It's officially the first day of October which means we're solidly into pumpkin season. We like our pumpkin (and pumpkin spice) in more than just lattes and pie; in fact, the sweet, creamy vegetable can make a shining appearance in many of our most beloved dishes, like pancakes, cheesecake and bread pudding.

Here are 7 of our favorite pumpkin recipes, perfect for fall.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Is there any dessert better (or more decadent) than cheesecake? We think not, especially when its creamy base is whisked together with plenty of pumpkin and all the warm spices. A simple graham cracker crust is the perfect base to hold it all together. Our secret to the most tender and smooth cheesecake is to bake it like a custard at a low, gentle temperature in an insulating water bath. Another tip? Eschew springform pans and bake this cheesecake in the largest round cake pan you can find.
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Pumpkin Pancakes
Fall flavors shine through in these fluffy buttermilk pancakes, enhanced with pumpkin and warm spice. The key to fluffy pancakes is to stir the batter as little as possible; small lumps are just fine. Your care with the batter will be rewarded wtih towering, tender cakes. Once they're fried up — in butter, of course — we like to serve these breakfasty gems with a thick slab of spiced pecan butter and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.
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White Chocolate and Pumpkin Bread Pudding
All the flavors of pumpkin pie are captured in this rich bread pudding studded with white chocolate. But beyond these two headliners, the real secret to our bread pudding is to use croissants instead of regular bread. These buttery pastries absorb the custard mixture much better than white bread, making for a more homogenous and tender pudding.
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Interested in even more pumpkin-scented recipes? Here you go: 

Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Snack Cake
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
One-Pot Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins