Serious Eats Staffers Go All-Out for Fall With Brain Jelly Molds, Pumpkin Dutch Ovens, and More

At Serious Eats, we fully commit to everything we do, which includes going all-out on seasonal celebrations. When fall comes around, we’re not bashful about touting the best apple recipes or sharing a fantastically over-the-top candy corn layer cake. In the spirit of spreading more fall and Halloween-themed goodness, Serious Eats staffers shared their favorite fall picks, including an impressively realistic brain jelly mold, a Staub pumpkin Dutch oven, a 12-pack of canned pumpkin to make all the pumpkin bread your heart desires, and more. Read on for all the ways Serious Eats staffers get real nerdy about celebrating fall.

Editor-Recommended Fall Picks, at a Glance:

• A Stunning Pumpkin Dutch Oven: Staub 3.5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Pumpkin Cocotte
• A Nonstick Donut Pan: Nordic Ware 6-Cavity Donut Pan
• A Show-Stopping Jelly Mold: Uwillion Brain Jelly Mold
• Flickering Tea Lights: Homemory Halloween Orange Tea Light Candles, 24-Pack
• Autumnal Candles: D’Light Seasonal Fall Taper Candles
• Organic Canned Pumpkin: Farmers Market Organic Pumpkin Puree, 12-Pack
• A Pumpkin Pie-Flavored Dessert: Whole Foods Market Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches, 6-Pack
• Festive Halloween Sprinkles: Sprinkle Pop Monster Mashup Sprinkle Mix
• Realistic Fake Blood: Graftobian Blood Gel Packs, 12-Pack

Staub 3.5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Pumpkin Cocotte

I recently got this Staub pumpkin cocotte. It's absolutely stunning and will likely be on my stovetop year-round (seasonality be darned!). The burnt orange color has a beautiful gold stem and is 5 quarts, so it's really a versatile Dutch oven. You'll find me braising, simmering, searing, and boiling in it all fall long. — Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate editorial director

Nordic Ware 6-Cavity Donut Pan

I'm a big apple cider donut fan but not so big on deep-frying. I've been wanting to bake my own apple cider donuts at home for years now and I think this might be the year it happens! I'm eyeing this nonstick donut baking pan from Nordic Ware and I'm banking on it making all my apple cider donut dreams come true this season. Nordic Ware is the maker of our favorite cake pan, bundt pan, and baking pan, so I have high hopes for this one. — An Uong, commerce writer

Uwillion Brain Jelly Mold

Every year, my elementary school hosted a Halloween party. While I liked the relatively tame haunted house, my favorite part was the touch-and-feel table which was laden with grisly food delights. I'd squeal with disgust and glee after sticking my hand in covered bowls, each labeled with some nasty bodily bit: intestines (spaghetti), eyeballs (grapes), toes (cocktail sausages). That love for shudder-worthy food on Halloween hasn’t gone away, but now I up the ante with lychee eyeball cocktail garnishes (just stick a blueberry in the middle) and a big ol’ bowl of witches brew punch with a floating brain in it. This $10 brain-shaped mold makes my creepy batch cocktail a reality—just fill it with water or juice, freeze overnight, and unmold to reveal a ghastly, wrinkled brain. It’s been a showstopper at every Halloween party I’ve brought it to. — Grace Kelly, commerce editor

Homemory Halloween Orange Tea Light Candles, 24-Pack

Okay, these aren't food-specific, but if you want a fun autumnal or Halloween tablescape without anyone getting burnt, these battery-operated tea light candles are fantastic. They have a warm orange glow (and flicker like a real candle!) that casts your meal in warm sepia tones, perfect for a cozy dinner party or Halloween bash. I also like to put them outside next to some pretty pumpkins for an ambient front step. — Grace

D’Light Seasonal Fall Taper Candles

These autumnal taper candles will have a permanent place of honor at my dinner table from now until December 1. They're so mix-and-matchy! — Rochelle Bilow, commerce editor

Farmers Market Organic Pumpkin Puree, 12-Pack

I live in a cute New England town known for its foliage, and every year there's a run on grocery store canned pumpkin. This fall, I'm not going to give up on my insatiable pumpkin muffin cravings because some tourist wants to bake a pie. I'm stocking up! — Rochelle

Whole Foods Market Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches, 6-Pack

Listen. Every fall we're graced by these seasonal pumpkin pie ice cream sandwiches at Whole Foods, and what kind of commerce writer would I be to gatekeep them from you? Without fail, I stock up my freezer with these every September (with many restockings throughout the fall season) and enjoy them multiple times a week for dessert or a midday snack. The pumpkin spice is subtle yet delivers the warm spice kick you'd want from a fall-themed dessert. —  An

Sprinkle Pop Monster Mashup Sprinkle Mix

During the early months of the pandemic, I went through a baking phase (I know, so did everyone else). I made baked goods for every holiday to have a little something special to celebrate in what was otherwise a sea of sameness. By Halloween, I had overdone it and opted to keep it simple with my favorite snacking cake, frosted and adorned with these Halloween sprinkles from Sprinkle Pop. They have themes for every holiday and color scheme. They are perfect for dressing up an otherwise ordinary dessert. — Kelli Solomon, senior social media editor

Graftobian Blood Gel Packs, 12-Pack

One day I'm going to do the thing I've always wanted to do with a product like this, and, yes, it involves food and cooking, but NOT eating. (Dan Aykroyd as Julia Child on Saturday Night Live, anyone?)  — Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

Why We're the Experts

• An Uong is a commerce writer at Serious Eats and Food & Wine.
• We're very serious about all things fall, having put out Halloween candy roundups and fall vegetable grilling guides.