Pumpkin Desserts Roundup

If there’s one day a year that pumpkin desserts take center stage, it’s Thanksgiving. You know that image of the holiday cornucopia? If it were up to us, it would be stuffed with them. We’ve done our best to prepare you over the last couple months with a range of treats that include pumpkin, and here they are all together, a handy guide to the season’s most-wanted flavor.

• Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Gingersnap Crust in Jars – Our most popular pumpkin dessert is perfect for traveling. The cheesecake is baked in glass jars, making the individual desserts the perfect choice for when you’re on the go. No messy car spills!
• Pumpkin Cupcakes – The holiday can be a long day. Why not have some cupcakes on hand for the kids or for snacking? The spiced yellow cake is filled with creamy pumpkin mousse that people of all ages will love, and they make a great choice for an office party, too.
• Pumpkin Cornbread – This recipe makes a mean stuffing and is the perfect balance between sweet and savory, which also means it’s pretty versatile. Other than stuffing, you can enjoy it with a bowl of turkey chili (leftovers idea!) or spread some butter and honey on it for sweet treat.
• Pumpkin Ice Cream – This will be a popular side during Thanksgiving. Top your other pumpkin desserts with a scoop, or try it on top of a warm apple crisp.
• Pumpkin Butter – This smooth spread makes a great host or hostess gift.  Put it in a clear glass jar, wrap a pretty ribbon around it and voila! You can also use it as filling for cakes and cookies, simply spread on toast or to amp up the pumpkin at the bottom of a warm pumpkin pie.
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies – If you have to plan way ahead, a batch of these brownies can be frozen ahead of time, and they transport well, too.
• Toffee Pumpkin Cheesecake – If you have some time carved out to make your holiday dessert and want a showstopper, this cheesecake recipe has a crunchy, buttery pepita toffee topping.
• Classic Pumpkin Pie – Last, but definitely not least, we wouldn’t think about celebrating Thanksgiving without its most traditional dessert of all! This lightly spiced pie is smooth and silky with a nice, crisp crust.

All of these recipes use canned pumpkin purée, which is one of our favorite convenience products, by the way. You can read more about why we choose it over fresh pumpkin in our article 4 Reasons to Love Canned Pumpkin.

_{Image: Lauren Chattman}