Gilmore girls Party: fall Brunch Ideas, recipes, and more

If there’s one show that practically begs to be celebrated with food, it’s Gilmore Girls. Between Rory’s love of pancakes and Lorelai’s endless coffee refills at Luke’s, the series makes you want to gather your friends and indulge in all the comfort foods. Not only that, but the show tends to highlight the best of fall, which is why hosting a Gilmore Girls party in the form of a fall brunch is the perfect way to celebrate this beloved show.

Setting the Scene: Stars Hollow at Home

The heart of Gilmore Girls is the cozy, quirky town of Stars Hollow. To bring that same feeling into your home, focus on warmth and whimsy.

• Decorate with seasonal touches. Think pumpkins, autumn leaves, and cozy tablecloths. A spread with harvest colors, including orange, gold, and burgundy instantly feels like it could be part of the Stars Hollow fall festival.
• Add soft lighting. Fairy lights or candles tucked around your food display create the cozy glow of Luke’s Diner on a chilly morning.
• Channel Luke’s diner rules. A playful “No cell phones” sign (just like Luke’s) instantly brings in that familiar diner sass.

The goal isn’t to make it perfect, but to capture the charm and slightly mismatched coziness of the Gilmore Girls world.

To shop the specific items I used to decorate my buffet table and use for the spread, check out the following recommendations:

• This duo of fall leaf fairy light strands used on both the buffet table and on the kitchen hutch (aka the coffee station).
• These Gilmore Girls printed napkins
• These Gilmore Girls printed disposable coffee cups (came with matching Luke’s sleeves too)
• These fall-themed paper plates (I couldn’t find Gilmore Girls specific ones but these matched the fall aesthetic I was going for).

• The blue Luke’s mugs I got as party favors are no longer available, but you can find similar looking mugs here.
• Fall treat bags like these to put candy in and then place inside the Luke’s mugs
• A fall paper/plastic tablecloth to cover your buffet table like this. You could also use a plaid one in orange/brown hues too.
• Wood tiered stand and wood serving tray, to display some of the food items
• Pumpkin ceramic vase to hold plastic utensils
• No cell phones sign – I quickly made on canva, and you can open up and print here.
• Mix of mini orange and white pumpkins, as well as small cinderella pumpkins and potted orange mums – all from Trader Joe’s

Building the Gilmore-Worthy Menu

When planning your brunch menu, the trick is to balance diner classics with whimsical nods to Lorelai and Rory’s favorite treats. The spread you see is a great template: it’s cozy, plentiful, and has just the right amount of indulgence.

Here are some ideas, inspired by the Gilmore girls’ most iconic food obsessions:

1. Cheeseburger Sliders

Because the Gilmores never met a burger they didn’t like. Sliders are bite-sized, fun, and easy to grab, just like something you’d order at Luke’s. I used the recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen to make these, making one small tweak.

Instead of placing the top half of the slider buns on top of the burgers and baking as instructed, I baked the top halves separately.

This way, I was able to spread Smitten Kitchen’s burger sauce recipe onto the top halves of the buns, as well as add a dill pickle chip to each slider, before pressing the top halves of the bread down onto the sliders.

I kept the sliders together by pinning a toothpick into each.

To prep in advance: To prep the sliders in advance, I basically followed Natasha’s recipe by cooking the ground beef mixture and assembling the sliders on a baking sheet the evening beforehand. The morning of the brunch, I baked the sliders and applied the burger spread and dill pickle to the sliders.

2. Homemade Fries

You can’t have a Luke’s-inspired brunch without fries. I decided to make mine from scratch by simply peeling and cutting up a handful of potatoes, then air-frying them until they were crisp.

You could make this step easier by simply buying a bag of your favorite frozen French fries and air-frying them or baking them until heated and crisp, as well.

The fries were prepped and baked the morning of, and then served in fall-themed baking cups I picked up at Home Goods.

3. Kale Salad with French Vinaigrette

Every Gilmore spread needs a “token healthy item” — it’s the Emily Gilmore influence.

A fresh, bright kale salad tossed with my favorite French vinaigrette adds balance to the carb-heavy dishes, and also feels like something Sookie would sneak onto the table for a little green.

To make, I simply cut up two bunches of kale very finely (removing the stems), rinsing, drying, then tossing with a cubed and cored, large granny smith apple, a large handful of dried cranberries, and a large handful of chopped pecans.

To make the vinaigrette, I whisked 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp dijon, 1 clove garlic (minced), and a little bit of salt and pepper.

To prep in advance: To make in advance, prep the kale (removing the stems, washing, and chopping) and place the kale into a couple of large ziplock bags (placing a paper towel inside each bag too to keep the kale fresh and crisp) in the fridge. Whisk up your vinaigrette and cover with some plastic wrap. The morning of the brunch, cut up your apple and pecans, and toss them along with the dried cranberries into your kale in a big bowl. Your vinaigrette may have thickened, so you can drizzle a little bit of white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or sherry vinegar in it (just a small bit) to loosen it up and pour over the salad. Toss until all the kale is coated in the dressing.

4. Pumpkin Spice Mini Pancakes

Brunch isn’t brunch without pancakes. These mini pumpkin spice pancakes are both festive and fun, especially when topped with maple syrup and berries.

Lorelai and Rory would absolutely approve, given their penchant for breakfast at all hours. I made these in advance and kept them frozen in a single layer in ziplock bags.

The morning of, I simply popped them onto a plate into the microwave (in batches) until they reheated through. Then I stacked a few of them and put a toothpick through the center with a couple of fresh berries to serve (I also left a bowl of fresh berries nearby if anyone wanted more fruit).

Be sure you have maple syrup nearby too for the full effect!

5. Pumpkin Spice Pop-Tarts

This one’s a must. Lorelai and Rory often enjoy Pop-Tarts on the show, and they remain a running staple throughout the series.

These homemade pumpkin spice pop tarts are a festive fall upgrade, both nostalgic and seasonal at the same time.

I prepped these pop tarts and froze them (minus the glaze) a few weeks before the brunch, and then simply baked them the evening before the brunch. Once they completely cooled, I applied the maple icing on top and let them dry a bit.

I then arranged the pop tarts on two large serving platters with raised rims, which allowed me to spread a taut sheet of plastic wrap across the platters, keeping the pop tarts covered overnight without the plastic wrap actually touching the icing (I knew they’d smudge the icing if they did).

If you can wait to ice the pop tarts until the next morning, it would be better, but I knew I wouldn’t have time as I was making the fries from scratch too.

6. Blueberry Banana Muffins

Baked goods always make their way onto a Gilmore table. These muffins fit the vibe perfectly: a little sweet, a little homey, and just right with a hot cup of coffee.

I simply used my banana nut bread recipe (minus the nuts and dried fruit), and popped in a few jumbo blueberries into each muffin cup’s batter. I sprinkled the top of each with turbinado sugar and baked at 350°F for approximately 30-35 minutes.

I baked the muffins the day before the brunch and kept them covered on a platter with plastic wrap overnight.

Drinks: Coffee, Coffee, Coffee!

No Gilmore Girls brunch is complete without endless coffee. Brew a large pot (or two) of strong diner-style coffee and serve it at a coffee station that makes things easy and delicious for your guests:

• Add any fall syrups, creamers, and milk for customization.
• Offer tea bags and and hot water for the Emilys in your group.
• Add a bottle of orange juice (and maybe some champagne!?) to your station too. A mimosa or two wouldn’t hurt, right? We can thank Miss Patty for that flourish.

Activities & Atmosphere

A Gilmore brunch isn’t just about food; it’s about the cozy, chatty energy of Stars Hollow. Here are a few ideas to set the mood:

• Play the Gilmore Girls soundtrack. Think Carole King’s Where You Lead and the cozy, jazzy background tracks.
• Trivia time. Test your guests’ Gilmore knowledge with fun trivia questions. (Who was Rory’s first boyfriend? What’s the name of Lorelai’s dog?)
• Dress the part. Encourage guests to come in cozy knits, flannels, or even a Stars Hollow inspired sweater! I ordered one in the chocolate brown color and love it!
• Binge an episode or two. Stream your favorite season on the tv in the background.

At its heart, a Gilmore Girls brunch is about friendship, laughter, and comfort food. It’s about filling your table with cozy dishes, your home with warm details, and your morning with people you love.

Lorelai and Rory’s world was built on coffee and conversation, and when you recreate that spirit, your brunch becomes more than just a meal; it becomes a memory!