These adorable pumpkin mousse parfaits are the perfect dessert for any fall celebration! Individual-sized and full of pumpkin flavor, these little treats are everything you love about no-bake cheesecake and pumpkin pie all in one.
Pumpkin parfait
Looking for the perfect fall gathering dessert? These pumpkin mousse parfaits taste like pumpkin pie with the creaminess of cheesecake.
If you love pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake, this is the fall dessert for you!
The graham cracker crust provides the crunchy texture you want in a fluffy dessert. And the filling is incredibly creamy, full of delicious pumpkin flavor and cozy spices.
These cute pumpkin parfaits come together quickly. You don’t have to deal with a pie crust (like pumpkin pie) or a water bath (like cheesecake). And they are so much fun to serve! Each guest can grab a jar and a spoon, making this a super easy holiday dessert.
Single-serving desserts are great for parties! If you love mini desserts, try our no-bake mini cheesecakes, lemon curd parfaits, and Chick Fil A parfaits too!
Ingredients
See the recipe card at the end of the post for exact measurements.
- Graham cracker crumbs: For convenience, buy the ready-made crumbs at the store. Alternatively, pulse sheets of graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. You can also crush the crackers in a Ziplock bag with a rolling pin.
- Melted butter holds the crust together. I prefer salted butter to balance the sweetness of the graham crackers and sugar, but unsalted is fine, too.
- Sugar: Brown sugar sweetens the crust. Powdered sugar is needed for the pumpkin filling and the whipped cream topping.
- Canned pumpkin works best for this recipe. Just be sure not to confuse it with pumpkin pie filling.
- Cream cheese makes the parfaits smooth, creamy and tangy with classic cheesecake flavors. Soften the cream cheese – otherwise, it’ll be difficult to work with!
- Heavy cream creates a soft, fluffy texture and is also needed for the swirls on top. The cream should be very cold so it mixes up well.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Make your own spice mix with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice, and use it for other fall recipes. Store-bought pumpkin pie spice works as well.
- Pure vanilla extract rounds out the other flavors. You can find it in the baking aisle at most grocery stores.
✱ Serving jars
I used these cute tulip jars from Weck to serve my pumpkin pudding parfaits. They come with lids and clamps and double as jam jars.
Mason jars, ramekins, small bowls, or other small serving containers are good options as well.
If you make this for a potluck or large party, you can also use disposable dessert cups from the Dollar Store or Amazon to cut back on the dishes.
Instructions
1. Make crust
Add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and melted butter to a small bowl. Mix until everything is well combined and the crumbs are moistened.
2. Press crust into jars
Divide the crumb mixture evenly between 6 dessert jars and press gently down into the bottom of the pots. Set aside.
3. Mix pumpkin mixture
In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk or hand-held mixer, mix the softened cream cheese, pumpkin, powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla until fluffy.
4. Beat heavy cream
In a separate bowl, beat the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold cream into pumpkin mixture
Gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
6. Assemble parfaits
Transfer the pumpkin mousse into a pastry bag and pipe over the cookie base in the dessert jars until full.
Mix the cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff. Add the remaining cream to a pastry bag, and pipe swirls on top of the pumpkin mousse. I used a star piping tip, but that is optional.
Garnish with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and a drizzle of caramel sauce if desired. Serve right away or refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Tips
- Avoid homemade pumpkin puree because it can have too much moisture in it for pumpkin mousse. If you still want to use it, drain it extremely well.
- Soften your cream cheese: If it is cold, combining it with the other ingredients is more difficult. Leave it on the counter until it reaches room temperature, or pop it in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Make sure the heavy cream is cold for the filling and the topping. If it is not, it won’t hold volume properly, giving you a runny filling and flat topping.
- Don’t over-mix the pumpkin mousse: Stop folding the whipped cream into the pumpkin as soon as it is mostly combined. A few streaks are okay. Overmixing will deflate the whipped cream and the mousse won’t end up as fluffy.
- Chill the mouse in the refrigerator if you’re not surviving it right away. For food safety, cream cheese and cream shouldn’t sit out at room temperature any longer than 2 hours.
Serving suggestions
The pumpkin parfait dessert tastes best chilled with a garnish of whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice.
Feel free to omit the whipped cream topping and enjoy as is or with just a dusting of pumpkin pie spice.
Coffee, espresso, and pumpkin spice milk are great beverage pairings.
Variations
- Crust: Try honey or chocolate graham crackers instead of plain graham crackers. Or swap in gingersnaps, Oreo cookies, Biscoff cookies, vanilla wafers, or even ladyfingers.
- Topping: Top your pumpkin mousse parfaits with candied nuts, chopped pecans, a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, crushed graham crackers, mini chocolate chips, or chocolate shavings. The parfaits taste delicious with a drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel sauce.
- Gluten-free: Opt for gluten-free graham crackers to prepare gluten-free pumpkin parfaits.
- Need more servings? Double the recipe if you want to feed a crowd and need more Thanksgiving parfaits.
Make ahead
My pumpkin parfait recipe is a great make-ahead dessert. You can assemble the jars 1 to 2 days in advance and store them in the fridge until ready to serve.
Keep the pumpkin mousse in a sealed, airtight container so the mousse doesn’t take on any smells from the fridge.
Hold off on adding the whipped cream until right before serving, as it does not store as well.
Whipped cream dries and deflates over time, so you want to add it fresh.
Storage instructions
- Fridge: Store the pumpkin mousse parfaits in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days. The crust won’t be as crunchy after a day, but pumpkin mousse will still taste delicious.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing pumpkin mousse because the texture will change when frozen and thawed.
More pumpkin desserts
- Libby’s Pumpkin Roll
- Easy Pumpkin Pudding
- Philadelphia Cream Cheese Pumpkin Dip
- Alton Brown Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Cake Mix Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin Mousse Parfait Recipe
These adorable pumpkin mousse parfaits are the perfect dessert for any fall celebration! Individual-sized and full of pumpkin flavor, these little treats are everything you love about no-bake cheesecake and pumpkin pie all in one.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup / 120 g / 4.2 oz graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
Pumpkin Mousse
- 8 oz / 225 g cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup / 115 g / 4 oz powdered sugar
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) pure pumpkin
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup / 180 ml / 6 fl oz heavy whipping cream, cold
Topping
- 3/4 cup / 180 ml / 6 fl oz heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make crust. Add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and melted butter to a small bowl. Mix until everything is well combined and the crumbs are moistened.
- Press crust into jars. Divide the crumb mixture evenly between 6 dessert jars and press gently down into the bottom of the pots. Set aside.
- Mix pumpkin mixture. In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk or hand-held mixer, mix the softened cream cheese, pumpkin, powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla until fluffy.
- Beat heavy cream. In a separate bowl, beat the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Fold cream into pumpkin mixture. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Assemble parfaits. Transfer the pumpkin mousse into a pastry bag and pipe over the cookie base in the dessert jars until full.
Tip: Piping the mousse into the dessert cups is easier than spooning it. If you don’t have a pastry bag, transfer the pumpkin pie mousse into a large zip log bag, cut off one corner, and pipe into the jars. - Create topping. Mix the cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff. Add the remaining cream to a pastry bag, and pipe swirls on top of the pumpkin mousse. I used a star piping tip, but that is optional.
- Serve. Garnish with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and a drizzle of caramel sauce if desired. Serve right away or refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips
- Avoid homemade pumpkin puree because it can have too much moisture in it for pumpkin mousse. If you still want to use it, drain it extremely well.
- Soften your cream cheese: If it is cold, combining it with the other ingredients is more difficult. Leave it on the counter until it reaches room temperature, or pop it in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Make sure the heavy cream is cold for the filling and the topping. If it is not, it won’t hold volume properly, giving you a runny filling and flat topping.
- Don’t over-mix the pumpkin mousse: Stop folding the whipped cream into the pumpkin as soon as it is mostly combined. A few streaks are okay. Overmixing will deflate the whipped cream and the mousse won’t end up as fluffy.
- Chill the mouse in the refrigerator if you’re not surviving it right away. For food safety, cream cheese and cream shouldn’t sit out at room temperature any longer than 2 hours.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 471Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 265mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 1gSugar: 30gProtein: 5g