-people.
Maple Cheddar Apple Tart
This is easier than apple pie! These internet famous treats have gone viral for their simplicity and various flavor combinations. Tart apples, sharp cheddar and sweet maple syrup combine to create your new most requested dessert. Use our squeeze bottle for a controlled pour when putting these tasty tarts together.
Very Easy Maple Glaze
The flavors of fall are robust with warm spices. This very easy maple glaze compliments the season’s flavor with the rich notes of maple. Whether you’re whipping up a pumpkin bread, a batch of pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls or any variety of scones, this maple glaze requires little effort, minimal equipment and will add a reliable layer of goodness.
Sweet Potato Hash with Maple Zhug
Zhug, a hot sauce that originated in Yemen, is an herbaceous and textured accent to any meal. We added a splash of pure maple syrup for a subtle hint of sweetness to play off the heat of the peppers. It’s the cherry on top of this sweet potato hash. Enjoy with eggs, avocado, and pita or tortilla chips.
Leek & Potato Soup with Maple Bacon & Maple Yogurt
If a loaded potato took the form of soup, it would be this recipe. Puréed with leeks, garlic, shallot and onion and topped with hearty bits of maple bacon and creamy maple yogurt, every spoonful is a heap of flavor. This is a perfect way to stay warm when the evenings get chillier.
Fall Panzanella
We love panzanella. It’s a bread salad! And the toasty chunks absorb all the flavors inside the bowl. This particular panzanella celebrates the season’s harvest. The savory essence of this salad is balanced with pickled red onions for a brighter bite. Maple is added to each element of the dish but never overpowers. Enjoy this dish for lunch and dinner until the first strawberries ripen in spring. (On another note, if you decide to skip stuffing this year, this panzanella would make a star substitute!)
Maple Flatbread with Delicata Squash, Pancetta & Apples
Delicata squash grows abundantly in the autumn and can be used in a plethora of recipes throughout the season. For as long as your squashes last, we recommend trying them as flatbread topping at least once! They’re sweet and savory tasting notes pair well with salty pancetta and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. This recipe can be put together with ease, and quickly, for a weeknight dinner.
Pumpkin Risotto with Leeks, Pancetta & Maple
The maple in this risotto emphasizes the pumpkin’s subtle sweetness and balances the heat from the chili flakes. Got leftovers? Mold them into balls and fry them into delectable arancini.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sort of cake-y, kind of crispy, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies balance the best of both worlds. The centers are soft and chocolate-y while the edges are crisp and crunchy. Better yet, all your favorite fall flavors unite in this treat! Savory pumpkin is electrified by the warm aromatic blend of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. A rich, robust maple flavor is present thanks to the sugar and bit of syrup stirred in. It all results in a scrumptious batch of 24 cookies that will be gone in under 24 hours. Enjoy these with a warm glass of cider under your favorite blanket while watching the amber leaves fall!
French Toast Casserole
Whether you’re inviting friends over or tasked with making breakfast for the extended family, this recipe is one to have in your back pocket. Whisk up a quick custard to pour over chunks of absorbent Challah bread. It’s advised to prepare this dish the night before, so all that’s left to do is pop it in the oven before serving. Present this dish with fresh apples, the last lot of fall berries, powdered sugar and, of course, maple syrup!
Pumpkin Pancakes
Right when the leaves show their first signs of transitioning from green to gold is when we’re ready for pumpkin-everything season. To celebrate, we bippity-boppity-booed buttermilk pancakes into the pumpkin version of itself. A little bit of pumpkin purée and warm spices makes a stack of delectable breakfast treat.