Canned pumpkin and cake mix make these bars an effortless alternative to pumpkin pie. It's a tried-and-true dessert that always brings big smiles. &mdash;Linda Guyot, Fountain Valley, California

Great Pumpkin Dessert

(15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

(12 ounces) evaporated milk

eggs

sugar

pumpkin pie spice

yellow cake mix (regular size)

butter, melted

walnuts

Vanilla ice cream cream

I've ben making this dessert since the 80's.  Just remember that it has to be a yellow cake mix.  A friend of mine tried to make it with a lemon cake mix.  No bueno.  I think it works best baking for 1 hour and 15 minutes and I've never buttered the dish before putting the pumpkin mixture in the dish.

Very easy to make & perfect Fall dessert!

Had to cook extra 15 minutes & it still didn’t set. Would not make again

This is an easy recipe. I had to bake mine 15 extra minutes to get the middle to set.

First this is a great easy recipe.  I have made it many times, but suggestions help.  First always use a metal pan.  Glass does not cook the custard as well.  Second, walnuts are okay but not a very festive choice for this. Chopped pecans work much better.  I am unsure of the amount because I use what makes it look good.  Third, butter works much better if you melt 2 full sticks or 1 cup of butter to give the cake mix and nuts a better form.  Lastly, this is perfect to substitute Splenda and sugar-free yellow cake mix to convert this to a diabetic friendly dessert.  Add sugar-free cool whip and you are all set.  End results it like a pumpkin custard cobbler with pecan topping.  Enjoy

I just made this easy recipe for  the first time and  the kitchen smelled so awesome during baking. My husband cut into it before completely cooled and raved about it. This will be a keeper to serve to company in the future. The only thing I changed  was the amount of butter which I increased to 1 cup as advised by a review. I also used a metal pan . I am going to freeze this in packages of 2 so we can enjoy this through the winter months!

I have used this recipe with my Nutrition students for the past 9 years. However, to show a healthier alternative, I remove 1/2 of the cake mix and substitute an equal amount of quick oats (about 1 1/2 cups). Instead of melting the butter, I cut it into thin slices and space it evenly over the mixture before adding the nuts. This ensures that the butter is evenly distributed all over the top of the cake without leaving "powdery" patches of unbuttered cake mix after it's baked. I usually have students make this in class a week or so before Thanksgiving to inspire them to make dessert for their family's Thanksgiving dinner. It works - I have always several students tell me after the holiday that they made the dessert, and it's a new family favorite. It's also delicious without nuts, which I often make in class because of nut allergies.

As others also reviewed...I read and followed directions exactly as written, as well as watched the video. The topping had dry spots even with drizzling the melted butter as shown. Was disappointed with the result. The pumpkin spice taste was mild as written (can easily add more to taste though), although the texture for the pumpkin mixture was enjoyable. A different take on pumpkin pie, and I liked the overall concept...but wouldn't choose to make again.

This was excellent!  I used pecans instead of walnuts and sprinkled a little brown sugar over the nuts and they candied perfectly!  Will make again and again.

This was awesome! Went over well for my daughter's birthday "cake". I did use 2 sticks of butter, meted, and I did have to bake it about an hour and a half. Other than that, I followed the recipe. After an hour, still seemed to jiggily, and knife didn't come out clean. This is  a cross between a cake and a cobbler, and with cool whip, everyone loved.

This desert really checks all of the boxes. The flavors and combination of textures are almost reminiscent of sweet potato casserole, but better than could be imagined. I was a bit concerned with the sugar content (1 cup!) so I went with 1/2C granulated sugar and 1/4C brown sugar, for a total of 3/4C and it was still plenty sweet enough. I might reduce it further next time. I made the 13x9 pan and my husband and I have already eaten half of it within the first 24 hours. Would also make a great socially distanced potluck/party dish.

Our favorite pumpkin dessert!  We have been enjoying this deliciousness for many years.  I do had a bit more melted butter over the top to cover the cake mix more evenly.  Everyone in my family request this Great Pumpkin Dessert over Pumpkin Pie!

This turned out great. My husband, who isn't a huge dessert eater, ate 2 pieces while it was still warm! Only things I did different was to cut butter to 1/2 cup to reduce fat, made with splenda in pie filling and sugar free cake, and pecans instead of walnuts, because that is what I had.

So many good reviews thought this would be a winner. Wrong. It was horrible. The pumpkin base was missing something. The cake mix never turned into cake. It was just dry powdered cake mix. (actually making the batter would've been better). Good thing we even sprinkled praline and peanuts on top so somewhat edible. Ice cream too.

I substituted cake mix with gluten free cake mix and almonds for walnuts. The temperature is way to high for this dessert. I would do 350 for about 30 min and then lower to 325. If you leave in for whole hour at 350, it’s gonna burn the top. Mine did not come out like the video. Very disappointed.

It's an upside down pumpkin pie! Had I known this, I would have tapped down my walnuts a bit after sprinkling them. It's tricky distributing that melted butter all over, but it'll give your "crust" better adhesion. I used 3/4 cup sugar - the perfect amount in my opinion.

I have made this recipe for years and always get requests for the recipe when I share it.  So easy and delicious!

I followed the recipe exactly. My husband & I were disappointed. It smelled heavenly while baking; however, it was much too sweet. I did not like the consistency as it was like the pumpkin was in a jello mold. I love pumpkin; but I couldn't taste it even with 4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. It was overpowered by the cake mix, I think. I will not make this again. If I did, I would use pecans instead of walnuts. The walnuts are another strong flavor competing with the pumpkin & cake mix. Too much sweet (sugar, evaporated milk, cake mix) going into this recipe! Putting whipped cream on this made it even worse! My teeth hurt! Hope this gives a different perspective for those who don't like overly sweet. I will stick to pumpkin pie.

I don’t remember where I originally found this recipe, but this is the BEST and EASIEST dessert. Whenever I make it, people always ask for the recipe. In fact, I’m sending to someone I work with right now; brought it to the Christmas luncheon, and it was a hit as always. I wouldn’t change anything about this unless there is a nut allergy issue. Enjoy!

I make a very similar cake, but I use Spice Cake Mix vs Yellow and because my family doesn't care for nuts in cake, I use golden raisins vs the chopped walnuts. I also make a glaze from powdered sugar, milk, melted butter, vanilla and cinnamon to drizzle on the cooled cake. YUM!

Super simple and The taste was awesome, but I tried to skimp on the butter by just using a stick and I ended up with some areas on top that were just cake mix. Next time I will use it all

https://videodam.tmbi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/GreatPumpkinDessert_DIYD_10881_072419_H.mp4

Check out this video on how to make Great Pumpkin Dessert

great pumpkin dessert

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total: 1 hours, 5 minutes

Servings: 16

Cost: $1.98 /serving

Author : Taste of Home

Ingredients

Instructions

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