We love fall for a number of reasons. Football season. Bonfires. Cozy nights in with friends + family. Tasty treats. We’ve rounded up our favorite treats to bake + pick up around town. Use this list to inspire your next baking session, these treats are tested + TEC team approved!
Addie’s pumpkin bread pudding: Pumpkin bread pudding with caramel sauce is one of my most favorites to make during the fall. It’s a crowd favorite + a fun way to get the kids involved. Plus… it has CAKE DONUTS!
Alli’s pumpkin bars: My family farms + my mom cooks + delivers two meals a day for everyone working in our field during planting + harvest. She has done so for as long as I can remember. Even when we would harvest out of state, she would make meals for the crew out of the camper. She spoils them + they get dessert with every meal! She even changes up her menu so they don’t eat the same meal twice throughout the season. When it was time to make the pumpkin bars, she’d be sure to make a big batch so there was extra for me + siblings to enjoy them too! Now, I always ask my mom to make them when I visit the family farm!
Ariana’s cafe miel: I’m not much of a baker, but you can almost always find me with a fun beverage in hand. Coffee is one of my favorite things, so the first time I tried the Cafe Miel from Coffea in Sioux Falls, I was hooked. This is available year-round, but the honey + cinnamon in the latte remind me of fall. I order mine extra hot + with oat milk! I’ve tried making it at home with my espresso machine, but I don’t have the recipe perfected yet. Try it at Coffea + you won’t regret it!
Jess’s apple pie: I can’t resist a good slice of apple pie in the fall! We go to the apple orchard as a family each fall to pick fresh apples + go to the fall festival! After the orchard, it’s a tradition of ours to make a pie with the apples we picked + pig out! A bite of a fresh, warm piece of apple pie with a touch of cinnamon is the perfect thing on a cool fall day.
Kali’s favorite pumpkin bread: My favorite fall treat is the pumpkin bread from Breadsmith in Sioux Falls. It became a recent favorite once my dad started working there a few years ago + brought some samples to a family gathering. It’s quickly become a fall staple in my house! It’s perfect for breakfast or for a sweet treat at any point in the day. Its spices + flavors scream fall!
Kendra’s apple bread: My grandma knows that my favorite thing she makes is her apple bread + I am always excited when she brings me a loaf! It is the perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert in the fall! Just heat it up + spread butter on top right away for it to melt. Chef’s kiss!
Krista’s pumpkin bread: Pumpkin bread is a major favorite in my household + I like switching it up by adding cream cheese or chocolate chips! Pumpkin puppy chow, pumpkin granola + pumpkin ice cream are also super popular with my husband + daughters!
Lexi’s apple crisp: The first time I made this recipe was when I was in Aberdeen, South Dakota for college. This was my first thanksgiving away from my family + it was the only thing that made Thanksgiving feel like Thanksgiving that year. I love bringing it to holiday parties or just making it for me + my husband Riley. It’s something my mom always made growing up + I love that I make it now even though I’m not home for the holidays. Mine is not the same as my moms but it’s a competitor, for sure! Extra cinnamon + sugar with crispy oats on top is my favorite way to make it! Vanilla bean ice cream is the perfect pairing!
Makenzie’s apple cinnamon blondies: This recipe is my go-to when I’m craving a sweet treat in the fall! I’ve made these for family + friends + even brought them into the office this season! They have quickly become a staple in my home + never last long! The secret ingredient to these is the brown butter!
Molly’s favorite hot apple cider: My favorite fall treat is the hot apple cider with mulled spices from Coffea in South Dakota! This warm cup of autumn is the perfect balance of sweet + spicy – plus the cider is from Hoversten Orchards, a local, family-owned orchard located in Brandon, South Dakota. To replicate this at home, you can use the Mulling Spice Kit from The Spice & Tea Exchange with your favorite cider! Add in some whiskey or brandy to make it a little boozy!
Nicole’s pumpkin pie: My favorite fall treat is my dad’s homemade pumpkin pie. Every year, my family anxiously awaits pumpkin season because my dad picks pie pumpkins, purees them himself + bakes them into the most delicious pumpkin pie you’ve ever had in your life—homemade crust included! Last year, I finally convinced him to teach me how to make it. I loved spending that special time with my dad + I’m so grateful he’s entrusted me with his secret recipe to carry on this family tradition for years to come.
Paige’s maple brown sugar cookies: These homemade brown sugar cookies, made with browned butter + sweet maple really make these cookies better than the rest. I started making these a few years for Thanksgiving + they were gone before I even walked into the door. The creamy maple glaze melts in your mouth. There’s really nothing not to love! They’re perfect for those autumn days when you are snuggled in drinking apple cider!
