5 Fall Simmer Pot Recipes
If you want to make your home smell like fall, a simmer pot is a great way to make it happen! Here are 5 delicious and cozy-smelling fall simmer pot recipes to inspire you!
I’ve decided that this will be the year of the simmer pot. I’ve tried them a few times over the years and I absolutely love how they fill the house with the coziest smells. But, I’ve never spent a ton of time figuring out a formula I like. I’m really craving some extra cozy fall vibes this year, so I set out to find the best simmer pot recipes for the fall season.
If you’ve never done a simmer pot before, it’s a super simple concept. You take a few seasonal ingredients (a combination of fruits, spices, and herbs) and mix them with fresh water. Then, you heat it up so the smell fills the entire house with the most delightful aroma. It’s basically like lighting a candle, but without the flames! A lot of people also have concerns about potential toxic ingredients or chemicals in candles, and simmer pots are a great way to avoid that! Simmer pots are a great way to fill your entire house with the scents of fall (or Christmas – but we’ll get to that later in the year!) and I’ve been having a lot of fun playing with them in my house this year.
How to Set Up a Simmer Pot: 3 Easy Methods
First up, let’s talk about how to make a simmer pot. There are a few basic methods. I’ve been playing around with them and they all work great!
Method 1: The Stove Top
Grab a small or medium-sized stainless steel or copper pot and fill it with your seasonal ingredients, plus 2-3 cups of water. Don’t overthink it – you just want enough water to cover the ingredients. Turn the heat on medium-low heat so that the water begins to simmer. It will fill your house with the most delicious smells! You can keep it simmering for hours, just adding water as needed if the water level gets low.
Method 2: A Candle Warmer
If you want a simmer pot on a smaller scale and you have a candle warmer, this is also a great option! Take a small bowl of glass and fill it with your ingredients and a cup or so of water. Place in a candle warming lamp and turn it on. This will not get hot enough to actually simmer, but it will still create a fantastic scent! This method uses less ingredients, and will produce a more subtle scent.
Method 3: The Crock Pot
Exactly the same as the stovetop method, just using a crock pot instead of a regular medium pot. This is a great method if you’re having guests and will need the stovetop but still want a more powerful scent that will fill the whole house!
I think both methods are great and serve different purposes. The stovetop method is my preference when I’ll be home all day and want to create the coziest possible vibes. I can keep it going for hours on end and it fills the entire house. The candle warmer method is great if you’re having guests over and will be using the stovetop, or if you just want a slightly lighter scent!
5 Fall Simmer Pot Recipes
Now, let’s talk combos! You can get as creative as you want here and play around with ingredients – anything that smells like fall will work! Here are a few simmer pot combinations that I love for fall. I’ve personally tested each one of these to make sure they’re perfect and cozy, and I love them all! I’ve been trying to keep the ingredients for them on hand all the time so I can make one anytime I want!
Rich + Cozy Simmer Pot Recipe
This combo is really rich and will quickly fill the house. If you don’t love the scent of cloves, go light on them for this one! This one is perfect for the first crispy fall day, or a day when you want to snuggle up for a movie marathon.
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced (orange peels work too!)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Fresh + Sweet Simmer Pot Recipe
This one is light and clean-smelling, but has a hint of sweetness that reminds me of a day spent baking! It’s perfect for a warmer fall day when you still want the fall vibes but the weather isn’t cooperating. Also a great fit for cleaning day!
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. whole peppercorns
Quintessential Fall Simmer Pot
This smells like fall in every sense of the word. It’s cozy and welcoming and a great everyday simmer pot for when you just want your home to be filled with fall vibes!
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Cozy Holiday Simmer Pot Recipe
This recipe is perfect for later in the fall as we creep closer to Christmas! It’s not overly holiday-ish, but definitely feels reminiscent of December. I’ll be doing this one non-stop when we hit November!
- 1 cup of cranberries
- 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 orange, sliced
Simple Fall Simmer Pot
This is a nice subtle simmer pot if you want a fresh fall scent without anything overly heavy or sweet!
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
- 2-3 bay leaves
Other Fall Simmer Pot Ingredients:
If you want to play around with other ingredients for your fall simmer pot, here are a few other ingredients to try:
- Cardamom pods
- Whole star anise
- Pumpkin spice
- Fresh vanilla
- Thyme
- Peppercorns
- Pear slices
- Pine sprigs
- Lemon peels (really, any citrus peels)
How to Give a Simmer Pot as a Gift
Since we’re barreling towards the holiday season, I’ll note that a simmer pot can make a fantastic gift! You can give dried orange slices instead of fresh, or even put a whole orange in the gift bag! Simply find a cute bag and fill with your favorite simmer pot ingredients, then write out some quick instructions so they now how to use it.
Other Cozy Fall Ideas
If you’re craving a cozy and welcoming fall this year, here are a few other ideas from the archives to inspire you: