Pumpkin is the Fall fan-favorite for desserts and side dishes. For good reason. The fresh baked insides of the gourd have a specific sweetness that you can’t get anywhere else – and the pureed cans are a great second place winner when it comes to authentic taste. If a pumpkin pie is made of either, you’ll quickly see people at gatherings run to the table to get a slice before it’s all gone.
But we’re not here to talk about pumpkin pie. Though a tried-and-true dessert, we’d prefer to transfer our focus to other delicious pumpkin treats. Like the recipes we have laid out for you below.
Take a look and try one out. Friends and family will thoroughly appreciate the new tasty concoction; so much so that you might need to make it a staple in your at-home bakery goods.
Pumpkin Chocolate Bread Pudding
The moist texture combined with the silky chocolate interior… This recipe right here is heaven on Earth. Each bite will bring you to a glorious place (tastebud wise), and you’ll want to make and remake the creation over and over again. To say this could be your new addiction is an understatement. Try it out for yourself!
Ingredients:
● Softened butter for greasing
● 2 large eggs
● 2 large egg yolks
● 1 ½ cups heavy cream
● 1 cup whole milk
● 1 15-oz can pure pumpkin puree
● ½ cup packed light brown sugar
● ½ cup plus 3 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
● 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
● 2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
● ½ tsp ground ginger
● ¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
● ½ tsp kosher salt
● ¾ lb brioche, preferably stale, cut into ½” cubes
● ¾ cup dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
Instructions:
Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 1 ½ to 2 quart baking dish with softened butter.
Whisk eggs, yolks, cream, milk, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl.
Whisk in the sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
Toss the cubed bread and chocolate in the custard with your hands, or fold with a flexible spatula, until coated.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and let rest for 30 minutes.
To make the cinnamon sugar, combine 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl with a fork. Sprinkle over pudding.
Bake for about 40-50 minutes, rotating at the halfway point, until the surface looks dry and slightly puffed. Internal pudding should have a temperature of 165°F.
Pumpkin Pie Martini
If you’re more of a tasty drink kind-of-gal versus a delicious dessert, we have you covered. This pumpkin-based martini will please your taste buds, urging you to order a *round 2.* The little bit of whipped cream on top is just the added extra to put this beverage over the top! Once it melts into the cocktail recipe, you’ll get a hint of creamy goodness.
Ingredients:
● ¼ cup whipped topping
● 2 ½ oz vanilla vodka
● 1 ½ oz aged rum
● ¼ cup pumpkin puree
● 3 tbsp maple syrup
● ¼ cup half and half
● ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
● Handful of ice cubes
Instructions:
Place 2 martini glasses in the freezer.
For frozen whipped cream: Line a small sheet tray with parchment paper. Make 2 dollops of whipped topping and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
For the martini: In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, rum, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, half and half, pumpkin pie spice, and ice cubes.
Cover and shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
Strain into 2 martini glasses.
Top each glass with one piece of frozen whipped cream.
Sprinkle additional pumpkin pie spice and serve immediately.
Candied Pumpkins with Piloncillo and Cinnamon
A sweet treat that enhances internal natural flavors? Count us in! Candied pumpkins are a delicacy, one we could get used to having around. Each bite will give you a rush of salivary pleasure. This is a great after dinner dessert for holidays, parties, and your average Wednesday.
Ingredients:
● 4 cups water
● 8 oz piloncillo cones
● ½ large navel orange, sliced
● 2 Mexican cinnamon sticks
● 6 whole cloves
● ½ tsp kosher salt
● 3 sugar pie pumpkins OR 1 Cinderella pumpkin
● Crema for serving
Instructions:
- Combine 4 cups water, piloncillo, orange slices, Mexican cinnamon sticks, cloves, and salt in a large Dutch oven.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. This will take about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the pumpkins in half lengthwise and scoop out/discard the seeds.
- Cut each pumpkin half lengthwise into 1 ½” wide slices.
- Using the tip of a sharp knife, poke the skin side of each slice a few times to help the syrup soak through.
- Place the pumpkin slices, skin side down, in piloncillo mixture in the Dutch oven. The slices can be layered and do not have to be fully submerged.
- Cover the Dutch oven and cook over low, undisturbed, until the pumpkin is tender. This will take about 1 hour.
- Uncover. Gently rearrange the slices to submerge as much as possible.
- Cook for 30 more minutes, then remove from heat and let the pumpkin cool in the syrup at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Drizzle servings with crema, then serve.
Cream Puffs with Pumpkin Pastry Cream
Cream puffs are so delicate, melting in your mouth the second they hit your tongue. For good reason. The ingredients work so powerfully together to create such a mouth-watering, euphoric tasting experience, it’s insane. This recipe is no different. We suggest you make it STAT.
Ingredients:
● ⅔ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
● 2 tbsp cornstarch
● ½ tsp kosher salt
● 1 ½ cup whole milk
● 4 large egg yolks plus 3 whole eggs
● 1 can puree pumpkin
● 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
● 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
● 6 tbsp unsalted butter
● 1 tbsp granulated sugar
● ¾ cup all-purpose flour
● ½ tsp ground cinnamon
● Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions:
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch and tsp salt.
- Whisk in milk, then egg yolks, stirring constantly.
- Bring mixture to a simmer, this will take about 8 minutes. Simmer, whisking, until thickened.
- Whisk in the pumpkin and ginger. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a bowl and stir in the vanilla.
- Place a piece of parchment paper directly against the surface and refrigerate the pastry cream until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Meanwhile, make the puffs: Heat the oven to 400°F.
- In a medium saucepan, combine butter, granulated sugar, ¾ cup water, and remaining ¼ tsp salt.
- Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally to melt the butter.
- Remove mixture from heat and stir flour and cinnamon in.
- Return the mixture to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Transfer hot mixture to a large bowl.
- Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat for about 1 minute to cool.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth and shiny.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe resealable bag and snip off the corner to make a ¾” opening.
- Pipe 1” mounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them apart about an inch.
- Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until puffed and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
- Let cool completely on baking sheets.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the puffs in half horizontally and fill with the pumpkin pastry cream.
- Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Pumpkin Cake Dessert
An easy, pumpkin cake recipe that’ll have you thinking about it for weeks on end? Sounds scrumptious to us. The photo above practically screams “I want to be eaten.” The smooth consistency, flavorful walnuts, and decadent cake mix come together to create the perfect simple recipe that everyone will love and cherish.
Ingredients:
● 1 can pumpkin puree
● 1 can evaporated milk
● 1 cup white sugar
● 3 large eggs
● 4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
● 1 package yellow cake mix
● ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
● 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
Instructions:
- Gather ingredients and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13” baking dish.
- Mix pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice together in a bowl until well combined; pour into the prepared dish.
- Sprinkle cake mix over the top, then drizzle melted butter on top with walnuts.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a knife can be inserted in the center and comes out clean. This will takapproximately 1 hour.
- Let cool completely before cutting into 24 squares.