15 pumpkin recipes everyone craves on a crisp, cool fall day

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Crisp fall days make pumpkin recipes feel right at home from breakfast through dessert. These 15 fall recipes move from pancakes and pasta to cookies, bars, bread, cheesecake, bread pudding, muffins, and risotto, with a pumpkin-spice glazed ham adding one savory holiday option. Some are quick enough for a weekday bake, while others need chilling or a longer oven stretch. The range gives the season plenty of pumpkin flavor without limiting the table to pie.

Close-up of pumpkin chocolate bars stacked on a plate, showcasing their golden orange color and melty chocolate chunks.
Pumpkin Bars with Chopped Chocolate. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

A close-up of several oatmeal cookies stacked and scattered on parchment paper, with one cookie broken in half to show the inside texture.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies. Photo credit: My Reliable Recipes.

Chewy oats and dried cranberries give Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies plenty of texture around a soft pumpkin center. Butter, brown sugar, white sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, pumpkin puree, flour, oats, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon make up the dough. The recipe takes 51 minutes and makes 12 servings. Bake until the edges are set, then let the cookies cool before serving them with coffee, tea, or a glass of milk on a cool afternoon.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Copycat Crumbl Caramel Pumpkin Cookies

Close-up of a frosted cookie with a bite taken out, sprinkled with cinnamon, on a parchment surface.
Copycat Crumbl Caramel Pumpkin Cookies. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Bakery-style frosting swirls make Copycat Crumbl Caramel Pumpkin Cookies stand out from a plain batch of fall cookies. Pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice flavor the soft cookie base, while cream cheese, butter, caramel sauce, and powdered sugar make the topping. The recipe takes 25 minutes and makes 10 cookies. Let the cookies cool completely before piping on the frosting, then add a light dusting of cinnamon for the final finish.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Crumbl Caramel Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Pancakes

A stack of pumpkin pancakes topped with walnuts and drizzled with syrup.
Pumpkin Pancakes. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Fluffy stacks with cinnamon and nutmeg make Pumpkin Pancakes an easy way to put pumpkin on the breakfast table. Flour, pumpkin puree, baking powder, baking soda, milk, brown sugar, egg, and melted butter form the batter. The recipe takes 20 minutes and makes eight servings. Cook each pancake until bubbles form and the underside is browned, then flip and finish the second side. Serve with maple syrup, butter, or toasted nuts.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pasta

A bowl of rigatoni pasta with creamy sauce, topped with grated cheese, pumpkin seeds, and sprinkled with herbs.
Pumpkin Pasta. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Savory pumpkin sauce turns Pumpkin Pasta into a fall dinner rather than another sweet pumpkin bake. Penne is coated with pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, heavy cream, shallot, garlic, rosemary, nutmeg, and Parmesan. The recipe takes 40 minutes and serves four. Reserve a little pasta water before draining so the sauce can be loosened if needed. Finish each bowl with pumpkin seeds, sage, and extra Parmesan for more texture at the table.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Pasta

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese

Close-up of cake slices topped with white frosting and decorated with small, star-shaped sprinkles.
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Soft sheet-pan squares make Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese easy to cut and share after the frosting has set. Pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, oil, milk, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice go into the bars, while cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla form the topping. The recipe takes 37 minutes and makes 24 servings. Cool the bars fully before frosting so the cream cheese layer stays thick instead of melting.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese

Spiced Pumpkin Roll Cookies

Close-up of several golden brown swirl cookies stacked together, showing their spiral pattern and crumbly texture.
Spiced Pumpkin Roll Cookies. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Swirled layers give Spiced Pumpkin Roll Cookies a striking look without relying on frosting or decoration. A buttery vanilla dough is divided, then one portion is mixed with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and turmeric before the layers are rolled together. The recipe takes 2 hours 40 minutes, including chilling, and makes 12 servings. Chill the shaped dough before slicing so the spiral stays neat when the cookies go into the oven.
Get the Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Roll Cookies

Pumpkin Bread

A close-up of a sliced loaf of pumpkin bread with a light tan glaze dripped over the top. The bread has a moist and textured look, with visible air bubbles throughout.
Pumpkin Bread. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

Tender loaf slices make Pumpkin Bread useful for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack with coffee. Pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond milk, sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla go into the batter, while cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar make the frosting. The recipe takes 1 hour 10 minutes and serves eight. Let the loaf cool before spreading on the maple topping so it stays thick across each slice.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Bread

Copycat Honey Baked Ham

Close-up of seasoned and roasted meat with crispy edges.
Copycat Honey Baked Ham. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Caramelized sugar crust gives Copycat Honey Baked Ham its glossy holiday finish around a fully cooked spiral ham. Honey, butter, Dijon, onion powder, paprika, pumpkin spice, white sugar, and brown sugar build the coating. The recipe takes 2 hours 10 minutes and serves 12. Pumpkin spice seasons the glaze, although the recipe does not use pumpkin puree. Keep the ham covered for most of the bake, then finish the coating as directed before slicing.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Honey Baked Ham

Pumpkin Cheesecake

A person holding a piece of pumpkin cheesecake on a fork.
Pumpkin Cheesecake. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Dense, creamy slices make Pumpkin Cheesecake a dessert that benefits from planning rather than rushing to the table. A Biscoff cookie crust holds cream cheese, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, brown sugar, eggs, and flour. The recipe takes 6 hours 10 minutes, including a four-hour chill, and serves 12. Caramel sauce, crushed Biscoff cookies, whipped cream, or white chocolate can finish the top once the cheesecake is fully chilled and ready to slice.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Close-up of a dish of bread pudding with walnuts drizzled with caramel sauce in a white baking dish.
Pumpkin Bread Pudding. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Custardy bread cubes give Pumpkin Bread Pudding a soft center with browned edges after baking. French bread soaks in pumpkin puree, half-and-half, whole milk, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt before going into the oven. The recipe takes 1 hour 20 minutes, including resting time, and serves 15. Let the bread absorb the pumpkin mixture before baking, then serve the finished pudding warm on its own or with a simple sauce.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Close-up of a Pumpkin Dump Cake, a baked dessert topped with chopped pecans and drizzled with caramel sauce, served in a white dish on a wooden surface.
Pumpkin Dump Cake. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Buttery crumb topping gives Pumpkin Dump Cake a crisp contrast against the soft pumpkin layer underneath. Pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice form the base, then yellow cake mix, melted butter, and crushed graham crackers or pecans go over the top. The recipe takes 1 hour and serves eight. Add caramel syrup, chopped pecans, or ice cream at serving time if you want extra texture and sweetness on each portion.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin Muffins

A stack of pumpkin muffins in paper liners is arranged on a light surface, with small decorative pumpkins in the background.
Pumpkin Muffins. Photo credit: My Reliable Recipes.

Tall, tender muffins make Pumpkin Muffins easy to portion for breakfast, lunchboxes, or an afternoon snack. Whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour are combined with pumpkin puree, dark brown sugar, buttermilk, egg whites, vegetable oil, and cinnamon. The recipe takes 45 minutes and makes 12 muffins. Divide the batter evenly so the tops rise at a similar rate, then let the muffins cool enough to handle before moving them from the pan.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Risotto

A close-up of vegan pumpkin risotto, topped with roasted pumpkin slices, sage leaves, and chopped nuts.
Pumpkin Risotto. Photo credit: Two City Vegans.

Roasted pumpkin turns Pumpkin Risotto into a savory main with a creamy texture and crisp fall color. Pumpkin cubes are roasted with paprika, olive oil, salt, and pepper before part of the batch is blended into a puree. Risotto rice cooks with onion, garlic, vegetable stock, olive oil, and margarine. The recipe takes 1 hour 15 minutes and serves four. Finish with the remaining roasted pumpkin, sage leaves, almonds, and a little olive oil.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Risotto

Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans

Close-up of freshly baked cookies with nuts on top, arranged closely together.
Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

Pecan-studded centers give Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans a little crunch against the soft pumpkin dough. Butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, pumpkin puree, flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and chopped pecans come together in 30 minutes. The recipe makes 12 servings. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, then let them cool before moving them so the centers can set without losing their softer texture.
Get the Recipe: Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans

Pumpkin Bars with Chopped Chocolate

Close-up of pumpkin chocolate bars stacked on a plate, showcasing their golden orange color and melty chocolate chunks.
Pumpkin Bars with Chopped Chocolate. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Melty chocolate pockets run through Pumpkin Bars with Chopped Chocolate, giving each square a richer finish than plain pumpkin bars. Pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, egg, flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, salt, and chopped chocolate form the batter. The recipe takes 45 minutes and makes nine servings. Let the pan cool before cutting so the soft bars hold their shape, then serve the squares with coffee, milk, or tea.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Bars with Chopped Chocolate

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