Our fresh Thanksgiving desserts might just inspire you to take a break from plain pumpkin pie! This year, end on a refreshing note with a Thanksgiving dessert that's brimming with luscious winter fruits and warm spices, like the cakes, pies, and tarts featured here. You'll love digging into these holiday dessert recipes so much that you'll make them new Thanksgiving menu traditions.
Triple-Citrus Pound Cake
Candied orange slices and a tangy orange glaze top tender pound cake. Use a decorative fluted tube pan to make this Thanksgiving cake look as impressive as it tastes.
Apple-Brown Butter Bars
Get a triple dose of orchard flavors from juice, fruit, and jelly in this five-star apple dessert. Since it's made in slab form rather than round and lattice-topped, this riff on an apple pie requires just 20 minutes of hands-on time. The nutty brown butter nicely echoes the almonds and almond paste in the crust for a Thanksgiving dessert you'll want to instantly add to your "bake again!" list.
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.
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.
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.
Cherry Kuchen Bars
Powdered sugar icing adds sweetness to tender bars filled with tart cherries, and canned cherry pie filling makes the prep for this Thanksgiving fruit dessert a breeze. (Although if you have time, you could absolutely stir up some homemade cherry pie filling using thawed frozen cherries.) No wonder BH&G home cook Kasia said this Thanksgiving dessert is, "absolutely amazing! The whole family loved it, and this will become our Thanksgiving tradition from now on." Too full after the big meal? These bars can also be a great addition to a holiday brunch, too. Black Friday fuel for the win!
Triple Coconut Cream Pie
Take your coconut cream pie from good to great—and set it apart from typical Thanksgiving pies—with our tricks and tips. Our number one secret? Use three types of coconut. It's one of our best holiday pie recipes because it's designed to be made ahead. Assemble and bake it, then chill for at least six hours before serving.
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.
Pear, Apple, and Cranberry Cobbler
Just one bite of this fresh Thanksgiving dessert idea will convince you that cranberries are stellar in more than sauce alone. Here, they lend a pleasant tart quality that plays nicely with the sweet apples and pears and the buttery cobbler topping. For the best flavor experience, serve warm and with whipped cream or ice cream.
Mini Roasted Apple and Pear Tarts
For a goof-proof way to speed up and simplify fruit pie, serve the filling atop squares of store-bought puff pastry. With bourbon-laced, cinnamon-scented pears and apples joining the party, no one will miss the finicky piecrust. For those who love salt as much as we do, offer these alongside a small dish of flaky sea salt to sprinkle on top. That extra touch really amplifies the sweetness of the fresh fall fruit.
