Food and Recipes Desserts Incredible Pumpkin Dessert Ideas for Fall By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 31, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo: Jennifer Causey There's nothing a little pumpkin spice can't cure on a crisp, chilly autumn day. Fall's go-to gourd makes for a delicate yet satisfying ingredient to enhance desserts. Not to mention, it helps keep cakes and baked goods fresh and moist. So when those seasonal cravings kick in, it's time to embrace all things cozy, comforting, and deliberately sweet. That's where you should welcome the addition of pumpkin to just about every dish gracing your holiday table during sweater weather. In this tasty collection, we've included crowd-pleasing pies, but we also drifted outside the pie pan and latté land to incorporate spiced layers, crumbly crisps, and pumpkin-filled bars. Here are a few smashing pumpkin recipes you'll have no problem preparing or saying yes to this fall. Each far more delicious than the last. 01 of 41 Pumpkin Spice Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cookies Your autumn cookie-baking plans just got a seasonal upgrade with this recipe, the result of which pairs perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea. 02 of 41 Pumpkin Bread Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pumpkin Bread You can never go wrong with pumpkin bread in the fall. It requires just 10 minutes of hands-on time to pull together. 03 of 41 Pumpkin Spice Magic Cake Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Magic Cake Try this recipe and you'll see what makes it so magical. Hint: It involves flan and cake with plenty of pumpkin spice delight. 04 of 41 Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans Everyone loves a bundt cake, and this one comes with a decadent brown sugar icing and plenty of crunch thanks to candied pecans. 05 of 41 Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cookies Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cookies This recipe uses what you already have on hand to make the most of a tin of canned pumpkin and a bag of chocolate chips. The cookies are delicious after dinner or, really, anytime. 06 of 41 Pumpkin Pecan Pie Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis; Recipe: Pumpkin Pecan Pie Store-bought candied pecans add extra sweetness without any effort on your part. If desired, you can also use a pre-made crust and whipped cream to help it come together even faster. 07 of 41 Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Southern Living Recipe: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Two soft cookies filled with cream cheese frosting create a seasonal treat that was made for fall. 08 of 41 Crustless Pumpkin Pie Micah A. Leal A crustless pie lets the flavor of pumpkin shine without the fuss of a pastry layer. 09 of 41 Mini Pumpkin Pies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Mini Pumpkin Pies This recipe turns fall's favorite pie into a finger food that's ideal for laid-back get-togethers. 10 of 41 Pumpkin Crunch Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pumpkin Crunch Cake Trade your creamy pumpkin pie for a cake with crunch. This one is quick to make and is always a showstopper on a fall dessert spread. 11 of 41 Pumpkin Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Recipe: Pumpkin Cake Pumpkin layers and a Spiced Whipped Cream topping make the most of fall flavors without being overly sweet. 12 of 41 Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Recipe: Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake A foil sling is key to safely removing your cheesecake from the Instant Pot once it's done cooking. 13 of 41 Pumpkin Pie Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Cake Canned pumpkin and yellow cake mix come together to create a soft and moist dessert that's part cake and part pie. 14 of 41 Pumpkin Layer Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting Alison Gootee; Styling: Suzonne Stirling Recipe: Pumpkin Layer Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting This classic layer cake recipe gets a pumpkin twist with the addition of seasonal ingredients and a sweet frosting. 15 of 41 Pumpkin Spice Muffins Micah A. Leal Our best-ever pumpkin spice muffin recipe is a perfect dessert-for-breakfast option, and it's easy to make ahead for breezy mornings and grab-and-go snack time. 16 of 41 Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Why choose between pumpkin pie and cheesecake when you can have both in one layered dessert. 17 of 41 Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes Micah A. Leal The flavor of your favorite seasonal latte gets baked to perfection in this cupcake recipe, which is easy to make in big batches for fall parties. 18 of 41 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies This is the simplest version of one of our favorite fall flavor pairings: pumpkin and chocolate chips. These two team up to make a cookie so delicious it'll disappear quickly from the cookie jar. 19 of 41 Pumpkin-Chocolate Brownies Greg DuPree Recipe: Pumpkin-Chocolate Brownies Pumpkin swirled into chocolaty, chewy brownies? Yes, please! 20 of 41 Our Easiest Pumpkin Pie Ever Photo: Greg Dupree Recipe: Our Easiest Pumpkin Pie Ever Easy as pie. Pun intended. 21 of 41 Pumpkin Spice Battenberg Greg DuPree Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Battenberg A seasonal take on a traditional cake, this pretty battenberg is certainly a showstopper. 22 of 41 Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Honey Swiss Meringue Jody Horton Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Honey Swiss Meringue A sure-fire showstopper, with its airy meringue topping, toasted pecan crust, and traditional pumpkin filling. This one's worth trading in summer strawberry cheesecake for. 23 of 41 Pumpkin-Espresso Tiramisù Alison Miksch Recipe: Pumpkin-Espresso Tiramisù Layered to pumpkin perfection with a creamy tiramisù filling. Finish off the cake with a sprinkle of nutmeg and then press ladyfingers onto the sides. 24 of 41 Southern Pumpkin Pie Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Southern Pumpkin Pie by Back in the Day Bakery This classic pumpkin pie recipe comes from Cheryl Day and her Back in the Day Bakery. It's a crowd pleaser that's perfect for a fall afternoon (and impressive enough for your Thanksgiving dessert spread!). 25 of 41 Pumpkin Cheesecake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake The best way to describe this dessert is that it combines all the classic cheesecake flavor you love with pumpkin puree, plus the chocolate and cinnamon graham cracker crust is to die for. 26 of 41 Coconut-Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Hector M. Sanchez Recipe: Coconut-Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Pumpkin pie turned up with fluffy chiffon and toasted coconut. 27 of 41 Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Recipe: Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt This gorgeous Bundt cake blends our favorite autumnal flavors of cranberry, apple, and pumpkin together, with a crunchy pecan and maple glaze drizzled on top. 28 of 41 Pumpkin Tart with Whipped Cream and Almond Toffee Jennifer Davick Recipe: Pumpkin Tart with Whipped Cream and Almond Toffee An easier and more elegant way to serve pumpkin pie during autumn. The molasses and toffee flavor really elevate this dessert. 29 of 41 Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake Iain Bagwell Recipe: Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake A pecan-praline filling, whipped topping, and pumpkin-filled batter are the finishing touches for this glorious spiced pumpkin cake. Swoon. 30 of 41 Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie Iain Bagwell Recipe: Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie This pie gets its name from the delicious melted chocolate layered on the bottom. 31 of 41 Pumpkin-Pecan Streusel Pie Photo: Helen Norman Recipe: Pumpkin-Pecan Streusel Pie The only pie you'll need on your dessert table. This pecan streusel delicacy is like a cross between pumpkin pie and coffee cake. 32 of 41 Pumpkin-Pecan Cheesecake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Pumpkin-Pecan Cheesecake The added layer of nutty pecan flavor in this pumpkin cheesecake will have you reaching for another slice, or maybe even two. 33 of 41 Pumpkin-Lemon Cream Cheese Chess Pie Alison Miksch Finally, a dessert you can really be thankful for when the holidays roll around. 34 of 41 Pumpkin Dump Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pumpkin Dump Cake A mix of warming spices combine to create an irresistible (and easy) cake that's perfect for all your fall entertaining. 35 of 41 Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Puddings Jim Franco Recipe: Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Puddings If you're hosting holiday parties this fall, they need to end with spoonfuls of this delicious pumpkin-filled bread pudding. This recipe's a keeper. 36 of 41 Pumpkin-Honey-Beer Bread Alison Miksch; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell Recipe: Pumpkin-Honey-Beer Bread Combine the winning trio of pumpkin, honey, and beer, and you've got a stunner of a seasonal bread. It's just indulgent enough for dessert, and it's the perfect base for a bread pudding. 37 of 41 Pumpkin-Honey-Beer Bread Pudding with Apple Brandy-Caramel Sauce Alison Miksch Recipe: Pumpkin-Honey-Beer Bread Pudding with Apple Brandy-Caramel Sauce Once you've made a loaf of Pumpkin-Honey-Beer Bread, follow it up with a delicious dessert, namely, this holiday-ready bread pudding with an indulgent sauce. 38 of 41 Pumpkin Spice-Heath Cake Alison Miksch Recipe: Pumpkin Spice-Heath Cake What do you get when you mix a classic Heath bar with pumpkin spice? A whole lotta nice, that's what. This sheet cake is ooey-gooey and oh-so-good! 39 of 41 Pumpkin Crisp Southern Living Recipe: Pumpkin Crisp When you're tired of pumpkin pie, whip up this easy, buttery rich dessert. 40 of 41 Pumpkin Fudge Photo: Ralph Anderson Recipe: Pumpkin Fudge Smooth, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth squares that are perfect for a late-night treat. 41 of 41 Pumpkin Roll Via Southern Living Recipe: Pumpkin Roll Roll it, pat it, and mark it with a "P." You'll fall in love with this impressive pinwheel. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit