As the color of the leaves change with the arrival of autumn, so do our appetites. We begin to crave things like pumpkin cream cold brews from Starbucks and apple cinnamon oat bites from Trader Joe’s. Unfortunately, as college students, we do not always have the time or the money to satisfy these cravings by eating out all the time.

But there is a way to experience the taste of fall from the comfort of your own dorm! Here are three delicious and easy recipes for the fall season.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

A nice, warm bowl of oatmeal is the best way to start off a cool fall day. The one ingredient missing from this heavenly bowl? Pumpkin! Here is a recipe from allrecipes.com for the easiest bowl of pumpkin oatmeal:

  • 1 cup oats 
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

The best part about this recipe? It only requires the ingredients to be stirred and microwaved for 90 seconds, and then it’s ready to be enjoyed.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Making homemade mac and cheese in your dorm after a long day of classes will emanate the feeling of being home on Thanksgiving break. Here’s the recipe from collegefashion.net:

  • ½ cup pasta (your choice)
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup water
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup shredded cheese

For this recipe, you can start by mixing every ingredient into a mug first, excluding the cheese. Then, it should be microwaved for 2 minute intervals and stirred in between. This should be done three times. Lastly, the shredded cheese should be added in and the mug should be microwaved for around a minute. The result? The most comforting meal of your life.

Apple Yogurt Parfait

This last recipe requires an acquired taste for apple sauce, but trust me, it’s delicious. Here’s the recipe for apple yogurt parfaits from kitchentreaty.com:

  • 1 ½ cups greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 apple 
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • Pinch of cinnamon 

For this treat, you’re going to want to mix the yogurt, honey and vanilla in a bowl. Then, add a little bit to a cup and sprinkle some of the chopped apple on top. Do this for each layer of the parfait, and then on the second to last layer, add in all of the apple sauce. Finally, on the top layer, sprinkle on the cinnamon, and voila!

Not only are these three recipes the key to making your fall warm and cozy, but they’re also affordable and easy. Hopefully, you’re able to find time throughout this chaotic semester to try them out and share them with your friends!