20 Fresh Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas

Along with the traditional pumpkin pie, this year enjoy a cake, pie, tart, or cookie that's brimming with luscious winter fruits and warm spices.


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Brown-Bottom Butterscotch Cashew Cream Pie

Butterscotch tops a salty-sweet nut crust and a rich layer of deep, dark chocolate.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 50 mins
Bake: 25 mins 350°F
Cool: 1 hr
Grapefruit Tart with Chocolate-Almond Crust

Fresh slices of orange and grapefruit garnish this artful tart.

Makes: 12 servings
Prep: 45 mins
Chill: 3 hrs
Bake: 12 mins 375°F
Lime-Pecan Shortbread Bars

Sweetened mascarpone cheese and a rich Key lime filling top pecan-studded shortbread.

Yield: 36 bars
Prep: 25 mins
Bake: 10 mins 325°F
Triple-Citrus Pound Cake

Candied orange slices and a tangy orange glaze top tender pound cake.

Makes: 16 servings
Prep: 20 mins
Bake: 40 mins 350°F
Cool: 10 mins + cool completely
Crustless Cheesecake with Cranberry Sauce

Homemade cranberry sauce tops rich and creamy cheesecake in this 5-ingredient dessert.

Makes: 10 servings
Prep: 25 mins
Bake: 1 hr 10 mins 275°F
Cool: 1 hr
Almond-Mocha Cake

Coffee-flavor whipped cream is the finishing touch on this two-layer cake -- one mocha, the other almond.

Makes: 16 servings
Prep: 20 mins
Bake: 35 mins 350°F
Cool: 30 mins
Almond Flan with Golden Caramel

Almond paste gives this traditional Mexican dessert a fresh twist for the holidays.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 30 mins
Bake: 50 mins 350°F
Cool: 30 mins
Earl Grey-Maple Gingerbread with Pumpkin Ice Cream

Rich and creamy ice cream makes dense ginger-spiced cake even more irresistible.

Makes: 20 servings
Prep: 30 mins
Bake: 45 mins 350°F
Cool: 30 mins
Fudge Cream Pie

Fluffy meringue crowns a creamy layer of chocolate and a crisp chocolate cookie crust.

Yield: 8 slices
Prep: 45 mins
Chill: 3 hrs to 6 hrs
Bake: 30 mins 325°F
Cranberry Cream Tartlets

Vanilla whipped cream tops this sweet-tart dessert.

Yield: 8 tartlets
Prep: 35 mins
Bake: 10 mins 325°F
Stand: 15 mins
Lemon Buttercream Sandwich Cookies

Tender hazelnut cookies are filled with a tangy lemon frosting.

Yield: about 32 sandwich cookies
Prep: 40 mins
Chill: 30 mins to 1 hr
Bake: 8 mins 350°F per batch
Lime-Coconut Chess Pie

Tart lime filling adds brightness to this thick and custardy pie.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 45 mins
Chill: 3 hrs
Cool: 1 hr
Rustic Blood Orange Tart with Salted Pecan Crust

This creative tart is brimming with salty, sweet, and tangy flavors.

Yield: 8 slices
Prep: 35 mins
Bake: 40 mins 375°F
Meringue-Topped Raspberry Cupcakes

Fluffy meringue and a fresh raspberry crown vanilla cupcakes laced with raspberry liqueur.

Makes: 12 servings
Prep: 25 mins
Cool: 5 mins
Bake: 23 mins to 25 mins 350°F
Very-Almond Cheesecake

Amaretto-laced cheesecake fills a buttery crust.

Makes: 16 servings
Prep: 30 mins
Chill: 5 hrs
Bake: 1 hr 350°F
Fruit and Almond Country-Style Tart

Peaches, raspberries, apricots, and almonds are tucked into tender almond pastry with a lattice-top crust.

Yield: 8 slices
Prep: 45 mins
Bake: 1 hr 375°F
Cool: 30 mins
Cherry-Almond Creamy Cheese Pie

Tart cherries and toasted almonds top a rich cheesecake-like filling.

Yield: 10 slices
Prep: 45 mins
Bake: 15 mins 350°F
Almond Pastry Fingers

When you slice this flaky pastry, you'll discover a decadent almond-white chocolate filling.

Yield: 48 cookies
Prep: 30 mins
Bake: 20 mins 400°F
Cool: 4 hrs
Cherry Kuchen Bars

Powdered sugar icing adds sweetness to tender bars filled with tart cherries.

Yield: 32 bars
Prep: 25 mins
Bake: 42 mins 350°F
Cool: 10 mins
White Chocolate and Almond Pound Cake

Drizzled with a white chocolate glaze and sprinkled with toasted almonds, this moist cake is a sumptuous treat. The graceful swoops and curves of a fluted tube pan shape it into something simply beautiful.

Makes: 16 servings
Prep: 50 mins
Bake: 55 mins to 1 hr 350°F
Cool: 15 mins
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