Sorry, no great pictures of this dessert! I snapped this one quickly before putting on the plastic wrap and taking it to work.

If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you already know that I love pumpkin! There is no better time than the fall to try out a new pumpkin recipe and this fall was no exception. In fact, this recipe is so yummy I’ve made it twice and can’t wait for an opportunity to make it again!

Let me begin by saying that this recipe was adapted from Jennifer W.’s recipe Better Than Sex Pumpkin Dessert on Key Ingredient, so suffice to say…it’s delicious!

I’m sure the original recipe is fabulous…. I only changed it because you can’t buy Heath Bits here and I prefer homemade caramel sauce. Here is my version.

Pumpkin Poke Cake Dessert

Yield 8 – 12

Ingredients:

• 1   box spice cake mix
• 2  cups pumpkin puree (be careful not to buy Pumpkin Pie Filling)
• 1   14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1   tub Cool Whip (I bought the larger size and had some left over, even with a generous layer)
• ½ bag SKOR Bits (original recipe calls for Heath Bits)
• 1   batch of Ree Drummond’s homemade Caramel Sauce .  The original recipe calls for a jar of Caramel Sundae Topping, but it is worth the tiny bit of extra effort to make your own ~ so good!

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven 350º and grease a 9 X 13″ cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix and pumpkin puree until a smooth batter forms.
3. Pour the batter into the pan and bake according to the directions on the cake mix box.
4. Test with a toothpick to ensure it is cooked. (Toothpick should come out clean when poked into the cake.)
5. Let cool for about 10 minutes after baking. Using the bottom of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of the cake. (The first time I made this, the holes were nice and uniform, the second time they seemed a bit gooey and I was worried the cake wasn’t cooked even though I’d tested it. Don’t panic, mine tasted great both times.)
6. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake and spread as is necessary to fill the holes.
7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the cake from the fridge and spread a generous layer of cool whip over top of cake. Sprinkle the SKOR bits on top and drizzle with caramel sauce. Reserve the balance of the sauce to serve over each individual piece.
9. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or overnight, if possible.

This recipe is super easy and a real crowd pleaser! Enjoy and thanks Jennifer!

If you love pumpkin as much as I do, why not check out some of my other recipes!