29 Pumpkin Desserts to Bake Your Way Through Fall
It only takes a faint whisper of fall to spark our excitement for pumpkin desserts. In the lineup below, you’ll find pumpkin used in familiar treats like pumpkin bread and beignets, seasonal takes on pavlova and crème brûlée, and pumpkin pie—lots and lots of pumpkin pie. Maple, bourbon, tahini, and, of course, pumpkin spice are among the many fall flavors that star alongside the native gourd in this list of fall favorites. You can make do with the canned stuff for most of them, but there are also a few fresh pumpkin dessert recipes to use up any strays from a pre-Halloween trip to the pumpkin patch.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson1/29Pumpkin Cheesecake With Bourbon-Sour Cream Topping
If you’re in the market for the best pumpkin desserts that are not pie but will still wow a crowd, this cheesecake is one of our top recommendations. The warm flavors of bourbon play wonderfully here with brown sugar and tangy sour cream in the filling, which sits over a nutty graham cracker crust.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart2/29Pumpkin Bread
This one-bowl quick bread recipe yields an easy loaf with some added bells and whistles in the form of zippy orange zest and crunchy walnuts. We love to bake pumpkin bread as an afternoon snack, but it’s also stellar toasted and served after dinner with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can also bake this in a muffin tin for individual pumpkin muffins; the cook time will just be quicker.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mira Evnine3/29Classic Pumpkin Pie
You could get playful this year and make this combo pumpkin pecan number to get two pies in one. But sometimes the classics win, and the most classic version of the most classic Thanksgiving pie comes from the pages of Gourmet magazine. Round out the ultimate holiday dessert buffet with our easy recipes for pecan pie and apple pie too.
Photo by Alan Richardson4/29Larry the Turkey Cupcakes
Channel your artistic side and transform Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes into Thanksgiving’s very own mascot, Larry the Turkey.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Anna Surbatovich, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks6/29Spiced Pavlova With Pumpkin Mousse
Photo by Jennifer Davick7/29Big Easy Pumpkin Beignets
These pillowy fried dough bites feature pumpkin purée in the batter, making the winter squash the star of the show.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini8/29Pumpkin Icebox Pie With Snickerdoodle Crust
A cinnamon-sugar coated snickerdoodle cookie dough is pressed into a pie plate, making a fun and easy crust for this dreamy, creamy pumpkin icebox pie.
Photo by Lisa Hubbard10/29Maple Pumpkin Pots de Crème
Luscious cream, canned pumpkin, and maple syrup band together to create these velvety pots de crèmes which are good as is, but maybe even better with a brûléed top.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Anna Hampton11/29Pumpkin and Cookie-Butter Sheet Cake With Toasted Meringue
Speculoos cookies in “butter” form add a spicy complexity to pumpkin purée for a new spin on the classic fall dessert. Got extra cookie butter? Make this malted speculoos shake.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Laura Rege12/29White Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse
White chocolate adds a rich, creamy sweetness to this quick pumpkin mousse. Serve it alone as a gluten-free Thanksgiving dessert or make it as part of our Build-Your-Own Pie Bar with individual pie crust cookies, brown butter wet nuts, and stovetop butterscotch apples.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Pearl Jones13/29Marbled Pumpkin-Maple Cheesecake Bars
The creamy cheesecake meets the pumpkin pie in these delicious pumpkin bars. For peak pumpkin flavor, be sure to use the winner of our pumpkin purée taste test.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi14/29Bourbon Pumpkin Pie
A custardy base gives this Thanksgiving pumpkin pie recipe an ethereal texture. Bourbon amplifies the warmth of the cinnamon, allspice, and ginger while sour cream acts as a tangy reprieve.
