It’s that time of year again when pumpkin-flavored foods and drinks are ever popular. What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with some fun desserts that center on this large, orange gourd?
I’ve personally made the following three pumpkin-flavored sweets and have some of my own tips and tricks for creating them in a special way. Whether you are just learning to bake desserts or whether you’ve been baking them for years, this list has at least one recipe that everyone can create and enjoy!
Beginner: Scrumptious Pumpkin Squares
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
- 1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
- 1 15 oz. can evaporated milk
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or your favorite flavor of chips)
- ½ cup pecan halves (or your favorite nuts—walnuts are great, too)
- ¼ – ½ cup light brown sugar (depending on how sweet your sweet tooth is!)
- Whipped cream (optional)
- Cookware
- Medium-sized mixing bowl
- 9×13 inch baking dish
- Large mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Whisk
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the medium bowl, mix the melted butter and Graham cracker crumbs. You can buy Graham cracker crumbs already made, and I suggest doing so because it saves time and the mess of making the crumbs yourself! Grease the 9×13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the Graham cracker crumbs and butter mixture in the dish, as this will become the crust.
In the large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour the liquid mixture over the crust.
Sprinkle your favorite chocolate chips and the nuts over the top of the liquid mixture.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the mixture has set (doesn’t move when you jiggle the dish).
You don’t want the dish to turn out runny, so make sure it’s set well. Remove from the oven.
Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top and allow to melt before serving. This gives the dish a whole new look!
For added deliciousness, you can spray some whipped creamed on top of your squares when they are ready to be eaten!
Intermediate: Luscious Cream Cheese Pumpkin Loaf
Ingredients for pumpkin batter
- 1 cup pure pumpkin
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup 2% milk (or your favorite milk—I used almond milk)
Ingredients for cream cheese filling
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- Cookware
- Large mixing bowl
- 9×5 inch loaf pan
- Mixing spoon
- Small bowl
- Whisk
Directions
Pumpkin batter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your loaf pan with coconut oil (or your favorite cooking spray). In the large bowl, mix the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, two eggs, milk and oil. Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix just until combined.
Cream cheese
In the small bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add one egg, sugar and flour. Mix until combined. Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan—just half! Carefully spoon the cream cheese mixture over the pumpkin batter and spread evenly. Pour the remaining pumpkin batter over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Place the loaf pan into the oven and bake for about 65-70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean from the bread. Allow the bread to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from the loaf pan. This bread tastes delicious by itself, but a fantastic counterpart is putting a fresh piece of this hot bread in a bowl with a scoop of your favorite ice cream on top. Yum!
Experienced: Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 Graham cracker pie crust (store bought or homemade)
- 2 8 oz. blocks cream cheese, softened
- ⅔ cup pure pumpkin
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Whipped cream (optional)
- Cookware
- Stand mixer
- Pie baking dish (if you choose to make your own crust)
- Large silicone spatula
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the stand mixer, combine the softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Mix until very smooth. Add the pumpkin, two eggs and spices. Beat until smooth again. Pour the filling onto the top of your crust. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until set and the top is starting to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. This usually takes about 1-2 hours. Serve with whipped cream and other decorative goodies (I chose pumpkin spice marshmallows) on top! This recipe is actually one of the easier ones for cheesecake, but using a stand mixer and incorporating your own special pie crust are what can make it a bit challenging. For making your own crust, you can reference the scrumptious pumpkin squares recipe for its crust concoction. Other options for homemade pie crust include butter pie crust, shortening pie crust, chocolate pie crust and gluten-free pie crust.
There is pretty much no wrong way to cook with pumpkin—as long as you add some sugar, it’s probably going to taste phenomenal no matter what. So, tell your family to build their appetites in preparation for these mouth watering, festive Thanksgiving desserts!