Thanksgiving pumpkin does not have to stop at pie, and the ingredient can anchor more than the dessert course. This collection pairs savory dishes such as risotto, carbonara, soup, pasta, and mac and cheese with breakfast bakes, cookies, bars, cakes, and chilled desserts. Use the range to round out brunch, add a pumpkin starter or main, or set out several small sweets after dinner.
Pumpkin Risotto
Creamy and polished, Pumpkin Risotto puts pumpkin in the savory part of the Thanksgiving menu, with a total time of 1 hour 15 minutes and four servings. Roasted pumpkin is stirred into risotto rice with vegetable stock, garlic, and onion, then topped with sage and almonds. The gradual broth additions build its creamy texture. Serve it as a meat-free main or a substantial side when pie is not the only pumpkin dish on the table.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Risotto
Chocolate Pumpkin Patch Brownie Cake
Playful in appearance, Chocolate Pumpkin Patch Brownie Cake takes about 2 hours and makes 16 servings. Its chocolate base brings together cocoa, butter, eggs, and sugar, while dark chocolate and cream add a rich finish; strawberries and orange candy melts create the pumpkin patch look. Since it cuts into generous slices, bring it when the dessert spread needs a chocolate option beside traditional Thanksgiving pies.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Pumpkin Patch Brownie Cake
Pumpkin Carbonara
On the savory side of the holiday spread, Pumpkin Carbonara takes 40 minutes and serves four. Spaghetti gets coated in a sauce of pumpkin puree, eggs, Parmesan, and cream, with bacon, garlic, and nutmeg adding depth. Chopped parsley finishes each serving. It gives the Thanksgiving menu a pasta main that uses pumpkin in a completely different way, especially handy for a smaller holiday meal or a dinner before the big day.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Carbonara
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Slices of this warmly spiced loaf make Pumpkin Banana Bread easy to serve for a holiday breakfast or with coffee after dinner. The recipe takes 75 minutes and yields 12 portions, combining pumpkin puree and mashed bananas with brown sugar, eggs, oil, and pumpkin spice. Its familiar quick-bread format travels neatly and can be portioned before guests arrive, adding a pumpkin bake to the table without another pie plate.
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Pumpkin Soup
As a first course, Pumpkin Soup brings a savory pumpkin option to Thanksgiving and serves eight after about an hour. Pumpkin and carrots simmer with vegetable stock and saffron, while orange zest brightens the flavor and crème fraîche adds a creamy finish. Pumpkin seeds provide a little crunch on top. Offer small bowls before the main meal, or ladle it into mugs for an easy starter while the rest of dinner is being served.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Waffles
At a holiday brunch, Pumpkin Waffles put a seasonal spin on the breakfast plate in about 20 minutes, with three servings per batch. Oat milk and pumpkin puree form the base, while cinnamon, sugar, and a little coconut oil round out the batter. Set out maple syrup and fruit alongside them for an easy serve-yourself meal, or make a small batch the morning after Thanksgiving when the kitchen is busy.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Waffles
Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
When the menu needs a savory pumpkin main, Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is ready in 27 minutes and serves six. Pasta is tossed with a creamy sauce made from pumpkin puree, soaked cashews, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast, with mustard, garlic, and smoked paprika for seasoning. It works as a holiday side or a filling option for guests who want a break from the meat-centered dishes and standard pie lineup.
Get the Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Pumpkin Cheesecake
A chilled centerpiece gives Pumpkin Cheesecake a place among the Thanksgiving desserts, with 12 servings and about six hours total for baking and chilling. A Biscoff cookie crust supports a filling of cream cheese, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, brown sugar, and eggs, with caramel sauce for finishing. Make it ahead so the slices are set before guests arrive, then serve it as a creamy alternative when the pie platter is already full.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Custardy squares make Pumpkin Bread Pudding a shareable dessert for a full Thanksgiving table, yielding 15 servings. French bread soaks up a pumpkin custard made with milk, half-and-half, eggs, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice before baking. Serve the pieces warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired. Its scoopable texture is useful when dessert needs to travel well and guests want smaller tastes rather than another pie wedge.
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Pumpkin Bars with Chopped Chocolate
Cut into bars before packing, Pumpkin Bars with Chopped Chocolate take about 45 minutes and make nine squares. Pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice flavor the soft bar base, while chopped chocolate adds rich pockets throughout. Guests can pick one up between dinner and coffee. They bring a handheld pumpkin dessert to Friendsgiving without taking up the space a layered cake or pie needs.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Bars with Chopped Chocolate
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Individual portions make Pumpkin Cupcakes simple to pass around, with 12 servings and a 40-minute total time. Pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice flavor the cakes, which are finished with cream cheese frosting. Their single-serving size helps when the dessert table has several options, and they pack more neatly than slices of a frosted cake for a Friendsgiving potluck.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin Pancake
Fluffy stacks put Pumpkin Pancake on the Thanksgiving brunch menu in about 25 minutes, with six servings. Pumpkin puree, milk, egg, brown sugar, and pumpkin spice are mixed into the batter, and a little vinegar helps bring lift. Add maple syrup and sliced fruit at the table so everyone can dress a plate as they like. It is a useful choice for breakfast before a full holiday meal later in the day.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Pancake
Pumpkin Muffins
Wrapped individually, Pumpkin Muffins make a practical addition to Thanksgiving breakfast or the next morning’s coffee spread. The batch takes 45 minutes and yields 12 muffins, using pumpkin puree, whole wheat and all-purpose flour, buttermilk, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set them out with fruit or pack a few for guests to take home. This portable bake gives the holiday table a pumpkin option well before the pies are sliced.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Soft centers and a little chew make Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies a good fit for a holiday cookie plate; the recipe yields 12. Pumpkin puree, oats, maple syrup, and dried cranberries join brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice in the dough. At about 51 minutes total, they can be baked ahead and packed in a tin for the drive. Add them to the dessert table for a smaller pumpkin treat alongside cakes and pie.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Roasted Pumpkin Hummus
Set out a bowl of Roasted Pumpkin Hummus before dinner for a savory, shareable way to bring pumpkin into the Thanksgiving spread. The recipe takes about an hour and makes 3.5 cups, blending roasted pumpkin with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. Pair it with pita, crackers, or cut vegetables for dipping. It gives guests something to nibble while the main meal finishes, without adding another sweet to the dessert lineup.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Hummus
Pumpkin Cake
Beyond pie, Pumpkin Cake makes an easy dessert to slice for a crowd, with eight servings and a 45-minute total time. Pumpkin puree and brown sugar keep the cake moist, while cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice add seasonal flavor; cream cheese frosting finishes the top. Bring it when the holiday table needs a cake alongside pies, or cut small squares so guests can sample more than one dessert.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cake
Pumpkin Pasta
Instead of another sweet bake, Pumpkin Pasta makes pumpkin the center of a savory dinner, with a 40-minute total time and four servings. Penne is coated in a sauce of pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, and cream, seasoned with shallot, garlic, rosemary, and nutmeg. Parmesan and pumpkin seeds finish the dish. Add it to a smaller Thanksgiving menu or serve it the night before when the kitchen needs a seasonal meal beyond pie.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Pasta
Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans
Pecan-studded and soft, Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans take about 30 minutes and make 12 cookies for a simple holiday platter. Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice flavor the dough, while chopped pecans add crunch. Pack them in a tin or arrange them beside brownies and cake for guests to choose from. Their smaller size is handy when everyone wants a little something after dinner but not a full slice of pie.
Get the Recipe: Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans
Pumpkin Dump Cake
No-fuss serving makes Pumpkin Dump Cake a useful potluck dessert, and the recipe takes about an hour for eight portions. Pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice create a custardy layer beneath yellow cake mix, melted butter, and crushed graham crackers or pecans. Caramel syrup and ice cream are listed for serving. Scoop it warm or at room temperature when you want pumpkin dessert beyond a traditional crust.
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Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
The coffee-shop style of Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins brings a breakfast treat to the holiday table, with 12 muffins in about 35 minutes. Pumpkin puree and warm spices flavor the batter, while cream cheese and powdered sugar make the center filling; pumpkin seeds finish the tops. Serve them at brunch or set a few aside for the next morning. Their hand-held format adds another pumpkin bake without competing with the pies.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thick, soft cookies make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies easy to pass around after a Thanksgiving meal, with a dozen in each batch. Pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, brown sugar, and chocolate chips give them a familiar cookie shape with seasonal flavor. The recipe takes about an hour according to the card, including its resting time. Bake them ahead and stack them on a platter for a final pumpkin dessert that needs no fork or serving knife.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies