The Best New England Dishes To Try This Fall

One of the most American experiences of all time is an autumn road trip to New England. Autumn is the season for gazing at colorful landscapes, soaking in the crisp leaf-scented air, and experiencing all the famous foods that go along with the season. But as much as we love leaf-peeping and cozy sweaters, deep down, we’re all most excited for the cinnamon-dusted comfort food.

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Sure, there’s pumpkin and apple pie, but those are ubiquitous all over the country. For a real Northeast experience, you have to dive into one of the locally famous regional foods you can only get in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and so on. Here are New England’s most fall-coded treats you have to try on your next visit.

Apple Cider Donuts

Apple cider donuts are the region’s claim to dessert fame—and don’t even think about grabbing grocery store apple cider donuts if you’re in New England. You’ll find these famous morsels at just about every farm stand or kitschy little country market come autumn, and they’re always infinitely better than store-bought. These tiny cake donuts come dusted with cinnamon-sugar and have a gentle apple-y flavor. Their texture is perfect for dumping in coffee, or better yet, coffee milk.

Maple Creemees

At first glance, it looks like regular soft serve, but call this treat “soft serve” to a Vermonter and you might just earn yourself a lifetime ban from the state. Maple creemees (yes, that’s how you spell it) consist of rich, local cream and freshly tapped maple syrup swirled together in a soft serve machine. If you’ve only ever had Dairy Queen-esque soft serve and not the kind made with fresh ingredients, you have to try maple creemees—they go especially hard while gazing out at the maple-lined mountains of Vermont.

Apple Pie With Cheddar Cheese

As one of the weirdest regional foods in America, a piece of fresh-baked apple pie with a hearty slice of sharp cheddar on top is an absolute must-try, and another Vermont classic. Folks who enjoy this unlikely duo claim the crisp, sweet apple and creamy, salty tang of cheddar is a perfect case of opposites attracting. You’ll find this dessert at diners all over Vermont, sometimes stretching into neighboring states, and it’s almost always made with local ingredients. Some folks like the pie warmed up, to allow the cheese on top to get melty. Purists, however, always opt for a cold slice of both.

Indian Pudding

If you want to bring Thanksgiving back to its roots, be the hero who brings a casserole dish of Indian pudding straight from a New England country store. Considered by some food historians to be America’s first dessert, Indian pudding consists of cornmeal and molasses baked bread-pudding-style. If you want to take a crack at this simple, historical dish, go ahead and load it up with whatever fixings you want, like pecans and raisins—and don’t forget to top it with a scoop of farm-fresh New England vanilla ice cream.

Nantucket Cranberry Pie

Nantucket is all about cranberries, so it should come as no surprise that the island birthed a locally famous cranberry pie. This dessert, seldom found outside Mass, isn’t as tart as you’re imagining. It’s made of mashed pecans and cranberries and lots of sugar, so it’s plenty sweet and has a rich, jam-like consistency. It’s a frequent flyer on Thanksgiving tables on the island and in other parts of New England, but it’s an absolute must-try if you’re visiting, since it’s a rare dessert in other parts of the U.S.