33 Healthy Pumpkin Desserts You Need to Make This Fall

By Cooking Light
September 04, 2018
Photo: Jennifer Causey
Pumpkin isn't just made for pumpkin pie. Whether you fold it into cake batter, stir it into ice cream, or bake it into a pie, pumpkin celebrates the best of the season—and you'll love its irresistible flavor in these healthy and delicious recipes. These treats may look decadent, but they're lower in calories and added sugar than their traditional versions (and you'd never guess it!).
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33 Healthy Pumpkin Desserts You Need to Make This Fall

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Pecan-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Photo Courtesy of Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Pecan-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

The distinctive flavor of pumpkin pie spice folded into a creamy cheesecake and baked into chewy brown-sugar bars makes for an extra-special autumnal treat. Using a combination of 1/3-less-fat and fat-free cream cheese helps keep the total fat low but still adds richness to these bars. Don't be tempted to use all fat-free cream cheese; the texture won't be nearly as luscious.  

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Spiced Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Celebrate the best of fall flavor with this creamy pumpkin pie. This version of the classic Thanksgiving pie is a fluffier, less dense version of the original, so it's perfect for serving at holiday gatherings when you want a crowd-pleaser.

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Roasted Pumpkin Pie

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Pie

By roasting the pumpkin whole, you avoid cutting it open and scooping out the seeds and membrane. If you'd like, serve pie with a dollop of lightly sweetened 2% reduced-fat yogurt.

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Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Bundt

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Bundt

The earliest ways of preparing pumpkin were savory, but sweetened recipes, like the first pumpkin pies—baked in the pumpkin shell rather than in a pie crust. We've come a long way since then. In this recipe, we mix pumpkin with bittersweet chocolate for a flavor that is decidedly fall and perfect for seasonal entertaining. (We think it's great for breakfast too!)

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Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

Sara Tane
View Recipe: Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

Greek yogurt and cream cheese come together to create that same, luscious texture of your favorite store-bought frozen yogurt. With a seasonal pumpkin flare, this low calorie dessert is just the treat that you'll want to cozy up to on a crisp fall night. Top with nuts, cinnamon, and dark chocolate for an extra kick that blends beautifully with the flavors of pumpkin spice. If you are not planning on serving immediately, keep it in the fridge and then throw it in the freezer 1 to 2 hours before you are ready to serve it.

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Pumpkin-Hazelnut Cheesecake

Photo: Nigel Cox
View Recipe: Pumpkin-Hazelnut Cheesecake

Spiced pumpkin adds seasonal color and warm flavors to this magnificent double-decker dessert. Hazelnuts contribute their unique browned butter note to the wonderfully dense cake beneath the silky cheesecake. Shards of brittle add drama and style.

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Pumpkin Ice Cream Torte

Photo: Ellen Silverman
View Recipe: Pumpkin Ice Cream Torte

Here’s the secret: You can make this pumpkin torte well ahead and freeze it. Perfect for a hectic day of cooking.

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Ginger Pumpkin Pie With Toasted Coconut

Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Ginger Pumpkin Pie With Toasted Coconut

Ginger and coconut add warm, flavorful accents to this fall classic. If you'd like a dollop of something creamy, top with fat-free whipped topping.

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Sugar Pumpkin Custards With Graham Crumble

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Sugar Pumpkin Custards With Graham Crumble

These sweet custards are the perfect ending for an autumn dinner party.

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Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

A few easy additions to store-bought ice cream create a custom flavor that simply tastes like Thanksgiving.

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Vanilla-Bourbon Pumpkin Tart

Photo: Ellen Silverman
View Recipe: Vanilla-Bourbon Pumpkin Tart

A fluffy, delightful hybrid—part classic spiced pumpkin pie, part creamy cheesecake. Wrap foil around the springform pan to make sure water doesn’t sneak in from the water bath.

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Maple Pumpkin Pie With a Message

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Maple Pumpkin Pie With a Message

To use up the leftover pumpkin, try adding some to a breakfast smoothie, or stir into pancake batter. Or combine with a splash of half-and-half, season with sage, and toss with pasta.

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Pumpkin Flan

Photo Courtesy of Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Pumpkin Flan

Pumpkin lends a unique and mouthwatering spin to the classic custard layered dessert with a soft caramel top. This flan is convenient—it can be made in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to serve.

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Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Bread

Photo: Kimberly Holland
View Recipe: Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Bread

With a few low-fat baking tricks, this healthy pumpkin bread recipe shaves 33 percent of the calories and more than half the fat from the original recipe. "I love this recipe because it makes two loaves. Many quick breads only make one, but with very little effort, you can double your results," Kimberly Holland says. "I usually take a loaf to work, or I'll cut the second loaf and freeze individually wrapped slices for quick desserts when I'm too busy to bake later."

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Pumpkin Pound Cake With Buttermilk Glaze

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Pumpkin Pound Cake With Buttermilk Glaze

The glaze on this mouthwatering cake is enough to make you want to lick your screen. Drain the canned pumpkin before making the cake batter to keep the cake's texture light.

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Pumpkin-Praline Pie

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Pumpkin-Praline Pie

If you can’t decide between pecan and pumpkin pie, this dessert will give you a taste of both in one slice. A quick brown sugar–pecan streusel tops the pie after it bakes; the topping will set into a crunchy layer as the pie cools. Be sure to use a standard 9-inch pie plate rather than a deep-dish one to ensure an evenly baked crust.

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Sugar Pumpkin Custards With Graham Crumble

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Sugar Pumpkin Custards With Graham Crumble

These sweet custards are the perfect ending for an autumn dinner party.

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Pumpkin Spice Fudge

Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Fudge

We turned the classic pumpkin pie (and the trendiest of fall spice blends) into a tasty confection. Fudge doesn't require the tempering, rolling, and shaping of other made-from-scratch candies. If you don't have a candy thermometer, do the cold water test: Drop a small amount of the cooked sugar mixture in cold water. If it forms a soft ball, the mixture is ready for pouring into the prepared pan.

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Pumpkin Pie With Vanilla Whipped Cream

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Pumpkin Pie With Vanilla Whipped Cream

This is the pie you remember from many Thanksgivings, made better for you. Instead of using a can of regular evaporated milk, we swapped in a fat-free version.

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Pumpkin Pie Shake

Photo: Howard Puckett
View Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Shake

Pumpkin pie in a glass?! Try it and believe it. This cold and creamy blended drink was a finalist in our 2005 Ultimate Reader Recipe contest. Readers gave it top ratings, too. Canned pumpkin and ice cream mix with pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar for a refreshingly different take on a classic holiday flavor.

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Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Photo: Karry Hosford
View Recipe: Pumpkin Bread Pudding

If your two favorite desserts are bread pudding and pumpkin pie, you're in luck with this recipe that combines the best attributes of each one. Topping the warm bread pudding with maple syrup and toasted pecans is pure genius.

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Buttermilk-Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Photo: Peter Frank Edwards
View Recipe: Buttermilk-Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

This has to be the coolest way to serve pie "à la mode." Churn creamy spiced pumpkin pie into a rich custard for an all-in-one ice-cream treat. What a great way to stretch those last couple of slices into a festive new dessert.

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Pumpkin-Cranberry Cake

Photo: Howard L. Puckett
View Recipe: Pumpkin-Cranberry Cake

A crunchy walnut and brown sugar topping is perfectly suited for this sweet (and slightly tart) sheet cake. Yogurt, in addition to canned pumpkin, keeps this cake moist and flavorful.

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Pumpkin-Orange Cake

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Pumpkin-Orange Cake

This dessert is simply stunning, from the auburn-colored cake to the luscious cream cheese filling to the ruby-like pomegranate seeds and mandarin oranges arranged on top. With so elegant a presentation, it's sure to impress, especially since it tastes as wonderful as it looks.

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Pumpkin Pie Cake

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Cake

To lighten this stunning dessert, we cut out 3/4 of a cup of oil and combined whole eggs and egg substitute. Now with only 223 calories per slice, this centerpiece is a nutritional masterpiece.

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Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Glaze

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Glaze

The oranges are optional, but they add a burst of freshness to the cake. If you make the cake a day ahead, garnish with orange wedges shortly before serving. You can also bake the cake in a Bundt pan, but reduce the oven temperature to 325º.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Photo: Beau Gustafson
View Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

This dessert combines the spicy flavors of a pumpkin pie with the creamy richness of a cheesecake.

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Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake

Make this cake a day ahead, and refrigerate. Large crystals of raw brown Demerara sugar look and taste lovely, but the cake is still delicious without it. To prevent the crust from sticking to your fingers while pressing it into the pan, lightly coat your hands with cooking spray.

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Pumpkin-Almond Cheesecake

Photo: Levi Brown
View Recipe: Pumpkin-Almond Cheesecake

A deliciously dense almond cake rests underneath the cheesy spiced pumpkin layer. Almond brittle adds a spectacular finishing touch.

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Pumpkin Pie Pudding

Photo: Jonny Valiant
View Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Pudding

We took the best part of the classic fall pie and stuck it in a glass for a perfectly-portioned treat. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and chopped walnuts.

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Double-Ginger Pumpkin Flans

Photography: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Double-Ginger Pumpkin Flans

This is a great weekend recipe that takes some time but produces an elegant and delicious result that's worth the extra effort. Unsweetened pumpkin and fresh ginger add a seasonal and unexpected twist on creamy classic flan (also known as crème caramel). Make them for someone special.

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Classic Pumpkin Pie

Photo: Nigel Cox
View Recipe: Classic Pumpkin Pie

Refrigerated pie dough and a simple, 7-ingredient filling make this pie refreshingly easy to prepare. A tablespoon of amaretto beat into the whipped cream adds nutty-sweet notes to the creamy topping.

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Pumpkin Bundt Cake With Chocolate Glaze

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Pumpkin Bundt Cake With Chocolate Glaze

We take the classic flavors of pumpkin pie (pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg) and transform them into a tall, moist, tender Bundt cake. Whole-wheat flour enhances the fall flavors without sacrificing the tender crumb. To finish it off: a smooth, shiny bittersweet chocolate glaze that drips into all the nooks and crannies. Look for baking spray (cooking spray with fine flour added), or simply coat the pan with cooking spray, add a tablespoon of flour, and shake gently to coat. If you don't have a Bundt pan, you can bake in two standard loaf pans. Cut the loaves into slices, and drizzle the glaze over each serving.

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