Last updated on October 26, 2026
These easy pumpkin desserts offer you plenty of ideas for serving up your favorite fall flavor: creamy cheesecake bars, individual mousse cups, pumpkin bread, and a few bakes for special occasions. Use the comparison below to choose by prep time, chilling time, and the number of people you’re feeding.
No bake options for busy oven days, baked treats for a weekend project and pumpkin-spice sweets for a little crunch. If you’re planning on an all-oven-free holiday menu with other flavors, too, check out our no bake Thanksgiving desserts.
-
Choose your serving style
Pick a pan dessert for sharing, individual cups for ready-made portions, or small bites to accompany another sweet.
-
Count the waiting time
A quick mixing step can still mean hours of chilling. Check the comparison before choosing a same-day dessert.
-
Match the pumpkin you have
Pumpkin lush uses a whole 15-ounce can; several mousse recipes use half a cup. The latte bark uses spice, not purée.
-
Save space before you start
Check the pan size, refrigerator shelf space, and any freezer requirements before preparing a larger batch.
Table of Contents
What Pumpkin Dessert Should I Make?
Cheesecake bars or pumpkin lush are easy pumpkin desserts for a crowd, serving from one pan. Cheesecake cups, if you want the dessert pre-portioned before guests arrive, or cottage cheese mousse, if you want a small batch with very little active preparation.
“No bake” means no oven, not no cooking or waiting. Some recipes require melted chocolate or marshmallows and others need to be refrigerated for several hours before they will hold their shape.
| Dessert | Active preparation | Waiting time to allow | Recipe yield | Choose it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin cheesecake bars | About 25 minutes | At least 6 hours chilling | 16 bars | A chilled dessert you can cut into portions |
| Pumpkin cheesecake cups | About 15 minutes | At least 3 hours chilling | 6 servings | Individual portions without slicing |
| Pumpkin lush | About 20 minutes | At least 4 hours chilling | 12 servings | A layered dessert that uses a whole 15-ounce can |
| Pumpkin pie mousse | About 30 minutes | At least 6 hours chilling | 12 small slices | An airy mousse filling in a cookie crust |
| Cottage cheese pumpkin mousse | About 5 minutes | About 2 hours chilling | 4 servings | A small batch made in the blender |
| Pumpkin spice protein balls | About 10 minutes | 10–30 minutes before rolling, then another 15 minutes | About 14 bites | Chewy bites that use a small amount of pumpkin |
| Marshmallow pumpkin pie | About 15 minutes | About 30 minutes cooling, then at least 8 hours chilling | 8 slices | A pie to prepare the day before |
| Pumpkin Rice Krispie treats | About 20 minutes, including cooking | About 20–30 minutes cooling for bars | 24 bars | A chewy, crunchy addition to a dessert tray |
No Bake Pumpkin Desserts
1. No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Choose these when you want creamy cheesecake portions without baking a cheesecake. A pressed gingersnap crust gives the pumpkin filling a spiced base, and the recipe also explains a graham cracker crust variation.
The important planning step is the chill: the filling needs at least six hours before cutting. Prepare the pan ahead, then slice and add the finishing touches closer to serving. One 9-inch square pan makes 16 bars.
2. No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups
These cups are a convenient choice when you don’t want to cut and transfer dessert at the table. Crumbs, pumpkin cheesecake filling, and whipped cream create individual portions with the same creamy-and-crunchy contrast as a larger cheesecake.
The recipe makes six servings and needs at least three hours to chill. Before doubling it for a gathering, check that you have enough cups and refrigerator space to keep them upright.
3. No Bake Pumpkin Lush
Pumpkin lush combines a graham cracker base, a cream cheese layer, a pumpkin pudding layer, and whipped topping. It’s a good choice when you want a soft, creamy dessert served from one dish rather than individual containers.
This recipe uses a whole 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée and serves 12 from a 9-inch square pan. Use the specified instant pudding mix and let the layers chill for at least four hours before serving.
4. No Bake Pumpkin Pie Mousse
Choose this for a pie-style dessert with a whipped mousse filling and a Biscoff cookie crust. The pumpkin and cream cheese base is folded with whipped cream, then chilled in a 9-inch pie dish.
Unlike the cheesecake cups, this dessert needs to set firmly enough to slice. Allow at least six hours in the refrigerator and plan on 12 small servings. It’s an especially useful option when you want a centerpiece without making a pastry crust.
5. Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Mousse
This spoonable dessert starts with cottage cheese blended until smooth, then mixed with pumpkin, sweetener, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. It gives you a different base from the cream cheese and whipped cream desserts elsewhere in the collection.
With about five minutes of preparation and four servings, it suits a smaller household. Let it chill for about two hours to thicken, and serve it in small bowls or cups. It is a separate recipe, not a direct cottage cheese substitution for a sliced cheesecake.
6. No Bake Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie
Melted marshmallows, pumpkin, and whipped topping make a fluffy filling for a prepared graham cracker crust. There’s no oven involved, but you will need the stovetop to melt the marshmallows.
Let the cooked mixture cool before folding in the whipped topping. With that cooling stage and at least eight hours of chilling, this is a dessert to start the day before rather than shortly before dinner.
7. No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles
These small bites combine pumpkin, cream cheese, and cookie crumbs inside a white chocolate coating. Choose them when you want a small portion to accompany another dessert rather than a full slice of pie.
The recipe makes about 24–28 truffles, but rolling and dipping each one takes hands-on time. Keep the chilling stages in your plan so the centers are firm enough to shape and coat.
8. Pumpkin Spice Protein Balls
These chewy bites combine pumpkin purée, oats, almond butter, vanilla protein powder, and chocolate chips. Choose them when you want a small sweet without a cookie crust, cheesecake filling, or chocolate coating.
The recipe uses just ¼ cup of pumpkin purée, making it useful when you have a small amount left from another dessert. Allow 10–30 minutes of chilling before rolling and another 15 minutes afterward. The mixing is quick, but the bites need that extra time to firm up.
For a mixed batch with flavors beyond pumpkin, explore our no bake protein balls ideas, including chocolate peanut butter, carrot cake, and apple cinnamon.
9. Pumpkin Icebox Cake
The Kitchn’s pumpkin icebox cake layers graham crackers with pumpkin whipped cream in a loaf pan. It’s an alternative when you want a layered centerpiece without baking cake layers.
This particular recipe goes in the freezer for at least five hours, preferably overnight. Reserve freezer space before you begin, then follow its instructions for unmolding and adding the whipped topping.
Pumpkin-Spice Treats for Sharing
These two fall pumpkin desserts bring a firmer, crunchier texture to the table. They’re spice-led treats: the cereal bars have an optional small amount of pumpkin purée, while the bark uses pumpkin pie spice rather than purée.
10. Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
Butter, marshmallows, crisp rice cereal, and pumpkin pie spice make a chewy bar that can be cut into 24 portions. The recipe also includes instructions for shaping pumpkin treats if you want a more decorative finish.
If you use the optional pumpkin purée, follow the reduction step before adding it to the marshmallow mixture. The small, concentrated amount adds pumpkin without treating the cereal mixture like a cake batter. Let the bars cool before cutting.
Building an October party tray? Pair these pumpkin treats with a few no bake Halloween treats, such as Oreo bats or decorated marshmallow pops.
11. Pumpkin Spice Latte Bark
White chocolate, espresso powder, pumpkin pie spice, and pepitas give this bark its coffee-shop flavor and crunch. It’s useful when you want a small sweet to serve beside a creamy dessert.
Allow about 10 minutes to prepare it, followed by 30–60 minutes for the chocolate to set in the refrigerator. This recipe contains no pumpkin purée, so save leftover canned pumpkin for one of the mousse or cheesecake recipes.
Baked Pumpkin Desserts
12. Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl
A ribbon of cream cheese runs through this pumpkin loaf, making it a good choice for sliced dessert with coffee. It uses one cup of pumpkin purée and makes about 10–12 slices.
Allow 50–60 minutes for baking, plus cooling time. The cream cheese swirl makes this different from a plain pumpkin loaf, so follow the recipe’s storage instructions rather than assuming it can sit out like any quick bread.
13. Pumpkin Spice Cream Puffs
These pastries pair crisp shells with a cooked pumpkin pastry cream. They’re the more involved option in this collection, suited to a day when you have time for several separate stages.
The recipe offers a puff pastry shortcut and a classic choux method. Choose one before starting: their baking instructions differ. Chill the filling, cool the shells, and assemble closer to serving to preserve the contrast between crisp pastry and creamy filling.
14. Pumpkin Pie Bars
Sally’s Baking uses a graham cracker and toasted pecan crust beneath a baked pumpkin custard filling. These are a useful choice when you want classic pumpkin pie flavor in portions cut from a larger pan.
They’re different from the no bake cheesecake bars above: the filling contains eggs and needs baking, cooling, and chilling. Choose them for the custard texture, and include all three stages in your schedule.
15. Pumpkin Roll
The pumpkin roll from Tastes Better From Scratch wraps pumpkin cake around cream cheese frosting. The spiral makes it a good choice when presentation matters and you’re comfortable handling a thin sheet of cake.
The key technique is rolling the cake while it’s warm, then letting it cool before adding the filling. It also needs refrigeration after filling, so don’t plan only around its short baking time.
16. Pumpkin Poke Cake
Favorite Family Recipes starts this cake with yellow cake mix, pumpkin purée, and pumpkin pie spice. Condensed milk, caramel, whipped topping, and toffee add the rich finish.
It’s a good fit when you prefer a 9-by-13-inch pan dessert to decorating individual portions. The batter has three ingredients, but the finished cake has additional filling and topping ingredients. Allow time for cooling and the recipe’s chilling stage before serving.
Easy Pumpkin Desserts with Canned Pumpkin
Choose plain pumpkin purée when the recipe calls for it. Pumpkin pie filling or pie mix already contains sugar and spices, so it isn’t an interchangeable shortcut. Libby’s explains the difference between pure pumpkin and pumpkin pie mix.
If you’re choosing a recipe around an opened can, these quantities can help:
| Pumpkin you need | Recipes in this collection |
|---|---|
| One 15-ounce can | Pumpkin lush |
| 1 cup | Cheesecake bars, cheesecake cups, marshmallow pumpkin pie, or pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl |
| ½ cup | Pumpkin pie mousse, cottage cheese pumpkin mousse, cheesecake truffles, or the cream puff filling |
| ⅓ cup | The Kitchn’s pumpkin icebox cake |
| ¼ cup | Pumpkin spice protein balls |
| Optional 2–3 tablespoons, reduced to about 1 tablespoon | Pumpkin Rice Krispie treats |
| None | Pumpkin spice latte bark |
The amounts listed are for one batch of each recipe, not for all the recipes together in sequence. Don’t assume all cans are two cups measure what’s needed. If you are using homemade purée, follow the particular recipe’s guidance, as the moisture content can vary from canned pumpkin.
Planning Thanksgiving Pumpkin Desserts
Planning your Thanksgiving dessert table is easier when you consider storage space, variety, and preparation time.
- Check your space: Pumpkin lush and cheesecake bars need a flat refrigerator shelf, while individual dessert cups need room to stand upright. The icebox cake in this collection requires freezer space.
- Mix different textures: Pair a creamy dessert with something firmer. Pumpkin lush goes well with crispy cereal treats, while cheesecake cups pair nicely with crunchy latte bark.
- Prepare ahead: Make ahead pumpkin desserts save time on Thanksgiving Day. Prepare cheesecake bars, lush, or chilled pies the day before, following each recipe’s instructions.
- Save garnishes for last: Add whipped cream, crunchy toppings, and cream puff fillings closer to serving time.
- Keep desserts chilled: Refrigerate cream cheese, mousse, pudding, and whipped cream desserts until serving. Bring out small portions at a time and follow each recipe’s storage instructions.
Planning tip: Choose two or three desserts with different textures and serving styles. You’ll offer guests more variety without spending all of Thanksgiving Day in the kitchen.