Pumpkin Pie Crunch-a perfect balance between pumpkin and my favorite sweet potato soufflé topping!
It’s no secret that I’m not a pumpkin fan. But it’s pumpkin season so I have to make a few treats that involve pumpkin. I have to, it’s peer pressure in it’s worst form.
Everyone else is doing it. Cookies, cakes, breads, main dishes. Pumpkin is everywhere!
I can’t be the one outcast, just because I don’t like pumpkin.
It can’t always be about me, can it?
Haha, sorry, when it comes to what we eat in my house, it is all about me. If momma doesn’t like it, the odds of it getting made are slim and none. I mean think about it. How can you taste test something for seasoning if you don’t like the base taste to begin with?
What about made with love? Nope, sorry kids, this dish was made with distaste and dislike (really I mean hate but I hate using the hate word.)
Yeah, not liking something will reflect in the recipe.
Now to be fair to pumpkin. It’s not dislike (certainly not hate.) It’s just not love. Pumpkin is OK. If one of my children made a pumpkin anything, I’d eat every bite and ask for seconds. But only for my kids.
So I had to put the word out to friends. I needed taste testers. I put it out on my personal facebook. All my out of town friends were more than willing to try treats for me. Even willing to pay for shipping. I needed locals. Taste testers need to have same day fresh samples to try. I think all my foodie friends scared off all the “normal” people from commenting.
I finally posted a photo and one local posted “looks yummy.” Within seconds, I was out the door with samples, dropping them off and saying, please be honest.
Later that night I got a FB message “a perfect balance between pumpkin and my favorite sweet potato soufflé topping” and an “awesome” from her grandson, high praise indeed!
The next day, I dropped off samples to my accountant who took it home to her husband and son. The verdict? Next time they want the whole pan.
Then I finally tried it, OMG! I won’t lie to you, I only ate about half a slice but the topping, and the pumpkin, it was so good!
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Pumpkin Pie Crunch
Ingredients
- 16 ounces canned pumpkin
- 12 ounces evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
- Spoon evenly over bottom of pan.
- Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin layer, then pecans. Pour melted butter over top of cake mix/pecans.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes, until top is golden brown.
- Let cool completely before serving.
Notes
recipe source ChocolateChocolateandmore.com
Need more pumpkin love?
Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Pudding Cookies
Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies from Roxana’s Home Baking
Crumbly Pumpkin Bread from Damn Delicious
Rebecca @ Dorm Room Baker says
I know how you feel about hopping on the pumpkin bandwagon. I have yet to do so myself! These look great though. I definitely want to try this recipe :).
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
I’ll take a whole pan too please! Looks great!
Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate says
I really like this take on pumpkin pie!
Darlene says
What kind of cake mix do you use? Does it matter if it has pudding in the mix or butter recipe?
Joan Hayes says
Darlene, the brand doesn’t matter and it’s fine if it’s the pudding in the mix type or the butter type. I use either Duncan Hines or Pillsbury usually.
Fiona says
I love your recipes and wondering what i could replace the pumpkin pie spice with as i live in Australia..Thankyou
Susan says
I still think you could have shipped this to me without a problem. Looks amazing and my coworker was just reading over my shoulder asking if I can make this for a “thanksgiving present” – you win.
Kristen says
That topping is definitely worth talking about! I am sorry you don’t care for pumpkin, but I empathize…I don’t like bananas, so I get it when it comes to the tasting thing.
Kris - Sugar Cookies to Peterbilts says
Sometimes peer pressure is a good thing! Looks like a little bit of pumpkin heaven there!
Joan Hayes says
yes it is Kris, yes it is!
Lise Beaudriault says
Your recipe looks delicious and I would prepare it as soon as I get an answer from you. Do you just drop the cake mix over the layer of pumkpin without prepare it ( dry) or you follow the box’s recipe for the cake and than drop it over the first layer. Thank you for your answer and for sharing that recipe with us. Lise
Joan Hayes says
Hi Lise, you sprinkle the dry cake mix over the pumpkin, then the melted butter and when you bake it, magic happens!
Lisa Cecil says
Wow, this is amazing!!! So easy n delicious! I will be making this over n over!
Laura @ Lauras Baking Talent says
This looks great, but I love PUMPKIN! Glad you finally found some testers 🙂
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
Lol, Joan, I love that you dislike pumpkin so much but were still a trooper in making a pumpkin dish. This looks incredible – I can totally see why your testers went crazy over it. Pinning so that I can try this myself.
Cindy Stevens says
I love pumpkin! Will be making this very soon! 🙂 Did you use parchment paper like in the photo or just follow directions as shown? Would love to take these to my former fellow employees next week. I just retired and need to go ‘visit”! Thank You!!!
Joan Hayes says
Cindy, the first time I made this, I lined my pan with parchment but found it works better without lining the pan. You’ll be a welcome sight for your coworkers! Enjoy!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
Oh Joan, I would be all over this! I am one of the hard core pumpkin lovers!
Kalamity Kelli says
Joan, these look so good! I’m way behind on reading and I’ve been working my way back to the beginning of where I fell off I’m so glad I have made it here – I can make this. Love a good cake mix recipe!
Meghan @ The Tasty Fork says
Joan, I wish I lived closer so I could be one of your pumpkin taste testers. That’s a job I’d love to have!! Recipe is pinned and I’m sure I’ll be making this soon. I’m in love with the topping.
Sharon Armstrong says
I am a pumpkin dis-liker ( hater ) too! being the ‘go to cook’ for everything under the sun- I too was peer pressured into jumping on the pumpkin treat band wagon…I pull a sneaky trick on my friends and family though- I use butter cup ( not butter NUT ) squash instead of pumpkin- it looks exactly the same- and is interchangeable in any pumpkin dish- but doesn’t have that nasty pumpkin after taste…no one has ever figured it out- only that every pumpkin dish I make taste sooo good- the best they’ve ever had!! I throw the whole squash in the oven and cook at 350 for about 45 mins- cut in half, seed and scoop..it freezes well too 🙂
Joan Hayes says
Love it Sharon! Pure genius!
Sharon Armstrong says
Just made this tonight for the folks at work- I had to use pumpkin ( instead of the butter nut squash ) because some one else was providing the ingredients… IT IS AWESOME!!!! I cant stop eating it!!!!! Will definitely be making this again!
Sharon Armstrong says
* butter cup squash!
Rachel says
I made this for my family over the weekend & it was polished off before I could clean the pan! Yum!! Do you happen to have the nutrition content? Thanks so much!!
Joan Hayes says
Hi Rachel, so glad your family enjoyed it! Since I don’t do “healthy food” I don’t track the nutrition stats. There are several Online sights that you can plug in the ingredients to get the info.
Lisa says
I used a spice cake mix, was really good. Should I refrigerate leftovers?
Joan Hayes says
Yes, refrigerate the leftovers.
Erica says
I made this today for my father-in-law’s birthday. He loves pumpkin anything. The rest of us are more like you….don’t hate it, but definitely don’t love it either. Well, we ALL really liked this pumpkin crunch cake! Definitely the best way to eat pumpkin!
The recipe says 16 oz. can of pumpkin, but I only saw 15 oz. cans at the store….either 15 or 29. So I just used a 15 oz. can and it was just fine. I can’t imagine 1 oz. out of 16 would be that big of a deal anyway.
I baked it for 50 minutes and some of the pecans were starting to burn….guess I should’ve watched it more closely.
It says to let it cool completely before serving. I took it out of the oven at 3:00 and it was still warm at 6:30…..just so anybody who’s in a rush knows how long this thing takes to cool. It tasted great warm though.
I’m just assuming it needs to be refrigerated. I didn’t see anything about that.
Thanks for the recipe! This pumpkin-indifferent family sure loves your crunch cake!