Forget pie, this layered vegan pumpkin dessert will be your new favorite fall treat! It's no bake, simple to make and the perfect way to wow your guests.
You can make this as individual servings, perfect for kids and grab and go snacks, or in a larger pan. This easy vegan dessert is so versatile and uses simple ingredients!
This post was originally published on November 18, 2018.
When it comes to pumpkin dessert recipes, my vegan gluten free pumpkin pie might just be my favorite. However, I am also jar obsessed so this vegan pumpkin dessert made in about 20 minutes is absolutely perfect!
Ingredients
Much like my popular Vegan 7-Layer Dessert Lasagna, this no bake vegan pumpkin dessert is put together in layers made from simple whole food ingredients.
Here is what you need:
- Crushed cookies
- Maple syrup
- Almond butter
- Pumpkin puree
- Vegan vanilla yogurt
- Coconut sugar
- Pumpkin spice
- Sea salt
- Vegan whipped cream
- Chopped pecans
How to Make a Layered Vegan Pumpkin Dessert
Making this is much easier than it looks. You can make it in individual jars, but the easiest is throwing it together in a square baking dish. Either way, it's the same:
Make the layers:
- Make the caramel filling.
- Whip together the pumpkin filling.
Spread the layers out in this order:
- Crushed cookies
- Pecans
- Caramel
- Pumpkin filling
- Caramel
- Whip
- Pecans and caramel
If you use a baking dish it will look like this:
If you use jars it will look like this:
Storage Tips
- When prepping ahead of time, it is best to keep the layers separate until close to serving time as the cookies and nuts will get soggy.
- Keep the sauce, filling, and whipped cream in individual containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
- The pecans and crushed cookies can be kept in airtight containers at room temperature.
- Once assembled it's best to enjoy within 24 hours for the crunch factor, but it will be safe in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days if made fresh.
Common Questions
One of the most popular desserts to make with pumpkin is of course pumpkin pie. We also love making cookies, muffins, donuts, and smoothies for sweet recipes. It's also great with savory dishes like pasta or pumpkin and black bean enchiladas!
Yes, it is safe to eat canned pumpkin raw.
Yes, canned pumpkin puree should simply be pumpkin. However, it's always a good idea to check the label just in case.
More Vegan Pumpkin Dessert Recipes:
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crust
- Baked Vegan Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Amazing Layered Vegan Pumpkin Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup crushed cookies , use gluten free if needed
- 3 cups vegan whipped cream , or a store bought 9 ounce container
- Easy Pumpkin Caramel (see recipe below)
- Creamy Pumpkin Filling (see recipe below)
- ½ cup chopped pecans , you can use raw or toasted but I like the toasted
Easy Pumpkin Caramel:
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree (you’ll use one 15 ounce can of pumpkin total for this and the filling)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- dash sea salt
Creamy Pumpkin Filling:
- 1 ¾ cup pumpkin puree (you’ll use one 15 ounce can of pumpkin total for this and the caramel)
- 1 ¾ cup vegan vanilla yogurt
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Make the pumpkin caramel by putting everything into a bowl and whisking it hard until it’s smooth and caramel like.
- Make the pumpkin filling by putting everything into a bowl and mixing until nice and smooth.
You can make this in individual 8 ounce jars or in a square baking dish. Layer the dessert as follows:
- Crushed cookies.
- 5 tablespoons pecans
- ⅓ of the caramel
- Pumpkin filling
- ⅓ of the caramel
- Whipped topping
- The last of the pecans
- ⅓ of the caramel
Notes
- You can also use the pumpkin caramel on my site, it’s one you cook and takes a little longer but it is more of a real caramel.
- The pumpkin caramel makes about 1 cup.
- This makes a square baking dish or 9 individual 8 ounce jars.
- Nutrition facts are based on the cookies I used (Simple Mills crunchy cinnamon cookies), yogurt I used (Silk vanilla almond milk yogurt) and store bought whipped topping (So Delicious cocowhip). The info will change depending on what you use.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Taylor
I was pretty excited to try making this but I was sad because the “caramel” definitely tastes like almond butter. That being said, this is a comment just so other people know what to expect, and it doesn’t make me like your recipes any less! I think others will definitely like this dessert though, so I’m bringing it to my dinner plans later haha. I’m just personally not a fan of almond butter!
Sophia DeSantis
Hi Taylor, you can also make the caramel sauce on my site as I have linked in the post which does not have almond butter. If you don't like almond butter I would have suggested you make that one instead as it's clear in my recipe that I use almond butter. Which is why it has some almond butter taste. So it's a bummer that you rated this recipe based on a flavor that it clearly has and that you don't like. Us content creators work so hard to create recipes and get them out there, when they are rated poorly it greatly affects us negatively. While I fully understand that not everyone has the same tastes and welcome all kinds of ratings, when it has to do with an ingredient that is clearly in the recipe that someone doesn't like it makes it an unfair rating. It would have been better for you to email and ask me about this, which again I would have recommended you make a different caramel that doesn't have almond butter. Hopefully next time that you make a recipe you'll double check the ingredients and stay away from those you are not a fan of. I personally do not think it has a strong almond butter flavor (and you can also add more maple syrup to have even less of this if you prefer) but I also love almond butter which is why I used it to create this caramel layer.
Kathy
Why not consider substituting with Cashew Butter or Tahini (I think Cashew butter would be a better substitute). I mean if that is all you did not care for try a minor change.
Lea
Seems or is much sugar. Wow.
Sophia DeSantis
Yes, it's a dessert. There will be sugar. If you compare it to many other desserts it actually has much less.
Kurt
Very delicious ! Thank you for this nice receipt witch is for everyone the best taste in our family !
Your website have great photos and a nice description for you receipt ! Thank you for all and go on !
Sophia DeSantis
Glad you like it!
Erika
This was delicious- thank you!!
Sophia DeSantis
So happy you liked it Erika!
Ginette
QUESTION: about the pumpkin spice…do you buy it in the store under that name or is it a blend of spices you created?
Sophia DeSantis
Hi Ginette! It's a blend that I bought at the store but I'm sure you could create one yourself!
Sarah
I love that this is no bake! Makes it so easy to put together.
Kelly
You guys...this dessert. Oh. Muh. Gawd. I made it as listed for Thanksgiving using keto sweeteners for the maple syrup and granulated sugars, made the easy pumpkin caramel recipe listed here with sunbutter, and made my own whipped cream with coconut cream. I looked up a recipe for paleo cinnamon toast crunch squares as the crushed up cookie base and HIGHLY RECOMMEND a concept like that, which I made the day before to be ahead a step. I put this dessert together in an 8x8 pan for a family gathering and it also saves FOR DAYS which I didn't expect at all! I'm still eating off the few remains in my fridge days after Thanksgiving! WILL MAKE AGAIN AND AGAIN!!
veggiesdontbite
I am so happy you loved it Kelly! Thank you so much for the great review!
Kaitlyn
What kind of cookies? It doesn’t say
veggiesdontbite
Hi Kaitlyn! I say in the notes that I used the Simple Mills cookies, but you can really use any kind of cookies you want!
Chula C.
I use Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snaps. They go perfectly with this, which is now our official fall dessert. Yummy!
veggiesdontbite
Sounds amazing Chula!!!
April
I could not find "pumpkin puree" at the store, but did purchase a can of "pumpkin pie mix" and a can of "pumpkin". Which one, if either, will be sufficient to use in your layered pumpkin dessert recipe?
veggiesdontbite
Hi April! Pumpkin purée is just pumpkin. I specified purée so people didn’t think it was an actual pumpkin. Haha.