80 Pumpkin Desserts to Make on Repeat This Fall
Is it really fall if you haven’t indulged in a pumpkin spice latte…and a slice of pumpkin pie…with a side of pumpkin ice cream? The season of the squash starts this September, and in order to *properly* bask in this orange gourd’s glory, we’re turning on our oven and churning out all the pumpkin desserts we can think of. From pumpkin angel food cake to pumpkin spice toffee (and pumpkin cookies, pies and brownies, too), consider this your bucket list for everything sweet, spicy and autumnal. You have from now until Thanksgiving to bake them all—just kidding. (Or are we?)
RELATED: 50 Amazing Pumpkin Recipes to Make All Fall Long
1. Pumpkin Black and White Cookies
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
These soft, fluffy cookies are all dressed up and ready for fall—and they don’t even require a stand mixer to make. You can shortcut the recipe further by replacing the spices with a store-bought pumpkin spice blend.
2. Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
We’ll let you in on a secret: The base for these cookies is the same as the black-and-whites. You could even make a half batch of each in the same day.
3. No-Cook Pumpkin Spice Tiramisu
Time Commitment: 6 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
Why We Love It: no cook, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
With coffee-soaked ladyfingers and all that pumpkin-laced cream, this decadent dessert tastes almost like your beloved PSL—if someone spiked your latte with booze, that is.
4. Pumpkin Angel Food Cake
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <500 calories
It has all the cloud-like airiness of an angel food cake, plus tons of pumpkin flavor and a thick cream cheese glaze.
5. Creamy Pumpkin Eton Mess
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion–worthy
Imagine the best parts of a pumpkin pie (aka the filling and whipped cream) all wrapped up in one bowl. This has fancy Thanksgiving dessert written all over it.
6. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Is it breakfast, dessert or both? We like to think you don’t have to choose.
7. Biscuit Dough Pumpkin Hand Pies
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
While we love a traditional pie crust, it can be time consuming and fussy. Enter store-bought biscuit dough, which is the secret behind these foolproof handheld bites.
8. Pumpkin Brioche
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes (+ rising time)
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
The minute the weather gets chilly, we’re breaking out our softest sweaters and baking up a batch of this pillowy, buttery bread. (Psst: Leave the sugar off if you want to serve it as a pumpkin dinner roll situation.)
9. Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Soft pumpkin outside, creamy cheesecake inside—take a bite, and the cookie will practically melt in your mouth.
10. Pumpkin Spice Pecan Rolls
Time Commitment: 3 hours, 5 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
We’d say the creamy icing is optional here…but we’d be lying. The rolls are a bit of a baking project , but the pillowy soft results are so worth the effort.
11. Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon-Roll Crust
Time Commitment: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
How to achieve rock-star status this Thanksgiving? Serve ’em this genius pie.
12. Pumpkin Cake with a Pistachio Glaze
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
One of the best things about a bundt cake is that it comes out of the oven already looking great. A drizzle of glaze and voilà, a stunning dessert.
13. Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow Meringue
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Creamy, spicy, sweet, fluffy and just extra enough. You'll need a kitchen torch to toast the meringue topping (so consider it your excuse to finally spring for one).
14. Pumpkin Pecan Polvorones
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
They’re pumpkin-flavored Mexican wedding cookies, and they’re as delicious as they look.
15. Mini Pumpkin Pies
Time Commitment: 3 hours
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Why make one big Thanksgiving dessert when you can make a huge batch of itty-bitty ones? (We bet you can’t stop at a single bite.)
16. Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Pie
Time Commitment: 7 hours
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
If pumpkin pie is too dense and rich, allow us to introduce you to this light and fluffy version.
17. Best Pumpkin Cupcakes
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Why are they the best, you ask? Well, in addition to pumpkin, they also contain maple syrup and apple cider.
18. Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
Time Commitment: 4 hours, 50 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, <500 calories, gluten free
This is the best excuse to bust out your blow torch. (It seems like it takes a while to make, but most of that is spent chilling in the fridge.)
19. Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Doughnuts
Time Commitment: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Or, if regular crème brûlée isn’t enough, turn it into a fall-ready doughnut.
20. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, one pan
If a chocolate chip cookie and a pumpkin cake had a very delicious baby, this would be it. Bring a batch to every housewarming and potluck on your calendar.
21. Pumpkin Spice Toffee
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
FYI, homemade candy makes an excellent party favor or gift. (Or you can keep it all for yourself, we won’t judge.)
22. Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
Time Commitment: 37 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Lunch box carriers (and packers) rejoice. Every bite is infused with fall flavor, thanks to the addition of a little pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.
23. Brown Butter Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
The cookies are soft and caky, and the frosting has butterscotch notes that will have you practically licking the bowl.
24. One-Bowl Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
This and an afternoon coffee? We have all the fall feels. (Plus, since it's a one-bowl recipe, cleanup is a breeze, making this a great low-effort baking project.)
25. Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
As if it couldn’t get any better, the crust is made from speculoos cookies. Swoon.
26. Pumpkin Cake
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Not one but two cream cheese frostings—plain and cinnamon-maple—put this seasonal cake over the top.
27. Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
Time Commitment: 12 hours (includes chilling)
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Talk about winning your annual Friendsgiving. (Not that it’s a competition or anything.)
28. Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Sure, the Totoro decorations are optional, but how could you say no? Halloween dessert has never been cuter.
29. Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, ready in <30 minutes
Regardless of your feelings about the famous fall drink, these cupcakes have the ideal balance of sweet, warm fall spice and espresso kick.
30. Pumpkin Pie White Chocolate Brownies
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
They’re fudgy and sweet with just the right amount of spice. Plus, they’re ready in less than an hour, and we can’t complain about that.
31. Chai Pumpkin Pie with Maple Whipped Cream
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, <500 calories
You know those people who say they don’t like pumpkin pie? They’ll like this one.
32. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
OK, but if they *actually* don’t like pumpkin pie, they’ll probably like this moist, chocolatey cake. You can serve two desserts at Thanksgiving, you know.
33. Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie Bars
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Is it just us, or will salted caramel never get old? Bonus, these can be made ahead and frozen for up to a month.
34. Pumpkin Cake with Ginger, Chocolate and Meringue
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
If you’re looking to pull out all the stops, we’ve found the cake for you.
35. Pumpkin Roll
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
It’s classic, and yet so impressive. The cream cheese filling doesn’t hurt either. The trick to rolling a perfect swirl is to dive in while the cake is still warm, so it doesn’t crack.
36. Pumpkin Butterscotch Pudding with Whipped Mascarpone
Time Commitment: 2 hours, 20 minutes (includes chilling)
Why We Love It: gluten free, vegan (optional)
Are you a professional chef or something? (Psst: You can make this dessert vegan by subbing in plant milk.)
37. Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free, dairy free
Bonus, these autumnal treats are vegan and gluten free.
38. Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Buttercrunch
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, gluten free
If you’ve never tried buttercrunch, it’s like a cross between a brown butter toffee and caramel—pretty close to perfection, if you ask us.
39. Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
Fall baking wouldn’t be complete without at least one frosted pumpkin bar.
40. Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
They’re crackly and chewy on the outside yet soft on the inside, thanks to all that pumpkin puree.
41. Molten Chocolate Pumpkin Streusel Bread
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Emphasis on the molten chocolate.
42. Pumpkin Tiramisu
Time Commitment: 8 hours (includes chilling)
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy
We know there wasn’t pumpkin pie at the first Thanksgiving—who says it has to be on your table either?
43. Pumpkin Gooey Bars
Time Commitment: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
They’re like a fall-ified version of those seven-layer bars you know and love.
44. Pumpkin Spice Latte Macarons
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Fall is the best time to get cozy with a baking project. These macarons are involved, but so worth it.
45. Healthy Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, dairy free (optional)
With all that salted maple frosting, no one will guess that they’re grain-free. Pro tip: Omit the frosting and swap in coconut sugar to make it paleo-friendly.
46. Pumpkin Dessert Bars
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
It’s a sweet pumpkin-pie-like base topped with a dense yellow cake topping that’s buttery and impossibly easy to make, thanks to a boxed mix.
47. Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: <500 calories, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
They’re so soft and chewy, you’ll want to make a batch every week in October (and November).
48. Pumpkin Mousse
Time Commitment: 8 hours (includes chilling)
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, special occasion–worthy
Ready thy spoons. These elegant mousse cups require just eight ingredients to make.
49. Pumpkin Dream Cake
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
With those swoops and swirls of cinnamon cream cheese frosting, we understand why it’s a dream.
50. Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie
Time Commitment: 7 hours, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Pumpkin or pecan pie? On Thanksgiving, you don’t have to choose.
51. Spiced Pumpkin Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
You absolutely don’t need to be celebrating a birthday to make this beauty. This recipe calls for making Swiss meringue buttercream from scratch, but we won't judge if you want to skip the double boiler and opt for a simpler cream cheese frosting or slather on a store-bought icing.
52. Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts with Maple Glaze
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
Confession: We’d make these treats even if it wasn’t fall. (Must be that maple glaze.) And since they’re baked instead of fried, we totally can.
53. Pumpkin Spice Tahini Cookies
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, gluten free
Good news, you don’t need a stand mixer to make these chewy, lightly sweet cookies.
54. Pumpkin Spice Ricotta Cheesecake Bars
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
The addition of ricotta keeps things from getting too rich.
55. Almost No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse Pie
Time Commitment: 3 hours
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
No oven, no problem. Add this one to your Thanksgiving menu ASAP.
56. Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cream Sauce
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser
The bourbon goes in the cream sauce at the end, so skip it if you’re serving to kids.
57. Pumpkin Slab Pie
Time Commitment: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Feeding a ravenous, fall-obsessed crowd has never been easier.
58. Black Sesame Pumpkin Mochi Cake
Time Commitment: 2 hours
Why We Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser
Mochi cake is a bouncy, chewy rice-based Japanese confection. The addition of pumpkin isn’t traditional, but it sure is tasty.
59. Pumpkin Fudge Brownies
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
The rich brownies are made even more decadent with a pumpkin cheesecake layer.
60. Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Bake
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Cinnamon is our second-favorite fall flavor, so this pairing makes sense. The whole thing tastes like the middle of a cinnamon roll, aka the best part.
61. Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: no bake, beginner-friendly
It’s made with Greek yogurt, so if you want to get your pumpkin fix at breakfast, go right ahead.
62. Pumpkin Cake
Time Commitment: 4 hours
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
A whopping two cups of canned pumpkin ensure the texture is impossibly moist.
63. Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream
Time Commitment: 4 hours, 35 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Just because it’s fall doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a scoop (or two) of the cold stuff.
64. Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
We know you’ve been looking to invest in a doughnut pan—now’s your chance.
65. Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Apple and pecan pie don’t know what’s coming.
66. Pumpkin Pie Butter Pecan Milkshake
Time Commitment: 7 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, no bake, <10 ingredients, ready in <15 minutes
On the off chance that you have a leftover slice of pie post-Thanksgiving feast, it’s your cue to break out the blender.
67. Pumpkin Blondies with Chocolate Chips
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Don’t stop at chocolate chips. You can add pecans, toffee bits and even diced-up candy bars if you want to go all out.
68. No-Bake Spice Cake Pumpkin Truffles
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: no bake, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Add googly eyes and cookie “bat wings” and the kids will go wild.
69. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles
Time Commitment: 2 hours, 50 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, <10 ingredients
We love a no-bake, ten-ingredient dessert. They’re dipped in sweet white chocolate, but you could also try semi-sweet or dark.
70. Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
With that salted caramel drizzle, do we need to say more?
71. Salted Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding
Time Commitment: 4 hours
Why We Love It: dairy free, gluten free, vegan
This pudding is actually pretty healthy, thanks to the banana and dairy-free yogurt base. But you can totally substitute Greek yogurt or traditional milk, if almond milk and dairy-free yogurt aren't your thing.
72. Pumpkin Fritters
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: <500 calories, ready in <30 minutes
Don’t skip the bourbon cream cheese glaze for dipping. If you have any leftovers, reheat them in the oven to give them a second life.
73. Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, ready in <30 minutes, no cook
You don’t need a water bath or a springform pan to pull off an elegant holiday dessert.
74. Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bars
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
The brown butter requires a little extra time and effort, but it’s worth it for infusing the bars with rich, nutty flavor.
75. Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
We think cupcakes are the ideal chance to go a little extra. Each bite of these cuties is packed with sweet pumpkin and light, fluffy frosting.
76. Mini Pumpkin Cream Pies
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: no bake, <10 ingredients, ready in <30 minutes
You’ll want to pipe the pumpkin filling straight into your mouth. The mini crusts are store-bought, so these pies are surprisingly easy to make.
77. Creamy No-Churn Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Time Commitment: 8 hours, 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
No ice cream maker? Don’t worry. If you can make whipped cream, you can make this treat.
78. Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: gluten free, vegan, dairy free
This one goes out to our gluten-free, vegan friends at the feast.
79. Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Pumpkin Pie
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
This is what dessert dreams are made of. Serve it warm and gooey or at room temp, with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
80. Pumpkin Spice Icebox Cake
Time Commitment: 12 hours, 40 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Don’t tell anyone, but the cookies are store-bought. While the assembly takes some time, the bulk of this project is simply waiting overnight for the dessert to set.
RELATED: 95 Fall Dinner Ideas Starring Easy Seasonal Recipes
Katherine Gillen is a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she's an avid home cook and fanatic baker.
