70 Recipes For Every Dessert You Need To Make This Thanksgiving
Make these recipes for Thanksgiving, and all season long.
Though Thanksgiving is technically only one day, most of us are celebrating it in one way or another all month long. From work potlucks to Friendsgivings, school celebrations to Turkey Trots, there are lots of occasions to bring various dishes to share in the month of November. We're always big fans of dessert, and though pie is quintessential for the holiday, there's so many more options. Instead of baking the same standbys over and over, try one of our best 70 Thanksgiving desserts. These pies, bars, cakes, cookies, and more will be welcome on your Thanksgiving table, and all season long.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the prototypical Thanksgiving classics, like pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, apple pie, and pecan pie. If you’re as enamored with these as we are, don’t limit their flavors to just pie this Thanksgiving season. Try our sweet potato pie cupcakes, our pecan pie bars, our apple brown betty, or our pumpkin cheesecake roll, or try adding these flavors to any of your favorite go-to recipes.
Love the holiday but not so big on the desserts associated with it? We get it. Don’t get left out and instead make something like our butterscotch cheesecake bars, our peanut butter dessert lasagna, our nanaimo bars, or our amaretti cookies. Other non-pumpkin or apple fans will be so grateful to find these on the dessert table. You could also make desserts that just look like turkeys, like our turkey cupcakes, our Oreo turkeys, or our turkey cake. They’re sure to put a smile on everyone’s face this Thanksgiving.
Want more Thanksgiving inspiration? Check out our favorite turkey recipes, Thanksgiving appetizers, and side dishes too. And don’t forget the drinks!
Cranberry Pie
The filling of this pie tastes like a combination of coconut panna cotta, cranberry curd, and, mysteriously, raspberry sorbet. (Try it and let us know if we're crazy for that last one.) The crust, made of crushed Biscoff, is the perfect foil for the sweet-tart filling. Plus, it tastes like cookie butter.
Get the Cranberry Pie recipe.
Turkey Cupcakes
You could stick to your guns and make a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. OR you could make these stupidly adorable turkey cupcakes. You can turn a chocolate cupcake into a cute little turkey with simple decorations like candy corn, M&M's, and pretzels. These are so easy to make and will definitely win the hearts (and mouths) of all of your Turkey Day guests.
Get the Turkey Cupcakes recipe.
Chocoflan
Chocoflan’s beautiful contrasting layers of chocolate cake and flan are totally mind-blowing. Here's the science: While baking, the cake batter aerates and takes shape before the flan has set, so it rises to the top of the pan. The craziest thing is the layers don’t mix at all during the transfer—it's like magic!
Get the Chocoflan recipe.
Turtle Cheesecake
Though this OTT cheesecake looks impressive, it's easy to achieve its jaw-dropping finish. All you do is mix some melted chocolate into a portion of the cheesecake base, then layer both into the cake pan. Combine that with a buttery, slightly bitter crust (trust us), sweet caramel sauce, chocolate ganache, and crunchy pecans for a truly irresistible Thanksgiving dessert.
Get the Turtle Cheesecake recipe.
Mini Piecakens
Inspired by pastry chef Zac Young’s viral three-layer piecaken, these fun-sized versions feature a tiny cranberry pie baked inside a spiced pumpkin cupcake, crowned with a generous dollop of whipped cream, more cranberry pie filling, and a tiny round of sugary pie crust. 😍
Get the Mini Piecakens recipe.
Chocolate Pie
Though most chocolate pies use an Oreo crust, we went for a buttery flaky crust with just a hint of bittersweet cocoa instead. The filling here is a decadent and foolproof custard made extra easy by being covered in a slightly sour (trust us) whipped cream that will cover any cracks. Top with some shaved chocolate for a richer than rich chocolate pie everyone will love this Thanksgiving.
Get the Chocolate Pie recipe.
Turkey Cake
Have you ever seen a cake so adorable? Impress your in-laws with this super-easy, super-cute Thanksgiving dessert! The feathers are made by brushing white chocolate onto parchment paper and then chilled until hardened. Use your favorite cake recipe or use boxed to keep it simple like we did.
Get the Turkey Cake recipe.
Pumpkin Pudding
\We all love a good Snack Pack and miss the days of finding one for dessert our lunch boxes. This easy hack for pumpkin pudding will take you right back to the good days, and it will satisfy every pumpkin spice latte craving you have.
Get the Pumpkin Pudding recipe.
Amaretti Cookies
If you like French macarons, you'll love this take on Italian amaretti cookies. Soft, pillowy, moist, sweet, and lightly scented with amaretto liqueur as well as citrus zests, these are in our top 10 for holiday cookies.
Get the Amaretti Cookies recipe.
Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes
Sweet potato pie is a given at Thanksgiving, but it's not the easiest thing to share with a crowd. Not so when you turn it into cupcakes! This easy recipe uses boxed cake mix to make some of the tastiest cupcakes we've ever had, and we're enjoying them all year long.
Get the Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes recipe.
Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bars
With an Oreo crust, these cheesecake bars are EVERYTHING. The sugar topping will make these stand out above all the rest. Looking to skip the pumpkin? Try our crème brûlée cheesecake instead!
Pumpkin Truffles
Oh my gourd, these are are good. They taste just like pumpkin pie, thanks to pumpkin puree, graham cracker crumbs, and pumpkin pie spice. Want to switch things up? Try swapping in gingersnaps instead!
Get the Pumpkin Truffles recipe.
No-Bake Banana Caramel Pecan Pie
When it comes to old-school Thanksgiving desserts, banana cream pie and pecan pie are always at the top of the list. If you’re torn between which dessert should be the centerpiece of your holiday table, why not combine them!? Best part about this pie? It’s completely no-bake, so you won’t be fighting for the oven space.
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Skip the pie and serve homemade pumpkin ice cream for your Thanksgiving dessert this year! Pumpkin is the perfect addition to homemade ice cream. It helps naturally thicken ice cream to create a smooth and perfectly scoop-able ice cream. Serve it with crushed gingersnaps or a drizzle of caramel for an extra fall treat.
Get the Pumpkin Ice Cream recipe.
Pumpkin Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Cookies
Because pumpkin loves chocolate—but it loves butterscotch even more.
Mini Pumpkin Pies
A classic pumpkin pie is standard at Thanksgiving dinner, but what to do when there are more diners than slices? Or, what if you're more of a crust-lover than filling? These little pies are perfect for people who want just a little treat after the big meal, or if you'd prefer a smattering of desserts, since honestly who can choose between pumpkin and pecan?
Get the Mini Pumpkin Pies recipe.
Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Since pumpkin puree adds extra moisture to the cookies, these won’t get quite as dry as traditional biscotti, but are still plenty sturdy. Serve these with a pumpkin spice latte after dinner for a double-dose of fall this Thanksgiving season.
Brown Butter Pumpkin Blondies
Pumpkin adds a lot of moisture to baked goods, which keeps these blondies soft and tender, but still slightly chewy in the center. These are super-quick to make and warmly spiced with pumpkin spice and brown butter. Though special on their own, they would be phenomenal with some added chopped pecans or chocolate chips!
Get the Brown Butter Pumpkin Blondies recipe.
Sweet Potato Cake
What makes this sweet potato cake so completely irresistible? We think it's the frosting. It's got a super-fun secret ingredient—marshmallow fluff! Sweet potato casserole lovers will FLIP.
Get the Sweet Potato Cake recipe.
Apple Butter Pie
Want something that couldn’t be easier to put together—and to eat? This custard-y pie, a cross between a pumpkin and a Dutch apple pie, is filled with delicious apple butter and adorned with an irresistible crunchy crumble. We like our homemade pie crust here, but feel free to use store-bought to make it even easier.
Get the Apple Butter Pie recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
