Easy Fall Simmer Pot Recipe: Add Fresh Scent to Your Home
Add fresh fragrance to your home with an easy fall simmer pot
One of my favorite, easiest ways to make our home smell amazing is with a fall simmer pot. Here is an easy fall simmer pot recipe using ingredients you may already have in your kitchen.
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Although simmer pots can be enjoyed any time of year, I usually start making them in the fall when I’m ready to bring those warm, cozy scents into my home.
I absolutely love the 85 degree weather we are having right now and enjoying every minute of it, but I know fall is just around the corner.
Natural air freshener
Filling the house with warm scents of cinnamon and citrus instantly gives our home a cozy, comforting fall feeling.
I love having fresh scents throughout my home, and my go to is usually candles. One of my all-time favorites is the Grapefruit candle by NEST. The fragrance fills the house better than almost any other candle I’ve used. I also love that the scent stays consistent from the first burn to the bottom of the candle, instead of fading after just a few uses.

Even though I love candles, sometimes I just want something homemade, fresh scent, instead of commercial air fresheners and heavily fragranced products.
Last year, I found the cutest glass simmer pot to use for my stovetop air freshners, and I loved it so much that it inspired me to create this easy fall simmer pot recipe to use.

I love seeing all the colorful fruit, herbs, and spices through the glass while everything gently simmers on the stove.
But you can use any pot you have as a simmer pot. I added fruit, spices, herbs, and water to the pot and let everything gently simmer, and before long, the scent started making its way through the house.
The best part of it is that you probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen.
Natural way to make your home smell good
For this one, I wanted that classic cozy fall smell: warm cinnamon, fresh apples, citrus, and just a little spice.
Here are the ingredients I used:
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- 2–3 cinnamon sticks
- A few whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A few sprigs of rosemary, optional
- 2 Bay leaves
- Water

You really don’t have to measure everything perfectly. That’s one of the things I love about simmer pots. I usually just look around the kitchen and add whatever sounds good.
If you have an apple that is starting to get a little too soft to snack on? Perfect simmer pot material. I actually picked the cute apples from my dwarf apple tree in my backyard.
I had to give these apples the photoshoot they deserved-they were just too cute not to! 🍎



No cinnamon sticks? No problem, cinnamon powder will do just fine.
Have lemons instead of oranges? Throw those instead.
I put a couple of bay leaves in the pot to draw out the woodsy, soothing scent they can give off. In herbal traditions, bay leaves represent clearing negative energy, protection, and good fortune. We can all use some of that, right?

How to Make Fall simmer pot
Fill the pot with water to a little over half full.
Slice the apples and oranges into about quarter-inch-thick slices and add them to the water. Keep the skins on the apples and oranges, because they add to the delicious aroma.
Place the cinnamon sticks, or if you’re using cinnamon powder, sprinkle it into the pot.
Toss in the bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, and any other ingredients you would like to use. Give it a good stir to mix the flavors.
Put the pot on medium heat and bring the water to a steady boil. Then turn the heat down and let it simmer gently over a low flame for a few hours or all day. Be sure to add water when it evaporates, so that the pot doesn’t burn.
Within a few minutes, your kitchen starts to smell amazing, and eventually the scent travels throughout the rest of the house.
Just make sure to check the pot every so often and add more water as it evaporates. You never want the pot to dry out completely, so I always keep an eye on it while the stove is on.
That’s literally it. How easy is this fall simmer pot recipe?
Why you would like this Easy fall Simmer pot air freshener

“This easy simmer pot is a great option instead of store-bought air fresheners, room sprays, and even some scented candles.”
It is a great way to use fruits you may have that didn’t get eaten quickly enough and are on their way out. We tend to have that way too often.
You can also use just the peels from oranges or apples, making this a great way to use kitchen scraps that might otherwise be thrown away.
If you have extra oranges, you can also slice and dry them to make a Homemade Dried Orange Garland, this was one of my favorite simple decorations for fall and holiday season.
The Perfect Cozy Fall Scent
The apple and orange give it a fresh scent, while the cinnamon and cloves make everything smell warm and cozy. The vanilla softens it a little, and adding rosemary gives the simmer pot a fresh, herbal scent that keeps everything from smelling too much like dessert.


This would be so nice to make before guests come over, while you’re cleaning the house, or on a cool weekend when you’re just hanging out at home.
I especially love doing things like this when I’m decorating for fall. There’s just something about putting pumpkins around the house while cinnamon and oranges are simmering on the stove that makes it officially feel like the season has changed.
Use What You Have
You can also completely change the recipe depending on what you have on hand.
Some other fall simmer pot ingredients you could try are:
- Pear slices
- Cranberries
- Lemon
- Star anise
- Nutmeg
- Fresh ginger
- Cardamom
- Bay leaves
- Fresh thyme
- Maple extract
I wouldn’t go out and buy a ton of ingredients specifically for a simmer pot unless you want to. Half the fun is using leftover fruit and spices you already have.


Thank you stopping by!


