Confession: I’m not head over heels for pumpkin. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s delicious, but I’m not someone who’s putting it in my drinks, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, AND desserts all season long. BUT, that’s not me saying I don’t love fall foods—because that couldn’t be further from the truth. You know I love my spices (they’re the ultimate superfood!), and fall goes big in all things spice. And while the sweet recipes (pumpkin pie, caramel apples, etc.) may get more attention, the savory stuff deserves a lot of love too.
Anyway, in honor of the fall season, I’m rounding up all my favorite healthy fall recipes that I’ll be making again this fall. I’ve taken a whole lot of fall recipes and made them better-for-you, so without further ado, here are my favorite healthy fall recipes. Enjoy, and tag me if you make any of them on Instagram (@lizmoody)—I can’t wait to see!!
Pumpkin Pie Coffee Cake
It’s a no-brainer to start out with a pumpkin recipe right off the bat, and while this coffee cake isn’t pumpkin pie, it’s screams fall all the same. This coffee cake is grain-free, refined sugar-free, super moist, and makes for an absolutely delicious breakfast when you lightly toast it and and a smear of butter or almond butter.
Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta with Roasted Garlic, Crispy Sage & Crunchy Pepitas
Proof that pumpkin doesn’t just belong in sweets, this vegan pasta is beyond creamy and such a delicious fall weeknight dinner. It tastes super rich and complex, but somehow only takes 10 ingredients.
Maple Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Rosemary Garlic “Breadcrumbs”
Brussels sprouts are definitely one of my top three favorite vegetables, and this maple-and-garlicky recipe does them SO much justice. It’s super flavorful and crispy and just the perfect healthy fall side dish.
Pecan Pie Nut Butter
Can you use any nut butter at any time of the year? Sure. But in celebration of fall, I wholeheartedly recommend trying this super seasonally appropriate pecan pie flavored spread. Eat it with apples, spread it on toast, or—best idea—use it in any recipe that calls for nut butter this fall.
Healthy Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Simmer Sauce
I feel like sauces don’t get enough love. They’re usually really fast and easy to make, and they can turn super basic ingredients into a mind-blowing meal in minutes, and this perfect-for-fall pumpkin recipe definitely does that!
Caramelized Onion, Butternut Squash, Cranberry & Crunchy Pecan Bruschetta
This bruschetta is basically like fall on toast. The bread is toasted and topped with the most delicious caramelized onion and squash mixture, which is sweet and savory, with umami notes from the onions. Then that’s topped with a fresh, just-the-right-amount-of-sour cranberry mixture, and finished with a sprinkle of crunchy candied pecans. Perfection!
Salted Caramel Apple Blondies
I think blondies are better than brownies. I know, I know—and let’s be real, I think batter is better than either of them, but blondies taste like cookie dough in bar form, and the lack of strong chocolate taste gives you so much room to play around with fun flavors, like salted caramel apple!
Caramel Apple Crisp
Caramel apples are obviously a fall staple and so is apple crisp, so this healthy fall recipe combines the two into one! It’s also dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and gluten-free, and super easy to make!
Roasted Garlic & Butternut Squash Carbonara
Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding
If you ARE someone that likes to eat pumpkin from dawn until dusk all fall long, then this Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding is going to be a great staple fall breakfast for you. It tastes like pumpkin pie filling, but is vegan and paleo!
Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding Bites
These babies are delicious enough for dessert and healthy enough for breakfast. The base is blood sugar-friendly due to the use of sourdough bread, tons of fiber-rich pumpkin purée, and protein-packed eggs, and the warm and comforting pumpkin pie spice makes every bite taste like a perfect fall day. And don’t even get me started about the candied maple pecans on top…
Creamy Pumpkin Risotto with Sweet and Spicy Roasted Pepitas
This is one of my go-to healthy fall recipes. It comes together super quickly, it’s dinner-party impressive, and because it’s both gluten free and vegan, it can please any number of people with any number of dietary restrictions.
Pumpkin Pie Cookie Sandwiches with Chocolate Cinnamon Filling
Packed with plenty of fall spices, these pumpkin pie cookie sandwiches are so much more than a pumpkin dessert. They taste super complex and delicious, and are surprisingly easy to make (you literally combine all the cookie ingredients, and then combine all the filling ingredients—that’s basically it). They’re gluten-free and vegan, too!
Creamy Sweet Potato Soup with Rosemary Candied Pecans
If you’re looking for a truly 15 minute fall dinner that looks something you’d get in a fancy restaurant, I got ya. This soup relies on simple pantry staple ingredients, but it tastes so much better than the sum of its parts. The rosemary infuses the sweet potato with an earthy warmth, and the candied nuts on top (also rosemary-spiked!!) add even more deliciousness!
Cardamom Pumpkin Waffles with Chai Spiced Maple Pecans
Another one of my favorite healthy fall recipes to make for breakfast, these gluten-free waffles are amazingly spiced and deliver a beautifully autumnal flavor. Fall only comes around once a year, so you might as lean into it!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Cookies with Chocolate Chunks
The winter may be well-known for being the time to bake cookies, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make delicious seasonal cookies in fall. These pumpkin cookies are the perfect blend between crunchy and chewy, and they’re totally vegan!
Healthy Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf
Obviously my Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf recreation had to make this list (I didn’t take six tries to perfect it for nothing!!). It’s moist, it’s very pumpkin-y without being too much, it’s delicious for breakfast, a snack, or dessert—basically it’s everything a fall bread recipe should be!
These healthy cookies are so warm and cozy, they’re like a hug from the inside out. They’re grain free and also have EXACTLY the flavor and texture of marzipan but in cookie form—trust me, when you try them you’ll be blown away.
