Easy Simmer Pot Recipes for a Delicious Smelling Home
3 easy simmer pot recipes to fill your home with delicious aromas. From citrus and spice to scents of the tropic, these recipes are guaranteed to make your home feel cozy and smell amazing too.

There is nothing better than coming home to a deliciously inviting scent to warm the soul, even during the hottest months of the year!
A cozy home is engaging each of the five senses and that includes our sense of smell. These easy simmer pot recipes will do just that. Citrus, herbs, and spices are the perfect natural ingredients to make your whole house smell delicious & inviting all through the year.
During the fall and winter months I always have a pot of stovetop potpourri simmering on the stove with apple slices, whole cloves, and other natural ingredients to make our home feel extra cozy.
You can find my fall crock pot potpourri recipe here and my Christmas simmer pot recipe here.
But, why not do the same for spring and summer but with fresher, lighter scents like citrus and herbs? Simmer pots are a simple, inexpensive, and a natural way to add seasonal scents (that are completely customizable) to your home.

Why You’ll Love Simmer Pots
One of my favorite things about stovetop potpourri is that it’s a great way to use up edible ingredients (typically fruit, herbs, spices) that may be old or expiring.
Maybe you made homemade lemonade with fresh lemons. Take the squeezed lemons, that you normally would have thrown away, and add them to a simmer pot. Those squeezed lemons along with other fragrant ingredients will smell delicious for days simmering on your stove!
Or maybe you made my DIY Lemon & Herb Citronella Candles. Take the lemons and the herbs once your candle has burned out, and use them in a simmer pot.

Simmer Pots are a great alternative to lighting candles, air fresheners, room sprays, or diffusers. Once you start simmering your own homemade potpourri, you will love the pleasant aroma that will permeate your home.
Here are 3 simple simmer pot recipes that will instantly make your home smell deliciously inviting!
3 of the Best Simmer Pot Recipes

Williams-Sonoma Simmer Pot Recipe
Walk through one of my favorite stores, Williams-Sonoma and you are met with the soothing aromas of a bright citrusy scent. You can recreate that amazing simmer pot blend with this signature Williams-Sonoma simmer pot recipe that includes lemons, fresh sprigs of rosemary, vanilla, and peppercorns.

Simmer Pot Ingredients
- 3 Sprigs of Rosemary
- Lemon Slices
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Black Peppercorns
- 8 cups Water

The Easy Recipe
In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the rosemary, lemon, vanilla extract, and peppercorns.
Cover with water and bring to a low boil over low heat on the stove top. Continue to simmer, uncovered for up to 2 hours.
Replenish water as needed. Can be used for multiple days (keep pot covered when not simmering), as long as water level is replenished.

Tropical Simmer Pot Recipe
Bring the scent of the tropics into your home with this stovetop potpourri filled with citrus fruits, pineapple, and coconut extract. The delicious aroma of this homemade potpourri will transport you to the Bahamas or the Caribbean without the cost of a plane ticket.

Simmer Pot Ingredients
- Lemon Slices
- Lime Slices
- Orange Slices
- 1 can Pineapple juice
- 1 tsp Coconut extract
- 8 cups Water

The Easy Recipe
In a Dutch oven, combine lemon, lime, orange, pineapple juice, and coconut extract.
Cover with water and bring to a simmer over low heat. Continue to simmer, uncovered for up to 2 hours.
Replenish water as needed. Can be used for multiple days (keep pot covered when not simmering), as long as water is replenished.

All Green Stovetop Potpourri
This all green potpourri recipe is my favorite to have simmering on the stove during the summer months. This potpourri will make your home smell fresh and clean with fresh mint, thyme, limes, and vanilla extract.

All Green Simmer Pot Ingredients
- Lime Slices
- 4 Sprigs Thyme
- 2 Sprigs Mint
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 8 cups Water

The Easy Recipe
In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine limes, mint, thyme, and vanilla extract.
Cover with water and bring to a simmer over low heat. Continue to simmer, uncovered for up to 2 hours.
Replenish water as needed. Can be used for multiple days (keep pot covered when not simmering), as long as water level is replenished.

Customize Your Simmer Pot Recipe
Stovetop potpourri is completely customizable!
Use these recipes as a base or a template to create your own personalized potpourri for your home. The options of the type of fruit, herbs, and spices you use are endless.
No matter what you use, I guarantee your home will smell amazing!

View my google web story, Easy Simmer Pot Recipes for a Delicious Smelling Home.
You Might Also Enjoy
If you enjoyed this blog post, here are a few more simmer pot posts that you might be interested in!
- Simmer Pot for Spring
- Crockpot Potpourri With Fall Scents
- Stovetop Potpourri: A Homemade Christmas Gift Idea
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I look forward to sharing more of my home with you and inspiring you to have a well loved home! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LIKEtoKNOW.it.
xoxo, heidi
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Absolutely Rachel! Thank you so much!!!
Heidi,
This is such a great idea and I’d like to share a link tomorrow on my Dirt Road Adventures. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you Cindy!!!
I can hardly wait to try this. I’ve tried it in the fall and winter but never summer! Thank you for sharing it on Farmhouse Friday. Featuring it at the end of this week. Thanks for linking up! pinned
I would love that, thank you!!!!
Heidi, these look wonderful! I’m sure your home smells heavenly! I would love to include you in my Saturday roundup!
Thank you Jen! I would appreciate that so much!!!
I love this idea Heidi, and I can almost smell them through the screen. Yum! I am goingt to share your idea with my readers this weekend for my week in rewind post. I know they will love it too.