40+ Must-Try Thanksgiving Desserts

ByLisa O'Driscoll
7 Comments

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Looking for the best Thanksgiving desserts to add to your holiday dessert table? From an apple layer cake to pumpkin hand pies, you can’t go wrong with any of these delicious dessert ideas!

Originally published November 2018 – Updated August 2024

A collage of nine Thanksgiving desserts
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Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, it’s never too early to start planning. From choosing the perfect turkey recipe to gathering all the best Thanksgiving side dishes, there’s plenty to prepare. But let’s be real…it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without some sweet and decadent desserts.

Whether you want bite-sized treats or going traditional with Thanksgiving pies, you can’t go wrong with any of these amazing recipes. The hardest part will be deciding which ones to make!

Why We Love These Recipes

  • Variety: Whether it’s apple, cranberry, or something else, there’s something for everyone.
  • Easy to make: You won’t always have to spend hours in the kitchen because some of these are surprisingly simple.
  • Make-ahead options: Many of these scrumptious recipes can be made in advance, allowing you to enjoy the holiday stress-free.

Amazing Thanksgiving Desserts

Fun Money Mom Favorites

Caramel Apple Cake
This amazing cake is the ultimate fall treat! With layers of spiced apple cake, topped with creamy frosting and salted caramel drizzle, it’s perfect for any occasion.
Get the Recipe Here
Pine Cone Truffles
Three chocolate-coated pinecone-shaped treats dusted with powdered sugar are displayed on a wooden slab with a blurred background.
They may look like pine cones, but one bite and you'll realize it’s pure truffle bliss! Add a fun snowy dusting and you've got an eye-catching dessert that's festive, fun, and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
Check out this recipe
Light and Fluffy Pumpkin Mousse
A white bowl filled with light orange pumpkin mousse, topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, on a white surface with a gold spoon.
Light, airy, and full of pumpkin spice, this easy no-bake Pumpkin Mousse is the perfect way to celebrate fall.
Check out this recipe
Pumpkin Mini Bundt Cakes
A mini bundt cake with white icing and a cinnamon stick on top, served on a white plate.
These perfectly spiced Pumpkin Mini Bundt Cakes are light, moist, and topped with a cinnamon glaze that settles into every swirl. Made with real pumpkin and a few pantry staples, they’re simple to bake and just the right size for sharing.
Check out this recipe
Pumpkin Hand Pies
Four pumpkin-shaped pastries dusted with sugar are arranged on a white square plate.
These delicious handheld treats are everything you love about the classic pie in a cute and convenient pumpkin-shaped individual portion.
Get the Recipe Here
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
A chocolate-covered pumpkin cheesecake with a slice missing, placed on a wooden board with two small pumpkins in the background. Crumbs are scattered on the white surface.
This amazing chocolate pumpkin cheesecake, with creamy cheesecake, chocolate ganache topping and an Oreo crust, may just be the ultimate fall dessert.
Check out this recipe
Pie Crust Cookies
Leaf-shaped cookies with cinnamon sugar coating on a plate near an orange pumpkin.
These easy, leaf-shaped Pie Crust Cookies have a flaky, buttery texture and cinnamon-sugar crunch that’s irresistible. The best part is that they’re just as simple to make as they are delicious!
Check out this recipe
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
A slice of pumpkin cheesecake topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with crumbs, served on a white plate.
With a light and fluffy spiced pumpkin filling and homemade buttery graham cracker crust, it’s a dessert that’s easy, delicious and full of flavor!
Get the Recipe Here
Mini Apple Pies (Muffin Tin Recipe)
Mini apple pies recipe card
These easy muffin tin mini apple pies, with warm apple filling and flaky pie crust, make a fun and delicious dessert that's perfect for all your fall parties!
Check out this recipe
No Bake Pumpkin Lasagna
A plated dessert features a square slice of layered cream and caramel on a crumbly base with a fork holding a small piece nearby.
This creamy layered treat, with it’s delicious pumpkin cheesecake flavor, is a delicious dessert lasagna that’s always a crowd pleaser!
Get the Recipe Here
Pumpkin Spice Cake
A slice of pumpkin cake with thick cream cheese frosting on a white plate. A glass baking dish with more cake is visible in the background.
This pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting combines spice cake mix, pumpkin puree and sweet, creamy frosting for a fall recipe that’s both easy and delicious!
Get the Recipe Here
Easy Apple Pie Bites
Apple Pie Bites square
These 2 ingredient apple pie bites, with sweet apple filling and golden brown crust, are the perfect easy dessert for fall!
Check out this recipe
Cranberry Fluff
A white bowl filled with pink cranberry salad topped with three whole cranberries and chopped nuts. A spoon rests in the bowl.
This Easy Cranberry Fluff, with a flavorful combination of cranberries, marshmallows, whipped cream and more, is a fun and festive addition to your holiday spread.
Check out this recipe
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
A stack of white chocolate cranberry cookies on a plate.
Sweet, buttery and loaded with white chocolate morsels, these delicious White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are the perfect cookie for all your holiday festivities.
Check out this recipe
Easy Pumpkin Cookies (With Cake Mix)
A stack of pumpkin cookies on a white plate.
These 3 ingredient pumpkin cookies, super easy to make with a box cake mix, will be a big hit with pumpkin lovers everywhere!
Check out this recipe
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
whoopie pies with milk in background
This pumpkin whoopie pie recipe may just be the best way ever to celebrate fall! If you're looking for something to satisfy those pumpkin spice cravings, you'll love these delicious cookies!
Check out this recipe
Nutter Butter Turkeys
Thanksgiving turkey cookies on a wooden cutting board.
These Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies are super cute and easy too, making them the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table!
Check out this recipe
Cake Mix Pumpkin Bars
Cake Mix Pumpkin Bars recipe card image
These rich and delicious cake mix pumpkin bars are the perfect easy dessert for all your fall parties.
Check out this recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfait
Layered pumpkin cheesecake parfait with whipped cream and a cookie on top, served in a clear glass on a marble surface.
This delicious pumpkin cheesecake parfait is heaven in a glass! Made with delicious layers of creamy pumpkin pudding cheesecake and crispy gingersnap cookies, it's the perfect dessert for fall!
Check out this recipe
Pumpkin Pie Crescent Rolls Recipe
Pumpkin Pie Crescent Rolls square
These Pumpkin Pie Crescent Rolls make the perfect fall treat! Buttery crescent rolls are filled with a sweet brown sugar pumpkin filling and baked to golden perfection for a delicious breakfast or mini dessert that everyone will love!
Check out this recipe

Pumpkin Recipes

Praline Upside Down Pumpkin Cake
Close-up of a moist cake topped with caramel sauce and whole pecans, placed on a glass cake stand against a dark background.
This droolworthy cake is the ultimate fall dessert for sharing and entertaining!
Ger the Recipe Here
Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
A pumpkin pie topped with a crumbly pecan streusel with a slice removed, revealing creamy filling. The pie is set on a round ceramic dish on a wooden surface.
This flavorful sweet treat combines all the flavors of fall. It's an easy to put together recipe that's a fun variation on the classic recipe.
Get the Recipe Here
Pumpkin Roll Recipe
A pumpkin roll cake with cream cheese filling is sliced on a wooden board, dusted with powdered sugar. A decorative pumpkin and a checkered cloth are placed beside the board.
With rich pumpkin puree and a creamy filling, this is a traditional fall treat that we look forward to every year.
Get the Recipe Here
Pecan-Crusted Pumpkin Pie
A slice of pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream and chopped pecans on a white plate.
Creamy and delicious, this pie is the perfect addition to any holiday dessert table.
Get the Recipe Here
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Close-up of pumpkin pie bars topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, featuring a layered crust.
These tasty bars, with pumpkin filling on top of a simple homemade pie crust, are an easy treat that’s perfect for fall.
Get the Recipe Here

Apple Recipes

Sourdough Apple Cider Upside-Down Cake
A round cake topped with a circular pattern of glazed sliced apples on a wooden surface, accompanied by whole apples and a jar in the background.
Dripping in caramelized apple cider goodness, this moist cake is easy to make and a delicious addition to your holiday menu!
Get the Recipe Here
Apple Cider Donut Cake
A hand cuts a slice from a Bundt cake decorated with small flowers and rosemary sprigs on a white cake stand.
Part donut, part cake, this amazing dessert is the perfect slice of fall.
Get the Recipe Here
Apple Pie with Flaky Butter Crust
A slice of apple pie sits on a white plate beside a fork. The pie has a golden crust and visible layers of apple filling.
This fall recipe is a classic that'll have everyone begging for seconds. Don't forget to add a scoop of ice cream on top!
Get the Recipe Here
Caramel Apple Fruit Pizza
Close-up of a dessert pizza topped with diced green and red apples, pecans, a light cream sauce, and drizzled with caramel sauce.
With a sugar cookie crust, cream cheese frosting, toasted pecans, and caramel drizzle, this fruit pizza is almost too pretty to eat…but we won’t let that stop us!
Get the Recipe Here
Apple Cheesecake Bars with Shortbread Crust
Close-up of two stacked cheesecake bars drizzled with caramel sauce, highlighting a crumb topping and creamy filling against a plain white background.
Made with a delicious cheesecake layer, an apple layer, and a streusel topping, these apple cheesecake bars are sure to disappear fast!
Get the Recipe Here

Pecan Recipes

Old-Fashioned Southern Pecan Pie
A slice of pecan pie topped with whipped cream sits on a stack of decorative plates, with a whole pie visible in the background.
One bite of this delicious pie and your taste buds will be swooning. You just can’t go wrong serving this holiday classic.
Get the Recipe Here
Mini Pecan Pies Recipe
Mini pecan pies in phyllo cups are drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with powdered sugar, arranged on a metal baking tray.
With only one bowl and 20 minutes, you can have these easy mini desserts done in no time! They're the perfect bite size treat for all your holiday parties!
Get the Recipe Here
Pecan Pie Bars
A stack of pecan bars sits on a white cake stand. The dessert bars are golden brown with visible chunks of pecans on top.
Easy to make with a shortbread crust and and pecan filling, these bars are perfect for the holidays.
Get the Recipe Here
Pecan Cream Pie
A slice of creamy pie topped with chopped pecans and a dollop of whipped cream sits on a white plate, with additional pecans scattered around it.
This easy no bake pie, with a graham cracker crust, is the perfect ending to your Thanksgiving brunch or dinner.
Get the Recipe Here
Turtle Brownie Cheesecake
A chocolate and brownie bottom cheesecake on a blue cake stand, topped with pecans, caramel drizzle, and chocolate ganache, with whipped cream swirls and nut pieces around the edges.
One look at this mouthwatering dessert and everyone will be drooling. It’s sure to be the star of your dessert table and guaranteed to disappear fast!
Get the Recipe Here

Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato Cheesecake
A slice of sweet potato cheesecake with a crumbly crust, topped with white cream swirls, is shown in close-up on a white surface.
Combining all our favorite fall flavors, you can't go wrong with this delicious cheesecake!
Get the Recipe Here
Sweet Potato Pie
A sweet potato pie with a flaky crust, topped with whipped cream and chopped nuts. One slice has been removed and placed next to the pie on a cream-colored plate.
This classic southern recipe turns fresh sweet potatoes into a delicious pie that everyone will gobble up.
Get the Recipe Here
Sweet Potato Cake With Marshmallow Buttercream
A frosted cake topped with blackberries, figs, and grapes, drizzled with caramel sauce, sits on a white cake stand. A knife and fig slice are on the table beside it.
This gorgeous cake is topped with a sweet marshmallow buttercream that comes together in just 5 minutes. It's an impressive dessert that everyone will love!
Get the Recipe Here

Cranberry

White Chocolate Cranberry Bundt Cake
A bundt cake topped with white icing, garnished with frosted cranberries and rosemary sprigs on a cake stand.
With its snowy glaze and a glistening garnish of sugared berries, this is sure to be a showstopper on your holiday dessert table.
Get the Recipe Here
Easy Cranberry Tart Recipe
A round fruit tart with a crumb topping, adorned with fresh cranberries and powdered sugar, has a slice missing. A gray napkin and a glass jar are in the background.
This super easy tart recipe is made with a buttery tart crust of only 4 ingredients, a cranberry filling & a crumbly top, for a dessert that’s both easy and delicious.
Get the Recipe Here
Cranberry Apple Bread Pudding with Maple Cream Sauce
A slice of bread pudding topped with a drizzle of sauce on a white plate, accompanied by a wooden spoon. A red ramekin with additional sauce is visible in the background.
This rich and decadent cranberry apple bread pudding finished with maple cream sauce is the perfect holiday recipe.
Get the Recipe Here

Which of these easy Thanksgiving desserts are you going to make this year?

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    About Lisa O’Driscoll

    Lisa O’Driscoll is a lifestyle and parenting expert, cookbook author, and the creative force behind Fun Money Mom, a popular blog she’s run since 2014. She’s the author of the children’s cookbook Roll It, Slice It, Mash It, Dice It, designed to get kids excited about cooking. With multiple TV appearances under her belt, she loves sharing her expertise on family-friendly recipes, creative DIYs, and party planning and is always on a mission to inspire and entertain!

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    7 Comments

    1. Thanks so much for including my Praline Pumpkin Upside Down Cake in your list! I truly want to skip turkey now so I can eat ALL the dessert. 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply

      1. You’re so welcome! It looks absolutely delicious!

      1. I thought so too! It’s so hard to pick a favorite 🙂

    4. I cannot find a link for these recipes.

      Reply

      1. The links are underneath each of the recipes (it will say “Get The Recipe Here”). Hope that helps. 😊

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