Oh, autumn! The season of the beautiful orange leaves, delicious pumpkin spice and warm cinnamon rolls! It is the ultimate comforting season! But it should be renamed ‘baking season’ as there’s no better time of the year for the satisfying smells and warm feeling of enjoying a slice of cake while watching Gilmore Girls. There’s something incredibly comforting about baking—and especially magical about baking in autumn. The crisp air, cosy sweaters, and the smell of warm spices filling your kitchen all signal that it’s time to embrace the comforting joy of homemade treats. If you’re new to baking, this is the perfect season to start! Whether you're baking for your family or just want to warm up your home, we’ve gathered some simple and foolproof recipes to help you get started—no prior experience is needed. With easy-to-follow steps, you’ll be whipping up cookies, brownies, and cupcakes in no time.
Essential Baking Tools for Beginners
Before diving into the recipes, let’s cover the basics: what tools you’ll need in your kitchen to whip up the best autumn recipes!
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: Accurate measurements are key in baking.
- Mixing Bowls: Have at least two, one for wet ingredients and one for dry.
- Whisk or Electric Mixer: A whisk is great for simple mixing, but an electric mixer can save you time and effort.
- Baking Trays and Pans: You’ll need a cookie sheet, a brownie pan, and a cupcake tin for these recipes.
- Spatula and Wooden Spoon: Great for folding ingredients and scraping bowls.
- Oven Mitts: Always have these handy for safety when handling hot trays.
- Cooling Rack: This helps baked goods cool down evenly without becoming soggy.
Now that we have the tools, let’s get baking! Here are three beginner-friendly recipes perfect for autumn.
Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies
Taylor is the Queen of Autumn—and when she’s not busy selling out stadiums, she shares delicious recipes with us! These Chai Sugar cookies are no exception! With a touch of chai spice in the dough and a sweet glaze on top, these cookies are perfect for autumn. They’re simple enough for beginners but pack a flavour punch that will make you feel like a baking star.
Ingredients for the Cookies:
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp chai tea spices (you can use a chai tea bag, ground cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, and ginger)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup of milk
Ingredients for the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: a sprinkle of cinnamon or chai spices on top
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and chai spices.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well. Slowly add the milk and mix until smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms.
- Roll the dough into small balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet, flattening each ball slightly with your palm.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
- While the cookies cool, whisk together the glaze ingredients. Once the cookies are fully cooled, drizzle the glaze on top and sprinkle with extra cinnamon or chai spices for a festive finish.
This fun addition not only brings a celebrity-inspired touch to your baking but is also incredibly easy to make. Whether you’re a Swiftie or just love the cosy spices of autumn, these cookies will be a hit.
Fudgy Brownies with a Twist
Brownies have always been a hard recipe for me to perfect, that is why I always prefer to order them from Chummys! But if you want to try your luck in the kitchen, this recipe is infallible.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional for an autumn twist)
- ¼ tsp salt
- Optional: chocolate chips or nuts for extra texture
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 175°C and grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon until smooth.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gently fold in the flour and salt until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let cool before cutting into squares. Serve with a scoop of ice cream for a decadent autumn dessert!
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Embrace the autumn trend with these pumpkin spice cupcakes. Moist and full of warm flavours, they’re the perfect treat to bring to any cosy gathering.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a cupcake tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before frosting with your favourite cream cheese frosting.
Autumn is the season of cosy flavours, and these recipes are just the beginning! Don’t be afraid to experiment by adding spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to your favourite bakes. You can even incorporate seasonal ingredients like apples, pears, and caramel into your creations. The possibilities are endless, and the kitchen is your playground.
