13 Best Pumpkin Recipes to Make This Fall
/From cozy pumpkin coffee cake and soft pumpkin cookies to overnight oats, creamy pasta and pumpkin tiramisu, these are some of my favorite sweet and savory pumpkin recipes for fall.
There’s something about the first pumpkin recipe of the year that makes it officially feel like fall in our kitchen.
Over the years, I’ve made pumpkin into just about everything — cookies, cakes, breakfast recipes, cocktails and even a creamy pasta dinner. So instead of making you search through the blog for all of them, I wanted to gather some of my favorites into one place.
These 13 pumpkin recipes include a little bit of everything. There are easy treats to bake with the kids, cozy recipes for slow fall mornings, desserts worthy of Thanksgiving and even a savory pumpkin dinner when you want something completely different.
If you have a can of pumpkin waiting in the pantry, start here.
What Can You Make With Pumpkin?
Pumpkin is one of those ingredients that can go in so many directions. Pair it with cinnamon, brown sugar and warm spices and it instantly feels like fall baking, but pumpkin is just as good in savory recipes with cheese, herbs and sausage.
In this collection you'll find:
Pumpkin cookies and bars
Cakes, muffins and sweet breads
Fall breakfast recipes
Pumpkin desserts
A pumpkin cocktail
A savory pumpkin pasta
Most importantly, these are recipes that have actually made their way into my kitchen over the years — and several have become recipes I look forward to making again when fall comes around.
Here are 13 to save for the season.
1. Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
If you want a cookie that tastes unmistakably like fall, start with these Pumpkin Molasses Cookies.
Pumpkin and molasses make them soft and chewy, while cinnamon, ginger and cloves bring in all of those warm flavors I want once fall baking begins. They're especially good with a cup of coffee or cider and make such a cozy afternoon treat.
And there's a reason I'm putting these first: if you have any left over, you can use them again in the pumpkin ice cream further down this list.
→ GET THE RECIPE: Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
2. Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies are one of the newest additions to my fall recipe collection, and they're such a fun one to make when pumpkin season begins.
They have that classic soft sugar-cookie feel with a seasonal pumpkin twist, making them perfect for everything from an afternoon of fall baking to Halloween and Thanksgiving treats.
They're also such a sweet recipe to make with little helpers in the kitchen.
→ GET THE RECIPE: Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
3. Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Loaf
Pumpkin bread gets even better when you add plenty of chocolate.
This Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Loaf is moist, warmly spiced and filled with pockets of melted chocolate. Serve a slice alongside your morning coffee, pack it up for an afternoon treat or warm it slightly for dessert.
You can use milk or dark chocolate depending on what you love — or whatever happens to already be in the pantry.
→ GET THE RECIPE: Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Loaf
4. Pumpkin Espresso Martini
Pumpkin recipes don't have to stop at baking.
This Pumpkin Espresso Martini combines espresso, pumpkin and warm fall flavors for a seasonal spin on a classic espresso martini. It's a fun cocktail for fall dinner parties, Halloween gatherings or Thanksgiving when you want to serve something a little more special after dinner.
Finish it with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg and a few coffee beans for that cocktail-bar finishing touch.
→ GET THE RECIPE: Pumpkin Espresso Martini
5. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Streusel Topping
There is a lot happening in these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, in the very best way.
You get soft pumpkin muffins, a creamy cheesecake-style center and buttery streusel on top. They're somewhere between breakfast and dessert, which is exactly where some of my favorite fall baking recipes belong.
Make them for a slow weekend breakfast or add them to a fall brunch spread.
→ GET THE RECIPE: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Streusel Topping
6. Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe with Pumpkin Molasses Cookie Chunks
Remember those Pumpkin Molasses Cookies from the beginning?
This is what you can make with the leftovers.
My Pumpkin Ice Cream with Pumpkin Molasses Cookie Chunks takes pumpkin ice cream and folds in pieces of those soft, spiced cookies for a fall dessert that's completely different from the usual pumpkin pie.
It's also a fun way to turn one fall baking day into two separate desserts.
For the pumpkin lovers who want to start before dessert, these Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats bring fall flavor straight to breakfast.
The oats have the cozy pumpkin-pie flavors you expect, but my favorite part is the hard chocolate shell on top. Crack through the chocolate to get to the creamy pumpkin oats underneath.
Prep them the night before and breakfast is already waiting in the refrigerator the next morning.
→ GET THE RECIPE: Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats with a Chocolate Shell
8. Brown Butter Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet
Brown butter, pumpkin and chocolate in one warm skillet is pretty hard to beat.
This Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet is baked until the edges are golden while the center stays soft and gooey. The brown butter adds that deep, nutty flavor that works so well with pumpkin and chocolate.
Serve it warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream on top and let everyone dig in.
→ GET THE RECIPE: Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet
9. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
If there's ever a season for homemade cinnamon rolls, it's fall.
These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing take one of my favorite breakfast treats and give it a pumpkin-season spin. They're soft, sweet and filled with those warm flavors that make the entire kitchen smell amazing while they're baking.
Save these for a cozy weekend morning, fall brunch or holiday breakfast.
→ GET THE RECIPE: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
10. Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Pecan Crumble
This Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Pecan Crumble is one of those recipes that works just as well for breakfast as it does sitting on the counter for everyone to sneak a piece throughout the afternoon.
The pumpkin cake is soft and moist, while the buttery pecan crumble gives the top a little crunch.
It's especially good alongside a hot cup of coffee — hence the name — and makes a beautiful addition to a fall brunch.
If you can't decide whether you're craving chocolate or pumpkin, don't.
These Pumpkin Swirl Brownies combine rich chocolate brownie batter with a warmly spiced pumpkin mixture, swirled together before baking. The marbled top makes them particularly pretty for fall entertaining, but they're just as welcome for an ordinary night at home.
Chocolate may not be the first flavor you think of when you hear “pumpkin spice,” but these make a very good argument for the combination.
→ GET THE RECIPE: Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
12. Baked Burrata Pumpkin Ziti with Pork Sausage
Finally, something savory.
This Baked Burrata Pumpkin Ziti with Pork Sausage is for the nights when you want pumpkin season to make its way onto the dinner table, too.
Pumpkin sauce, pasta, pork sausage and creamy burrata come together in a hearty baked pasta that's especially good once the evenings start getting colder. If you've only ever used pumpkin for baking, this is a fun way to try it in a completely different direction.
→ GET THE RECIPE: Baked Burrata Pumpkin Ziti with Pork Sausage
13. Pumpkin Tiramisu
And we're ending with one that feels worthy of the holiday table.
This Pumpkin Tiramisu gives the classic Italian dessert a fall-inspired twist with pumpkin, mascarpone, warm spices and coffee-soaked ladyfingers.
It's creamy, rich and beautiful enough to serve for Thanksgiving, but you can also prepare it ahead of time — which is exactly the kind of dessert I appreciate when I'm hosting.
→ GET THE RECIPE: Pumpkin Tiramisu
Which Pumpkin Recipe Should You Make First?
If you're staring at this list wondering where to begin, here's how I'd choose:
For a cozy fall breakfast:
Pumpkin Coffee Cake or Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
For baking with the kids:
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
For the chocolate lover:
Pumpkin Swirl Brownies or Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet
For an easy make-ahead breakfast:
Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
For fall entertaining:
Pumpkin Espresso Martinis
For a cozy dinner:
Baked Burrata Pumpkin Ziti
For Thanksgiving dessert:
Pumpkin Tiramisu
For something completely different:
Pumpkin Ice Cream with Pumpkin Molasses Cookie Chunks
My Favorite Pumpkin Baking Tips
A few little things make pumpkin recipes even better:
Don't confuse pumpkin purée with pumpkin pie filling. Unless a recipe specifically calls for pie filling, you generally want plain pumpkin purée so you can control the sweetness and spices yourself.
Measure the pumpkin according to the individual recipe. A little extra pumpkin can change the moisture level of baked goods more than you might expect.
Give warm spices a chance to shine. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg are some of the flavors that pair especially well with pumpkin.
Don't forget the chocolate. Pumpkin and chocolate are such a good combination, especially in the loaf, brownies and cookie skillet in this collection.
Save your leftovers. The Pumpkin Molasses Cookies becoming cookie chunks for Pumpkin Ice Cream might be my favorite example in this entire roundup.
Shop My Fall Baking Favorites
My favorite pieces I use in every recipe:
More Fall Recipes to Make This Season
Once pumpkin season starts, there are plenty of other fall recipes worth bringing back into the kitchen.
My picks would be:
Maple Bacon Fall Salad with Apples, Feta & Maple Walnuts
A savory fall recipe with crisp apples, bacon, feta and maple walnuts.
Apple Pie Overnight Oats
A make-ahead breakfast filled with cinnamon apples and maple flavor.
Walnut Chicken Stuffed Pumpkins
One of the more unique savory recipes to make when pumpkins are in season.
Perfect for cozy evenings and festive celebrations.
A Note From Amanda
I love having posts like this to come back to when a new season begins. Instead of trying to remember which pumpkin recipe I made a few years ago or searching through old posts, they're all here in one place.
Some are recipes for slow fall mornings, some are meant for sharing around the table, and some are simply an excuse to open that first can of pumpkin and make the kitchen smell like fall.
I hope you find a few to make this season — and maybe one that becomes a recipe you come back to every fall.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Psalm 34:8
Made with love for the people you love.
