The best pumpkin recipes EVER!
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Today I’m sharing my favorite, and in my opinion, best pumpkin recipes EVER.
Here, I’ll share three of my favorite pumpkin recipes for making the best soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, a decadent pumpkin “pudding” cake (AKA pumpkin cobbler), and delicious pumpkin bread.
I’ll admit it—I’m a pumpkin junkie, a walking pumpkin cliché. I love all things pumpkin but especially look forward to pumpkin season, pumpkin desserts, and other recipes that use warm pumpkin pie spices.
Yes, I love savory pumpkin recipes, like pumpkin soups and roasted pumpkin, but these easy pumpkin recipes are my go-to recipes when I need a delicious treat. I have to admit it, sweet pumpkin recipes are my favorites during the fall season.
A Find Your Easy tip: Add ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to your ground coffee before perking or making drip coffee for all the flavor of a pumpkin spice latte and none of the expense of pumpkin-flavored coffee!
Pumpkin is good for you!
Don’t wait until fall to enjoy the health benefits of pumpkin! This orange squash that transforms into jack-o-lanterns at Halloween is really a fruit.
Canned pumpkin is actually not made of those giants we carve but more flesh-dense pumpkins. Either way, pumpkin is good for you. Here are some of the health benefits of pumpkin:
- Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A
- Pumpkin is rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C helps boost immunity and defend against infections.
- Pumpkin is low in calories
- Pumpkin is high in fiber, making it good for heart health.
- Pumpkin is an anti-oxidant. The first clue is its bright orange color, which comes from its high beta-carotene (think carrots) content. Beta-carotene helps to neutralize oxidative damage from free radicals that damage cells in the body and is involved in heart disease, aging, cancer, and other diseases. Getting rid of free radicals is very important for good health.
Pumpkins are easy to grow
The key to growing good pie pumpkins, which is what you’ll use to make your own pumpkin purée, is using the right seeds and knowing the optimal growing conditions. You’ll need lots of room as the vines extend a long way!
The company I trust for seeds that germinate and produce good yields is High Mowing Organic Seeds. You’ll get a very good germination rate and 100% organic, non-GMO seeds.
They also regularly test their seeds for disease and GMO contamination. They’re a small friendly company with great customer service, really dedicated to helping gardeners and their gardens succeed.
Be sure you buy pumpkin pie seeds (not jack-o-lantern). Plant the seeds ½ to 1” deep in fertile, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic at pH 5.8 to 6.8 (neutral is pH 7). After the plants blossom and again 3 weeks later, side-dress the plants with fertilizer containing nitrogen and potassium.
Space bush variety plants 18” apart (rows 6’ apart) and 24-36” apart (rows 9-12’ apart) for vine varieties. Closer is ok. The fruit will be smaller, but you’ll have more.
Make your own pumpkin purée
Making homemade pumpkin purée is actually very easy. You can choose to prepare it be roasting or microwaving your pumpkin.
Cut the pumpkin(s) in half or smaller and scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers. Save the seeds to roast—YUM!
Place on a baking sheet or roast for about 45 minutes at 350°F. You can also place them face down in a glass dish with about ½” of water, cover, and microwave until the flesh is soft. Check it after 20 minutes and keep cooking until done.
Let the pumpkin cool and scoop the flesh from the skin. Add the flesh to a blender or food processor until smooth. Add a very small amount of water if it seems dry, and strain it through cheesecloth after puréeing if it seems watery.
At this point, I usually freeze the puree. Simply add 2 cups to a freezer-proof container. If you use a plastic bag, lay it flat, let the air out, and seal it.
Pumpkin is versatile
Pumpkin soup is a fall favorite, and the seeds make a great treat. But there are so many ways to use this mild, nutritious squash.
Take a look at these savory pumpkin recipes. I’m definitely trying the shells and risotto!
The best pumpkin recipes
Pumpkin pecan cobbler-original recipe from Lauren’s Latest
The credit for this amazing, soul-warming dessert goes to Lauren’s Latest. It’s like she reached into my soul and found my favorite flavors and textures.
I had this for the first time at the end of last year and even asked my husband to make this delicious recipe for my birthday cake in January.
Lauren calls this cobbler with a caramel bottom. To me, a cobbler has a “cobbled” type top that is accomplished by any dough or biscuit-type addition to the top.
So, to me, this is a reincarnation of my mother’s chocolate pudding cake. The bottom is not exactly pudding, but it’s gooey and rich and mouth-watering.
At that point, who cares what you call it?! I call it the best, most amazing pumpkin cake ever!
Lauren says it’s “like a pumpkin lava cake and cobbler love child.” I like that.
The important points in this recipe are:
- Use canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Of course, you can make your own fresh pumpkin puree, too. In that case, be sure to use a sugar pumpkin and not a big carving-type pumpkin. If you do, be sure to save the pumpkin seeds! They make a great fiber-rich snack.
- You will make the cobbler and the topping separately
- You will pour hot water over the entire cake after the topping is added
- DO NOT STIR the mix once the hot water is added
- Do not grease or flour the baking dish or add parchment paper
- Place the baking dish on a baking sheet in case it bubbles over
- For best results, do not overbake. You don’t want to dry out any of the gooey goodness on the bottom.
Gooey pumpkin cobbler
Equipment
- 3 mixing bowls
- 1 set of meausring cups
- 1 set of measuring spoons
- 1 rubber spatula
- 1 9' x 9" square baking pan
Ingredients
Cobbler ingredients
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tap ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter or vegetable or canola oil
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Last ingredient
- 1 1/2 cup very hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F
- Mix the dry cobbler ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, white sugar, and spices) in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the pumpkin puree, milk, melted butter or vegetable oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
- Gently add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture,
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to transfer the entire mixture to a 9-inch baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, stir the sugar, brown sugar, and pecans together. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter evenly.
- Pour hot water over the entire baking dish. DO NOT STIR.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the middle is set but NOT DRY.
Notes
Call this pumpkin spice cake, pumpkin pudding cake, pumpkin cobbler, gooey pumpkin cake, or whatever you want. It is the most amazing, best pumpkin cake you’ll ever eat. Can you tell that I love it?
Whatever the time of year, the next time you’re craving pumpkin spice flavors, give this moist cake a try. I bet that it will become your favorite pumpkin cake recipe, too.
Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
The credit for this recipe goes to Meghan. Her recipe was printed in the 1996 Sharon Brownie Girl Scouts Community Cookbook.
Over the years, we have added some extra spices that help to bring out the pumpkin flavor goodness even more. It has become a family favorite of ours and makes enough to feed a small army. They are moist and delicious and keep very well.
Find Your Easy tips for these cookies: Because these are very moist cookies, they can stick together during storage, so separate cookie layers with a piece of waxed paper.
Pumpkin chocolate cookies
Equipment
- 1 set of measuring cups
- 1 set of measurig soons
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 cookie sheet
- 1 handmixer
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 4 cups white flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 2 tap baking soda
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Wet ingredients
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tbsp milk
- 3/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
Last ingredient
- 1 small bag chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat over to 375 °F.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl using a hand mixer on medium speed.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix completely
- Add the chocolate chips and mix thoroughly.
- Grease the cookie sheet. Drop the batter by large mounded teaspoons onto the greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Notes
Downeast Maine pumpkin bread from Allrecipes
This pumpkin quick bread is moist and flavorful, with all the warm pumpkin spices that I love. I’m not sure why, but even though our grandkids are big fruit eaters, they love this bread.
Find Your Easy tips for this recipe: I love to make this pumpkin bread recipe to give as a gift around the holiday or whenever we visit family and friends. Once cool, wrap in plastic wrap and then foil to freeze a loaf of this bread.
Having a loaf on hand is such an easy way to impress guests!
I haven’t made this pumpkin bread recipe as pumpkin muffins, but I’m sure you could. In that case, the baking time should be decreased.
DownEast pumpkin bread
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 set measuring cups
- 1 set measuring spoons
- 3 7" x 3" loaf pans
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Wet ingredients (and sugar)
- 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup water
- 3 cups white sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ° F.
- Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans or 2 larger loaf pans.
- Mix the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, and sugar) until well blended.
- Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended.
- Pour into the prepared pans.
- Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool slightly and remove from the pans.
Notes
There you have it. My three all-time top favorite pumpkin recipes. I think these recipes represent the best pumpkin cake, best pumpkin cookies, and best pumpkin bread out there. This collection of pumpkin recipes definitely represents the best I’ve ever had.
But if you’re dieting and can’t face these rich pumpkin treats, try this Weight Watcher dessert from This Mama Cooks for your pumpkin fix!
Did you try them? Leave a comment and tell me what you think. Better yet, feel free to let me know what your favorite pumpkin recipe is, and I’ll see if our readers would enjoy it, too.
And here’s another dessert favorite in our family, rhubarb custard pie.
