This amazing Pumpkin Icebox Cake is a fall-themed no bake dessert recipe, made with graham crackers and creamy pumpkin cheesecake layers. If you’re a fan of pumpkin pie or pumpkin cupcakes, you’ll love this chilled pumpkin spice cake!
This Pumpkin Icebox Cake is Perfect for Fall
What flavor says Fall better than pumpkin? I know it’s still technically summer and all, but this Pumpkin Icebox Cake is too good to hold back for another couple of weeks – and it’s a no-bake recipe, so you can test it out while the weather is hot!
I love icebox cakes for a few reasons. First, I don’t have to turn on the oven. Second, all I have to do is put the layers together, and then the fridge does the rest of the work for me. Third, I can play around with the flavors and match them to the season.
This time I chose to add both pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice for my creamy cheesecake layer, making it the perfect easy Thanksgiving dessert idea a couple months from now!
What is an Icebox Cake?
An old-fashioned icebox “cake” is made up of graham cracker or cookie layers, with cheesecake or a whipped cream filling between them. The name comes from a long time ago when people needed iceboxes to keep their food, and more importantly desserts, cold.
As an icebox cake begins to cool in the fridge, the graham crackers become spongy because they absorb the moisture from the whipped filling, giving each bite a cake-like texture!
Looking for more easy no-bake icebox cake recipes? Try this Chocolate Eclair Cake and Summer Berry Icebox Cake!
Recipe Ingredients
Time for some creamy pumpkin goodness! Gather these 8 ingredients to get started:
- Pumpkin Puree
- Instant Vanilla Pudding
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Powdered Sugar
- Whipped Cream or Thawed Whipped Topping: you can make whipped cream and use it instead; I used Cool Whip in this recipe for convenience.
- Cream Cheese
- Graham Crackers: ginger snaps or butter cookies would work nicely as well as vanilla wafers or other crispy cookies/crackers!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon
How to Make Pumpkin Icebox Cake
Mix: In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together the pumpkin puree, vanilla pudding, condensed milk, confectioner’s sugar, 2 cups of cool whip, and cream cheese until combined. Turn up the speed to high and beat the mixture and beat it for 2 minutes.
Prep: Cover the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with some of the pumpkin mixture. (This step is so helpful in getting the next layer of pumpkin filling spread, it gives the graham crackers some “glue” to keep them in place on the bottom of the pan.)
Spread: Lay graham crackers in one layer over the thin pumpkin mixture. Spread half of the remaining pumpkin mixture over the graham crackers evenly.
Layer: Continue layering until you are out of pumpkin mixture and the final layer should be graham crackers. (I did two pumpkin layers because I wanted a thicker look. If you want more graham crackers or more layers, then do thinner amounts between. It will require additional graham crackers as it takes about one sleeve to do a layer.)
Finish: Cover the final layer of graham crackers with the remaining 2 cups of cool whip, spread evenly across the top.
Chill: Place this “cake” in the refrigerator overnight to set and chill. This will result in the softening of the graham crackers into a softer more “cake like” texture and help everything to firm up.
Serve: Remove from the refrigerator and serve cold with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon on top if desired!
Here are some tips for the best results with your Pumpkin Icebox Cake:
- Refrigerating Overnight: You don’t technically have to refrigerate overnight, but it is important to get the proper texture.The graham crackers soften nicely and the whole dessert sets up better when you do. It will be much easier to serve with soft graham crackers!
- Graham Cracker Substitutes: Instead of graham crackers you can use Nilla Wafers, butter cookies, chocolate wafers or gingerbread cookies if you want to try any of those.
- Topping Suggestions: I like to sprinkle the top of the cake with cinnamon or pumpkin spice. Just a little goes a long way! Or, you can also drizzle it with some caramel for a fun twist!
How to Store Leftovers
You can store this pumpkin cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. That is the wonderful part about an icebox style cake, it can stay in the fridge for days and still taste fresh!
It’s longer “shelf life” also makes it the best kind of make ahead dessert. You can whip this up the day before you have guests over and it will be perfect the next day for you to serve!
Looking for more amazing pumpkin recipes? Try out some of these other reader favorites:
- Best Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins
- Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Pie Crisp
- Pumpkin Mug Cake
I am so excited for you to try this Pumpkin Icebox Cake and share it with your friends and family! This was the perfect recipe to kick off all our annual pumpkin desserts with since it’s still so hot here in Florida. There wasn’t a bite leftover!
Pumpkin Icebox Cake
Pumpkin Icebox Cake is a fall-themed no bake dessert recipe, made with graham cracker and creamy pumpkin cheesecake layers. If you're a fan of pumpkin pie or pumpkin cupcakes, you'll love this chilled pumpkin spice cake!
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 oz) pumpkin puree
- 1 box (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 cups whipped cream or thawed whipped topping (appx 16 oz container cool whip)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 box (14.4 oz) graham crackers
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together the pumpkin puree, vanilla pudding, condensed milk, confectioner’s sugar, 2 cups of cool whip, and cream cheese until combined. Turn up the speed to high and beat the mixture and beat it for 2 minutes.
- Cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with some of the pumpkin mixture. (This step is so helpful in getting the next layer of pumpkin filling spread, it gives the graham crackers some “glue” to keep them in place on the bottom of the pan.)
- Lay graham crackers in one layer over the thin pumpkin mixture. Spread half of the remaining pumpkin mixture over the graham crackers evenly.
- Continue layering until you are out of pumpkin mixture and the final layer should be graham crackers. (I did two pumpkin layers because I wanted a thicker look. If you want more graham crackers or more layers, then do thinner amounts between. It will require additional graham crackers as it takes about one sleeve to do a layer.)
- Cover the final layer of graham crackers with the remaining 2 cups of cool whip, spread evenly across the top.
- Place this “cake” in the refrigerator overnight to set and chill. This will result in the softening of the graham crackers into a softer more “cake like” texture and help everything to firm up.
- Remove from the refrigerator and serve cold with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon on top if desired!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 212Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 93mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 0gSugar: 20gProtein: 3g
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Can you freeze this Pumpkin Iceboxcake?
I believe you should be able to, but I have not frozen it myself.