While we love a good apple crisp, it’s not the only fruit that works in the cozy baked dessert. Pumpkin crisp is a delightful alternative with all the spice and crunch of a fruit crisp but with ultra-smooth pumpkin as the base.
No offense to pumpkin pie, which we love, but this recipe for pumpkin crisp is one of the easiest pumpkin desserts to make. Simply mix canned pumpkin with milk, sugar and spice, plus a dollop of sour cream for a rich tanginess. Then, rather than fiddling with rolling out pie crust, toss together an easy crumble of oats, flour, butter and more spice, and pour it over the pumpkin. That’s it!
Easy enough for a weeknight and special enough for a party, pumpkin pie crisp tastes amazing hot from the oven for dessert (especially with a scoop of homemade ice cream) or cold from the fridge for breakfast (especially with a dollop of yogurt). You’ll be adding this to your list of favorite fall desserts as soon as you taste it.
Pumpkin Crisp Ingredients
- Pumpkin: For our pumpkin recipes, we almost always call for canned pumpkin, which is processed to ensure an ideal texture, flavor and moisture content. We like plain canned pumpkin rather than pumpkin pie filling, which is preseasoned and sweetened. If you opt for pumpkin pie filling, then omit the sugar and spices from the pumpkin mixture.
- Milk: A bit of milk thins out the pumpkin, giving it a silky texture. This pumpkin crisp recipe calls for 2%, but you can use whole, skim or even nondairy milk instead.
- Sour cream: Sour cream adds a tangy note that brightens the earthy pumpkin. Use nonfat or low-fat sour cream, if you prefer.
- Brown sugar: Made with molasses and white sugar, brown sugar is flavorful and a bit moist, making it an ideal match for a pumpkin crisp recipe. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Flour: All-purpose flour appears twice in this recipe for pumpkin crisp. Whisk flour into the pumpkin mixture to thicken the base, and toss flour into the oat crumble to keep it from being too chunky. If you prefer, you can use a gluten-free flour blend.
- Spices: Both the pumpkin mixture and the crumble topping are flavored with classic fall spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.
- Oats: This pumpkin pie crisp calls for old-fashioned oats, aka rolled oats. These types of oats are ideal for baking, as they’ll cook faster than steel-cut oats, but they still have crunchy texture.
- Butter: The secret to a tender, crispy topping is using very cold butter. Our favorite butter brands have the best flavor.
- Pecans: Mild, buttery pecans add crunch to the topping. You can swap in another nut if you prefer, or just leave them out.
Directions
Step 1: Make the pumpkin mixture
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, milk and sour cream until smooth. In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir the spices into the pumpkin mixture. Pour the mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.
Step 2: Make the crisp topping
In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats and spices. With two butter knives, a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mix until crumbly. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the pumpkin mixture in the baking dish.
Step 3: Bake the crisp
Bake until the topping is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Switch up the spices: Add a dash of spicy cayenne or aromatic Chinese five-spice powder, or go with a shortcut store-bought pumpkin pie spice mix.
- Change the nuts: Don’t love pecans? Use walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds.
- Go gluten-free: Use a gluten-free flour mix and certified gluten-free oats to make this crisp a simple gluten-free dessert.
How to Store Pumpkin Crisp
Leftover pumpkin pie crisp should be kept in the refrigerator, tightly covered. It will keep for three to five days, although as it sits the topping may become a bit soggy. To crisp it back up, reheat the crisp in the oven or toaster oven rather than the microwave, which will soften the topping.
Pumpkin Crisp Tips
How do you serve pumpkin crisp?
Like all crisps and crumbles, this recipe for pumpkin crisp is extremely versatile. Serve it hot from the oven with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. Vanilla ice cream is classic, but go ahead and jazz it up with cinnamon, butter pecan or even pumpkin ice cream. You can also serve the crisp at room temperature or even cold from the fridge. The pumpkin crisp recipe makes a festive dessert or a decadent breakfast.
How can you keep your crisp topping from burning?
If the crispy streusel topping is darkening too quickly, there are a couple of things you can do. First, move the crisp to a lower oven shelf. Second, cover it with foil and continue baking. Then, remove the foil for a moment or two at the end of baking just to recrisp the topping.
