Self-saucing this cobbler is a family favorite dessert recipe! It's totally from scratch and doesn't contain Bisquick. Very easy to make, even for a beginner cook.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan or 9x9-inch baking pan that's 2 to 3-inches deep with nonstick spray or Wilton Cake Release. Then, place your baking pan on a large cookie sheet or sheet pan to catch any overflows.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and spice in a medium-size bowl.
In a smaller bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, milk, oil (or melted butter), and vanilla.
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and gently stir until no lumps remain. The batter will be thick.
Pour into your prepared baking dish.
Next, stir the sugar, brown sugar, and pecans together and evenly spread this mixture over the pumpkin batter.
Carefully pour the hot water over the entire contents and DO NOT STIR.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes in an 8x8-inch pan and 40 to 45 minutes for a 9x9-inch pan. These times are for using a glass baking dish. If you use a dark, metal pan your baking time will be shorter. Test the center of the cobbler with a wooden pick. It should contain dry crumbs or no crumbs when it done. (Also, the surface will go from 'kinda' shiny to matte when it's cooked. The cobbler will be slightly jiggly while hot but will set as it cools.)
Serve warm or at room temperature. It's great with vanilla ice cream and/or whipped cream.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.