7 Pumpkin Desserts I Make Every Fall

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As soon as the first pie pumpkins show up at the market, these are the pumpkin desserts I start making again.

Collage of 7 pumpkin desserts: dark chocolate pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake roll, pumpkin tiramisu cake, magic custard cake, cream cheese pumpkin bread, pull-apart bread and phyllo triangles

Some go on the Thanksgiving table, some are for a regular weeknight, and a couple disappear before they’re fully cooled.

Five of the seven are low-carb and sugar-free, made with almond flour and a powdered sweetener, because that’s how I bake most of the time. The other two are classic, regular-sugar recipes I still make every year because my family asks for them.

All of them use canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree. Several can be made a day or two ahead, which matters in November.

Low-Carb Pumpkin Pie

A classic pumpkin pie with a cream cheese almond flour crust and a smooth spiced filling. It slices clean and tastes like the real thing, at about 6 g carbs a slice. Make it the day before. It's better after a night in the fridge.

Check out this recipe

Low-carb pumpkin muffins on top of each other

Low-Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake

Creamy pumpkin spice cheesecake on a buttery almond flour crust, finished with whipped cream. It feeds 16, so this is the one I bring when there's a crowd. It's a make-ahead dessert by nature: it needs the overnight chill.

Check out this recipe

Keto pumpkin creme brulee inside a sugar pumpkin

Keto Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

Silky pumpkin custard with a crackly caramelized top, baked and served right inside small pie pumpkins. It's my showstopper dessert for a dinner party, and it's still low-carb.

Check out this recipe

Pumpkin Cake Roll

A soft spiced pumpkin sponge rolled around a sweet cream cheese filling. It looks like bakery work but takes about 40 minutes. The trick is rolling the cake while it's warm. It freezes well, so you can make it weeks ahead of the holidays.

Check out this recipe

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread

Moist pumpkin bread made with Greek yogurt and coconut oil, with a ribbon of sweet cream cheese through the middle. It's half breakfast, half dessert, and it's what I bake when I want the house to smell like fall.

Check out this recipe

Low-carb pumpkin muffins with cream cheese center stacked on each other

Low-Carb Pumpkin Muffins With Cream Cheese Filling

Almond flour pumpkin muffins with a cream cheese center. It's my low-carb take on the bakery pumpkin cream cheese muffin, at about 7 g carbs each. Bake a batch on Sunday, and breakfast is covered for the week.

Check out this recipe

Sugar-free Ketogenic Pumpkin mousse in a glass topped with whipped cream

Keto Pumpkin Mousse

Mascarpone, pumpkin puree, spice and whipped cream, ready in 10 minutes with no baking. This is the one I make when I want a pumpkin dessert tonight, not tomorrow, and it's just 4 g carbs a serving.

Check out this recipe

Tips for Baking With Pumpkin

Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling already has sugar and spices in it.
Blot watery puree. Homemade puree can hold extra liquid. Spread it on paper towels for a few minutes before measuring.
Leftover puree freezes well. Freeze it in ½-cup portions, the amount most of these recipes use.
Bring dairy to room temperature for the cheesecake, the pie and the mousse, or you’ll get lumps.
Plan your Thanksgiving bake: the pie and the cheesecake are best made a day ahead, the cake roll can be frozen, and the mousse takes 10 minutes on the day.

FAQ

What are the best make-ahead pumpkin desserts? The cheesecake and the pie both need to chill overnight, so make them a day ahead. The pumpkin cake roll can be frozen for up to a month.

Which pumpkin desserts are low-carb? The pumpkin pie, cheesecake, crème brûlée, muffins and mousse are all low-carb and sugar-free. The cake roll and the pumpkin bread are regular-sugar recipes.

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned? Yes. Use homemade puree, blotted if it’s watery.

What is the quickest pumpkin dessert here? The keto pumpkin mousse takes 10 minutes and needs no oven.