45 Pumpkin Recipes We Absolutely Love

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated August 17, 2020

Enjoy the rich taste of pumpkin in pies, cakes, soups, cupcakes, bar cookies, cheesecakes and more.

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Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake

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Like the chocolate-and-vanilla retro classic, this gingery icebox cake requires some make-ahead assembly--but no baking. And it's absolutely drool-worthy.

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

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Cream cheese strudel inspired the owner of Just Pies in Westerville, Ohio, to build a pumpkin pie with a surprise cream cheese layer. For the creamiest pumpkin pie, don't overbake.

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Pumpkin-Praline Layer Cake

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This nutty layer cake is a favorite dessert with Midwest Living® readers. Whipped cream topping complements a moist filling of pumpkin, brown sugar, pecans, butter and more whipping cream.

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Hazelnut Pumpkin Cheesecake

Credit: Brie Passano
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Trot this one out at Thanksgiving and watch those pies quake in their aluminum plates. Gingersnaps in the base and tangy sour cream topping balance the pumpkin-spice sweetness.

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Maple Pumpkin Pie with Salted Pecan Brittle

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The combination of maple and pumpkin flavors make a second slice of this pie hard to resist. Prepare the pecan brittle up to a week ahead, then sprinkle on just before serving.

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Bourbon-Spiked Pumpkin Bread Pudding

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Rather than cube the bread, we made sandwiches, layering cinnamon-raisin swirl bread with a creamy pumpkin filling. Serve with a generous drizzle of boozy cheaters' caramel sauce.

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Marbled Chocolate-Pumpkin Brownies

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Swirl a layer of cream cheese and pumpkin into chocolate batter to create these luscious brownies, and sprinkle walnuts on top for extra crunch.

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Pumpkin Bread

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The innkeepers at Burchell's White Hill Farmhouse Inn in Minden, Nebraska, make this moist spiced bread using homegrown heirloom pumpkins, but this version of their recipe uses canned puree.

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Pumpkin-Pecan Tassies

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These tiny pies, baked in a muffin tin, showcase the flavors of pumpkin and pecans in a one- or two-bite dessert.

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Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

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This utterly unforgettable autumn cake layers moist chocolate-pumpkin cake, luscious milk chocolate ganache and fluffy pumpkin-spice whipped cream. The recipe comes from Minnesota blogger Amanda Rettke (iambaker.net).

See a short video about how to make this cake

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Mommy's Pumpkin Pie

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"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.

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Spiced Pumpkin Bisque

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The Inn at Irish Hollow in Galena, Illinois, serves this creamy, curried soup throughout the fall and winter. You can make your own crème fraîche for the garnish, or use purchased crème fraiche or sour cream.

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Pumpkin Spice Whoopies

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A spiced marshmallow filling is sandwiched between cakelike pumpkin cookies in this easy-to-make dessert.

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Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

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Cream cheese, pumpkin, dark chocolate, whipping cream ... this fall pumpkin dessert is pure decadence!

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Pumpkin, Chickpea & Red Lentil Stew

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This hearty soup boasts a bounty of veggies and seasonings, including pumpkin or squash, fresh ginger, lime juice, cumin and fresh cilantro.

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Pumpkin Fudge

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Set this pretty golden fudge on a plate with traditional chocolate fudge and a white fudge for an appealing array of colors. The recipe is from a Cherokee, Iowa, reader and was a winner at the Clay County Fair.

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Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

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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.

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Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars

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Browned Butter Frosting tops moist Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars, a favorite fall recipe.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Topping

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Cream cheese, oatmeal cookie mix, pumpkin and semisweet chocolate combine for a sensational seasonal treat. 

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Double-Flavored Muffins

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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.

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Paradise Pumpkin Pie

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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.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Caramel Swirl

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This fall dessert comes from Mooselips Java Joint in Seeley, Wisconsin. It's creamy, cool and not overpowered by the pumpkin or the spice.

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Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

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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.

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Sunflower Pumpkin Muffins

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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.

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Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies

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These cakelike pumpkin drop cookies are delicious by themselves, but even better topped with a simple brown sugar frosting.

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Apple Pumpkin Sunflower Bread

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We packed a bushel of fall into this homey loaf: pumpkin, apple, nuts and spices. 

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Pumpkin Chili

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This recipe, submitted by Melanie Madore of Ashland, Missouri, was a finalist in a Midwest Living recipe contest. It calls for using cubed pumpkin (or butternut squash) rather than canned.

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Easy Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

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You decide how easy you want these to be! We're partial to our homemade Pumpkin Cupcakes with Sweetened Whipped Cream Frosting, but you can substitute purchased plain cupcakes or purchased whipped white frosting to make this recipe even simpler.

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Aint Sug’s Punkin’ Puddin’

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Baked in a casserole dish, this unusual dessert channels the spirit of marshmallow-topped sweet potato, with the added spice of pumpkin pie. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweets (Crown Publishing).

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Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Muffins

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For Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Muffins, we took the classic pumpkin bread and added dried fruit, lemon zest and spices, along with a sprinkling of a crunchy sugar topping.

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Pumpkin Corn Chowder

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This thick chowder blends corn, pumpkin and chunks of sweet potato.

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Pumpkin Chess Pie

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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.

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Gingered Pumpkin Soup

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Maple syrup adds sweetness to Gingered Pumpkin Soup, which makes a creamy side dish or appetizer.

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Pumpkin-Banana Bread

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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 it when it's done baking. It makes the house smell wonderful."

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Pumpkin Parsnip Bisque with Hazelnut Toasts

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Puree wintry vegetables like potato, leek and parsnip into a velvety soup. Don't skip the crisp, buttery dippers. They're delicious dunked in the soup.

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Pumpkin Pie Cake

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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.

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