Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Dip with Apples - Easy

There are certain flavors that immediately make a house feel like fall, and pumpkin, cinnamon and crisp apples are at the top of our list. This easy gluten free Pumpkin Pie Dip with Apples brings all three together in a simple fall appetizer or dessert that's especially pretty for a Little Pumpkin baby shower, Thanksgiving gathering, fall bridal shower, Halloween party or cozy autumn afternoon.

We wanted our EnFete version to be uncomplicated—and naturally easy to make gluten-free. There are no cookie crumbs, cake mixes or complicated ingredients here. Just creamy pumpkin, warm fall spices and fresh apples. It takes about 10 minutes to make, can be prepared ahead of the party, and looks lovely served on a simple board surrounded by sliced apples.

EnFete's Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Dip with Apples

Makes: About 8–10 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes, optional

Ingredients

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin purée — not pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Small pinch of salt
• 3–4 crisp apples for serving

We like a combination of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples. Honeycrisp brings sweetness and crunch, while Granny Smith gives the creamy pumpkin dip a nice tart contrast.

How to Make It

Add the softened cream cheese to a medium mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.

Add the pumpkin purée, powdered sugar and maple syrup. Beat again until everything is completely combined and fluffy.

Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and a small pinch of salt. Taste and adjust the spices if you'd like a little more cinnamon.

You can serve the dip right away, but we think it's even better after about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. That gives the fall spices a little time to mingle with the pumpkin.

When you're ready to serve, spoon the pumpkin pie dip into a small bowl and place it on a cutting board or simple serving platter. Slice the apples just before guests arrive and arrange them around the bowl.

That's it.

A Simple Little Pumpkin Baby Shower Snack

This is exactly the kind of food we love for a fall baby shower because the food becomes part of the setting.

The pumpkin dip gives you that beautiful soft pumpkin color. Red and green apples add natural color to the table. Cinnamon and maple bring in the smells of fall. Put everything on a wood board, tuck a couple of little pumpkins nearby, and you have a seasonal food display without having to "style" an elaborate grazing table.

For a Little Pumpkin baby shower, serve the dip alongside apple cider, coffee, cupcakes or pumpkin bread. It's an easy way to carry the pumpkin theme into the menu without making every single thing pumpkin flavored.

And because it can be made ahead, it's one less thing to worry about once guests start arriving.

Keeping Our Pumpkin Pie Dip Gluten-Free

This recipe contains no wheat, barley or rye ingredients as written, but when we're serving someone with celiac disease, we take the extra step of checking every packaged ingredient.

Choose products labeled gluten-free where appropriate, particularly the vanilla extract and spices, and check the labels on the cream cheese, powdered sugar, canned pumpkin and maple syrup you actually purchase. Ingredient formulations and manufacturing practices can change.

Also remember that gluten-free ingredients can become unsafe through cross-contact. Use clean bowls, beaters, knives, cutting boards and serving utensils, particularly in a kitchen where foods containing gluten are also prepared. The Celiac Disease Foundation emphasizes avoiding gluten cross-contact as part of safely maintaining a gluten-free diet.

Fresh apples are naturally gluten-free, making them our favorite dipper for this recipe. If you add cookies, pretzels or graham crackers for other guests, keep them completely separate from the gluten-free dip. Better yet, choose certified or labeled gluten-free versions so everyone can share the same platter.

Make It Ahead

You can make this gluten free pumpkin dip the day before the shower and keep it covered in the refrigerator. In fact, we prefer this - it gives the flavors time to meld.

Wait to cut the apples until shortly before serving so they stay crisp and fresh. If you'd like to prepare them a little earlier, toss the slices lightly with lemon juice to help slow browning.

Before serving, give the dip a quick stir and sprinkle just a tiny bit of cinnamon over the top.

No elaborate garnish required.

Fall Entertaining Shouldn't Have to Be Complicated

A bowl of pumpkin pie dip. A pile of crisp apples. Cold cider in the refrigerator. A few pumpkins on the table.

Sometimes those simple seasonal flavors, colors and smells create more atmosphere than another box of decorations ever could.

That's exactly the feeling we love for an EnFete Little Pumpkin baby shower—warm, welcoming and easy enough that the person hosting actually gets to enjoy it, too.

Pair this recipe with our Simple Little Pumpkin Baby Shower ideasfor an easy fall celebration using seasonal foods, natural decorations and EnFete's coordinating Little Pumpkin baby shower party supplies.