The Best Easy Pumpkin Crisp Recipe
Pumpkin Crisp is a simple pumpkin dessert that highlights all the best flavors of fall! Try this special fall treat, and you’ll fall in love with the double layers of crispy oat crumble surrounding the delicious, spiced, creamy pumpkin pie filling!
I have three teenage boys, and two of them are serious pumpkin lovers. The third (and youngest) generally steers clear of pumpkin recipes.
But when I decided to make this pumpkin crisp recipe recently, after making my healthy apple crisp a couple of weeks ago, all three boys devoured the pan! My husband and I barely got there in time to have a little ourselves!
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Crisp
- It has everything that you love about a crave-able fall dessert – perfect blend of warm spices and sweetness
- Super quick and easy to make – kids will want to help!
- Crowd-pleaser – I haven’t met anyone (yet) who doesn’t love it – take it to share at all your fall gatherings!
- Uses pantry staples you already probably have – it’s great to throw together last minute
If you’ve been around here for a while, you may know that dealing with pie crust just isn’t my favorite thing to do (rolling out or eating it). I’ll occasionally make a graham cracker crust pumpkin pie, but I’d much rather make pumpkin pie squares.
Those pumpkin pie squares inspired this pumpkin crisp – half the work, ALL the yumminess! Unlike my Healthy Apple Crisp, I wanted to use the idea of the double crisp similar to my pumpkin pie squares.
The result: amazing goodness with half the work of pie!
Give it a try and see if this dessert could replace your Thanksgiving traditional pumpkin pie or Pumpkin Cobbler and get you rave reviews while also saving you all the time and work!
Ingredients
I specifically designed this recipe to be simple! No boxed cake mix or hard-to-find ingredients for this one.
Quick-cooking oats – I prefer the texture of quick oats to old-fashioned oats in this recipe. You could swap out if you want.
Flour – Gives bulk and that perfect texture to the crisp layer.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar – Sweeten the recipe. The granulated sugar adds the needed sweetness to the pumpkin layer, while the brown sugar adds that must-have depth of flavor to the crisp layer. I use light brown sugar, but if you have dark brown sugar, you can definitely use that.
Spices – A lot of people use pumpkin spice, but I prefer the simplicity of cinnamon and nutmeg. Vanilla extract adds even more flavor and warmth, while salt enhances all the flavors in the dish.
Butter – Gives the recipe a rich flavor and creates that crisp texture.
Pure Pumpkin Puree – Provides the earthy base of the filling. It’s simply pumpkin that’s cooked and blended into a smooth texture. Avoid using pumpkin pie filling because it has added spices, sugar, and other ingredients.
Heavy Cream – Adds the perfect amount of creaminess to the pumpkin layer.
NOTE: For more recipe details, please check out the handy recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How To Make Pumpkin Crisp
Make The Crisp Mixture – Combine flour, brown sugar, and spices together. Add in the cubed butter and use a dough cutter to combine.
Make The Pumpkin Mixture – Whisk together the eggs and sugar until combined. Stir in the pumpkin, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Layer The Pumpkin Crisp – Spread out part of the crisp mixture on the bottom of the pan. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the bottom crisp layer. Sprinkle the crisp topping over the pumpkin layer.
Bake and enjoy – Bake until golden brown. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream!
Pumpkin Crisp Expert Tips and Notes
- Distribute crust mixture –Â Make sure to distribute the oat, flour, and butter mixture so that about 2/3 of the crust covers the bottom of the pan, and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the mixture evenly over the top of the pumpkin filling.
- Avoid burning –Â Bake this crisp until the top is golden brown.
Variations To Try
- Spices –Â Although I like keeping it simple with cinnamon and nutmeg, I know that some people love a little extra spice. You can maximize the flavor with pumpkin pie spice, ginger, allspice, or cardamom.
- Swap out the vanilla extract –Â Maple extract is a great substitute to give your pumpkin crisp a subtly different flavor.
- Nuts –Â I prefer this crisp nut-free. However, if you want to add a little nuttiness, feel free to add 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts. Pumpkin seeds are another great option!
- Toppings –Â Serve this pumpkin crisp with whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
How To Serve Pumpkin Crisp
- Plain or toppings – More often than not, I love enjoying this pumpkin crisp plain. However, a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of salted caramel sauce make this fall dessert special, too!
- Warm or cold – This pumpkin crisp is amazing both ways, so it’s a matter of personal preference (but I recommend trying it both ways!).
Storage Tips
Make ahead – You can make and put together this crisp ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you want to serve it, go ahead and bake as directed in the recipe. Please note that you may need to add a few extra minutes to your baking time if you take the crisp directly from the fridge to the oven.
Leftovers – If you have leftover pumpkin crisp, make sure it’s cooled completely. Then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing – Once made, wrap your pumpkin crisp with plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or bake in a preheated 350°F oven until warmed through before serving.
More Favorite Pumpkin Recipes
If you love pumpkin as much as we do, check out these other delicious pumpkin-filled recipes!
- Cinnamon Pumpkin Swirl Bread
- Fluffy Homemade Pumpkin Pancakes
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake (+ Cream Cheese Frosting)
- Vegan Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Easy Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe (With Caramel Sauce)
- Pumpkin Cookies With Cake Mix
- Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Pin For Later!
Pumpkin Crisp
Pumpkin Crisp is a simple pumpkin dessert that highlights all the best flavors of fall! Try this special fall treat, and you’ll fall in love with the double crisp layers surrounding the creamy, delicious pumpkin layer!
Ingredients
Crisp Mixture
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup butter, cold, cubed
Pumpkin Mixture
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 can pure pumpkin puree (not pie mix)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Crisp Mixture
- Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg together.
- Add the cubed butter and use a dough cutter to combine. The butter should be no bigger than pea-sized.
- Spread about 4 cups of crisp mixture over the bottom and up the sides of the prepared skillet and press flat. Set the remaining crisp mixture aside.
Pumpkin Mixture
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until combined.
- Add pumpkin, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Whisk ingredients together until smooth.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture on top of the layer of crisp in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining crisp mixture over the top of the pumpkin.
- Bake uncovered at 375°F for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve (warm or cold) with ice cream or whipped cream.
