Stovetop Potpourri Recipe that Smells Like Pumpkin Pie

This pumpkin spice simmer pot fills your home with the cozy scent of pumpkin pie using cinnamon, orange slices, and apple — no baking required!

When the weather starts to turn chilly, I love making little changes around my house to help it feel cozier. A warm, comforting scent adds so much to that feeling of home, and lately I’ve been swapping out my candles for simmer pots instead. This has become one of my favorite ways to fill the house with the most delicious smell. With just a few simple ingredients simmering together in a pot, it works like absolute magic!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie Simmering Stovetop Potpourri Recipe

(A printable recipe card is available below with exact measurements for your convenience.)

• Pumpkin puree- This recipe is a perfect way to use up a little bit of leftover pumpkin puree from making pumpkin banana muffins, pumpkin roll cake, or pumpkin pie!
• orange slices -or you can use dried orange slices.
• apple slices
• cinnamon sticks
• pumpkin pie spice
• cloves
• Water to cover (I just use tap water.)

Step by Step Instructions for this Easy Potpourri Recipe

This simmering potpourri couldn’t be easier to make. Add the pumpkin, orange and apple slices, cinnamon sticks, and spices to a saucepan, then pour in water until everything is almost covered. Bring it to a soft boil on the stovetop, then turn the heat down low and let it simmer until the fragrance fills your home — checking on it every hour or so to top up the water as it evaporates.

Watch me Make this Simmering Pumpking Pie Potpourri!

I recorded a short video of this recipe for Instagram, and thought you might like seeing it, too:

Variations for Simmering Potpourri & Why It’s so Fun to Make!

The fun thing about homemade potpourri is that it’s so flexible! You can mix and match ingredients to come up with different scents.

Here are some variations to try:

• Flavour and Savour has a holiday potpourri recipe that uses warm holiday spices and fresh rosemary.
• Cranberries and pomegrante are the stars in this Christmas stovetop potpourri that looks as pretty as it smells.
• You can use dried orange slices or dried apples slices in your simmering potpourri if you have them.
• Use a mixture of warm spices like cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg with citrus fruits like lemon or oranges for a warm and tangy spice scent.
• Simmering potpourri is a great way to use sad fruit produce that isn’t quite good enough to eat, but will still smell great. Try grapefruit, mandarin oranges, lemons, orange, apples, or pomegrantes.
• I’ve found that ground spices work great for stovetop potpourri, but whole spices work well, too. Try cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, cardemom seeds, star anise, whole ginger pieces, ground fresh nutmeg, or sage leaves.

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