Enjoy all the flavors of fall in this easy Pumpkin Cobbler. The creamy pumpkin pie layer with a crunchy toffee pecan topping makes this the ultimate fall dessert.
Looking for other pumpkin recipes? Try adding this pumpkin coffee cake or a pumpkin cheesecake pie to your fall plans.
This pumpkin dessert with yellow cake mix is one of my favorite things to make every fall. Years ago, I won first place at a fall dessert contest with this same pumpkin cobbler recipe. It's that delicious.
If you love pumpkin pie or pumpkin bundt cake, you will adore this sweet pumpkin dessert. It is easy to make, and everyone loves the creamy pumpkin pie filling with a buttery streusel topping.
It also goes by other names, such as pumpkin crunch cake or pumpkin dump cake. As long as you call it delicious, I don't care what you name it.
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Why You Will Love This Pumpkin Dessert
Our pumpkin cobbler is the ultimate fall dessert because it is easy to make. Our secret shortcut is to use a cake mix for the streusel topping.
This dessert can be assembled and placed in your oven in under 15 minutes. All you have to do is mix, dump, and bake. Then, sit back and enjoy your kitchen's fantastic pumpkin spice smell as the cake bakes.
Want to impress your holiday guests with a fantastic pumpkin dessert? Make this easy dump cake for Thanksgiving dinner or any fall party, and watch it be devoured.
Key Ingredients
You can create this delicious pumpkin cobbler recipe with a few essential ingredients, a yellow cake mix, and a can of pumpkin. The creamy pumpkin pie filling and a crunchy, buttery cake topping work so well together.
- Pumpkin Puree - Buy pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. The canned pumpkin pie filling has sugar and spices added to it.
- Sugar - A mixture of brown sugar and granulated sugar sweetens the filling.
- Spices - Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and sugars blend well together.
- Cornstarch - Helps to thicken the pumpkin pie filling.
- Milk - Adds moisture and makes it creamy. We usually use 2%, but you could also use whole or low-fat.
- Dry Cake Mix - A yellow mix is the traditional flavor for this pumpkin dessert, but you can use white or spice.
- Toffee Bits - Find these in your grocery store by the baking aisle. If you don't like toffee, you can leave them out.
- Pecans - This gives a nice nutty flavor and a great crunch.
- Butter - Melted and drizzled over the top will give it a nice buttery flavor.
How to Make Pumpkin Cobbler
This easy pumpkin dump cake recipe comes together in minutes. Follow our easy instructions, and your dessert will turn out perfectly every time.
- Make the pumpkin filling. Add the pumpkin puree, sugars, spices, salt, cornstarch, eggs, and milk to a large bowl.
- Whisk or use a hand mixer to mix the wet ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Make the cake mix topping. Pour the dry cake mix, chopped pecans, and toffee bits into a bowl.
- Stir the dry ingredients together very well.
- Assemble the layers. Pour the pumpkin mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mixture evenly on top of the pumpkin batter.
- Slowly drizzle melted butter over the top of the cake mix. Make sure you pour it evenly over everything.
- Place the pan in a preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. The butter and yellow cake mix will come together as the pumpkin crisp bakes.
Serving Suggestions
After this magic pumpkin pie cake comes out of the oven, you have two options for eating it.
- Warm - Scoop a large serving of warm pumpkin pecan cobbler into a bowl. Top it with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and chopped pecans. The ice cream starts to melt and get all gooey with the pumpkin filling.
- Cold - Let the pumpkin dump cake cool at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate it for a few hours. It will be set up, and you can slice out a piece that resembles a cake. Spoon a big helping of homemade whipped cream on top, add a few nuts, and dig in.
Storage Recommendations
You can keep the pumpkin cobbler at room temperature for a few hours. Once it has cooled, cover it with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.
👩🏻🍳 Tips and Tricks
- Do not use a pumpkin pie mix because the added sugar and spices will affect how your filling bakes.
- A white or spice cake mix can be used instead of a yellow one. A chocolate cake mix would also be fantastic.
- Change up the nuts by using walnuts or almonds.
- Make the dessert nut-free by omitting the nuts from the dessert.
- Serve this easy pumpkin cobbler with a copycat Starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew and enjoy the fall season.
FAQs
Dump cakes like this got their name because you basically "dump" everything in the pan and bake it. I love how easy it is to have a delicious dessert with little work.
The pumpkin cobbler can be kept on the counter for a few hours. After that, it needs to be refrigerated in a tightly sealed container.
Yes, a pumpkin cobbler is a great dessert to make ahead of time. It will keep for a few days if properly refrigerated.
If your family is like mine, it will be eaten up quickly! But if you eat a little slower than we do, leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Technically, you can, but the texture may change as it thaws. I would recommend making it one or two days ahead of time. You can eat it cold or reheat it for your family gathering.
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Recipe
Pumpkin Crunch Cobbler Recipe
Warm up that oven because you are going to love this crunchy Pumpkin Cobbler. A creamy pumpkin pie layer covered with a crunchy toffee topping is the ultimate fall dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 - 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup pecan chips
- ½ cup toffee bits
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Whisk together the pumpkin, sugars, spices, salt, cornstarch, eggs, and milk. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Stir together the cake mix, pecan chips, and toffee bits. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the pumpkin mixture.
- Drizzle the melted butter on top. Bake for 60 minutes.
- Remove and cool slightly. Serve warm with ice cream, or refrigerate and serve cold with Cool Whip or whipped cream.
Notes
- Do not use a pumpkin pie mix because the added sugar and spices will affect how your filling bakes.
- A white or spice cake mix can be used instead of the yellow cake mix. A chocolate cake mix would also be amazing.
- Change up the nuts by using walnuts or almonds.
- Make the dessert nut free by omitting the nuts from the dessert.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 403Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 380mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 2gSugar: 35gProtein: 5g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*The post for Easy Pumpkin Crunch Cobbler was first published in September 2016. The post was updated and republished in September 2022.
Jessica Ford
I made this cobbler and brought it to work yesterday. I printed the recipe and left it in the staff room with the cobbler. Someone wrote "This is amazing!" on the recipe and made copies for other people. It truly is amazing! So easy and delicious. I'll make it again this weekend for my family. Thanks, Jocelyn, for another delicious recipe!
Jocelyn
That is so awesome to hear. I'm so happy that you made it and shared it with friends at work. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know. 🙂
Beccs
Does this need to be refrigerated after?
Jocelyn
Yes, this does need refrigerating because it contains milk and eggs in the pumpkin layer. Refrigeration helps prevent the growth of bacteria.
Brandi
I hate toffee flavoring. Would chocolate chips work in place of that?
Jocelyn
I personally like chocolate and pumpkin together, so I think it would be fine. But, the chocolate might overtake the flavors of the cake. Your best bet is to just leave the toffee bits out and add a few more pecans instead.
Julie
This looks delish! Can I substitute with GF cake mix?
Jocelyn
I have not tried a GF cake mix in this recipe, but I think it should work just fine. Keep me posted on how it turns out!
Lisa
Can you just use pumpkin pie mix???
Jocelyn
Pumpkin pie mix has sugar and spices in it, so you would have to adjust the recipe. I prefer to use the pumpkin puree, so I can control the amount of sugar and spices in my recipes. I hope you enjoy the pumpkin cobbler!
DAR
So this uses a sugar free cake mix?
DAR
Oh, never mind, I see THIS recipe was BEFORE your "sugar free" time and even has some added sugar in addition to the cake mix.
(She said with a red face...... ?)
Jocelyn
LOL! I still eat sugar, just much more sparingly. I love to bake and to create desserts, so I would never be able to be a sugar free person. I have found that moderation and exercise is the best way.
AZ
Made this last night! The husband liked it and so did I! Mine was a little
gooey, but I saw you said above that it will set up in the fridge. Thank
you so much for sharing this recipe! It was a Sunday blessing in our
house!
Jocelyn
I am so glad you and your husband enjoyed the cobbler! It's definitely one of my favorite fall desserts! It will be gooey when you first make it, which makes it so good with vanilla ice cream. But it will firm up in the fridge like pumpkin pie and then it's delicious with Cool Whip 🙂
Eric
Looks great, but would it turn out ok without all the added sugar from the toffee candy? Thanks!
Jocelyn
You can leave the toffee bits out if you like. It will still bake up ok. I hope you enjoy the cobbler!!!
Katie B
Mine is cooking and the top is gooey... is this how it's supposed to be? It's been 65+ min. It smells great but the top isn't solid
Jocelyn
Yes, it will be soft while it is warm. It will set up in the refrigerator! I hope you enjoy it!
Sandra
What are pecan chips? Not at my market, where do you find them? Can you just use chopped pecans?
Jocelyn
They are just finely chopped pecans. I buy a bag of them at Walmart in the baking aisle.
Mir
Sugar-free living can be rough the first few days. Hope your withdrawal phase is over and you're on to not missing it much!
This does look super good. I would not want to give up sugar if it meant I had to give this up!
Jocelyn
Well...I'm definitely not doing as good on the sugar free aspect as I would have liked. I think I have to quit baking and leave my house for a few days to actually make some progress there!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction
Love the crunchy topping! Can't wait to give this a try!
Nicole Taggart
I don't want to cut slices of this, I just want to dig right in with a spoon. not sharing
Jocelyn
Trust me, that is what I did when it first came out of the oven. My first bowl was hot and had ice cream on top. Day two I cut a slice and had it with Cool Whip! I'm in love with it both ways to be honest!!!
Sandy_of_WV
It's a KEEPER ... name fits perfect!
• easy to make
• crunchy
• pumpkin taste [dislike spices]
• ice cream 2nite / Cool Whip 2mro nite
Thanks for creating & sharing a yummy dessert!
Jocelyn
I agree...this is a definitely keeper! And I love how you think. Ice cream first night, Cool Whip the next night! Love it!
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures
What a great Fall treat! I can't even imagine baking all of these treats without eating sugar. That is amazing will powder!
Jocelyn
Yeah, it's been pretty difficult to bake and not eat it all! I'm doing ok...just not as good as I had hoped!!!
Aimee @ ShugarySweets
Holy dessert heaven. I have a pumpkin crunch cobbler in an old church cookbook, I'll have to see if it's similar 🙂 Do some research of my own, haha!! I remember making it a few years before blogging and it being so heavenly...PS...good luck on sugar free 🙂
Jocelyn
I have no idea where I got this recipe from. It's pretty much the same one that everyone else is making this time of year, except I have a few twists. And as for sugar free...well, I've had some set backs. LOL!
Ellen
WOW!! This looks so very, very delicious that I can't wait to make it! I will have to get yellow cake mix first (maybe several boxes). I am obsessed with anything and everything pumpkin- all year through. I wait impatiently for Fall just to be able to have pumpkin spice coffee and have been known to add pumpkin pie spice to regular coffee when feeling desperate. I love Fall just for its pumpkiny glory! Thank-you for this recipe, it will be featured at this weekend's family brunch for my son's birthday (another pumpkin lover).
Jocelyn
Definitely get a few boxes of cake mix because you will want to make this over and over this fall. I am so excited it is fall time...bring on all the pumpkin goodness!!! I hope your family enjoyed this at your brunch!
Joanne
So delicious! I love the crunch on top!
Jocelyn
As much as I like pumpkin pie...the crunchy topping is my favorite too!!!
Maria
Can't wait to make this!
Jocelyn
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
This cobbler looks delicious and I love the textural contrast with the gooey center and the crunch!
Jocelyn
This is one of those desserts that you can't stop eating! So good with the creamy and crunchy bites!!!
Janice
Does anyone know if you can use almond milk in this recipe?
Jocelyn
I haven't tried that, but I don't see why not. I just used regular milk with cornstarch to thicken it up. Let me know if you try it and how it works.
Leeora
Thank you. Never baked a pumpkin
dish. It will be my first try.