Although the seasons change only subtly across the Islands, we still like to enjoy the cozy weather. Even in Hawaiʻi, we like to sip on our pumpkin spice lattes and get in the festive spirit, whether mixing our favorite spooky cocktail or baking our crowd-pleasing pumpkin crunch.
Here are HAWAIʻI Magazine’s favorite fall recipes—perfect to make wherever you are.
1. Hocus Pocus Cocktail
Bursting with warm fall flavors, from star anise to pumpkin, this cocktail made with whiskey by Koʻolau Distillery is the perfect evening drink after you spend the day sipping on a pumpkin spice latte.
2. Shrimp and Butternut Squash Risotto
Butternut squash and kabocha, a Japanese variety of winter squash, are in season during fall! This risotto with shrimp and butternut squash is a great comfort dish. You can also use kabocha instead of butternut squash in the recipe.
3. Pastele Stew
This recipe is from chef Sheldon Simeon’s second cookbook, “ʻOhana Style.” The collection of recipes in this book celebrates the Islands’ layered culinary history. Pastele stew is an ode to the popular pasteles that local Puerto Rican families have shared with us. This warming stew is great during this time of year when the weather is slightly cooler in the Islands.
4. Portuguese Bean Soup
The malasada isn’t the only dish Portuguese immigrants brought to Hawaiʻi that has become a local staple.
Portuguese bean soup is a comforting classic, often served at festivals and events, as well as in restaurants throughout the Islands year-round.
5. Hawaiʻi-Style Pumpkin Crunch
This is not only one of our most popular recipes but also one of our top-performing online stories. Make it, and you’ll understand why.
6. Hawaiʻi-Style Pumpkin Custard Pie
Across the Islands, you’ll find creamy and silky custard pie in local bakeries. This recipe puts a twist on the classic pumpkin pie.
7. Pumpkin-Haupia Pie
This is another seasonal treat that marries traditional holiday flavors with a Hawaiʻi staple: haupia. You’ll find haupia—a sweet, gelatinlike dessert made with coconut milk—on a Hawaiian plate lunch or at any lūʻau. One of the most popular haupia pie combinations is chocolate. But this pumpkin-haupia pie is just as delicious.
8. Kabocha Pie
We clearly love our pies during this time of year!
Instead of the standard can of pumpkin puree, this recipe uses Japanese kabocha. It requires a little more prep time, but the result is a creamy, flavorful pie.
