28 Pumpkin Recipes We Absolutely Love
Pumpkin-Praline Layer Cake [1]
This nutty layer cake is a favorite dessert with Midwest Living® readers. It has a whipped cream topping over a moist filling of pumpkin, brown sugar, pecans, butter and more whipping cream.
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie [5]
A spiced filling, made from whipped cream, creates a lighter-tasting version of traditional pumpkin pie. The gingersnap crust adds more kick than classic crusts.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Caramel Swirl [9]
This dessert comes from Mooselips Java Joint in Seeley, Wisconsin. It's creamy, cool and not overpowered by the pumpkin or the spice.
Pumpkin Bread [13]
At Burchell's White Hill Farmhouse Inn in Minden, Nebraska, Bob and Linda Ard make this moist, spiced bread using homegrown heirloom pumpkins, but this version of their recipe uses the canned puree.
Pumpkin Bread [14]
Gingered Pumpkin Soup [17]
Maple syrup adds sweetness to Gingered Pumpkin Soup, which makes a creamy side dish or appetizer.
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake [21]
The famous St. Louis dessert gets a makeover from Emily Hobbs of Springfield, Missouri. She adds pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice to the moist cake. The recipe was one of the finalists at Midwest Living's first Best of the Midwest cook-off.
Pumpkin Spice Creme Brulee [25]
This creamy, rich dessert comes from Courtright's Restaurant in Willow Springs, Illinois. Although the restaurant puts a solid crust of caramelized sugar on its creme brulee, we made it easier for you and drizzled it on.
Paradise Pumpkin Pie [33]
A cheesecake layer and nut topping help this pumpkin pie stand out from its peers. This recipe was a winner at the Morton, Illinois, Pumpkin Festival baking competition.
Paradise Pumpkin Pie [34]
Apple Bagel Sandwiches with Pumpkin Cream Cheese [37]
We created this sandwich to celebrate Illinois, which grows 80 percent of the pumpkins processed in the United States. The apple bagel sandwiches are a good option for tailgating events, or try them as a meatless sandwich any time of day. We also like the added crunch of the nuts.
Apple Bagel Sandwiches with Pumpkin Cream Cheese recipe [38]
Pumpkin Trifle [42]
Pumpkin Trifle makes a spectacular ending to a holiday meal, with layers of cranberries, cake and pumpkin. Packaged ingredients such as canned pumpkin, frozen pound cake, canned cranberry sauce, candy bars and instant pudding mix help speed prep time.
Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie [46]
The classic pumpkin pie gets even better with the addition of apple butter, which gives extra sweetness and a slightly softer texture to the dessert. A streusel topping adds a bit of crunch.
Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Muffins [50]
For Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Muffins, we took the classic pumpkin bread and added dried fruit, lemon peel and spices, along with a sprinkling of a crunchy sugar topping.
Pumpkin Corn Chowder [54]
This thick chowder blends corn, pumpkin and chunks of sweet potato.
Pumpkin Corn Chowder [55]
Pumpkin cookies [58]
A hint of pumpkin adds color and flavor to festive Autumn Cutouts (left). Spicy Pumpkin Cookies have a brown-sugar glaze on cakelike cookies. Pumpkin Doodle Doo Cookies will remind you off cinnamony-sweet snickerdoodles.
Autumn Cutouts [59]
Pumpkin Pie Cake [64]
Sprinkle moist pumpkin filling with a cake mix topping for a quick and easy cake. The recipe is from Farmer's Inn in Havana, North Dakota.
Pumpkin Pie Cake [65]
Spiced Pumpkin Bread Pudding [68]
Mixed spiced pumpkin into bread pudding for a new twist on this comfort food.
Pumpkin Chess Pie [72]
The bakers at Wick's Pies in Winchester, Indiana, crossed chess pie with pumpkin pie, adding more eggs, more spices and a little cornmeal to their pumpkin recipe. The result: a pie with a more intense pumpkin and spice flavor, and a slightly thicker filling.
Pumpkin Chess Pie [73]
Pumpkin pie variations [76]
Mommy's Pumpkin Pie: "This recipe is adapted from my mother's classic pumpkin pie," says Linda Hundt, owner of Sweetielicious Bakery Cafe in DeWitt, Michigan. "I added cream to make it a bit richer and orange zest for flavor." The result is a dark, mahogany pumpkin pie with ginger-cinnamon-clove spiciness (bottom pie in photo).
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie: Cream cheese strudel inspired Peter Sterk, owner of Just Pies in Westerville, Ohio, to build a pumpkin pie with a surprise cream cheese layer (top pie in photo). For the creamiest pumpkin pie, don't overbake.
Upper Crust Caramel-Pecan Pumpkin Crumb Pie: Customers at the Upper Crust Pie Shop in Watertown, Wisconsin, anticipate a slice of this fall favorite with crumb topping (not pictured). Owners Donna and Sue Kurschner and staff take orders for as many as 800 pies each Thanksgiving.
Mommy's Pumpkin Pie [77]
Pumpkin-Banana Bread [82]
Lisa Johnson of Gardner, Kansas, added banana to pumpkin bread for a new twist on quick bread treats. "This pumpkin bread is a favorite with our family," she says. "It's easy to make, and my two girls enjoy helping me. They especially enjoy when it's done baking. It makes the house smell wonderful."
Pumpkin-Banana Bread [83]
Pumpkin Fudge [86]
Set this pretty golden fudge on a plate with traditional chocolate fudge and a white fudge for a holiday-special array of colors. The recipe is from a Cherokee, Iowa, reader and was a winner at the Clay County Fair.
Pumpkin Fudge [87]
Pumpkin Scones and Pancakes [90]
Pumpkin blends with spices such as ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in these scones (left) from Cafe Latte at Victoria Crossing in Saint Paul. The moist scone complements a dinnertime feast as well as breakfast.
For a different twist on pumpkin at breakfast, try our Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes. They're good with honey butter and nuts or with traditional maple syrup.
Pumpkin-Gingersnap Pie [95]
Crushed gingersnap cookies and pumpkin-pie spice add zip to the filling of this creamy pie. It's an Amish recipe served at special occasions such as weddings.
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies [99]
These cakelike pumpkin drop cookies are delicious by themselves, but even better topped with a simple brown sugar frosting.
Double-Flavored Muffins [103]
Pumpkin and chocolate blend beautifully in these spiced muffins from Thorp House Inn of Fish Creek, Wisconsin. Cinnamon, mace, nutmeg and cloves flavor the batter.
Double-Flavored Muffins [104]
Seasons Eatings Pumpkin Soup [107]
Sprinkles of salty ham cracklings top this soup from Big Cedar Lodge near Branson, Missouri.
Sunflower Pumpkin Muffins [111]
Hailing as they do from the Sunflower State, Kansas cooks have a knack for creatively including crunchy sunflower seed kernels in all sorts of treats. These tender pumpkin morsels are from the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kansas. The muffins get a double dose of sunflower from both sunflower oil and the seeds.