Cooking

29 Pumpkin Desserts to Bake This Fall

Think gingery pumpkin bread, cookies studded with chocolate and pecans, spice-laden cakes slathered in cream cheese frosting, and plenty more reasons to open another can of pumpkin.
Pumpkin chiffon pie topped with whipped cream and Biscoff cookie crumbs with two slices cut out.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

There’s no shortage of things to do with a can of pumpkin purée, but making dessert might be our favorite. Think plush pumpkin bread, cookies studded with chocolate and pecans, and spice-laden cakes slathered in cream cheese frosting. And, of course, pumpkin pie—though we’ve got a few ideas that might tempt you to stray from the classic.

Among our favorite pumpkin desserts, you’ll find chewy pumpkin mochi crumb cake, lush pumpkin tiramisu, and a Basque cheesecake with a burnished umber top. Most start with canned pumpkin purée, so you don’t have to wrestle with a whole squash. Whether you’re plotting your Thanksgiving dessert spread or just looking for an excuse to turn on the oven, there’s plenty here to keep you baking all season long.

  • Pumpkin Bread recipe
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    1/29

    Pumpkin Bread With Salted Maple Butter

    Fresh ginger gives this sweet pumpkin bread a little kick, while pumpkin seeds add crunch. Don’t skip the salted maple butter for slathering on each and every slice.

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  • Pumpkin muffins filled with sweetened cream cheese and topped with pepita streusel.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Erika Joyce, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley
    2/29

    Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

    A sweetened cream cheese center, pepita streusel, and plenty of pumpkin spice. These muffins make a strong case for eating cake for breakfast.

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  • A slice of pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream on a white plate.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni
    3/29

    BA’s Best Pumpkin Pie

    She’s the queen of pumpkin desserts: silky filling, flaky crust, a whisper of spice. This is pumpkin pie done right.

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  • Squares of pumpkin flavored mochi crumb cake on a serving platter.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Luciana Lamboy, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley
    4/29

    Pumpkin Mochi Crumb Cake

    Classic crumb cake meets chewy, bouncy mochi in this pumpkin-spiced mash-up. A buttery pecan streusel makes it a delightful cacophony of textures.

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  • A pumpkin bundt cake with spirals of chocolate throughout and drizzled with a chocolate ganache. Various cake plates...
    Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz
    5/29

    Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake

    With dramatic chocolate swirls and a glossy ganache topping, this austere pumpkin Bundt cake looks like a project. Good news: You don’t even need a mixer.

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  • A serving plate full of wrinkly pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with pecans.
    Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
    6/29

    Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

    With crunchy pecans, pools of dark chocolate, and plenty of spice, these chewy cookies’ fall vibes are impeccable.

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  • Pumpkin basque cheesecake on a platter
    Photography by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco
    7/29

    Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake

    With its deeply browned top and custardy, pumpkin-spiced center, this Basque cheesecake looks impressive and skips the fussy water bath. No crust required.

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  • Pumpkin silk pie topped with whipped cream and Biscoff cookie crumbs and cut into pieces.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    8/29

    Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

    Eating this atypical pumpkin pie is like biting into a pumpkin-spiced cloud. A richly spiced Biscoff cookie crust keeps things grounded.

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  • Pumpkin Tiramisu on a brown fabric background
    Photography by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Tim Ferro, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi
    9/29

    Pumpkin Tiramisu

    Everything you love about classic tiramisu, with the warming spices of a pumpkin spice latte. There’s bourbon in there too, so it’s decidedly not your morning coffee order.

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  • A square slice of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting on a plate.
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown, Prop Styling by Adrian ababovic, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi
    10/29

    Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Cake

    Pumpkin sheet cake, tangy maple cream cheese frosting, and a little extra maple syrup drizzled over the top. What’s not to love?

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  • A square slice of pumpkin spice crumb cake
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Suzie Myers
    13/29

    Pumpkin Spice Crumb Cake

    With nearly as much buttery streusel as fluffy pumpkin cake, this is one crumb cake that takes its topping seriously.

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  • Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Sour Cream Topping on a platter with a slice cut out and drinks on the side
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    14/29

    Pumpkin Cheesecake With Bourbon–Sour Cream Topping

    Bourbon adds depth to the spiced pumpkin filling, while a tangy sour cream topping balances the richness. Even the graham cracker crust gets an upgrade with chopped pecans.

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  • Image may contain Cutlery Fork Confectionery Food Sweets Dessert Cake Pie and Tart
    Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by D'mytrek Brown
    15/29

    Pumpkin-Tahini Mousse Pie

    Tahini gives this cloudlike pumpkin mousse pie a little nutty depth, while whipped cream keeps the filling light and airy.

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  • Square pumpkin cheesecake bars with brown and golden swirls.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    16/29

    Marbled Pumpkin-Maple Cheesecake Bars

    Can’t choose between pumpkin pie and cheesecake? These tangy, maple-sweetened bars make a pretty convincing argument for having both.

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  • PecanRye Pumpkin Pie
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    21/29

    Pecan-Rye Pumpkin Pie

    Imagine pumpkin pie with pecan pie’s best feature: that crunchy, candied nut topping. A nutty rye crust makes the whole thing even better.

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  • Pumpkin pie in a ceramic green dish topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini
    22/29

    Pumpkin Icebox Pie With Snickerdoodle Crust

    Who needs regular pie dough when you can press cinnamon-sugar-coated snickerdoodle dough into the pan instead? Flood it with the creamy pumpkin filling and chill.

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  • A shallow dish of pumpkin creme brulee with the top cracked to reveal the custard underneath.
    Photo by Tim Morris
    27/29

    Pumpkin and Brown-Sugar Crème Brûlée

    The only thing more satisfying than cracking through that caramelized sugar topping? Finding a luscious, pumpkin-spiced custard underneath.

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  • A display of mini Halloween cupcakes iced with black white and orange frosting and topped with MMs candy corn and candy...
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht
    28/29

    Fun-Size Halloween Cupcakes

    Dress these mini pumpkin cupcakes up for Halloween, or down for fall bake sales and birthday parties. Set out the frosting and candy, and let everyone decorate their own.

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Joe joined the Bon Appétit team in 2022 after climbing the editorial ranks for a few years at Condé Nast’s other food publication, Epicurious. As the senior SEO editor, he works to make sure Google loves all of BA’s cooking stories just as much as you do. Look for his ... Read More
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