28 Thanksgiving Pumpkin Dessert Recipes to Master
28 Thanksgiving Pumpkin Dessert Recipes to Master
Pumpkin-and-White Chocolate Mousse Pie
This reimagined pumpkin pie from Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in San Francisco has an ethereal pumpkin-and-white-chocolate-mousse filling and a stellar, crunchy crust.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Swirl
These decadent chocolate-crusted bars are topped with a homemade caramel that sinks into the pumpkin cheesecake batter during baking.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Cranberry Gelée
The combination of pumpkin and cranberries in this delicious cheesecake makes it an ideal Thanksgiving ending.
Warm Pumpkin Cake
Warm, soft, spicy and simple, this cake may be one of the best pumpkin desserts you'll ever eat.
Pumpkin Pudding with Mile-High Meringue
Dean Fearing and Jill Bates collaborated on this spiced pumpkin pudding covered with meringue swirls. "It's what all Southerners love about their pies, whether they're coconut, chocolate or banana—the meringue," Fearing says.
Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding with Bourbon-Pecan Hard Sauce
These creamy pumpkin bread puddings are baked in pie dishes so they’re like a hybrid dessert; the lattice top is actually made of strips of butternut squash.
Harvest Mousse with Spiced Almond Tuiles
This fluffy mousse could just as easily be made with fresh or canned pumpkin. Serve the leftover candied squash as a topping for vanilla ice cream.
Pecan-Pumpkin Cream Pie
This pie slices beautifully to reveal not one but two fillings: both pumpkin custard and gooey, syrupy pecan. Chef Joanne Chang’s technique ensures the bottom of the pie shell is perfectly cooked and avoids sogginess. Cooling the blind-baked pie shell with weights keeps it hotter, and flatter, longer.
Pumpkin Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting
In this fun variation on traditional pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake spiced with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves gets frosted with a slightly tangy, super-caramelly frosting. It's delicious served cold or at room temperature.
Mini Spiced Pumpkins
These spice cakes look like tiny pumpkins when they’re covered with orange glaze and topped with a piece of dark licorice, twisted to look like a stem.
Classic Pumpkin Pie
To create a crisp crust on the bottom, Grace Parisi partially bakes the pie shell before adding the filling. If the edge starts to darken too much, cover it with a pie shield or strips of foil.
Pumpkin-Gingersnap Tiramisù
Pumpkin pie meets tiramisù, with layers of pumpkin-mascarpone custard and gingersnaps brushed with Calvados syrup. In the freezer, the flavors and textures meld to form a deliciously creamy dessert.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Topping
Katherine Beto has three rules for making the perfect cheesecake: Start with all of the ingredients at room temperature, scrape down the bowl to avoid lumps, and don’t overbeat the batter.
Pumpkin Cookies
These soft, lightly spiced cake-like cookies are studded with minced candied ginger and topped with a buttery sugar glaze.
Cranberry-Glazed Pumpkin Pie
This pie has a super-simple crust made with store-bought gingersnaps and ground walnuts, a silky pumpkin filling and a cranberry compote topping with more crunchy walnuts.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Brown-Butter Pears
Jane Tseng uses the tangy, pungent, soft-ripened Italian cheese Robiolina and homemade gingersnaps to make her luscious cheesecake; the simplified version here calls for cream cheese and boxed cookies.
Pumpkin-Walnut Praline Bars
Carrie Dove's young son, Jeremy, says these are one of his favorite sweets. The family makes them at Halloween and gives them out to trick-or-treaters. The pumpkin pie filling is terrific smothered in the buttery, nutty praline topping.
Pumpkin Cookies with Dried Fruit and Pistachios
Inspired by the best qualities of holiday fruitcakes, these tender, scone-like cookies get a boozy kick from the brandy in the glaze. To make them more kid-friendly, you can use milk instead.
Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Pie
To create a crisp crust on the bottom, Grace Parisi partially bakes the pie shell before adding the filling. If the edge starts to darken too much, cover it with a pie shield or strips of foil. This is a great crust for Classic Pumpkin Pie and another variation, Pumpkin-Chiffon Pie.
Toasted Hazelnut Pumpkin Cake with Espresso Icing
This cardamom scented nutty pumpkin cake is baked with ground and chopped hazelnuts, while it's crispy exterior gets drizzled with a deliciously-fun espresso icing. A slice of this cake can make for a nice treat with coffee in the morning or served as a special dessert.
Pumpkin Meringue Pie
The meringue topping adds a retro yet elegant note to this holiday classic.
Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Brownie Crust
Thanksgiving Make-Ahead Tip: The baked cheesecake can be refrigerated in the springform pan for up to 4 days.
Pumpkin-Gingerbread with Lemony Cashew Cream
This mildly sweet gingerbread cake is dark, dense, and layered with old-fashioned flavors of fresh ginger and molasses. A lemony cashew cream topping makes this holiday cake dairy free.
Gingered Pumpkin Pie with Candied Pepitas
Take classic pumpkin pie for a spin with this gingery, caramel-y version that’s topped with candied pepitas that add crunch as well as flavor.
Pumpkin Mousse
With nutty, spicy flavor from the prepared pumpkin butter, this mousse comes together in minutes. Tang and body from the crème fraiche, and an airy, light texture from the whipped cream complete this super simple fall dessert. Serve with an extra dollop of whipped cream, or with some sugar cookies on the side.
Pumpkin Layer Cake with Mascarpone Frosting
Ditch the pumpkin pie and try out this moist, creamy pumpkin layer cake, which swaps plain old vanilla buttercream for a mascarpone frosting.
Pumpkin Parfaits
Justin Chapple layers superspeedy pumpkin mousse with whipped mascarpone cream and crushed chocolate wafer cookies for his gorgeous, delicious parfaits.
Thanksgiving pumpkin dessert recipes include classic pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake. Plus more Thanksgiving pumpkin dessert recipes.