The Ultimate Fall Grocery List, According to Chefs

Autumn means all things cozy! And as you make your shopping list, prioritizing seasonal ingredients can easily help your kitchen transition into the fall cooking season, with comfort and deliciousness top of mind. Eating ingredients at their peak season reaps so many rewards, from the best flavors and nutritional content, to prices that reflect the market’s abundance of apples, squash and sweet potatoes. Add a few more staples that amp up the flavors of the season—maple syrup, for one—and shopping for the fall essentials couldn’t be easier. Or tastier. 

As you prepare to make the most of the autumnal bounty, stock up on these ingredients preferred by chefs this season. Here’s the ultimate fall grocery list, straight from the pros.

Apples

“In the fall, my favorite is apples! Western North Carolina grows endless varieties, and they each can become something delicious,” says April Franqueza, pastry chef at High Hampton in Cashiers, NC. “Mutsus hold up exceptionally well in pies and compotes, as they don’t turn mushy when baking. Using a combination of Jonagold and Winesaps can create both a sweet, honey flavor from the Jonagold, as well as a deep, cider flavor from the Winesaps. And they’re excellent for topping some freshly baked danishes! Additionally, I love McIntosh for apple butter, as they’re softer and break down easier, leaving you with a creamy and delicious end result.” 

While cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are traditional apple spices, Franqueza opts for lighter seasoning on her apples to let the flavor really shine. For her, just a squeeze of lemon juice, a heavy tablespoon of brown sugar, and a pinch of salt do the trick.

Peppers

Late-season peppers, or peppers harvested after the warm summer months, have grown throughout the hottest season and have a unique flavor. “Farmers get pretty overwhelmed with peppers in late September and early October, and we buy them all up,” says Cassidee Dabney, executive chef of The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Walland, TN. “We will mostly smoke and dry them for fun pops of brightness in the winter. We love a harissa or salsa matcha in the colder months. We also pickle peppers and oil pack them.”

Rutabagas 

“Rutabagas and parsnips are unsung heroes of the fall season, offering unique flavors and versatility that make them a delight to cook with,” says Derek Piva, executive chef of The Restaurant at Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge in Oregon. “Whether roasted, mashed, or turned into chips, rutabagas and parsnips add warmth and depth to any dish. Rutabagas are nutrient-dense, offering a subtle sweetness with a slightly bitter undertone. They can be prepared in various ways to enhance their flavors. Roasting rutabagas is simple: peel and cube them, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees until tender and caramelized. Roasted rutabagas can be served as a side dish, or added to salads for extra texture and flavor.”

For a comforting side, Piva suggests trying mashed rutabagas: Boil peeled and cubed rutabagas until tender, then mash with butter, cream, and a touch of nutmeg. “This can be a delightful alternative to traditional mashed potatoes,” Riva says. Rutabaga fries are another tasty option: Slice the rutabaga into fry shapes, toss with olive oil and seasoning, and bake at 425 degrees until crispy.

Parsnips 

“Parsnips have a sweet, earthy flavor that becomes more pronounced after the first frost, making them perfect for fall dishes,” Riva adds. “Roasting parsnips is easy: Peel and cut them into sticks or rounds, toss with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper, and roast at 425 degrees until golden and crispy. Roasted parsnips add a touch of sweetness to any meal. For a smooth and creamy side, try parsnip purée: Boil peeled and chopped parsnips until tender, then puree with butter, cream, and a hint of garlic. This purée pairs well with roasted meats and vegetables. 

Maple Syrup

It’s not just for pancakes! Maple syrup highlights all types of autumnal flavors and ingredients. “In the fall especially, I love keeping maple syrup around for all my sweetening needs. I love the rich depth of flavor it adds to desserts and savory applications, like a glaze for meats and veggies. It compliments hearty fall flavors nicely, ” says Joey Edwards, executive chef at Three Sisters Lodge at Blackberry Mountain in Walland, TN. “One of my favorite uses is adding a little bit of maple syrup to chopped sage, rosemary, garlic, orange zest, and olive oil for a great grilled salmon marinade. I also use maple syrup in place of sugar in espresso drinks, and any old fashioned cocktail.”  

Root Vegetables

Yes, it’s peak root veggie season! “As a relatively new mom, I am approaching cooking more and more from a home cook perspective and going into fall, I am all about sheet pan roasted root veggies or squashes,” says Melissa Perello, chef and owner of Frances and Octavia restaurants in San Francisco, CA.  

For a chef’s hack, pull the lower rack out of the oven so you can place the sheet pan directly on the bottom of the oven for full searing effect. “This is a great technique for sliced delicata squash or red kuri squash, which are both great because you don’t need to peel them,” says Perello. “Roasting chunks of alternate winter squashes work great, too, this way. I douse the veggies generously with olive oil and salt, and lay them flat on the sheet pan to roast at 400 degrees until a nice golden sear forms on one side. A little char here and there is good, too, if you ask me. This works great for [other] root veggies, like parsnips and carrots. I love to simply serve whatever veggies I have roasted at room temperature, with a little salsa verde and maybe even some yogurt.” 

Delicata Squash and Sweet Potatoes

“I steer towards squashes and root vegetables with edible skins, like delicata and sweet potatoes. All you have to do is cut them in half, drizzle with a little oil, and roast them slowly until they’re golden brown and tender,” says Chase Devitt, executive chef and partner at BriDer in Denver, CO. “At my restaurants, I like to highlight their sweetness with warm spices like ras el hanout, and then offset it with something bright and sour, like pomegranate molasses. It’s always nice to add some nuts, or you can even toast the squash’s own seeds for a crunchy element.”

Carrots

Cheetie Kumar, chef and owner of Ajja in Raleigh, NC, is a fan of delicata squash, honeynut squash, and carrots. “I love sheet pan roasted fall winter squashes and carrots—basically any yellow and orange veggies. I heat up a sheet pan first,” she says. “I don’t peel the squash. I cut it up, remove the seeds, and toss [it] in EVOO. Then I roast it in a hot oven around 400 degrees. While the squash or carrots are cooking, make a compound butter with Urfa pepper, coriander, and ground cumin. This butter will keep in the fridge, and it’s a great flavor enhancer.  Toss the roasted veggies in the Urfa pepper butter, drizzle [them] with a little honey, and you’re good to go.” Urfa pepper has a dark, smoky, and dried fruit flavor, and it leans into fall, crunchy leaf, and crisp air vibes. “It’s a match made in heaven with sweet roasted squashes and carrots,” Kumar says. 

Kabocha Squash 

“One of my favorite fall vegetables is kabocha Squash, which has a peak season in the fall through the winter. I love this ingredient because it holds the best of both the pumpkin and the squash worlds,” says Linda Hampsten Fox, chef and owner of The Bindery Denver. “Having less water content than squashes like butternut, its starch content lends it to all kinds of fun recipes. Also known as Japanese pumpkin, kabocha has a slight natural sweetness that I don’t find in normal pie pumpkins, so it caramelizes very nicely. I love to roast it and then smash all of it, skin included, into some chicken broth, with maybe a little rice or Israeli couscous, and top it with some fresh cracked black pepper and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. This recipe is a go-to warming soup for a cool autumn night; it’s fast and delicious.  The fact that the skin is completely edible also makes kabocha a winner for me. You can pickle it, use it in ravioli fillings, stir it into a creamy risotto, pair it with roasted beets and parsnips with a lot of garlic and olive oil, and just as easily make it into a sweet bread, cookies, or a delicious pie. It’s completely versatile and the variations in color are a celebration of autumn.”

Oregano

Skip the dried spice jars, growing your own oregano can yield excellent fall results. “One thing we like to do toward the end of the summer is let our oregano plant go to flower. We start doing it around late July, and then let it flower a couple of times and clip the flowers off,” says Joe Kindred, chef and owner of Kindred in Charlotte, NC. “We dry those over our fireplace, and then use the dried flowers throughout the winter on pizzas, bread, and olive oil for dipping breads, finishing pasta, etc. The flower has a particularly pungent aroma and a little bit of a spicier flavor. Not to mention, they’re quite beautiful as a garnish.”