This easy to make pumpkin crisp has a creamy pumpkin pie filling and a crumbly, crisp, streusel topping. It’s the perfect fall dessert and a great addition to your Thanksgiving table!
If you love crisps as much as I do, be sure to try my apple crisp, pear crisp, and blueberry crisp!
Are you more of a pie or crisp person? Personally, I tend to like a crisp better, unless we’re talking about my chocolate strawberry cream pie or my famous caramel apple crumb pie. Then I’m a pie person.
I love the filling in pies, but I’m not big on crust. I’d much rather have a sweet, buttery crumble or oat crisp topping than pie crust.
This always becomes an issue at Thanksgiving since I love pumpkin pie. I find myself either scraping the pumpkin filling out of the crust or if I’m the one making it, I usually just make a crustless pumpkin pie.
This year I finally came up with a solution, pumpkin crisp! It has the same delicious pumpkin filling you find in traditional pumpkin pie, but instead of baking it in a pie crust, there’s a crisp topping. It’s the best of both worlds!
Ingredients For Pumpkin Crisp
Pumpkin purée – Be sure you are using purée and not pumpkin pie filling. Libby’s is a brand that never lets me down.
Half and half – This give the pumpkin filling a rich creamy flavor and consistency. For a richer pumpkin filling, substitute with heavy cream. You can also use evaporated milk like many traditional pumpkin pie recipes call for. I don’t recommend using non-fat milk. It will leave you with a runnier, less creamy filling.
Eggs – Eggs give the filling structure in the same way they set up pumpkin pie filling.
Maple syrup – The sweetener for the filling. If you don’t have maple syrup use an equal amount of granulated sugar or brown sugar.
Vanilla bean paste or extract – Vanilla bean paste is my go-to for baking. It has the best vanilla flavor and I love that you can see the specs of vanilla bean seeds.
Pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon – The delicious spices that give the pumpkin crisp filling it’s warm spiced flavor.
Oats and Flour – I found that old fashioned rolled oats give the crisp topping the best texture. You can substitute with quick oats if needed. White whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour will both work.
Brown sugar – Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar can be used in the crisp topping.
Unsalted butter – Don’t use warm butter or melted butter. The butter needs to be cold so that you get those delicious crumbles. If it’s warm it will melt too soon and you’ll have a greasy topping and no crumbles.
Pecans – Chopped pecans give the crisp topping a delicious nutty crunch. It’s an optional ingredient if you happen to be allergic or don’t like them.
Tips for Making Pumpkin Crisp
- Make it ahead of time. The crisp topping and pumpkin filling can be made 1-2 days ahead of time. Store them in separate bowls covered with plastic wrap. Then all you have to do is assemble and bake the day you plan serve it.
- Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature except for the butter. This will help them combine together easier.
- Cut the cold butter into small cubes so it’s easier to work into the dry mixture. Your hands work best for working the mixture into small crumbles, but you can also use a pastry cutter.
- Use a 9 inch deep dish pie plate, cast iron skillet, or 9×9 baking pan or dish.
- Don’t overbake the pumpkin crisp. The middle should have a slight wobble. It will set as it cools.
- If the topping starts to get too brown cover it loosely with a piece of foil. You want it to be golden brown!
- Let the crisp cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. This will ensure that it has a chance to finish setting up. The pumpkin spice flavors also come through much better when it’s not hot out of the oven.
Making Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice
Pumpkin pie spice is found in almost all grocery stores these days, but if you can’t find it or just prefer to make your own, here’s how.
There are many ways to make pumpkin pie spice and you can easily adjust the amounts to suite your taste. The spices you’ll need are cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. The predominant spice you will use is cinnamon.
The blend I make uses 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1 teaspoon ground cloves. Mix all the spices together in a small bowl and then store them in a jar so you’ll have pumpkin pie spice any time you need it.
Toppings
A scoop of ice cream (vanilla is best) or whipped cream are my top two choices to serve with pumpkin crisp. I like to add vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, or a splash of bourbon to the whipped cream for added flavor.
Caramel sauce is another great option to drizzle on top. For a dairy-free option, either coconut whipped cream or your favorite dairy-free vanilla ice cream.
Storage
Leftover pumpkin crisp should be stored in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container. You can eat it cold or you can reheat it in the microwave until warmed through.
Preheat oven to 350° F. and spray a 9 inch deep dish pie plate, cast iron skillet, or similar sized baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs until they’re broken up and combined. Add in the remaining filling ingredients and whisk together until well combined. Pour the filling into the prepared skillet or baking dish.
Wipe out the bowl and add in all of the ingredients for the topping except the butter. Stir together until combined. Add the small cubes of butter to the topping and use your hands or a pastry cutter to work them into the mixture until it’s crumbly.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the pumpkin filling and place the skillet onto the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Calories: 308kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 6gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 117mgPotassium: 281mgFiber: 4gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 8656IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute the flour in the crisp topping with a 1/2 cup of all-purpose gluten-free flour. You can also substitute the flour with a 1/2 cup of almond flour like I did with this gluten-free peach crisp. Using almond flour will give the crisp topping a slightly nutty flavor and it will still have the same crisp crumbly texture.
To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the half and half with an equal amount of full fat canned coconut milk. I like the brand, Native Forest. It will give the filling a very slight coconut flavor. Replace the butter in the crisp topping with an equal amount of vegan butter or melted coconut oil.
Yes. The eggs can be substituted with 3 flax eggs. To make a flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water. Whisk together and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it thickens, then add it to the pumpkin filling.
More Pumpkin Desserts
If you make this Pumpkin Crispplease leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you and do my best to respond to your comments. And if you’re on Instagram tag @reciperunner so I can see your beautiful creations!
