🍁🎃🍂 Fall is calling with this Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler baked in a loaf pan! This EASY no-mixer dessert makes its own caramel sauce while baking which is amazing! Along with an extra soft pumpkin cake base and the crunchy pecan topping, you’re in for the BEST texture contrast with rich pumpkin-caramel flavor notes!
Easy Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler Recipe
- This cozy pumpkin cobbler is the perfect no-fuss fall dessert! It’s got a pumpkin spiced cake base that bakes up fluffy, soft, moist and tender. The texture is somewhere between a cake and a pudding and it’s just a perfect dessert.
- And have you ever met a dessert that creates its own caramel sauce while baking? Meet this one! It’s almost like a pumpkin lava cake.
- Then let’s talk about the gooey, brown sugary, pecan topping that adds such perfect texture to this otherwise ultra soft cake. Normally I’m not the biggest fan of nuts in desserts but this is one I’ll happily make an exception for.
- I’ve seen cobblers or cakes like this referred to as a pumpkin dump cake but ‘dump cake’ usually refers to recipes that include hot water + cake mix. This recipe has the hot water element but it’s a 100% from-scratch cake and no cake mix involved.
- Best of all, this is a two-bowl, no-mixer dessert recipe. Less mess and less to clean up! Whether you want to make this for a lazy fall weekend brunch, for your family on a weekday, or make it as a Thanksgiving pumpkin pecan cobbler recipe to impress your family and friends, it’s a winner.
Ingredients in Pecan Pumpkin Cobbler Recipe
Cobbler Base:
- The dry ingredients include all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice. Tip – If you want to use more of certain spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, or allspice, feel free to add a generous pinch.
- The wet ingredients are pumpkin puree, milk, canola oil (I prefer oil to melted butter in cakes for a softer, springier finished texture), vanilla extract.
Topping:
- Brown sugar, granulated sugar, chopped pecans (although you could probably sub with walnuts), very hot or boiling water.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Pumpkin Cobbler in a Loaf Pan
- Preheat: Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan very well with cooking spray and preheat your oven to 350 degrees f.
- Batter: To a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- To a separate medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients, add the wet to the dry, and gently fold to combine. Transfer the pumpkin mixture to your baking pan.
- Topping: To a medium bowl, stir together the sugars, pecans, and sprinkle it over the batter in the loaf pan. Carefully pour in the hot water but do not stir!
- Bake: Bake about 40 minutes, or until the center is just set and cool before serving.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.
what to serve with easy pumpkin pecan cobbler
It’s amazing as it, but I like to serve this cake with with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped topping, caramel sauce, coffee, or spiced pecans.
My cookbook, Cooking With Pumpkin: Recipes that Go Beyond The Pie is my second cookbook with over 50 pumpkin recipes including sweets, savory, drinks, and a photo for nearly every recipe. I’d be super grateful if you picked up a copy!
Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler
🍁🎃🍂 Fall is calling with EASY, no-mixer, loaf pan dessert! And it makes its own caramel sauce while baking! There's an extra soft pumpkin cake-meets-pudding base with a caramely, crunchy pecan topping. You're in for the BEST texture contrast with rich pumpkin-caramel flavor!
Equipment
- 9×5-inch baking pan
Ingredients
Cobbler/Cake Base
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, or to taste
- ½ cup pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling
- ¼ cup milk, 2% or whole recommended
- ¼ cup canola oil, or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup very hot or boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan very well with cooking spray. Note – You can make this recipe in a high-sided 9×9-inch baking pan or high-sided 2-quart casserole dish, noting that the baking time will reduce to about 25-30 minutes since it will be a much thinner cake to fully cook through in pans like those.
- Dry Ingredients: To a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and whisk to combine; set aside momentarily.
- Wet Ingredients: To a separate bowl, add the pumpkin puree, milk, oil, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Combine: Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and lightly mix to combine; don't overmix.
- Transfer: Transfer the batter to prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula; set aside momentarily.
- Topping: To a medium bowl (same one you used for the wet ingredients is fine just wipe it out with a paper towel), add both sugars, the chopped pecans, and stir to combine. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter in the pan.
- Water: Evenly and slowly pour the water over the cake pan. It's ok if it looks watery on top, this is normal. Tips – Make sure the water is very hot or boiling because this will help to ensure that a caramel sauce forms while baking. And after you drizzle the water, do not stir.
- Bake: Bake 40 minutes or until the center is just set on top, and a toothpick or long skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. The caramel sauce will not set fully and this is a moist, loose dessert with some jiggle to it.Baking Tips – Place your loaf pan on a baking sheet because if it bubbles over, at least it will just go onto the baking sheet and not your oven floor! Because this is a wet batter, and you're adding water, and because it's a loaf rather than a flat cake, it could mean that your dessert takes more than 40 minutes to cook. If that's the case, allow it to bake for as long as necessary. If it appears that the top is browning too quickly at any time during baking or before the center has cooked through, drape a sheet of foil over the top and sides of the pan (tenting).
- Cool: Allow it to cool for about 5–10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream , whipped topping, extra caramel sauce, or extra pecans, or as desired.
Notes
Storage: Recipe is best consumed warm and freshly made, although it will keep airtight at room temp for up to 3 days. I’ve never frozen it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 457cal, Carbohydrates: 75g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 346mg, Potassium: 154mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 53g, Vitamin A: 3201IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 127mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Super easy and interesting to have the cake make its own sauce! Great flavors, We enjoyed the soft cake and the crunchy topping.
Your Amazon link for the pumpkin cookbook takes you to the wrong book. It brings up your Peanut Butter Comfort cookbook, which sounds amazing!
https://amzn.to/46y5oBI is the correct link and thank you for taking the time to comment on this. I fixed it. Guess I had my cookbook links mixed up there for a minute :)
One question–would this be feasible to make in cupcake liners? I make Thanksgiving dinner for 25-30 people and often “single-serve” desserts are easier to serve than pies or loaves. Thanks for any feedback! :)
Sorry to say this is definitely not the recipe to try to make into single servings. It’s way too messy and you really need to bake it as one in order for it turn out properly. Here are some actual muffin recipes that may work for your celebration. If you make any of them, let me know how it goes.
https://www.averiecooks.com/mini-cinnamon-sugar-pumpkin-muffins/
https://www.averiecooks.com/mini-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins/
https://www.averiecooks.com/starbucks-copycat-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/
Thanks so much for your reply! I’m glad I checked before trying it out. :) If I try one of the muffin recipes, I will let you know. Thanks again and have a nice day!
I am not leaving a review for this. What I am doing is expressing disappointment that your site is so full of ads that I cannot find the recipe content easily. I will not come here as often.
My site must not be too hard to navigate it you were able to find a way to leave a comment 😉
But rest assured, I have an ad-free version for anyone who wants to enjoy my recipes without ads.
https://www.averiecooks.com/membership/