From Pie to Pandowdy, These Are Our 22 Most Fabulous Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes (2024)

40 Sensational Thanksgiving Pies and Tarts

Pumpkin-Cheesecake Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Gingersnaps replace graham crackers in the crust of this pumpkin-enhanced cheesecake pie, cutting through the sweetness with just the right amount of spice. The crowning glory: Meringue piped into a border of leaves, then brûléed to perfection.

Poached Pear Frangipane Tart

Beautiful to behold, this Thanksgiving dessert recipe features pears poached in mulled wine, nestled on top of a rich frangipane filling. But looks aren't everything: this tart is so scrumptious your guests will likely come back for seconds.

Appeltart

A true Dutch delight, this appeltaart is a variation of a beloved dessert that dates back to the Middle Ages. The spice blend riffs on the flavors of another classic, crunchy speculaas (aka Dutch windmill cookies).

Apple-Raspberry Pandowdy

If you're looking for a beginner-friendly dessert to make for Thanksgiving, this pandowdy recipe fits the bill. The entire treat is assembled in one dish so it's as easy to clean up as it is to make.

Coconut-Pecan Tart

Reminiscent of a giant candy bar, this gluten-free confection is rich enough to satisfy with just a sliver. A no-bake crust made with almond flour and shredded coconut is refrigerated, and then filled with a blend of butter, sugar, cream, condensed milk, semi-sweet chocolate, and pecan pieces.

Fruit-and-Herb Sorbets

It may seem surprising to recommend a chilled dessert this late in the year, but these sorbets (we have three varieties) are bursting with fall flavors that work a fruit-plus-herb formula (for instance, cranberry and rosemary). Our streamlined recipe features a time-saving shortcut, using fruit juice instead of cooked fruit.

Spice-Cookie Parfaits

Parfaits can be made in a variety of different ways. Similar to a British dessert known as a fool, this version features a simmered sauce made from cranberries and pear juice, which is layered into glasses with a sweet-cream mixture, blackberries, raspberries, and crumbled spice cookies.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake

A rich delight of pumpkin and chocolate, this dense cheesecake may seem daunting to novice bakers, but the chocolate crust and pumpkin filling come together in just a few simple steps.

Spiced Sweet-Potato Cake with Meringue Frosting

The fan-favorite way of serving sweet potatoes—especially in the South—is as a marshmallow-topped casserole. That all-time classic is the inspiration behind this elevated dessert which whips sweet potatoes into a sheet cake topped with an Italian meringue, giving the illusion of oven-baked marshmallows.

Five-Spice Pumpkin Pie with Phyllo Crust

The pumpkin pie filling in this Thanksgiving dessert recipe is made with timeless fall ingredients, but tucked into a phyllo crust, which sets it apart from the other dessert table contenders. And we'll let you in on a secret: the visually impressive crust is a cinch to assemble, making creative use of store-bought phyllo dough.

Apple-Honey Upside-Down Cake

A crowd-pleaser indeed, this upside-down cake is defined by two key ingredients: apples and honey. The fruit is spread over a caramel filling and topped with a batter made with honey, sugar, eggs, melted butter, and milk.

Naked-Fruit Chiffon Cake

Expect oohs and ahs as you bring this stunner to the table. Layers of chiffon and whipped cream are crowned with a cornucopia of seasonal fruits like pears, figs, and plums, for a treat that tastes as lucious as it looks.

Cranberry-Meringue Tart

Apple pie has some rivals this year, namely this cranberry-meringue tart. The crust is made with a buttery mixture of crushed saltines, a surprising contrast to the tart cranberry filling. The finishing touch: A whipped-to-perfection meringue topping.

Pumpkin-Spice-Latte Cake

Here's an easy-to-make, easy-to-love one-layer pumpkin cake that gets its flavor punch from both instant espresso powder and pumpkin-pie spice. Once baked, the cake is topped with a dollop of whipped cream and dusted with more espresso powder.

Double-Crusted Ricotta Pie

Giving favorites like apple pie and pumpkin pie some competition, this double-crusted ricotta pie may be the breakout star of your Thanksgiving table. Ricotta—a creamy cheese with a mild flavor profile—lends the filling its slightly sweet, milky texture while the cranberries and pistachios step up textural interest.

Ruffled Pumpkin Milk Pie

This homage to the classic Greek galatopita, or milk pie,—a custard tart pastry—is the perfect indulgence for pumpkin-loving guests. If you're new to baking with phyllo, we promise this Thanksgiving dessert recipe will make you a convert.

Apple Rose Tart

Food imitates art in this gorgeous apple rose tart. Thinly sliced Granny Smith apples are layered in a deep-dish pâte brisée pie shell while unpeeled Pink Ladies give the outer edges a rosy color. Apricot jam and grated ginger add a spicy-sweet kick.

Brown-Butter Bourbon Pecan Pie

An instant classic, this dreamy pecan pie is one of the sweetest ways to cap off a holiday meal. Brown butter and bourbon lend a delicious twist on tradition, with whipped cream upping the temptation factor.

Persimmon Tart

Persimmon, a beautiful bright orange fruit, stars in this dessert. The fruit is puréed and made into an aromatic filling featuring cream, cinnamon, star anise, clove, and cardamom. Once baked, the tart is sprinkled with sugar and torched until its top turns beautifully golden.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

A bread pudding for the ages, this hybrid recipe uses day-old brioche to soak up the custard mixture, enhanced with the Thanksgiving trifecta of cinnamon, all-spice, and nutmeg. Sweet-tart Granny Smith apples balance out the richness.

Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake

Plan to make extra cranberry sauce this year so you can dedicate a portion to this decadent cheesecake. The vanilla-based Thanksgiving dessert recipe features a traditional graham cracker crust, but feel free to swap it out for wafer cookies instead.

Brown Sugar-Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies

Cookies at Thanksgiving? Why not! These brown sugar and cornmeal shortbread cookies bring together all the flavors of the fall harvest in one delectable bite.