Fall Pantry Staples: How to Stock Your Kitchen For Autumn

The turn of the season often prompts us to hunker down and spend more time gathering around the dinner table with friends and family. Cold weather sparks cravings for comfort food, like roasts and soups and those beloved, tried-and-true family recipes. We even find ourselves baking sweet muffins and simmering steel-cut oats on frosty mornings. If everything about savoring autumn meals appeals to your senses, we’ve put together a guide to help you stock your kitchen with all the fall pantry staples to enjoy a little extra cozy hibernation as cool days draw near.

7 Fall Pantry Staples to Stock in Your Kitchen

1. Grains

Grains are arguably one of the more essential categories of food you want to stock up on for fall. Keeping these on hand will enable you to whip up a pot of hearty oatmeal, complete with a dollop of maple syrup and sprinkle of brown sugar, or a crusty, buttery cornbread to serve alongside your family’s signature chili recipe.

Here are a few essential grains to keep stocked this fall:

• Barley
• Cornmeal
• Lentils (French and green)
• Oats (steel-cut and rolled)
• Quinoa (any variety)
• Rice (basmati, brown and wild)

2. Pasta

Few foods say comfort like spaghetti and meatballs, and sometimes you just crave a good bowl of macaroni and cheese after a long day. Keeping a variety of short- and long-cut noodles on hand will help you not only satisfy those tummy rumblings but also make for quick meals when you’ve stayed out longer than usual enjoying the cool weather.

• Fettuccini
• Gnocchi (not technically pasta, but often treated as one)
• Lasagna
• Macaroni
• Penne
• Spaghetti

See more: 20 Types of Pasta and How to Use Them

3. Canned Goods

Canned goods are easy enough to stock up here and there as groceries cycle through their sales offerings. Be mindful of expiration dates. A good way to keep from letting canned goods go bad is to organize them with the ones that need to be used sooner in the front of the pantry and the ones that can last longer in the back.

• Beans (kidney, black, refried, chickpea, white)
• Applesauce
• Pumpkin
• Broth and stock
• Coconut milk
• Evaporated and sweetened condensed milk
• Jams and chutneys

See more: 12 Creative Ways to Cook With Beans

4. Baking

From cakes and muffins to cobblers and pies, fall is all about breaking out the baked goods. Having an assortment of versatile ingredients in the pantry will make it easier to make a wide variety of baked goods whenever the need arises.

• Baking soda and baking powder
• Flour (all-purpose, bread, pastry)
• Sugar (white, brown and confectioner)
• Chocolate chips
• Cocoa powder
• Dried fruits (raisins, dates, berries)
• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Marshmallows
• Nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans)

See more: 15 Cozy Fall Baking Recipes to Make Your Season Sweeter

5. Spices and Herbs

Sure, you can cook without them, but incorporating fresh and dried spices and herbs can level up any dish. You want to avoid spending money on spices you’ll use once and never again. But if you want to branch out and experiment with some of these rich, warming spices, here are our top picks.

• Cardamom
• Cinnamon (stick and ground)
• Cloves
• Coriander
• Curry
• Ginger
• Peppercorns
• Smoked paprika
• Turmeric
• Nutmeg
• Vanilla (beans and extract)
• Pumpkin pie spice

6. Beverages

Pumpkin spice lattes get all the attention in the fall, but there are so many other delicious seasonal beverages to enjoy as well. Keep an array of beverage ingredients on hand to make things like cozy autumn cocktails for family gatherings or a steaming mug of hot cocoa before bed.

• Apple cider
• Bourbon
• Canned pumpkin
• Cinnamon sticks
• Coffee
• Espresso
• Hot chocolate
• Lemon juice
• Lime juice
• Tea (caffeinated and decaf)

7. Produce

You may not be able to stock up on produce the same way you can keep a larger inventory of canned items in the pantry, but seasonal eating is the best way to savor autumn. Purchasing items like these will let you make and enjoy things like Butternut Squash Waffles, Sweet Potato Cheesecake, Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash and much more.

• Apples
• Broccoli and cauliflower
• Winter squash (butternut, acorn, delicata, etc.)
• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Turnips

Pantry Stocking Quick Q&As

Why should you keep a seasonal pantry?

Keeping a well-stocked pantry not only makes meal planning on a whim easier. It also makes it more enjoyable and stress-free. You also get the added bonus of eating seasonally, which is good for you and the local community if you shop from local farmers markets.

How much should you buy to stock the pantry?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Consider things like the size of your family, the frequency with which you cook at home, how often you host guests, and how often you like to repeat meals. It’s great to keep these items on hand to make meal prepping and cooking easier, but it’s also wise to be mindful of your budget.

If you’re worried about food waste, consider making a double batch of meals that freeze well and stashing one away for a quick dish later in the week. You can also freeze extra ingredients or invite your friends to participate in a cook-and-swap, where you each cook multiple portions and swap at the end.

Where can I find bulk ingredients?

Depending on your budget, you can shop at bulk stores in your community, such as Costco, Sam’s Club, WinCo and Aldi. You might also find great deals at your local farmers market if you’re on the hunt for bulk produce and herbs. Alternatively, you could check out an online co-op like Azure Standard for bulk spices and canned goods. Going in with friends is an easy and efficient way to get a good deal, especially if you want to split the quantity count.

See more: Pantry Essentials to Keep Stocked in Your Kitchen (Printable Shopping List)

More Recipes With Fall Pantry Staples

• Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage
• Spicy Peanut Chicken Chili
• Slow Cooker Apple Molasses Baked Beans
• Butternut Squash Tacos with Pumpkin Seeds, Pomegranate and Avocado
• Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies
• Sweet Potato and Wild Rice Salad
• Rosemary White Bean Soup