“Thanksgiving Cobbler” Is The Only Dessert My Family Wants This November
Besides pumpkin pie, I hadn’t had another pumpkin dessert until I was well into adulthood, which is such a shame because of all the years I missed out on soft pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake, and more. One new way I’ve recently enjoyed canned pumpkin is in a cobbler. This pumpkin pecan cobbler, which I’ve lovingly dubbed Thanksgiving cobbler, is full of the warming spices you expect in a holiday dessert, along with a scattering of crunchy pecans and plenty of brown sugar.
This recipe is not like a fruit cobbler but closer to a chocolate cobbler, sometimes called a pudding cake, which features fluffy cake baked over a sweet sauce. Don’t mistake the sauce in this cobbler for a syrupy, intense caramel, even though it looks similar. The dark brown sugar contributes a deep molasses flavor that is not cloying, and there is just enough so that each bite has the perfect ratio of cake to sauce. Enjoy it warm by itself, with ice cream, whipped cream, or a pumpkin spice latte, using the extra canned pumpkin.
Why You’ll Love It
Two desserts in one. As the fluffy cake rises, a lightly spiced sauce bubbles away underneath, saving you from needing to make anything else.
It’s not pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie is just not everyone’s favorite dessert, and that’s OK! You can still enjoy the rich flavors of pumpkin spice and brown sugar in other ways. This cake is soft, but definitely not pie-like.
Key Ingredients in Thanksgiving Cobbler
Unsalted butter: Melted butter in the cake batter adds richness to the pumpkin without making it taste greasy or dense.
Water: I know water isn’t usually singled out as a key ingredient, but in this recipe you need it, and you need it steaming hot, to make the sweet brown sugar sauce under the cake. Pour the hot water all around the pan and not just in one spot to evenly wet the sugar topping.
Pumpkin puree: There are more canned pumpkin brands than you might think, but regardless of your favorite, make sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling, which already has sugar and spices added.
Dark brown sugar: The deep flavor of dark brown sugar sweetens the cake and makes a luscious but not cloying sauce. Soften hard brown sugar, if necessary, before starting so it blends and melts smoothly.
Granulated sugar: A little bit of granulated sugar in the topping goes a long way to help the top of the cake have crispy edges and a gently crackly crust.
How to Make Thanksgiving Cobbler
Butter the baking dish. Coating the baking dish in a thick layer of butter helps prevent the cake from sticking and melts into the sugar and hot water to thicken and flavor the sauce.
Spread the cake batter in the pan. The batter will be thick, but it’s important to spread it evenly, and all the way to the corners, so the sugar and water do not pool in thinner spots or immediately run off the cake.
Top with the sugar and nut mixture, then hot water. This unusual step is what creates the double textures. Sprinkle the sugar mixture with your fingers over the batter, pressing out any clumps, before slowly pouring the water all over and transferring to the oven.
Bake until the cake is cooked through. Because the cake is cooking over a pool of sauce, it will slide a little in the pan, even when done. To prevent a gummy texture, make sure the top of the cake is dry to the touch, taking care not to touch any pools of bubbling brown sugar.
Helpful Swaps
Walnuts are also a classic pairing with pumpkin, so feel free to swap them in for pecans or mix the two together.
Try apple pie spice or even gingerbread spice instead of pumpkin pie spice. All three blends have overlapping ingredients with pumpkin and apple being cinnamon-forward and gingerbread being ginger-forward.
Thanksgiving Cobbler Recipe
Skip the pie and serve this warm pumpkin pecan cobbler for dessert.
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes to 40 minutes
Makes 1 (9x13 inch) cake
Serves 12 to 16
Ingredients
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 cups water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 2/3 cups packed dark brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup pecan halves, crushed or very coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 350°F. Rub the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter until the pan is thickly coated. Meanwhile, heat the water and start the batter.
Heat 2 cups water in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming and just starting to simmer, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl until combined.
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large heatproof bowl in the microwave, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in 1 cup pumpkin puree, 2/3 cup of the packed dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup whole milk, and 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt until smooth.
Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture until there are no pockets of dry flour; the batter will be thick.
Spoon the batter into the pan and evenly spread with an offset spatula all the way to the edges of the pan (it will seem like a thin layer but will puff dramatically in the oven).
Mix the remaining 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and 1 pinch kosher salt together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the batter in an even layer, making sure to go all the way to the edges. Carefully and slowly pour the hot water all over the cake without stirring (the nuts will float).
Bake until the cake is well risen and the top of the cake is dry to the touch, 25 to 35 minutes. The cobbler will still be jiggly because of the sauce layer underneath. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Use a large serving spoon to scoop the warm cake and some sauce into bowls, and top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.
Recipe Notes
Storage: The cake can be refrigerated in the baking dish or in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The cake will not be as saucy when reheated, but there will still be a pudding-like layer below the cake. Reheat in a 350°F oven until the cake and sauce are warmed through, or microwave individual servings.
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