40+ Thanksgiving Desserts That Aren’t Pie
Let’s be honest, pumpkin pie is great, but it’s not the only delicious dessert that’s perfect for completing a Thanksgiving dinner. This collection of Thanksgiving Desserts that Aren’t Pie offer an endless variety of sweet and decadent holiday desserts, sure to be loved by everyone!
From ooey-gooey pumpkin poke cake and elegant gingersnap parfaits to a show-stopping apple puff pastry braid and a caramel-drizzled pear bread pudding, these recipes celebrate all the warm, cozy flavors of fall in deliciously unexpected ways. Many can be made ahead while several are easy enough to make just before the guests arrive.
Thanksgiving Desserts That Aren’t Pie
Crescent Cinnamon Rolls
Transform refrigerated crescent rolls into gooey, decadent cinnamon rolls with a simple cinnamon-butter filling and a sweet vanilla-almond glaze. This hack delivers a fast, “homemade” treat perfect for the holidays.
White Chocolate Blondies
These soft, chewy blondies feature a vanilla-kissed base studded with sweet dried cranberries and melted white chocolate. Topped with a luxurious white chocolate cream cheese frosting, they are a festive, elegant dessert for any celebration.
Cranberry Pretzel Salad (Dessert)
This vibrant holiday dessert layers a salty-sweet pretzel crust with a creamy and airy cheesecake-ish filling, completed with a tart raspberry and cranberry Jello topping. Once chilled to set, it’s sliced and served with an optional topping of freshly whipped cream and extra pretzels!
Apple Pecan Cake
This ultra-moist cake is packed with tender Granny Smith apples, crunchy pecans, and warm spices. The real magic is the buttery caramel glaze poured over the warm cake, seeping into every crevice for a sticky-sweet finish.
Vintage Mayo Cake
This is a fabulous cake recipe that was popular back in the 1950s and is again starting to make the rounds. I’ve been making this Vintage Mayonnaise Cake for years, and the recipe has changed a wee bit over time but it’s just as moist, flavorful, and delicious as ever. Want to make a truly spectacular cake? This Mayonnaise Cake is it!
Frozen Peach Crisp
Enjoy a taste of summer year-round with this easy peach crisp made using convenient frozen peaches. It’s topped with a buttery, crispy oat and pecan crumble that turns perfectly golden brown.
Chocolate Rum Cake
This easy, boozy cake starts with a chocolate cake mix and pudding for a moist, fudgy crumb. It’s then soaked in a sweet golden rum glaze, creating a rich and decadent dessert perfect for any holiday.
White Chocolate Pistachio Cookie Bars
These chewy, salty-sweet cookie bars are loaded with classic white chocolate chips and roasted pistachios. Cut into squares, they are a crowd-pleasing dessert perfect for cookie exchange parties and holiday celebrations.
Raspberry Kringle
This impressive pastry features a buttery, flaky crust filled with tart raspberry filling and a light, airy choux layer. Finished with a drizzle of almond glaze and sliced almonds, it’s a beautiful holiday or brunch treat.
Gingerbread Cake with Spiced Whipped Cream
This warmly spiced gingerbread cake is moist and flavorful, made with a blend of whole wheat and almond flours. It’s served with a dollop of lightly sweetened spiced whipped cream for the perfect cozy finish.
Old Fashioned Cocktail Cake
This cherished family recipe creates a light, fluffy cake using a surprise pantry staple: fruit cocktail. It’s then topped with a buttery, caramelized coconut-pecan frosting that’s cooked on the stovetop and spread over the warm cake.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
This impressive dessert is a spiced pumpkin roll wrapped around a rich and creamy cheesecake filling. Dusted with powdered sugar and finely grated pecans, it’s an elegant and delicious twist on classic fall flavors.
Chocolate Dump Cake
This is the ultimate easy dessert for chocolate lovers. With just a few pantry staples like cake mix, pudding, and chocolate chips, you can create a rich, gooey, and decadent cake with minimal effort.
Pumpkin Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
This simple, one-pan cake combines the warm spice of pumpkin with rich chocolate flavor. Baked in a sheet pan and topped with a creamy frosting, it’s an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert for any fall gathering.
Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
This moist and tender pumpkin bread is infused with cozy spices like pumpkin pie spice and cardamom. It’s generously topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting, making it perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Pear Puff Pastry Dessert
This easy and elegant tart features fresh, sweet pears nestled in a flaky puff pastry crust. It comes together in no time and is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Chocolate Mousse
This thick, creamy, and decadent chocolate mousse is surprisingly easy to make with only four ingredients. It’s an elegant and delicious finish to any meal that can be prepped ahead of time.
Toffee Chocolate Bundt Cake
This rich, decadent chocolate bundt cake is incredibly easy to throw together. It’s finished with a dark chocolate frosting and topped with chunks of sweet toffee for an unforgettable party dessert.
Chocolate Meringue Torte
This impressive dessert features crisp, pecan-studded meringue layers filled with a light chocolate cream. It’s assembled and then frozen, creating a stunning, make-ahead treat.
Pear Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce
Soft English muffins, cinnamon, cardamom, and juicy pears make this Pear Bread Pudding a tender, comforting dessert. It’s finished with a rich caramel sauce for the perfect holiday or fall treat.
Pretzel-Almond Bark
This no-fail chocolate almond bark features a layer of crunchy pretzels and homemade caramel sandwiched between semisweet chocolate and toasted almonds. It’s easy to make, fun to give as a gift, and requires no candy thermometer.
Apple Puff Pastry Braid
This impressive yet easy Apple Puff Pastry Braid is a cross between a Danish and a strudel. It’s filled with tender cinnamon apples and sweet cream cheese, all wrapped in flaky puff pastry and drizzled with a brown butter glaze.
Pumpkin Gingersnap Crunch Parfaits
These elegant, make-ahead parfaits layer a creamy pumpkin-mascarpone mousse with fluffy whipped cream and a crunchy gingersnap crumble. They’re a light and delicious dessert perfect for Thanksgiving or any fall gathering.
Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling
These cinnamon rolls are bursting with a sweet and buttery apple pie filling made with Granny Smith apples and raisins. Topped with a maple-infused icing, they’re a soft, fluffy, and unforgettable treat for a weekend baking project.
Apple Crisp without Oats
This cozy apple crisp features a mix of tart and sweet apples under a buttery, nutty crumble topping made without oats. It’s a simple, classic dessert that lets the warm, spiced apples shine, especially when served with vanilla ice cream.
Pumpkin Pecan Bread
This moist and warmly spiced quick bread is packed with fall flavor and crunchy pecans. It’s a simple, comforting treat that’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert with your morning coffee.
Amish Apple Bread
This moist and tender Amish-style apple bread is loaded with fresh, juicy apples and warm cinnamon spice. It’s a simple, comforting quick bread that’s perfect for breakfast or a cozy afternoon snack.
Apple Fritter Cake
This easy snack cake delivers all the flavor of a classic apple fritter, complete with tender apples and a cinnamon-sugar swirl. It’s topped with a sweet vanilla glaze and is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
This old-fashioned Pumpkin Crunch Cake features a creamy, spiced pumpkin filling topped with a buttery cake mix crumble and crunchy pecans. Baked until golden and custard-like, it’s finished with a light cream cheese whipped topping for an easy, crowd-pleasing fall dessert.
Pear Buttermilk Breakfast Cake
This not-too-sweet Buttermilk Pear Cake is moist, tender, and full of juicy pear chunks. It’s an easy, delicious cake that’s perfect for a cozy breakfast, brunch, or a simple dessert served with whipped cream.
Apple Fritter Bites
These baked, not fried, Apple Fritter Bites are light, fluffy, and loaded with apple flavor. Topped with a sweet apple cider glaze, they’re a perfect poppable fall treat.
Pumpkin Poke Cake
This easy pumpkin poke cake starts with a spice cake mix that’s poked and soaked with a sweet cream cheese filling. It’s a simple, moist, and delicious dessert that’s perfect for any fall celebration.
Apple Cake with Custard Sauce
This old-fashioned apple cake is a simple, rustic dessert that’s sure to become a family favorite. It’s best served warm with a generous pour of homemade vanilla custard sauce for a classic, comforting treat.
Pumpkin Gingersnap Ice Cream Pie Dessert
This impressive, no-bake dessert features a crunchy gingersnap crust filled with a creamy, spiced pumpkin ice cream. It’s an easy and elegant make-ahead treat that’s perfect for the holidays.
Mini Pecan and Pumpkin Tarts
These adorable, pint-sized tarts are a delicious cross between pecan and pumpkin pie. They feature a spiced pumpkin filling topped with a gooey pecan mixture, all baked in a flaky pastry cup .
Sweet Potato Cheesecake
This stunning cheesecake gets its gorgeous color and flavor from roasted sweet potatoes. It features a pecan-graham cracker crust and is elegantly served with a dollop of maple whipped cream.
Pumpkin Cake
This easy, moist pumpkin cake is loaded with both white and dark chocolate chips. Baked in a 9×13 pan and topped with a cinnamon-sugar crunch, it’s a perfect crowd-pleasing dessert for any fall party.
Maple Pecan Pull-Apart Bread
This gooey, pull-apart bread is a flipped Bundt pan dessert where every buttery bite is layered with cinnamon, cardamom, maple, and crunchy pecans. It’s a memorable brunch or breakfast treat.
Pumpkin Butter Cake
This simple, moist upside-down cake is made with a jar of rich pumpkin butter for incredible fall flavor. It’s a gooey, buttery, and delicious dessert that comes together in just 45 minutes.
Cinnamon Roll Pecan Cake
This light and fluffy cake has all the flavor of a cinnamon roll, complete with a cinnamon-sugar swirl and a delicious maple-pecan glaze on top. It’s the perfect cake to make for breakfast or a holiday brunch.
Maple Pecan Chocolate Pavlova
This show-stopping dessert is crisp on the outside and marshmallow-soft on the inside. It’s layered with rich chocolate ganache, maple-flavored whipped cream, toasted pecans, and tart raspberries for an elegant and memorable cake.
While all of these Thanksgiving desserts are perfect as standalone treats, they all pair beautifully with vanilla ice creamor spiced whipped cream too!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
