75 Best Pumpkin Desserts to End All Your Fall Dinners on a Sweet Note
Make sure you've got enough to go around—nobody will want to share these treats!
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Looking for more delicious ways to enjoy pumpkin this autumn? We've got you covered. These easy pumpkin desserts are fun, colorful, and delectable. But best of all, they're all very simple to throw together. From pumpkin cakes to pumpkin pies, we've managed to include just about every sort of pumpkin-flavored dessert under the sun in our list, as well as recipes for pumpkin breads, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin scones.
Of course, while you could absolutely enjoy any of the sweet treats on our list solo, they're best shared with friends. And besides, what better excuse to show off your fall baking than to host a fall dinner party? If you're looking for an even more elaborate occasion on which to showcase your baking adventures, Thanksgiving's a pretty great option, or you can simply add one of your pumpkin creations to the table of Halloween treats at your annual Halloween party.
Sugar on your mind? Ours too—always!—but as with any day of baking, you'll want to take care not to forget the savory stuff too. Fall appetizers and seasonal cocktails are an excellent way to celebrate the season before indulging in one of these decadent confections, and you always whip up a fresh plate of pumpkin pasta, a steaming bowl of pumpkin soup, or even a healthy pumpkin dish too.
Be warned, though: Once you start scrolling through these fantastic recipes, you'll want to make everything ASAP. They're truly to pie for!
Pecan-Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
This sweet treat is simple enough for weekday desserts, but elegant enough for a place at the Thanksgiving table.
Spiced Pumpkin Latte Cheesecake
With a touch of instant coffee and pumpkin pie spice, this cheesecake has all the PSL flavor you love.
Whoopie Pies
This recipe gives basic whoopie pies a run for their money. Here, a maple-spice filling holds pumpkin cakes together.
Pumpkin-Goat Cheese Cheesecake
To save time making this sweet treat, purchase ready-to-go graham cracker crumbs and make the crust according to the directions on the package.
Pumpkin-Seed Brittle
Crunchy raw pepitas and warm cinnamon add a salty-sweet-spicy burst of flavor to a basic brittle.
Pumpkin Pie with Walnut Crust
Both this crust and pie can be made up to 2 days ahead, saving you from day-of stress in the kitchen.
Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding
Sticky and sweet, this bread pudding celebrates the quintessential flavors of the season.
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
Say hello to your new favorite fall dessert recipe.
Easy Eggnog Pumpkin Pie
Store bought dough makes this eggnog-infused holiday dessert a breeze to make!
Mini Pumpkin Cakes
Pumpkins vary in shape and size, and these pumpkin-spice cakes do the same. To take these cakes to a delicious new level, adapt the recipe with cocoa. Replace 3 tablespoons flour with 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa. The result will be a delectable little cake, rich with chocolatey flavor and tinged with autumn baking spices.
Citrus Glaze: For a pumpkin-like color, combine 1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar with 3 tablespoons lemon juice and tint with orange food coloring. Drizzle over cake with a spoon.
Vanilla Glaze: This sweet classic combines 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar with 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Drizzle over cake.
Sugar Toppings: After cakes have been brushed lightly with corn syrup, they can be sprinkled with pumpkin-colored sparkling sugar.
Pumpkin Pie with Autumn Leaves
Shhhhh. This pastry isn't homemade. And the leaves are baked on a sheet pan. Before slicing pie, remove leaves, then replace on guests' plates. Pastry oak leaves look pretty and hide crust imperfections. For quick color, dot with fresh cranberries that you've coated with corn syrup and rolled in sugar.
Donuts with Cream-Cheese Pumpkin Icing
Chocolate cake donuts, cider donuts, and old-fashioned style, from a bakery or supermarket, are sturdy enough to withstand spreads and toppings. Try cream-cheese icing, or whip together peanut butter and honey.
Cream-Cheese Pumpkin Icing: Beat 4 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons each softened butter and pumpkin puree, with 2 cups confectioners' sugar, 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until light and creamy. Keep chilled until ready to use. Makes 1 3/4 cups.
Tiered Pumpkin Spice Cake
This towering pumpkin patch begins as three cakes in graduated sizes, with three generous layers of Honey and Spice Buttercream that escape temptingly toward the tiers' edges. The pumpkins and leaves, both made of tined marzipan, needn't be perfect to be appreciated, so invite young helpers to assist.
Chocolate Pumpkin Witch Cupcakes
The chocolate and pumpkin cupcake in this festive recipe is enhanced by the creamy hazelnut frosting.
Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
This pumpkin pie, complete with yummy apple butter, is a fall and winter favorite.
Pumpkin Spice Cakes
Three different pans and one pumpkin-spice recipe yield a trio of tiny cakes. Wrapped in ribbon, the sugar frosted cake is made in a muffin tin. A mini Bundt cake is dressed in a citrus glaze. The little layer cake is baked in ramekins.
Cream Puffs with Pumpkin Pastry Cream
If you have trouble stopping at one pastry, you'll love this recipe. Each serving provides four little puffs, which is as decadent as it is delicious. If you're pressed for time, skip the pastry and serve the cream by itself.
Pumpkin-Ginger Cheesecake
If you prefer cheesecake to pumpkin pie, this cake is for you. Sweet and spicy crystallized ginger complements the pumpkin cheesecake filling and crust made of walnuts with gingersnap cookies.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cookie Crust
Save room for a second slice of this creamy cheesecake.
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