Pumpkin Lava Cake is a healthier, whole grain gooey pumpkin cake with crunchy walnut topping and a hot lava filling. It’s the easiest dessert you will make all fall!
Y’all. This pumpkin lava cake is the only dessert you will need all fall. It’s warm, spicy and pumpkin-y with walnuts and brown sugar, with a surprise gooey lava bottom, and it’s incredibly easy to make!
I hope you aren’t tired of pumpkin yet. As a food blogger, I feel bombarded with all of the pumpkin everything. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin granola, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin cocktails, pumpkin pasta. Pumpkin pumpkin. It’s been flooding my inbox and my Pinterest boards since early August, as I’m sure it has yours, too.
I don’t really mind the pumpkin overload all that much. I do love pumpkin this time of year, and by the time I get around to making most pumpkin things around mid-October or November, it’s actually finally cooling down here in Texas. But I tend to ignore most pumpkin recipes until something that I MUST make comes around that really stands out.
This lava cake is one of THOSE recipes. One that you HAVE to make.
I first came across this in the form of Erin’s Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler on Well Plated and knew I had to make a version of it. It looked delicious and like the perfect fall dessert.
I made a few tweaks to make it a bit healthier, and I was a bit nervous when I made it. You pour hot water over the top of everything and then put it in the oven without stirring. Very strange. I had a couple doubts that it would work, but out came this beautiful lava cake with a hot pumpkin lava layer that is everything that embodies fall. It’s warm and cozy with a slightly crunchy top and gooey pumpkin-y filling.
Pumpkin lava cake is best served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, but you can also top it with fresh whipped cream or eat it all by itself. It’s incredibly easy and would make the most perfect Thanksgiving dessert! Now, go get baking!
Pumpkin Lava Cake
Pumpkin Lava Cake is a healthier, whole grain gooey pumpkin cake with crunchy walnut topping and a hot lava filling. It’s the easiest dessert you will make all season!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 9-12 servings 1x
- Category: dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, melted coconut oil, or melted butter
- 1/4 cup milk of choice
- 2 tsp vanilla
For the topping:
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups very hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease an 8 x 8″ baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Whisk to blend.
- To dry ingredients, add pumpkin, oil, milk and vanilla. Stir to combine. Spread into prepared baking dish.
- Prepare the topping: In a food processor or NutriBullet, grind walnuts with brown sugar and cinnamon into a course crumb. Sprinkle over pumpkin mixture in the baking dish. Pour hot water over topping but do NOT stir.
- Bake 35-45 minutes or until topping is golden and middle is just set. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Keywords: pumpkin cake, fall lava cake
Love this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
So much yes! Pinning this for later
Thanks so much Allie!
I’m just going to go ahead and move in with you, ok? You have the BEST ideas! This looks incredible. Pinning to try!
I’ve got an extra bedroom for you! 😉 Thanks so much!