Pumpkin spice mania has stood the test of time, enough so that it’s now simply part of the passing seasons. There’s Spring, Summer, Pumpkin Spice, Fall, and Winter.
And no wonder! Can you think of another scent so evocative of warmth and coziness? Of crisp days and turning leaves? It’s not just pumpkin spice lattes. It’s pumpkin spice mood.
In the kitchen, a bottle of pumpkin pie spice is your best friend for these 21 recipes for cakes, cookies, desserts, and even sweet potato fries. It’s got all the right spices in one handy blend. Make them for a gloriously aromatic kitchen and a burst of comfort whenever you want, regardless of the season.
Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is such a tempting foil for gently warming pumpkin spice. This recipe uses a whole can of pumpkin, so there’s no leftover dibs and dabs to fell guilty about pitching.
No-Churn Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream
Generous scoops of homemade ice cream makes anyone feel special. Sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice work magic in the freezer for an ice cream you don’t need an ice cream maker to pull off. The freezer does all the work!
Pumpkin Blondies
These aromatic blondies get an upgrade with brown butter and white chocolate chips. A pan feeds many people, making these perfect for bake sales or parties or simply people who (rightfully) want to eat a lot of blondies.
Pumpkin Scones With Maple Glaze
These spiced scones get a doubly notable finish of sparkling turbinado sugar and generous drizzles of maple glaze.
Pumpkin Spice Babka
A memorable Seinfeld episode has a plot revolving around the inferiority of cinnamon babka to chocolate babka. But add ginger, nutmeg, and clove to the mix and cinnamon babka gets a major upgrade, enough that it takes a backseat to no babka. Enjoy it with your PSL as you stream your 90s television nostalgia.
Pumpkin Muffins
How many times have you picked up an enticing muffin from a coffee shop, only to bite into it later and encounter a dry, leaden brick? These are not those muffins, my friend. They’re moist and dreamy. And no mixer required.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
For a little something unexpected, add a sweetened cream cheese swirl and crumbly streusel topping to your muffins.
Pumpkin and Coconut Ladoo
Ladoo are Indian confections that take different forms. These are sweet and rich balls of a nut, pumpkin, and coconut mixture that you cook down on the stove. Make them for Diwali, or just because.
Pumpkin Tiramisu
All assembly and no baking! This tiramisu is a welcome change of pace from pumpkin pie, and it’s perfect for making ahead.
Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
Yes, these flaunt pumpkin spice, but they are still cinnamon rolls in form. There’s pumpkin puree in the dough and irresistible cream cheese frosting on top. You can assemble them the night before, refrigerate, and bake the next morning for a heavenly scent that’ll rouse the whole gang from their slumber.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
There’s a better way to make this post-pumpkin-carving favorite than just tossing the goopy seeds with spices and oil. First, boil the seeds, which not only de-goops them, but helps them crisp up better in the oven. And of course throw some pumpkin spice and a little sugar into the mix.
Pumpkin Cookies
These are soft and cake-like and appealing for their humble nature. Switch up the mix-ins to your liking.
Basque-Style Pumpkin Cheesecake
Visually impressive, this beautifully burnished cheesecake recipe is a take on the innovative one launched by Spain’s La Viña restaurant. It breaks all the rules of cheesecake land: you bake it at a high temp, get the top and edges brown, then allow it to collapse. It’s a striking dessert to present when you are otherwise cheesecake-impaired. And there’s not even a crust to bother with!
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Why even bother with the trad crust on pumpkin pie? It always gets soggy. Not so with these shareable bars, which have a pat-in-the-pan crumb crust. The candied ginger whipped cream is optional.
Chocolate Chip Bread Pumpkin Bread
Little chocolate chips freckle this loaf in the most charming way. But heck, you can bump it up to chocolate chunks for totally different character.
The Best Pumpkin Bread
Don’t tell, but the best pumpkin bread just happens to be vegan. It’s super-moist, loaded with pumpkin spice, and amazingly like the pumpkin bread you get at Starbucks. This makes two loaves, so you can freeze one and devour the other.
Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Blur the boundaries between dinner and dessert by tossing the sweet potatoes with some pumpkin spice (and sugar, if you like) before you pop them into the oven.
Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
Wait, you’ve never made a cheesecake in an Instant Pot? Drop everything and make this right now. You’ll get a cute little cheesecake without messing with water baths sloshing around. I make this to rave reviews every time.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie
We couldn’t get away with a list like this and not include the classic pumpkin pie. It’s the thing from which pumpkin spice was born! This one is everything you’re looking for in a pumpkin pie: creamy, with just the right level of spice. It’s a fixture on Simply Recipes. Every November, people all over the world make this recipe and now you can, too.
Pumpkin Waffles
This stir-together batter is a great destination for a partially used-up can of pumpkin puree. Throw them together on a weekend morning and freeze leftovers for a winning weekday.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
Make your own pumpkin spice blend? Why not! It’s fun to do and takes the flavor of your bakes and desserts from 2-D to 3-D. Quite likely you already have these spices on hand, anyway.