Happy National Pumpkin Day, and Here Are 21 Recipes That Go Past Pie

Happy National Pumpkin Day! When I was growing up, pumpkin showed up in soups long before it ever landed in a pie.

These days, it shows up in muffins, cheesecake, curry, and even macarons in my kitchen, which is probably why I’ve never understood why pumpkin gets boxed into dessert. So today, let the pie rest.

These 21 sweet and savory pumpkin recipes show just how far this humble fall staple can go, from comforting soups and hearty dishes to the sweets that still deserve a spot on the table.

Pumpkin Rice Krispies Donuts

One Thanksgiving, Leo marched through my kitchen demanding dessert right now, and there was no time left to bake a pie. Melted marshmallows, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice coat the cereal, then press it into a donut pan and dip it in a maple cinnamon glaze. No oven is needed, and it takes about 30 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Rice Krispies Donuts

Pumpkin and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

My first Thanksgiving away from home, I stirred a jar of my mother’s homemade pumpkin puree into a box of gluten-free cake mix in a half-empty dorm kitchen. White chocolate chips go in, the dough chills for 30 minutes, and the cookies bake for just 8 to 10 minutes. They still taste like home to me, and no pie plate is needed.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Starbucks Copycat Pumpkin Bread

When my family saw this loaf on my counter, they asked if I had gone to Starbucks. Pumpkin puree and a spoonful of yogurt keep the crumb soft, and pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top bake into a crunchy layer. A pan of hot water on the lower rack keeps it moist, and a thick slice goes great with coffee on Pumpkin Day.
Get the Recipe: Starbucks Copycat Pumpkin Bread

Creamy Pumpkin Gnocchi with Italian Sausage

Canned pumpkin makes a creamy sauce that most people never think to try. Italian sausage in one skillet with shallot and garlic, then add pumpkin, cream, parmesan, and sage, and simmer with fresh gnocchi and kale for just a few minutes. Dinner takes about 30 minutes and only one pan to wash.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Pumpkin Gnocchi with Italian Sausage

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

For years I picked up a big container of pumpkin cookies at the store every fall without thinking twice. Now I bake my own soft, cakey ones with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, then top them with tangy cream cheese frosting once they cool. This year, I’m packing them into little gift bags, something you can’t do with a slice of pie.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Pumpkin pie belongs after dinner, but this coffee cake gets pumpkin onto the breakfast table. Sour cream keeps the spiced batter soft, and a brown sugar-and-pecan streusel bakes on top in a 9×9 pan for 35 to 40 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Marbled Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins

Half chocolate and half pumpkin, these muffins are for anyone who can’t pick a side. Spoon plain pumpkin batter and cocoa batter into the same cup and swirl them together so every muffin bakes marbled. Pumpkin Day is a good excuse to make both flavors at once.
Get the Recipe: Marbled Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins

Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake

This cheesecake cooks in the Instant Pot for 28 minutes, so my oven stays free on a busy holiday. A graham cracker crust holds the spiced pumpkin filling, and after at least 4 hours in the fridge, it gets mini marshmallows, chocolate, and crushed graham crackers. I torch the marshmallows right at the table, and that little show beats cutting another pie.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake

Bundt Cake: Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Seven ingredients and a bundt pan turn half a can of leftover pumpkin into a pretty fall cake. The batter includes self-rising flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg; it bakes for about 50 minutes, then gets a simple cream cheese icing on top. If your pie used only half the can, add the rest here.
Get the Recipe: Bundt Cake: Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Savory Stuffed Pumpkin With Sausage

Why stop at the filling when the pumpkin itself can be dinner? A pumpkin gets hollowed out, packed with a savory sausage stuffing, and roasted until the flesh is soft enough to scoop. Every spoonful brings up a little pumpkin with the stuffing, so nothing goes to waste.
Get the Recipe: Savory Stuffed Pumpkin With Sausage

Hearty Pumpkin Chili

Chili might be the last place you’d expect a can of pumpkin, but it thickens the pot and makes it hearty. Ground turkey, bell pepper, tomatoes, and two kinds of beans simmer with chili powder, cumin, and a pinch of cinnamon. It’s ready in about half an hour, so top it with avocado or sour cream and call it a Pumpkin Day dinner.
Get the Recipe: Hearty Pumpkin Chili

Thai Pumpkin Curry

Spicy Thai curry is a long way from pie, and that’s exactly the point today. Fresh diced pumpkin cooks with red curry paste, coconut milk, chickpeas, and spinach, and one cup of the soft pumpkin gets blended and stirred back in to thicken the sauce. Spoon it over rice, and dinner is ready in about 45 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Thai Pumpkin Curry

Halloween Surprise Pumpkin Banana Bread

The first time I sliced this loaf, my kids argued over who got the slice with the most perfect hidden pumpkin. Cut a chocolate banana loaf into pumpkin shapes, stand them up in spiced pumpkin batter, freeze for 20 minutes, then bake. It takes some patience, but no pie has ever gotten that kind of reaction at my table.
Get the Recipe: Halloween Surprise Pumpkin Banana Bread

Pumpkin Macarons

Years ago, my cat sat on the counter and watched me pipe my very first batch of macarons. I pipe these shells into little pumpkin shapes, fill them with whipped white chocolate ganache, and top them with green chocolate stems. My husband jokes that no macaron survives a full day in our kitchen, and they prove pumpkin can go fancy.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Macarons

Libby’s Pumpkin Roll

If pie feels too plain, a pumpkin roll still uses the famous Libby’s can but looks a lot fancier. Bake a thin spiced cake in a jelly roll pan, roll it up in a towel dusted with powdered sugar, then unroll it, fill it with cream cheese, and roll it again. An hour in the fridge sets the swirl so every slice looks neat.
Get the Recipe: Libby’s Pumpkin Roll

Mini Pumpkin Creme Brûlée Tarts

I learned to stir custard over low heat in my grandmother’s kitchen, and these tarts start the same way. Pumpkin custard bakes in chocolate cookie crusts, chills for 3 hours, then gets a sugar top torched until it cracks. The kids always light up when the back of a spoon breaks through that top, and it feels like pumpkin pie dressed up for a party.
Get the Recipe: Mini Pumpkin Creme Brûlée Tarts

Pumpkin Better Than Sex Cake

At home, this is Pumpkin Poke Cake, because the real name is a little too grown-up for my kids. Yellow cake mix and canned pumpkin bake in a 9×13 pan, then sweetened condensed milk soaks into holes poked all over the top. Cool Whip, toffee bits, and caramel go on last, and the pan feeds a bigger crowd than any pie.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Better Than Sex Cake

Rich And Creamy Pumpkin Soup

A can of pumpkin, an onion, and some garlic start this 30-minute soup. After it simmers in vegetable broth with cinnamon, nutmeg, and paprika, blend it until smooth and finish with coconut milk and a little maple syrup. Salted pepitas on top make it a savory way to celebrate Pumpkin Day.
Get the Recipe: Rich And Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Muffins

Even my nephew tried to sneak one of these early, then announced they were “better than pie.” Spiced pumpkin muffins get a swirl of salted caramel buttercream and a tiny pumpkin truffle rolled from one crumbled muffin.
Get the Recipe: Salted Caramel Pumpkin Muffins

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Cake

Applesauce stands in for oil in this cake, which keeps it soft and moist. Cinnamon, cloves, and ginger flavor the batter, and it bakes in a big 15×10 pan before getting cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans. Cut it into 24 bars, and you can feed a whole room, which is hard to do with one pie.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Pumpkin Spice Cake

Pumpkin Crunch Bread

Plain pumpkin bread gets a lot more exciting with a crunchy walnut streusel on top. The batter uses a whole can of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, and it bakes for 70-80 minutes, until golden. Let it cool completely, then slice thick for a Pumpkin Day treat that skips the crust.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Crunch Bread

Pie will be back on the table soon enough. Today, let pumpkin show you everything else it can do.