28 Thanksgiving Pumpkin Dessert Recipes to Master

By Food & Wine
Updated November 04, 2019
Credit: © Christina Holmes
Pumpkin is a Thanksgiving dessert staple, and these recipes cover all of the greatest hits. Beyond the quintessential pie, we also like to turn pumpkin butter into an airy, light mousse, swirl homemade caramel on top of pumpkin cheesecake bars, and make scone-like pumpkin cookies studded with dried fruit and pistachios. Read on for those recipes, as well as other ways you can incorporate pumpkin into your dessert spread.
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Pumpkin-and-White Chocolate Mousse Pie

Credit: Con Poulos
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This reimagined pumpkin pie from Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in San Francisco has an ethereal pumpkin-and-white-chocolate-mousse filling and a stellar, crunchy crust.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Swirl

Credit: © Alexandra Rowley
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These decadent chocolate-crusted bars are topped with a homemade caramel that sinks into the pumpkin cheesecake batter during baking.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Cranberry Gelée

Credit: © Anna Williams
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The combination of pumpkin and cranberries makes this tart the ideal Thanksgiving dessert.

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Warm Pumpkin Cake

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Warm, soft, spicy and simple, it may be one of the best pumpkin desserts you'll ever eat.

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Pumpkin Pudding with Mile-High Meringue

Credit: © John Kernick
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Chef Dean Fearing and pastry chef Jill Bates collaborated on this spiced pumpkin pudding covered with meringue swirls. “It’s what all Southerners love about their pies, whether they’re coconut, chocolate or banana—the meringue,” Fearing says.

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Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel

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This take on the classic pumpkin pie elevates the dish's flavor to new heights.

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Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding with Bourbon-Pecan Hard Sauce

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These creamy pumpkin bread puddings are baked in pie dishes so they’re like a hybrid dessert; the lattice top is actually made of strips of butternut squash.

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Harvest Mousse with Spiced Almond Tuiles

Credit: Maura McEvoy
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Instead of butternut squash, this fluffy mousse could just as easily be made with fresh or canned pumpkin. Serve the leftover candied squash as a topping for vanilla ice cream.

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Pecan-Pumpkin Cream Pie

Credit: Tara Donne
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This pie slices beautifully to reveal not one but two fillings: both pumpkin custard and gooey, syrupy pecan. Chef Joanne Chang’s technique ensures the bottom of the pie shell is perfectly cooked and avoids sogginess. Cooling the blind-baked pie shell with weights keeps it hotter, and flatter, longer.

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Pumpkin Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting

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In this fun variation on traditional pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake spiced with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves gets frosted with a slightly tangy, super-caramelly frosting. It’s delicious served cold or at room temperature.

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Mini Spiced Pumpkins

Credit: © David Malosh
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These spice cakes look like tiny pumpkins when they’re covered with orange glaze and topped with a piece of dark licorice, twisted to look like a stem.

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Classic Pumpkin Pie

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To create a crisp crust on the bottom, Grace Parisi partially bakes the pie shell before adding the filling. If the edge starts to darken too much, cover it with a pie shield or strips of foil.

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Pumpkin-Gingersnap Tiramisù

Credit: © Lucy Schaeffer
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Pumpkin pie meets tiramisù, with layers of pumpkin-mascarpone custard and gingersnaps brushed with Calvados syrup. In the freezer, the flavors and textures meld to form a deliciously creamy dessert.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Topping

Credit: © Stephanie Foley
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Katherine Beto has three rules for making the perfect cheesecake: Start with all of the ingredients at room temperature, scrape down the bowl to avoid lumps, and don’t overbeat the batter.

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Pumpkin Cookies

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These soft, lightly spiced cake-like cookies are studded with minced candied ginger and topped with a buttery sugar glaze.

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Cranberry-Glazed Pumpkin Pie

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The pie recipe here has a super-simple crust made with store-bought gingersnaps and ground walnuts, a silky pumpkin filling and a cranberry compote topping with more crunchy walnuts.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Brown-Butter Pears

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Jane Tseng uses the tangy, pungent, soft-ripened Italian cheese Robiolina and homemade gingersnaps to make her luscious cheesecake; the simplified version here calls for cream cheese and boxed cookies.

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Pumpkin-Walnut Praline Bars

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The pumpkin pie filling is terrific smothered in the buttery, nutty praline topping.

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Pumpkin Cookies with Dried Fruit and Pistachios

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Inspired by the best qualities of holiday fruitcakes, these tender, scone-like cookies get a boozy kick from the brandy in the glaze. To make them more kid-friendly, you can use milk instead.

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Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Pie

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To create a crisp crust on the bottom, Grace Parisi partially bakes the pie shell before adding the filling. If the edge starts to darken too much, cover it with a pie shield or strips of foil. This is a great crust for Classic Pumpkin Pie and another variation, Pumpkin-Chiffon Pie.

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Toasted Hazelnut Pumpkin Cake with Espresso Icing

Credit: © Sarah Bolla
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This cardamom scented nutty pumpkin cake is baked with ground and chopped hazelnuts, while it's crispy exterior gets drizzled with a deliciously-fun espresso icing. A slice of this cake can make for a nice treat with coffee in the morning or served as a special dessert.

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Pumpkin Meringue Pie

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The meringue topping adds a retro yet elegant note to this holiday classic.

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Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Brownie Crust

Credit: © William Meppem
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A beautiful (and chocolaty) alternative to traditional pumpkin pie.

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Pumpkin-Gingerbread with Lemony Cashew Cream

Credit: © Sarah Bolla
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This mildly sweet gingerbread cake is dark, dense, and layered with old-fashioned flavors of fresh ginger and molasses. A lemony cashew cream topping makes this holiday cake dairy free.

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Gingered Pumpkin Pie with Candied Pepitas

Credit: Christopher Testani
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This take on pumpkin pie has the smooth texture of the classic, but with extra layers of ginger-caramel flavor. Candied pepitas on top add extra flavor and crunch.

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Pumpkin Mousse

Credit: Abby Hocking
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With nutty, spicy flavor from the prepared pumpkin butter, this mousse comes together in minutes. Tang and body from the crème fraiche, and an airy, light texture from the whipped cream complete this super simple fall dessert. Serve with an extra dollop of whipped cream, or with some sugar cookies on the side.

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Pumpkin Layer Cake with Mascarpone Frosting

Credit: © Con Poulos
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This classic pumpkin cake from Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple is perfectly moist and delicately spiced. The simple vanilla buttercream frosting gets a lovely tang from the mascarpone that’s blended in.

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Pumpkin Parfaits

Credit: © Christina Holmes
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Justin Chapple layers superspeedy pumpkin mousse with whipped mascarpone cream and crushed chocolate wafer cookies for his gorgeous, delicious parfaits.

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