Thanksgiving is approaching, and tasty desserts are one of the best parts of the holiday! Turkey and stuffing are fine, but I always save room for dessert!
For me one of the hardest part of planning Thanksgiving dinner is picking out what desserts to make. My family has traditional favorites they love, like pumpkin pie or blueberry cheesecake, but it is also a great time to try something new and different.
Keeping it relatively simple is key! The last thing you want during the holidays is extra stress because the most important part of the holiday is spending time with your family and friends, not spending all day in the kitchen. So pick a few traditional desserts, something new and fun and then relax and enjoy the holiday.
Any of these fabulous Thanksgiving desserts would be a perfect ending to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, whether you are looking for something traditional or something unique and different. I’ve also included one of my family’s favorite recipes, an easy apple galette, at the end of the post.
Thanksgiving Pies and Tarts
Pies and cobblers seem like the most traditional Thanksgiving dessert. Apple pie, pumpkin pie and pecan pie are old standbys, but here are some ideas for more unique pies too.
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Apple Galette
An apple galette gives you all the flavor of apple pie with less work! Crusty pastry combines with sweet apples for a delicious and traditional dessert that is both elegant and easy.
This traditional pie recipe from upstate New York consists of a flaky pie crust filled with lots and lots of Concord grapes. With only four ingredients this grape pie recipe is not difficult to make and is a unique Thanksgiving dessert.
Make Cinnamon Roll Pie for Thanksgiving! This copycat Cracker Barrel recipe features cinnamon rolls baked in a pie and topped with cream cheese frosting.
Pies don't have to just be fruit! This chocolate pie has an Oreo cookie crust topped with a layer of chocolate mousse and a layer of cookies and cream. Cute little Oreo cookies decorate the edges of the pie for a spectacular dessert.
When a pie seems like too much effort make a rustic blueberry galette instead. Fresh juicy blueberries are baked in a crisp and flaky crust for an open faced dessert that tastes delicious, looks impressive and can be made in less than 30 minutes.
This lemon pie has the perfect level of lemon tartness combined with the perfect level of creaminess. The combination of sweet and tart makes it the perfect end to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
It doesn't get much more traditional than pumpkin pie! Delicious pumpkin filling is surrounded by a buttery flaky crust and baked until warm and golden. Topped off with whipped cream or ice cream it is the perfect Thanksgiving dessert.
We always have some kind of apple dessert at Thanksgiving, and this apple cream pie is super easy and delicious. Covered in cinnamon sugar and some heavy cream, it's a great twist on traditional apple pie.
With only five ingredients this no bake pie is a great make ahead dessert! Combine ice cream with whipped topping and swirls of hot fudge for an easy ice cream treat.
Pecan pie is another traditional holiday favorite and this pie is made with maple syrup instead of corn syrup. Dried cherries and rum are added to the pie for a delicious twist on the traditional pecan pie.
For me cheesecakes a very indulgent dessert! I love cheesecake, but they are too rich and calorie laden to make very often. But Thanksgiving is the ultimate forget about calorie counting holiday.
A rich cheesecake is a great way to celebrate family and friends. These cheesecakes range from traditional and Instant Pot cheesecake to no bake desserts.
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Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe
This traditional creamy cheesecake recipe is topped off with a fresh fruit topping. Blueberries are cooked and thickened slightly to make this cheesecake extra tasty and holiday ready.
This no bake dessert is a great way to combine pumpkin pie flavor with cheesecake! A gingersnap crust gives it a bit of spiciness and cream cheese and pumpkin make the filling smooth and creamy.
A creamy vanilla cheesecake is studded with Oreos for amazing cookies and cream flavor. This cheesecake is baked in the Instant Pot, which means your oven if free for Thanksgiving favorites like turkey and stuffing.
These classic cheesecake bars are perfect little bite sized desserts. With a buttery crust and a smooth filling they are perfect for topping off with your favorite fresh fruit.
This recipe is all maple all the time! The crust is made from maple cookies and maple syrup sweetens the cheesecake filling. The baked cheesecake is then drizzled with more maple syrup for a decadent holiday dessert.
This is such a pretty dessert and it will look amazing on the holiday table! A simple cheesecake crust is made from chocolate animal crackers and topped with cheesecake. Then raspberry puree is piped onto the top in simple heart shapes for a gorgeous and tasty cheesecake.
While chocolate isn't a traditional Thanksgiving flavor it never fails to please. This chocolate cheesecake has a chocolate oreo crust, a rich chocolate cheesecake filling, and a milk chocolate ganache topping and is topped off with chocolate whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Amazing!
Cranberry is another traditional American favorite flavor for Thanksgiving. This cheesecake has a spiced crust, an orange-infused filling, and sugared cranberries as a topping. It is gorgeous and delicious!
When you have friends and family with dietary restrictions of course you want to make them feel welcome at Thanksgiving. Indulge in this gluten free Pumpkin Cheesecake, with it’s velvety texture, warming spices, and nutty pecan crust, pecan crust. Topped with Dulce de Leche it is an amazing gluten free dessert.
This trifle is a combination of a cheesecake and cake, with tasty layers of each alternating in a decorative jar. A pumpkin cheesecake filling combines with angel food cake and cream for a simple make ahead Thanksgiving dessert.
Cakes can be an under used dessert on Thanksgiving. When you want to a make ahead dessert that is easy to transport cakes are a fabulous choice! These desserts are quick and easy to make, while still incorporating holiday flavors like pumpkin and fruit.
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Pumpkin Dump Cake
To make this dump cake there is no need for skill in baking or cake decorating. Just mix everything together and enjoy it with some whipped cream or ice cream. Seasonal flavors like pumpkin and pecans make this an easy choice for Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin Roll filled with cream cheese is a traditional holiday recipe, and it is even better when you add chocolate chips to make it more tasty. Chocolate and pumpkin are a heavenly combination.
When you want a simple dessert this peach cobbler is quick and easy to make. Fresh or frozen peaches are combined with a biscuit topping for a dessert that everyone will love. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream melting on top!
If you love both chocolate and pumpkin then this dessert is ideal! Two batters are swirled together and baked for an amazing combination of flavor in one cake.
Bread pudding sounds simple, but this bread pudding made with Challah bread, sugar, eggs, milk and dried fruit is decadent. To make it even better it is topped off with vanilla caramel sauce.
These flaky and golden Puff Pastry tarts are easy to make. Puff Pastry is topped off with cranberry sauce and apples for a perfect individually sized fall dessert.
These mini apple rose puffed pastries are perfect for the holidays. They look elegant and difficult to make, but with this easy step by step tutorial you can make them in no time and amaze your holiday guests.
This no bake tiramisu trifle is a quick and easy take on a classic tiramisu recipe. Angel food cake is soaked with coffee and rum, topped with a creamy Mascarpone layer and whipped topping. A quick and easy Thanksgiving dessert that everyone will enjoy.
1 1/2teaspoonapple pie spice *see notes for substitution
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Peel, core and slice the apples. You can also chop them into pieces instead of slices. You need about 4 cups of apples.
4 medium apples
Put the apple slices in a bowl. Add the sugar, flour, apple pie spice and toss to coat.
1/2 cup sugar, 3 Tablespoons flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice *see notes for substitution
Roll out the pie crust into a circle about 12 inches around and 1/8 inch thick. A galette is supposed to be rustic, so you don’t need to make a perfect circle.
1 pie crust
Pile the apples in the center of the crust, leaving about 1 inch around with no fruit.
Fold the edges of the crust up over the apples to cover them, crimping them as needed.
Bake at 375 F for 45-50 minutes. The galette will be golden brown when it is done.
Serve with ice cream, caramel sauce or whipped cream.
Notes
If you don’t have apple pie spice you can substitute 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon allspice.
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I love to cook and I want to share my recipes with you. I believe cooking should be approachable and fun, not a chore. I want to make simple recipes using everyday ingredients that you can make again and again, whether it is for a busy weeknight, a summer cookout or a special dessert. Read more...
Thanks so much for this incredible resource of desserts! My son’s birthday is Friday and he requested something lemon. I think he would love that lemon sour cream pie. Thanks, again.
Visiting from Happiness is Homemade, those desserts look scrumptious. I’ll be doing a Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (lighter than the usual), and something with apples for Thanksgiving dinner.
These recipes look so delicious. I want to try the Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Roll! I’ve made pumpkin rolls in the past, but never thought to add chocolate chips. That sounds awesome!
I love that these are not all pumpkin focused like so many other bloggers are posting. I am so sick of pumpkin everything!
Me too, Kimberly C.! I can’t even smell a pumpkin candle right now! LoL!
I always make an apple and pumpkin pie. But that blueberry cheesecake looks amazing. I may have to add a new one to the mix this year.
Thanks so much for this incredible resource of desserts! My son’s birthday is Friday and he requested something lemon. I think he would love that lemon sour cream pie. Thanks, again.
Visiting from Happiness is Homemade, those desserts look scrumptious. I’ll be doing a Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (lighter than the usual), and something with apples for Thanksgiving dinner.
These recipes look so delicious. I want to try the Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Roll! I’ve made pumpkin rolls in the past, but never thought to add chocolate chips. That sounds awesome!
What a yummy line-up! A few classics, a few twists, it’s so fun to plan for Thanksgiving, isn’t it??
~April (visiting from Treasure Box Tuesday)
Thank you for featuring my homemade apple pie, I appreciate it! Those other desserts look yummy too. You’re making me hungry!
Omg I want to make all of these they look so delicious.