5. Pumpkin Seeds
Coming in at number five is pumpkin seeds. Although salt or cinnamon sugar can spruce these snacks up, my favorite part about pumpkin seeds is how once removed, I get to carve the pumpkin. It’s a good thing I only make these once a year, because it’s a hassle to wash off all the pumpkin slime and get to the good stuff. Pumpkin seeds are a blank slate for any spice combination you can think of, so maybe this year I will try some new recipes!
4. Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte
My next favorite fall treat is one that was introduced to the Starbucks menu just this year. Though this drink could be considered basic, I argue that basic is a compliment—it just means it’s well-loved. I love the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte because it adds autumnal pumpkin to my typical Starbucks iced chai latte order (and makes it taste a little more like dessert). Even though I understand why Starbucks’ fall drinks only stick around for a few months, I wish this one could stay year-round!
3. Butternut Squash Soup
Getting the bronze medal is the epitome of fall soups: butternut squash. When the weather gets annoyingly cold, this soup is the perfect thing to nurture and warm your soul. Butternut squash is widely available during the fall season, and it makes the best sweet and savory dish. Plus, its beautiful yellow color adds to the cozy autumn feel we all know and love. I’m excited to try my hand at this recipe this fall!
2. Apple Cider Donuts
Runner-up are apple cider donuts, my all time favorite donut flavor. You can find these exceptional donuts at the local Linvilla Orchard after spending a day apple-picking (another great fall activity). Covered in cinnamon sugar, apple cider donuts are an imperative part of my autumn experience, and I associate them with spending a day with my family under the colorful changing leaves.
1 . Pumpkin Pie
The winner goes to pumpkin pie! Every year before Halloween, my dad and I spend hours breaking down a giant pumpkin from Gentile’s and making a pie using his secret recipe. Pumpkin pie is fantastic on its own, but if you add some whipped cream and a graham cracker crust, it takes the dessert to another level. The perfect balance of sweetness and spice, pumpkin pie encapsulates everything that the fall season means to me.