22 Fresh Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas
Our Thanksgiving desserts will make you want to ditch plain pumpkin pie! This year, turn to a Thanksgiving dessert that's brimming with luscious winter fruits and warm spices, like the cakes, pies, and tarts featured here. We're sure your holiday guests will love digging in to one of these Thanksgiving desserts.
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Triple-Citrus Pound Cake
Candied orange slices and a tangy orange glaze top tender pound cake. Use a decorative 10-inch fluted tube pan to make this Thanksgiving cake look as impressive as it tastes.
- Start to Finish:
- 1 hr 10 mins
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Fruit and Almond Country-Style Tart
Peaches, raspberries, apricots, and almonds are tucked into tender almond pastry with a lattice-top crust. Serve this fruit-filled tart in place of your usual pumpkin pie (or create a dessert table loaded with a mix of Thanksgiving pies!).
- Start to Finish:
- 2 hrs 15 mins
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Marshmallow Treat Turkey Dessert
Your Thanksgiving treats just got a whole lot cuter. Dress up plain marshmallow cereal treats by dipping them in chocolate and decorating to look like brightly colored turkeys. If you have little ones impatiently waiting for the feast to begin, enlist their help in bringing these sweets to life.
- Start to Finish:
- 1 hr 40 mins
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Autumn Leaf Cookies
Celebrate the changing leaves outside by serving up Thanksgiving cookies that reflect the colors on the trees. A few drops of dye transforms plain sugar cookies into masterpieces inspired by Mother Nature herself.
- Start to Finish:
- 47 mins
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Pie Cupcakes
You don't have to skip the pie to serve Thanksgiving cupcakes—just combine the two! With three different pie-cakes to choose from, everyone gets the chance to try their favorite flavor in cupcake form.
- Start to Finish:
- 55 mins
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Melt-in-Your-Mouth Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
If you're too full for a slice of pie after dinner, reach for a more pint-sized Thanksgiving cookie instead. These mini pumpkin desserts pack a ton of flavor into one tender, tiny frosted cookie, so you can still enjoy the taste of your favorite Thanksgiving desserts without committing to a whole slice of pie.
- Start to Finish:
- 40 mins
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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 to make this creamy Thanksgiving dessert idea. Add a layer of sweet brown sugar meringue to finish.
- Start to Finish:
- 6 hrs 15 mins
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Easy Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Pumpkin desserts are a must for any holiday celebration, and these Thanksgiving cupcakes are loaded with luscious fall flavors. Almost like pumpkin pie, these cupcakes get their signature taste from pumpkin pie spice and a full cup of canned pumpkin.
- Start to Finish:
- 1 hr
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Cherry Kuchen Bars
Powdered sugar icing adds sweetness to tender bars filled with tart cherries. Canned cherry pie filling and a simple icing make the prep for this dessert recipe a breeze to prepare. Too full after the big meal? These Thanksgiving treats can also be a great addition to a holiday brunch, too.
- Start to Finish:
- 1 hr 17 mins
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Crustless Cheesecake with Cranberry Sauce
Homemade cranberry sauce tops rich and creamy cheesecake in this five-ingredient dessert. Garnish with sugared cranberries and fresh mint so this Thanksgiving cheesecake stands out from the pies on your dessert table.
- Start to Finish:
- 6 hrs 35 mins
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Earl Grey-Maple Gingerbread with Pumpkin Ice Cream
Rich and creamy pumpkin ice cream makes our ginger-spiced cake even more irresistible. Made with Earl Grey tea and maple flavors baked right in, this Thanksgiving cake is surprisingly complex (and delicious).
- Start to Finish:
- 1 hr 45 mins
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Triple Coconut Cream Pie
Take your coconut cream pie from good to great (and set it apart from the rest of your Thanksgiving pies) with our tricks and tips. Our number one secret? Use three types of coconut.
- Start to Finish:
- 5 hrs 28 mins
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Fudge Cream Pie
Fluffy meringue crowns a creamy layer of chocolate and a crisp chocolate crust made with chocolate wafer cookies. Don't forget to chill before serving—this easy Thanksgiving dessert tastes best cold.
- Start to Finish:
- 5 hrs 15 mins
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Cranberry Cream Tartlets
No one gets stuck with the small slice when you make individual tartlets! Each of these sweet-tart Thanksgiving desserts is topped with delicious vanilla whipped cream and garnished with sugared cranberries.
- Start to Finish:
- 5 hrs
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Rustic Blood Orange Tart with Salted Pecan Crust
Just five ingredients make up this creative and colorful tart, which boasts juicy blood oranges and a salted pecan crust. Pure maple syrup sweetens this easy dessert for Thanksgiving.
- Start to Finish:
- 1 hr 15 mins
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Cherry-Almond Creamy Cheese Pie
Cherries and toasted almonds top a rich cheesecake-like filling for a combination of mild sweetness and tart fruitiness in every bite of this Thanksgiving pie recipe.
- Start to Finish:
- 5 hrs 40 mins
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Very-Almond Cheesecake
Amaretto-laced cheesecake fills a buttery shortbread crust for a luscious dessert that will inspire your guests to go back for seconds. Top with ground toasted almonds for an easy garnish that adds crunch to every bite of this Thanksgiving cheesecake.
- Start to Finish:
- 7 hrs 15 mins
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White Chocolate and Almond Pound Cake
Drizzled with a white chocolate glaze and sprinkled with toasted almonds, this Thanksgiving cake is a sumptuous treat. The graceful swoops and curves of a fluted tube pan shape it into a work of edible art.
- Start to Finish:
- 2 hrs
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Meringue-Topped Raspberry Cupcakes
Fluffy meringue and a fresh raspberry top Thanksgiving cupcakes laced with raspberry liqueur. Guests will love the unexpected, refreshing burst of fruity flavor at the Thanksgiving table.
- Start to Finish:
- 53 mins
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Almond-Mocha Cake
Coffee-flavor whipped cream is the finishing touch on this two-layer Thanksgiving cake—one mocha, the other almond. Serve it alongside coffee or tea for a delicious after-dinner treat.
- Start to Finish:
- 1 hr 25 mins
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Grapefruit Tart with Chocolate-Almond Crust
If fruity tarts aren't on your list of Thanksgiving dessert ideas, they should be. Fresh slices of orange and grapefruit garnish this artful tart. The homemade chocolate-almond crust is sure to wow any Thanksgiving guest.
- Start to Finish:
- 3 hrs 57 mins
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Lime-Pecan Shortbread Bars
Sweetened mascarpone cheese and a rich Key lime filling top pecan-studded shortbread for a unique finish to your holiday dinner. This Thanksgiving dessert recipe makes 36 bars—ideal for feeding a crowd.
- Start to Finish:
- 53 mins
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Next Slideshow Great Green Bean Recipes
Great Green Bean Recipes
Whether you're scooping up a side of green bean casserole or munching on a crisp green bean salad, green beans add classic flavor, color, and nutrients to your meal. Change up your usual green bean routine with some of our fresh green bean recipes -- you won't be disappointed!Begin Slideshow »