Pumpkin Delight is the luscious layered dessert you want when the fall weather hits. Delicious layers of graham cracker crust, cheesecake layer, and pumpkin pudding layer and topped with a whipped cream layer. This fall dessert is a must-try!
Looking for more delicious pumpkin dessert recipes to try? These wonderful pumpkin coffee cake, this amazing creamy pumpkin butter, and this must make pumpkin oatmeal cookies.
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Best Pumpkin Delight Dessert aka Pumpkin Lush
This chilled Pumpkin dessert is a great alternative to traditional pumpkin pie when the holiday season roll around! Also known as pumpkin lush, this refreshing fall treat is that every pumpkin lover gets excited for after Thanksgiving dinner.
It’s made with a graham cracker crust as the bottom layer and then layers of sweet cream cheese and creamy pumpkin topped with whipped topping, crushed nuts, and cinnamon. It’s a delicious dessert combining all the flavors of pumpkin pie without the hassle of working with a pie crust!
This effortless and basically foolproof pumpkin lasagna is as impressive as it is easy. The only thing that gets baked is the crust, then it’s no bake recipe from there.
If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to celebrate pumpkin season this pumpkin delight is definitely the way to go! With a bit of each layer in every bite, this may just be your new favorite way to eat “pumpkin pie” from now on!
Ingredients/shopping list
For the Crust: Cinnamon Graham Cracker crumbs and melted butter come together to form a simple, flavorful crust. Use a food processor to crush the crackers or place them in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to smash them into crumbs.
Cream Cheese Layer: Softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped topping. Bring the cream cheese to room temperature about 30 minutes before you begin. If you’re using Cool Whip, remember to give it time to thaw.
For the Pumpkin Layer: Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), evaporated milk, instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin pie spice, and whipped topping make a luscious, creamy, yet light pumpkin filling.
Chopped pecans: An optional way to finish off the very top layer.
Variations/ Substitutions
1. If you can’t find cinnamon graham crackers, regular Graham crackers are just fine!
2. You can also use gingersnap crust or golden Oreos instead.
3. Swap the pudding flavor for instant pumpkin spice pudding (and omit the added pumpkin spice), butterscotch pudding or even white chocolate pudding mix.
4. Skip the topping of chopped nuts if you don’t want them.
5. Or you can use a different type of nut, like pecans or walnuts.
6. You can also add extra toppings like caramel sauce, crushed graham crackers, or mini chocolate chips, with or without the nuts. Toffee bits would be great too!
7. No pumpkin pie spice? That’s ok, just use some cinnamon and nutmeg if you have it.
How to Make this Pumpkin Delight Recipe
This recipe will come together with just 30 minutes of prep time. The rest of the time is waiting for it to chill before you can dive in!
It’s well worth the wait, believe me.
Step 1: Before you begin, preheat the oven and grease a 9 x 9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: Quickly make the crust, bake it, and give it time to cool completely. While it cools, beat the cream cheese with an electric hand mixer in a large bowl and then add the powdered sugar in batches until completely blended.
Step 3: Stir in a tub of cool whip into the cream cheese and powdered sugar.
Then spread the cream cheese mixture over top of the cooled crust.
Step 4: In a separate medium bowl, blend the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, dry pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice with an electric mixer.
Step 5: Spread the pumpkin mixture evenly over the cream cheese layer.
Step 6: Finish with a top layer of the remaining whipped topping, cover it with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours or place in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts, graham cracker crumbs and/or cinnamon before serving if you’d like. Enjoy!
Tips
- Make sure the crust is completely cooled before adding any layers on top. Any residual heat will alter the consistency of the cream cheese layer, making it thin and runny.
- Do not prepare the instant pudding mix. It’s added in there for flavor and thickness and will do what it needs to with the surrounding ingredients.
- Add the nuts just before serving. Otherwise, they will become soggy as they sit and chill in the whipped topping.
- Don’t skip the chill time! It helps it to set properly which makes it easier to slice.
- If you want to make it ahead of time, do it no more than 24 hours, or the pumpkin delight will start to lose its shape.
FAQ’s
In this case, I don’t recommend it as fresh pumpkin puree is quite watery. By all means, give it a try and let me know how it goes, but I typically use canned pumpkin puree, and depending on the brand, even that I sometimes need to strain.
Keep any leftover pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yes! Freezing any lush recipes is so great! It makes it so easy to cut when serving in my opinion. I also like to separate them into portions that way I only need to thaw what I will be eating again.
Freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Separate layers with parchment paper so they’re not stuck together.
Pureed pumpkin is just that. The flesh of the pumpkin is pureed until smooth. Pumpkin filling is meant to go directly into a pie crust so it comes with sugar and spice already in it. If you were to use it, it would throw off the flavor of this pumpkin recipe.
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Pumpkin Delight
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 ½ cups cinnamon graham crackers crushed
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
For the Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 ounce block cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 8 ounces whipped topping Cool Whip
For the Pumpkin Layer
- 15 ounce pumpkin puree
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 5.1 ounce instant vanilla pudding
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 8 ounces whipped topping Cool Whip
- Chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and grease a 9 x 9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Make the crust layer
- In a medium bowl, add the crushed graham crackers and melted butter and mix together well.1 ½ cups cinnamon graham crackers, 6 tablespoons butter
- Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom the prepared dish and bake for 5 minutes. Then remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the Cream Cheese Layer
- In a separate medium bowl, add the softened cream cheese and blend with an electric mixer then add in the powdered sugar in batches and blend until combined..8 ounce block cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar
- Stir in one container of the whipped topping.8 ounces whipped topping
- Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the crust once it is cooled.
Make the Pumpkin Layer
- In another medium bowl, add the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, dry pudding mix and pumpkin pie spice and blend with an electric mixer.15 ounce pumpkin puree, 12 ounces evaporated milk, 5.1 ounce instant vanilla pudding, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Spread the pumpkin mixture evenly over the cream cheese mixture.
- Top with the remaining whipped topping.8 ounces whipped topping
- Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.
- Garnish with crushed graham crackers, chopped pecans and/or ground cinnamon.Chopped pecans
Notes
Use butterscotch pudding, white chocolate pudding or instead of vanilla.
Drizzle with caramel sauce.
Top with crushed graham crackers, mini chocolate chips or even toffee chips.
Don’t prepare the pudding per the package directions.
Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Store in the refrigerator for up to up to 2-3 days
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. It’s great to freeze and slice of portions and let it thaw at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. Make ahead just 24 hours or it may lose its shape. Nutritional information doesn’t include additional toppings.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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debra ettinger
ok now you say put the whole cool whip in then down the finish part you said the rest of cool whip on top now we need 2 or 1 cool whip thanks