This pumpkin pretzel dessert is a sweet and salty fall treat with a crunchy pretzel crust and a sweet, no-bake pumpkin cream cheese filling. It comes together in just about 15 minutes. Then, it’s ready to chill, so it’s full of flavor, NOT work!
When it comes to fall desserts, nothing is more iconic than pumpkin. When the weather gets cool and the leaves start falling, my oven gets a serious workout!
This time of year, I love baking delicious pumpkin treats like these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin spice crispy treats. Those are just two of my long list of pumpkin goodies!
Now, I’m adding this pumpkin pretzel dessert to my rotation. It’s sweet and salty on the bottom and has a rich, creamy pumpkin cream cheese filling on top, giving you so many flavors and textures in every bite!
For an absolutely delicious fall menu, pair this dessert with a hearty dinner like crock pot chuck roast or creamy chicken and dumplings.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: This is a super-easy recipe that uses just a few basic ingredients, which can be found at your local grocery store or in your own kitchen.
- So Easy: The only cooking required is baking the crust for about 10 minutes. It’s mostly just a matter of mixing and letting it chill.
- Sweet and Savory: The pretzel crust, combined with the pumpkin cream cheese topping, creates a dessert with a wonderful blend of sweet and savory flavors in every bite.
- Classic Fall Flavor: The cheesecake layer is loaded with classic pumpkin spice flavor, perfect for the season.
- Customizable: You can easily adjust the recipe to make it your own, so have fun experimenting!
- Versatile: This dessert is simple enough for a weeknight treat and elegant enough for holiday and seasonal gatherings, such as potlucks.
Ingredients
You’ll find a complete list of the ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations
- Sweet Potato: Use sweet potato puree for another equally delicious fall version of this recipe.
- Pretzels: Use crushed Ritz crackers for an even more buttery crust.
- Graham Crackers: For a purely sweet version of this recipe, use crushed graham crackers in place of pretzels. Even chocolate graham crackers work well.
How to Make Pumpkin Pretzel Dessert
Mix the crust ingredients well in a large bowl. Then, press the mixture into a prepared 9×13 baking dish, reserving ½ cup.
Bake at 375°F until golden. Then, remove the dish and let the crust cool completely.
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then, beat in the pumpkin puree and spices until smooth.
Beat the powdered sugar into the mix, followed by the Cool Whip and, if desired, one drop of orange food coloring.
Spoon the filling over the cooled crust and spread it evenly. Then, sprinkle it with the reserved pretzel mixture.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, then enjoy!
Tips
- I recommend using a food processor to crush the pretzels. Just be careful not to pulverize them!
- Press your crust mixture firmly into the bottom of your baking dish. Compacting it well ensures it becomes a cohesive crust that won’t fall apart.
- Bring your cream cheese to room temperature for easier mixing and a fluffier texture.
- Two hours is the minimum chilling time for this dessert, but overnight is even better!
Pumpkin Pretzel Dessert FAQ
This pumpkin pretzel dessert is a variation of pumpkin delight using a sweet and salty pretzel crust in place of the traditional graham cracker crust.
Smaller plain pretzels work the best for a pretzel crust. They crush easily and uniformly. Larger pretzel varieties are more difficult to crush into a uniform texture.
You can serve this dessert in as few as 2 hours. However, the flavors intensify and meld more completely the longer it chills. I recommend chilling it overnight for the best results.
More Delicious Pumpkin Desserts
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Pumpkin Pretzel Dessert
Ingredients
Pretzel Crust
- 2 ½ cups crushed pretzels
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup melted butter
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling
- 12 ounces cream cheese
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 8 ounce container cool whip
- 1 drop pumpkin orange gel food coloring, if desired.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray.
Pretzel Crust
- In a large bowl, add coarsely crushed pretzels, brown sugar, flour, and vanilla. Stir.
- Melt butter and add to the pretzel mixture. Stir to combine.
- Reserve ½ cup of pretzel mixture for the topping. Set aside.
- Spread remaining pretzel mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Press the pretzel mixture evenly and bake for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
- Add pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and nutmeg, and beat until combined.
- Next, add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
- Lastly, beat the cool whip and one drop of food coloring until incorporated..
- Once the pretzel crust has cooled completely, spoon pumpkin filling over the pretzel crust and spread in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the reserve pretzel mixture on top of the pumpkin filling. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a couple hours, and enjoy.
Notes
- Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 5 days.
- I recommend using a food processor to crush the pretzels. Just be careful not to pulverize them!
- Press your crust mixture firmly into the bottom of your baking dish. Compacting it well ensures it becomes a cohesive crust that won’t fall apart.
- Bring your cream cheese to room temperature for easier mixing and a fluffier texture.
- Two hours is the minimum chilling time for this dessert, but overnight is even better!
Nutrition
