What to Make in September: Recipes and Ideas

September is a delicious in-between season, when the last of summer's produce meets the first flavors of fall. From ripe tomatoes, peaches, and plums to crisp apples, squash, pumpkin, and hearty greens, here are some of my favorite recipes and ideas for cooking through the month.

September seasonal produce with apples, pumpkin, corn, cabbage, carrots, and plums.

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September Highlights

September Favorites You'll Want to Try:

Apple Recipes

September brings the beginning of apple season, and I'm always ready for that first crisp bite. From breakfast and baking to salads and savory dishes, apples are one of the easiest ways to welcome fall into the kitchen.

Roasted fall vegetables with apples, squash, and fresh herbs.

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Berry Recipes

Late-summer berries linger into September, bringing color and sweetness to breakfasts, salads, and simple bakes. Here are a few easy ways to enjoy them while they last.

Broccoli Recipes

Broccoli is an easy favorite for September dinners, whether roasted, tossed into a quick skillet meal, baked into casseroles, or simmered into soup as the evenings begin to cool.

A large pot filled with One Pot Pasta, ground meat, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and melted cheese, with a wooden spoon resting inside. A small bowl of grated cheese sits nearby on a white surface.

Cabbage Recipes

Cabbage comes into its own as the weather begins to shift, adding color, crunch, and heartiness to early-fall meals. It's delicious in everything from fresh bowls and skillet dinners to soups and cozy baked dishes.

Carrot Recipes

Sweet, freshly harvested carrots are especially good this time of year. Roast them, simmer them into soups, add them to weeknight dinners, or bake them into something warmly spiced.

Top view of halved roasted carrots with their tops on a dark sheet pan.

Cauliflower Recipes

Cauliflower is wonderfully versatile for early fall, moving easily from lighter roasted dishes and grain bowls to creamy soups and comforting casseroles as the temperatures cool.

Corn Recipes

September is one of my favorite months for sweet corn, when summer's harvest is still plentiful but cooler evenings make chowders and cornbread especially inviting. Here are a few delicious ways to enjoy it while it lasts.

Bowl of Corn Chowder with garnishes or herbs and fresh corn with two spoons in the bowl.

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Eggplant Recipes

Late-summer eggplant is still abundant in September and pairs beautifully with tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and warm spices. Roast it, bake it, tuck it into pasta, or make it the centerpiece of an easy dinner.

Top view of Eggplant Parmesan served over white fettuccini noodles and garnished with fresh basil and served in a blue and white bowl.

Bean Recipes

From tender green beans at the market to pantry beans ready for soups, salads, and hearty dinners, beans are wonderfully at home in September cooking. They make an easy bridge between fresh late-summer meals and the cozier dishes ahead.

Side view of sautéed green beans with cherry tomatoes and herbs in a white rimmed bowl.

Healthy Greens Recipes

As September temperatures begin to cool, leafy greens become even more welcome in the kitchen. Add them to soups, skillet dinners, salads, egg dishes, and hearty bowls for easy seasonal meals.

A vibrant kale salad in a bowl features fresh leaves, slices of red apple, crumbled cheese, sliced almonds, and various seeds. A jar of yellow dressing is visible in the background, adding a fresh touch to the scene.

Kale Salad
La Scala Chopped Salad
Minestrone Soup
Creamy Tuscan Soup with White Beans and Kale
Spinach and Bacon Quiche
Easy and Healthy Sautéed Greens

Peach Recipes

Late-season peaches are one of September's sweetest gifts. While they're still available, I love using them in simple cakes, cobblers, jams, and even savory dinners-or eating them just as they are.

A jar of Peach Jam with a metal spoon resting on top, surrounded by fresh peach slices on a white wooden surface.

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Pear Recipes

Pear season begins to gather momentum in September, bringing a mellow sweetness that works beautifully in both sweet and savory recipes. Bake them, pair them with warm spices, or serve them alongside an easy autumn dinner.

Side view of sliced pork tenderloin with chopped pear sauce and fresh microgreens.

Plum Recipes

Plums are at their best in late summer and early fall, making September a wonderful month to enjoy them. Their sweet-tart flavor is especially lovely in simple cakes, bars, and other seasonal bakes.

Top view of partially sliced plum cake with a silver server and visible plum slices.

Potato Recipes

Freshly harvested potatoes make September meals especially satisfying. From crispy sides and hearty breakfasts to soups and comforting dinners, there are countless ways to put them to work.

A bowl of German Potato Salad featuring red, yellow, and purple potatoes, chopped parsley, and pieces of bacon on a wooden board with a striped cloth and fresh parsley in the background.

Pumpkin Recipes

By September, pumpkin season is beginning-and judging by the first cool mornings, I'm usually more than ready. Muffins, breads, scones, waffles, and cozy dinners are some of my favorite ways to ease into fall.

Square image of healthy pumpkin muffin in a fall paper sleeve resting on a small plate.

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ALL PUMPKIN RECIPES

Squash Recipes

September gives us the best of both squash seasons, with zucchini and other summer varieties still plentiful while butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash begin arriving. It's the perfect month for everything from quick skillets to cozy soups and baked dishes.

Closeup view of One Pan Chicken and Rice with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and fresh thyme.

Tomato Recipes

September tomatoes are often some of the best of the season-ripe, juicy, and worth enjoying while they last. Keep things simple with sandwiches and salads, or turn them into soups, roasted dishes, pastas, and easy dinners.

Side view of roasted tomatoes provencal served on a white plate with fresh parsley on the side.

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