The 5 Best Pumpkin Recipes for a Cozy Fall

It’s pumpkin season and we’re head-over-heels for all things pumpkin. There’s nothing better than baking up a storm in the kitchen, as the leaves fall, and the brisk chill in the air has you grab that fuzzy cardigan. Our team has compiled our favorite pumpkin recipes from across the internet because ‘tis the season of gratitude and we’re thankful for these delicious chefs and their creations.

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The Best Pumpkin Recipes

1. Pumpkin Bread with Brown Butter Maple Icing

2. Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

3. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

4. Pumpkin Roll

5. Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Bread with Brown Butter Maple Icing

This has been said to be the ONLY pumpkin bread recipe you’ll ever need. The brown butter maple icing elevates this pumpkin bread to the ultimate fall flavor palette. The key is to use pumpkin puree and not the pumpkin pie filling. You’ll get the moistest cake ever! Recipe by The Domestic Rebel.

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 50 mins

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 8

Perfectly spiced, moist and tender, this Pumpkin Bread will soon become a family favorite! Leave it naked if you wish, or stud it with nuts - however, I prefer mine with this simple brown butter maple glaze. I'm sure you will, too!

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened (I used Land O Lakes)

• 1 cup dark brown sugar

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (the puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling!)

• 2 eggs

• 1 & ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp ground ginger

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 & ½ cups all-purpose flour

  FOR GLAZE:

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter

• 1 - 1 & ½ cups powdered sugar (start with one cup and add more if glaze is too runny)

• 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup

• ¼ cup milk, optional if glaze is too thick

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease a 9" loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine all of the above bread ingredients and beat at medium speed with a handheld mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until well-mixed.

3. Pour the bread mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for approx. 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean or with a couple moist crumbs (not wet). Cool for about 15 minutes, then very gently remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. While bread cools, make your glaze: in a small saucepan, heat butter over medium-low heat until melted. Continue cooking, watching butter carefully, until it sizzles and begins to turn amber in color, about 4-5 minutes. Do not overcook because it can quickly burn! When butter looks caramel-colored and smells kind of nutty, it's done. Remove butter from heat and cool completely. Then stir in the powdered sugar and maple syrup until a soft glaze has formed.

5. Pour the glaze generously over top of the pumpkin loaf and let it set, about 30 minutes. Cut into slices and serve!

Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes are a year-round favorite. The perfect party finger dessert or the cutest sweet to display on your counter. Cream cheese frosting always pairs well with warm flavors such as pumpkin, carrot, and red velvet. Good luck trying not to grab more than one in a sitting. Original recipe by Live Well Bake Often.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the pumpkin cupcakes:

• 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (250 grams) pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) canola or vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 1 (8-ounce) package brick-style cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened

• 2 cups (240 grams) confectioners sugar

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the pumpkin cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12 count muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fully combined.

• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

• Evenly divide the batter between all 12 cupcake liners and smooth out the tops of each one.

• Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 17-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

• Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cream cheese frosting:

• Using a handheld mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.

• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.

• Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

They had us at the word chocolate! Imagine the two best dessert flavors coming together for a pumpkin spice-chocolate-melt-in-your-mouth slice of heaven. Recipe by Tutti Dolci.

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp cloves

• 1/4 tsp ginger

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 cup pure pumpkin

• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature

Topping

• 1 Tbsp sugar

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until pale and fluffy; beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Combine pumpkin and buttermilk in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with pumpkin mixture (begin and end with flour mixture).

3. Spoon batter into prepared baking pan and smooth with an spatula; tap pan sharply to reduce air bubbles. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the batter. Top with chocolate chips.

4. Bake for 24 to 25 minutes or until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

5. Just before serving, place pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to set topping. Use a sharp knife to cut into bars.

Pumpkin Roll

It’s a pumpkin cheesecake…but FUN. Pinwheel desserts are always so fun to make and even more fun to eat! Roll this festive dessert into the tastiest spiral, slice, and enjoy. Recipe by Foodie Crush.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree

• 1/2 small lemon juiced

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour sifted

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup chopped nuts optional

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1-8 ounce package cream cheese (brick-style) softened

• 4 tablespoons butter softened

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs for 5 minutes, then gradually add sugar. Stir in the pumpkin and lemon juice until well blended.

2. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Fold into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Take care not to over mix the batter so it stays light.

3. Spread the mixture onto a 10x15-inch baking sheet or jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper, leaving a 1/2 inch space from the sides of the pan. Top the pumpkin mixture with the chopped nuts if desired.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, generously sift powdered sugar on a clean, fine napped dishcloth or flour sack. After removing the pumpkin cake from the oven, immediately invert onto the powdered sugar-covered dishcloth. Sprinkle with more powdered sugar and roll the cake up in the dishtowel. Allow cooling completely.

6. Unroll the cake. Mix the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cake. Roll up again and chill. Slice into pieces and serve or freeze.

Pumpkin Soup

Let’s get cozy for a minute with a warm pumpkin entree recipe! Pumpkin soup is a fall classic. This recipe is actually from our very own creative director’s husband who’s the owner and chef at 3rd Cousin in San Francisco. This pumpkin soup is the coziest spoonful.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter

• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced

• 6 cups 1-inch-diced peeled, seeded pumpkin

• 2 medium cloves garlic, sliced

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 8 medium fresh sage leaves

• 4 to 6 cups lower-salt chicken broth

• 3 cups packed grated Gruyère

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 6 slices rustic bread (each about 6×2 inches and 1/2 inch thick)

• 1 tsp. minced fresh sage

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add the heavy cream and the sage leaves and cook, stirring,, about 5 minutes. Stir in 4 cups of broth, cover, and simmer, adjusting the heat as needed, until the pumpkin is very tender about 25 minutes.

2. Using a standard blender, purée the soup (in batches, if necessary). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Return to a gentle simmer, add 1 cup cheese and stir until melted stirring constantly and adding more broth as necessary to achieve a thin soup with the consistency of heavy cream.

4. Position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Toast under the broiler, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle the croutons with the remaining 2 cups of cheese and the minced sage and season with pepper. Broil until the cheese melts and is bubbly about 2 minutes. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve with the croutons.