This low fuss pumpkin spice ganache recipe is full of cozy spices and uses real pumpkin puree. Whip this one up to fill or frost your fall and holiday macarons, cakes, cookies, and more!

Recently, I used this pumpkin spice ganache as a filling for my pumpkin spice macarons recipe! There is no question about what flavor is the star of these cuties. Pumpkin spice front and center.

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Pumpkin Spice Ganache Ingredients

Let’s begin! Here’s what you’ll need for ingredients to make this pumpkin spice ganache. Although this recipe is for a relatively small batch, you can easily scale it up for cakes and larger desserts. Keep in mind, I make a lot of macarons so my fillings are usually small in batch size but mighty in flavor!

• White Chocolate (I typically buy Ghirardelli Bars or Lindt from the store) (NOT white baking chips or white chocolate FLAVORED chips)
• Heavy Cream
• Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla Extract (I love me some Kirkland Brand Vanilla)
• Salt (Gotta have a pinch or two for balance!

Adjusting the Consistency

Although this ganache has a pipeable consistency with a soft bite, it’s solid enough to not ooze out once set. I did want to add reduced pumpkin puree, so I ended up changing the ratio a bit from the typical white chocolate ganache to compensate.

However, if you want to adjust the consistency, keep these tips in mind!

As a rule of thumb, the more white chocolate you have in relation to cream/pumpkin puree, the firmer your ganache will be. BUT, it will also be sweeter and possibly begin to overshadow the pumpkin & spice flavors.

For a runnier ganache that’s ultra spreadable but probably won’t hold it’s shape for piping even once set, you can experiment with adding slightly more cream to loosen it.

Pumpkin Spice Ganache Process

Something important to note, you’ll need to make the ganache far enough in advance to give it time to set. Make sure to plan ahead! Usually, I recommend letting ganache set at room temperature for the best shine, but with the amount of pumpkin puree in the recipe, it needs to set in the fridge for food safety.

Reducing the Pumpkin Puree

First, we’re going to reduce the pumpkin puree by cooking it down on the stove for a few minutes. This allows some of the moisture to evaporate so we get more concentrated pumpkin flavor without having to add extra white chocolate for stability.

The key here is to stir often, and check the weight of how much pumpkin is left every so often so you end up with the correct amount for the recipe.

Heating the Heavy Cream

Next, stir the spices and the heavy cream together in a heat safe bowl. Then, follow the recipe instructions to heat them together and steep the spices to allow the flavor to meld into the cream even more. During testing, I also felt like adding this step helped the spices feel less grainy/gritty in the finished product.

Some bakers have strong opinions that ganache is best made over a double boiler, or with heating the cream and then pouring it over the chocolate and letting it sit a bit to melt everything. In my case, I’ve always felt like I end up needing to reheat the mixture more anyways to get everything fully melted. For that reason, I prefer to use the microwave!

While the cream is steeping, finely chop the white chocolate to allow for even and quick melting. Then, place in a medium sized heat safe bowl.

Combining the Cream and Chocolate

After the cream is done steeping, remove any of the lovely scalded pieces on the surface. Then, reheat it to steaming, and pour it over the chocolate. Then, allow the cream to melt the chocolate while stirring.

If the chocolate hasn’t fully melted, microwave in 10 second intervals, and stir well each time until fully melted and smooth. Here’s that step I mentioned earlier about just sticking with the microwave since it needs extra heating!

However, do not over heat the chocolate or you run the risk of the ganache splitting and becoming grainy. (See frequently asked questions for ganache troubleshooting with splitting)

Combining the Remaining Ingredients, and Blending

After the mixture is smooth, stir in the pumpkin puree, the vanilla, and the salt.

At this point, I highly recommend using an immersion blender to fully blend the pumpkin spice ganache and make it extra smooth. Because there is pumpkin puree in this recipe, SOME type of blending a bit more necessary to avoid a lumpy/textured ganache. Use a small food processor or a blender if you don’t have an immersion blender.)

Setting the Ganache

Next up, cover the ganache with plastic wrap touching the surface of the ganache, and set aside to cool and set for at least 3-4 hours in the fridge.

When you go to use it, set the pumpkin spice ganache out at room temperature until softened enough to stir, pipe, spread, or use however you’re planning to.

Flavors to Pair With Pumpkin Spice Ganache

This filling is scrumptious as is, but here’s some fun flavor ideas to pair with this pumpkin spice ganache!

• Caramel
• Maple
• Biscoff or Cookie Butter
• Pecan
• Brown Butter
• Apple
• Pear
• Marshmallow
• Cream Cheese
• Creme Brulee
• Espresso
• Vanilla
• Brown Sugar
• Chocolate
• Graham Cracker
• Snickerdoodle
• White Chocolate
• Smore’s

Pumpkin Spice Ganache Frequently Asked Questions

Desserts to Use with Pumpkin Spice Ganache

• Cakes
• Macarons
• Cupcakes
• Eclairs
• Truffles
• Donuts
• Tarts
• Cookies
• Ice Cream
• Cheesecake
• Brownies
• Pavlova

And that’s all for today baking friend! Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you give it a try, I’d love to see what creations you use it in and hear what you think. Drop a rating or a comment on this post, or tag me on Instagram @the.white.whisk to share your Pumpkin Spice Ganache desserts!

Looking for more fall filling & frosting ideas? Check these out!

Salted Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Ganache

This pumpkin spice ganache recipe is full of cozy spiced flavor and uses real pumpkin puree. Use it to fill and frost your favorite fall cakes, cookies, macarons, and more.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 1 lb (2 cups)

Ingredients

 

Pumpkin Spice Ganache

• 160 grams pumpkin puree
• 90 grams heavy cream
• 2½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 300 grams white chocolate (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 pinches salt (to taste)

Instructions

 

Pumpkin Spice Ganache

• In a small pot on the stove, cook the pumpkin puree over medium heat stirring constantly to avoid burning. Cook for several minutes to reduce, and then transfer puree to a heat safe bowl to weigh. If puree has reduced down to 120 grams, it's finished. If it still weighs more than that, transfer back to the pot and continue cooking for a few more minutes. Then, check again until 120 grams is reached. Set aside.
• In a small microwave safe bowl or cup, stir together the heavy cream, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon.
• Heat the mixture in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds, or until it just starts gently bubbling/simmering (but not boiling). Stir again, and allow spices to steep in the cream for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, stir, and remove any scalded cream off the top. Reheat the spiced cream to just steaming using short bursts in the microwave.
• Place the chopped white chocolate In a medium size microwave safe bowl. Pour the spiced heavy cream over the chocolate, and stir to combine. Allow the residual heat to melt the chocolate for a minute or two, and stir again.
• If the chocolate hasn't fully melted, microwave in 10 second intervals, and stir well each time until fully melted and smooth.
• Stir in the reduced pumpkin puree, salt, and vanilla.
• Use an immersion blender to fully combine and smooth out the ganache. This step is more essential with this type of ganache to smooth out the pumpkin puree. (Use a small food processor or a blender if an immersion blender is not available.)
• Cover ganache with plastic wrap (directly touching the surface of the ganache) and set aside to cool until set in the fridge. This can take a few hours, so plan ahead.
• If needing a pipeable consistency, make sure ganache has set before using. If ganache is refrigerated and too firm, set out at room temp for 15-20 minutes to soften a touch, and gently stir.
• Use to pipe, fill, and frost your favorite desserts. Enjoy!

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Fridge Storage Shelf Life: Up to 1 Week

Freezer Storage Shelf Life: Up to 1 Month

 

Keyword Dessert, Fall, ganache, pumpkin, Spiced, Vanilla, White Chocolate,

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