12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (2024)

It’s time to make your house smell amazing! Using a simmer pot to boil spices, orange peels, sliced apples, and more is an easy and natural way to fill your home with festive fall and holiday fragrances.

Many of those amazing-smelling fall-scented candles you can find on almost every store aisle this time of year have petroleum-based ingredients. As good as those candles may make my house smell, I try to steer clear of petroleum-based products in my home, as much as possible.

When I want my house to smell like fall, I turn to simmer pot recipes and essential oils to get the job done, in a healthier, more inexpensive way!

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (1)

“A change of season calls for a change of scent that is both energizing and refreshing.” — Hannah Bronfman

Confession time: I have this fear that a guest will walk into our home and say, “What is that horrible smell?”.

Read this amazing post on DIY Fall Scents, to make your home smell like fall. It turns out that nature has some pretty fabulous-smelling spices, herbs, and foods that will make your home smell just the way you want it to for fall and the holidays.

What Are Simmer Pot Recipes?

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (2)

If you are wondering “what is a simmer pot?”, I completely understand!

Basically, it’s a bubbling stovetop potpourri. You can use a traditional simmer pot that you buy at the store, a crockpot, or if you are home, then make it on the stove (on low heat).

What to Put in Your Simmer Pot

Toss orange peels, spices, and more into a pot of water on the stove, then turn the pot on, and let it simmer. Before you know it, your pot of simmering fruits, spices, etc add fragrance to every single room in your home.

This is a natural and fun way to dress up the scent of your home. They are addictive, trust me!

Also, check out these orange peel hacks, they will blow your mind!

I am always up for trying new simmering pot recipes that will make our home smell amazing. With so many possible simmer pot combinations, the fragrance options are nearly endless.

Simply toss the ingredients into a pot, add water, turn on your stove, and rich, warm, spice-filled scents make your home very inviting!

Once you have exhausted the obvious things to use as homemade potpourri, then you can try one of these sweet smelling ideas…

Best & Easy Simmer Pot Recipes for Autumn

These simmer potpourri recipes will fill your home with delicious smells and a few other benefits, as well. Find your new favorite sweet smelling recipe down below.

This vast variety of simmering pot recipes will truly transform your home. There’s something for everyone on this list, so you will easily find a mix the entire family will love.

1. Cold and Flu Fighting Stovetop Potpourri

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (3)

This simmer pot recipe is great to simmer on the stovetop when someone in your home is sick. It’s comforting, soothing, and healing to the body as you breathe it in.

Citrus, rosemary, clove, cinnamon, and eucalyptus are an unbeatable germ-fighting combination and are often found together in essential oil blends. This stovetop recipe is a great way to stay healthy over the winter months!

2. Fall Crock Pot Recipe forPotpourri

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (4)

Simmer pots aren’t just for the simmer pots. Check out this easy, chemical-free autumn slow cooker simmer pot recipe. Instead of the stove, they created their simmer pot in the slow cooker. Using the slow cooker means you don’t have to replenish the water supply quite as often.

I love this idea and the ingredients—apples, oranges, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon sticks. This combination will surely dress up the scent of your home this year.

And if you store it in an airtight container when you’re not actively simmering it, it will last for as long as four days!

3. Citrus Scented Simmer Pot

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (5)

Get a burst of energy with this citrus simmering pot recipe. The orange and ginger together add an invigorating fragrance that is so fresh and clean. Pop the mixture into a pretty mason jar, and you have a beautiful gift you can share!

This recipe is not only perfect for the fall, it’s great for any time of the year.

4. Stovetop Potpourri with Pears

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (6)

This pear apple simmer pot recipe is really good! You get that sweet, fruity aroma, paired with the warm and comforting scent of clove and cinnamon. As an alternative to simmering it in a pot, you can also use it as a dry potpourri.

This is one of my favorite fall simmering potpourri recipes. And it would make a splendid gift for someone who loves the scents of fall and winter!

5. Fragrant Homemade Potpourri with Dried Fruit

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (7)

Give the gift of dried fruit and spices so that loved ones can put it in a pan with water to create their own simmer pots for their homes this season.

Homemade potpourri makes a great gift that is thoughtful, affordable, and unique. You can customize the potpourri in many different ways to match your loved one’s favorite scents.

6. Holiday Simmering Potpourri Recipe

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (8)

Get ready for the holidays with a festive citrus simmer pot recipe. Cloves, anise, dried oranges, and more give this a citrus and spiced scent. And it’s so easy to make!

If you want to give this potpourri mix as a gift, there are printable gift tags that explain to the receiver how to use their gifted simmer pot ingredients!

7. DIY Christmas Potpourri for Your Simmer Pot

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (9)

This homemade potpourri includes a free printable label to use to create your own gift of simmering potpourri. The red cranberries add a beautiful touch of holiday color. And the lovely, long-lasting fragrance is the perfect addition to your home this holiday season.

As a bonus, this potpourri simmer pot recipe is perfect for holiday get-togethers! You can leave it simmering in the background, adding a comforting element to your gathering.

8. Winter Pine Simmering Pot

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (10)

Oh, I love this winter simmering pot recipe. It really feels like you bring the outdoors in, as the pine scent plays off of the spices and citrus. It’s a simple way to make your home smell amazing, and you’re doing so without the use of harmful chemicals.

If you have an artificial tree, this is a homemade potpourri recipe you definitely want to use to give your home the feeling of a real, live Christmas tree.

9. Stovetop Potpourri Idea

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (11)

This stovetop potpourri is not only super pretty, but it will make your home smell like Christmas in minutes. She even shares tips on how to give this as a gift to loved ones. They’ll love the scents of orange, cranberry, cloves, and cinnamon!

10. Homemade Orange Spice Potpourri

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (12)

Orange spice potpourri is a very popular scent, as oranges work really well in a simmering pot, and they help bring out the fragrance of the spices you used to go with it. This potpourri is another simmer pot recipe that would make an excellent Christmas gift for a loved one.

11. Fall Simmer Pot Recipe

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (13)

This fall simmer pot recipe gives you a hint of apple, cinnamon, clove, and more. Ahhhh, I can smell it right now!

It’s an amazing combination that helps to give your home a holiday season vibe in just a few minutes. You’ll want to mix up a batch this afternoon!

12. Simmering Christmas Potpourri

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (14)

Can’t wait till Christmas? I get it! This simmering pot Christmas recipe uses a handful of citrus fruits, cranberries, and more to really capture the scents of the season.

If you put up an artificial tree, but miss the smell of a real live tree, this recipe will more than make up for it!

Simmer Pot Recipes to Make Your Home Smell Amazing This Fall & Winter

Aren’t these simmer pot recipes simply beautiful to look at? Not only do they look amazing, but they will make your house smell unbelievably fragrant and festive.

Simmer pot recipes are an easy way to sprinkle the fragrance of the season throughout every room in your home. I love that it takes minimal effort–beyond dumping a few household ingredients into a kitchen pot, and covering them with water. It’s a simple, cost-effective, and healthy way to enjoy the wonderful scents that make fall and winter so special.

Since there is such a wide variety of ingredients in each of these recipes, you are sure to find a favorite for every member of your family. You can use a citrus blend one day, and a pine blend the next. You can easily vary the scent based on your mood, the temperature outdoors, or the activities you have going on that day.

Which of these simmer pot blends are you most excited about trying first?

12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (15)

More Fall Fun Ideas From One Crazy House:

  • 15 Farmhouse-Style DIY Fall Decor Ideas Anyone Can Make
  • Ultimate Fall Activities For the Entire Family
  • 16 Fun Things to do With The Family This Fall
  • 19 Decadent Recipes to Pumpkin Spice Up Your Taste Buds
  • Stunning Fall Wreaths That Are Easy to Make
12 Fall And Winter Simmering Pot Recipes To Make Today (2024)

FAQs

How long does a fall simmer pot last? ›

If there are no fresh fruit slices in your recipe, simply turn off the stove and cover the pot with a lid in between uses. Reheat when you need another dose of stovetop potpourri. According to the Happier Homemaker, with this method, your simmer pot can last four days.

What items are best for simmer pot? ›

CLASSIC SIMMER POT INGREDIENTS
  • Citrus fruits like orange, lemon, lime.
  • Apples.
  • Cranberries.
  • Cinnamon sticks.
  • Whole cloves.
  • Nutmeg.
  • Rosemary.
  • Pine or other conifers.
Nov 30, 2022

What can I bake to make my house smell like fall? ›

Turn on the heat and fill your pot with ingredients like cinnamon sticks, apple peels, orange rinds, cloves, apple juice, vanilla, anise, and nutmeg, and in no time at all this stovetop potpourri will have your home smelling like you've been baking all day.

What can I cook to make my house smell like fall? ›

Make a Simmer Pot

Then add a variety of sliced fruits, spices and essential oils or pure extracts. One fall-favorite combination is apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg—but you can mix and match just about anything that appeals to you.

What's the best product to make your house smell good? ›

Scented reed diffusers and plug-in air fresheners are another easy way to make your house smell good. Reed diffusers use essential oils that evaporate into the air through a set of reeds, while plug-in air fresheners introduce scented particles into the air with an electric fan.

Can I use powdered cinnamon in a simmer pot? ›

I swear, simmer pots are the BEST air freshener. Better than any spray, oil, or candle I have ever bought. The simplest method, and my go-to, is to grab a small saucepan, fill it with water, and toss in a few cinnamon sticks (or a few vigorous shakes of ground cinnamon).

Do you leave a simmer pot on all day? ›

Your simmering pot should last 24 hours on the stovetop. If you only use peels and spices without fresh food, it can last up to four days! All you have to do is replenish the water about every 30-45 minutes. That way, you'll constantly have the simmering aromatics filling your house with all the scents of fall.

Can I use ground cinnamon in a simmer pot? ›

Here's what you're going to need:

And to give it a nice, rich aroma, you'll need: 2 cinnamon sticks (or 1 tsp ground cinnamon), 2 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

How many times can you reuse a simmer pot? ›

Depending on what ingredients you've used in your simmer pot, you can reuse the same one for several days! If you've included fruit in your recipe, then it's best to use that pot for only 1 day.

Do you put a lid on a simmer pot? ›

Simmering and Boiling

Keep the lid on if you want to bring something to a simmer or a boil for two reasons. "One, heat escapes through an open lid, so it would take longer for water to come to a boil," says Ronna Welsh of Purple Kale Kitchenworks.

What is the point of a simmer pot? ›

A simmer pot is a clever, all-natural way to waft a pleasant aroma throughout your entire house. Just put the ingredients into a saucepan, cover with water and let simmer. The heat and steam will welcome your guests — or even help them feel like they've been transported somewhere else.

Do simmer pots make your house smell good? ›

Simmer pots are an easy and natural way to make your house smell amazing with the cozy scents of baking, and humidify dry air in your home. Think of it as a liquid potpourri pot, bubbling away on your stove all day.

How long does it take a simmer pot to smell? ›

Simmer pots typically last for one to three hours. If the water is getting low, you can add a couple more cups of water to extend its lifespan. Typically, after three hours, the ingredients have released all their fragrance into the air.

How do I make my house smell like fall with essential oils? ›

To make your own pumpkin-spice room spray, gather clove, ginger, orange, cardamom, and cinnamon essential oils. Add a few drops of each to one cup of distilled water and pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Spritz the air freshener around the room as needed for a burst of fall fragrance.

How to use cinnamon sticks to make your house smell good? ›

Pop a few cinnamon sticks into a small pan of water on the hob and the scent with fill your kitchen. One or two sticks will give a gentle aroma, so increase them for a stronger scent.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Pres. Lawanda Wiegand

Last Updated:

Views: 6561

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Pres. Lawanda Wiegand

Birthday: 1993-01-10

Address: Suite 391 6963 Ullrich Shore, Bellefort, WI 01350-7893

Phone: +6806610432415

Job: Dynamic Manufacturing Assistant

Hobby: amateur radio, Taekwondo, Wood carving, Parkour, Skateboarding, Running, Rafting

Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.