Pumpkin recipes that are perfect in every way | CNN (2024)

Like so many other people, when the weather starts to cool down our cravings center around one, special ingredient: pumpkin. Webuy all the pumpkin spice productswe can get our hands on, bake a fewlatte-inspired treats,roast pumpkin seedsfor snacking—and generally do our best to use this sweet and hearty gourd in as many recipes as possible. (We’ve even thought aboutgrowing pumpkinsat home!) Not surprisingly, this seasonal ingredient is good for so much more than justpumpkin pieorpumpkin bread, although we’ll gladly bake either of those, too. Use it in soups, pasta dishes, cakes and more—there’s almost nothing pumpkin can’t do.

It even makes the perfect thickener for homemade custard, which is why we use it here in this warm, pie-spicedautumn dessert (pictured at top).

Get the Recipe:Pumpkin Caramel Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Creamy pumpkin and warm ground cinnamon are the perfect combination in a tender muffin. But we upped the ante by adding a decadent cream cheese filling and sweet crumb topping for an over-the-top muffin you’ll want to make all season long.

Get the Recipe:Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls

It’s pretty much impossible to get enough pumpkin during the fall months, so we rolled each of these lasagna noodles with a creamy, cheesy pumpkin filling. The result: roll-ups that have just the right amount of filling and they come together in a fraction of the time it takes for a traditional layered lasagna. This dish is perfect for a cozy fall night when the comfort food cravings come on strong.

Get the Recipe:Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls

Brown Sugar Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Seeds

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We double up the pumpkin flavor by using everyone’s favorite seasonal spice blend. A touch of brown sugar makes them into a sweet treat.

Get the Recipe:Brown Sugar Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Seeds

Cheesecake-Stuffed Pumpkin Bread

Everyone’s favorite fall quick bread hides a decadent surprise inside: a rich swirl of cheesecake.

Get the Recipe:Cheesecake-Stuffed Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Nutmeg Whipped Cream

The fragrance of warm spices fills the room when you make these creamy fall-inspired pancakes. A dollop of nutmeg whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup complete the dish.

Get the Recipe:Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Nutmeg Whipped Cream

Pumpkin Ravioli

These delicious ravioli have pumpkin through and through: Our easy homemade pasta features pumpkin purée. It’s cut out in the shape of pumpkins with a cookie cutter and then stuffed with a pumpkin and crème fraîche filling. Tossed with a nutty brown butter–sage sauce, they are autumn in a bowl.

Get the Recipe:Pumpkin Ravioli

Pumpkin Swirl Cookies

Break open these oversized cookies, fragrant with pumpkin and spice, to reveal a soft interior with a beautiful swirl.

Get the Recipe:Pumpkin Swirl Cookies

Pumpkin-Hard Cider Cheese Dip

Tangy with a hint of sweetness and full-on cheesy flavor, this pumpkin-hard cider dip has everything you could ask for in a fall-flavored cheese dip.

Get the Recipe:Pumpkin-Hard Cider Cheese Dip

Pumpkin-Shaped Pumpkin Bread

This yeasted bread, made with pumpkin puree, brown sugar and a hint of cinnamon, is sure to become a fall favorite. Thanks to a few cleverly-placed pieces of kitchen twine that shape the dough as it rises, the resulting loaf looks just like a pumpkin—complete with a fragrant cinnamon-stick stem. Serve it with maple-spiced pumpkin butter.

Get the Recipe:Pumpkin-Shaped Pumpkin Bread

2-Ingredient Pumpkin Frosting

This frosting is one of those brilliant, silly-simple recipes you’d never know was made with just two ingredients: canned pumpkin puree and chopped up chocolate. You start by cooking the pumpkin to concentrate its flavor and thicken it, then simply stir in the chocolate until it melts. The sweet and tangy results are the perfect complement to cake, and the creamy consistency spreads easily into gorgeous swoops.

Get the Recipe:2-Ingredient Pumpkin Frosting

Paleo Pumpkin Waffles

Satisfy your paleo cravings with these wholesome waffles, naturally sweetened with pumpkin puree and a quick raspberry compote.

Get the Recipe:Paleo Pumpkin Waffles

Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream

Perfect for making ahead of ahead of time, this autumn-inspired roll cake features a pumpkin cake base with a filling of mascarpone whipped cream and crystallized ginger bits. In the words of Ina herself, “It’s a showstopper dessert, and you can be cool and relaxed when you serve it.”

Get the Recipe:Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream

Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts

Get your fill of pumpkin pie — in a doughnut! These cake-like doughnuts can be baked, topped with cinnamon sugar and ready to eat in an hour.

Get the Recipe:Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts

Baked Pumpkin Rice Pudding

Serve individual portions of rice pudding in baked sugar pumpkin bowls. Instant rice is sweetened with evaporated milk, molasses, vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar.

Get the Recipe:Baked Pumpkin Rice Pudding

Pumpkin Rum Cake

Ree soaks her pumpkin cake in a spiced rum syrup and adds maple whipped cream for a deliciously indulgent dessert.

Get the Recipe:Pumpkin Rum Cake

Valerie’s Pumpkin Pudding

Whip up an easy yet satisfying pumpkin pie flavored-dessert in just 25 minutes with Valerie’s recipe.

Get the Recipe:Valerie’s Pumpkin Pudding (for Wolfie)