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  4. 28 Thanksgiving Pumpkin Dessert Recipes to Master

28 Thanksgiving Pumpkin Dessert Recipes to Master

By Food & Wine Updated November 04, 2019
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Pumpkin Parfaits
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

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

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.

  • F&W's Ultimate Thanksgiving Recipe Guide

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Cranberry Gelée

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.

  • Thanksgiving Entertaining Ideas

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Warm Pumpkin Cake

Warm Pumpkin Cake
Credit: © Ray Kachatorian
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Warm, soft, spicy and simple, it may be one of the best pumpkin desserts you'll ever eat.

  • Thanksgiving Recipes Guide

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Pumpkin Pudding with Mile-High Meringue

Pumpking 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.

  • Thanksgiving Recipes Guide

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Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel

Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel
Credit: © Lucy Schaeffer
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This take on the classic pumpkin pie elevates the dish's flavor to new heights.

  • Thanksgiving Cupcake Ideas

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Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding with Bourbon-Pecan Hard Sauce

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.

  • Thanksgiving Menu Guide

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Harvest Mousse with Spiced Almond Tuiles

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.

  • Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes

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Pecan-Pumpkin Cream Pie

Joanne Chang's 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.

  • Potluck Thanksgiving

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Pumpkin Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting

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.

  • More Terrific Thanksgiving Desserts

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Mini Spiced Pumpkins

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.

  • Thanksgiving Cupcakes

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Classic Pumpkin Pie

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.

  • Thanksgiving Menu Guide

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Pumpkin-Gingersnap Tiramisù

Pumpkin-Gingersnap Tiramisu
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.

  • Thanksgiving Dinner and Menu Ideas

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Topping

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.

  • Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes

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Pumpkin Cookies

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.

  • Thanksgiving Cupcakes

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Cranberry-Glazed Pumpkin Pie

Cranberry-Glazed Pumpkin Pie
Credit: © Dana Gallagher
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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.

  • Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Brown-Butter Pears

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.

  • Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

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Pumpkin-Walnut Praline Bars

Pumpkin-Walnut Praline Bars
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The pumpkin pie filling is terrific smothered in the buttery, nutty praline topping.

  • Thanksgiving Recipes for Kids

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Pumpkin Cookies with Dried Fruit and Pistachios

Pumpkin Cookies with Dried Fruit and Pistachios
Credit: © Alexandra Rowley
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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.

  • F&W's Ultimate Thanksgiving Recipe Guide

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Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Pie
Credit: © Frances Janisch
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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

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

pumpkin_pie.jpg
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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

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

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

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

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

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

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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    1 of 28 Pumpkin-and-White Chocolate Mousse Pie
    2 of 28 Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Swirl
    3 of 28 Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Cranberry Gelée
    4 of 28 Warm Pumpkin Cake
    5 of 28 Pumpkin Pudding with Mile-High Meringue
    6 of 28 Bourbon Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel
    7 of 28 Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding with Bourbon-Pecan Hard Sauce
    8 of 28 Harvest Mousse with Spiced Almond Tuiles
    9 of 28 Pecan-Pumpkin Cream Pie
    10 of 28 Pumpkin Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting
    11 of 28 Mini Spiced Pumpkins
    12 of 28 Classic Pumpkin Pie
    13 of 28 Pumpkin-Gingersnap Tiramisù
    14 of 28 Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Topping
    15 of 28 Pumpkin Cookies
    16 of 28 Cranberry-Glazed Pumpkin Pie
    17 of 28 Pumpkin Cheesecake with Brown-Butter Pears
    18 of 28 Pumpkin-Walnut Praline Bars
    19 of 28 Pumpkin Cookies with Dried Fruit and Pistachios
    20 of 28 Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Pie
    21 of 28 Toasted Hazelnut Pumpkin Cake with Espresso Icing
    22 of 28 Pumpkin Meringue Pie
    23 of 28 Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Brownie Crust
    24 of 28 Pumpkin-Gingerbread with Lemony Cashew Cream
    25 of 28 Gingered Pumpkin Pie with Candied Pepitas
    26 of 28 Pumpkin Mousse
    27 of 28 Pumpkin Layer Cake with Mascarpone Frosting
    28 of 28 Pumpkin Parfaits

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