Here are the best Thanksgiving desserts and baked goods: pies (of course), plus tarts, cobblers, crisps, quick breads, cookies, cake, and more. No matter what type of Turkey Day desserts you need, this list has you covered.
What Are the Best Thanksgiving Desserts?
Traditional Thanksgiving dinner may center around the turkey and trimmings, but definitely save room for dessert. Thanksgiving desserts and baked goods are among the best and most beloved American desserts of all, the sweet end to an important holiday.
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Pies are the most iconic, and traditional Thanksgiving desserts, especially pumpkin pie, apple pie, and pecan. But Thanksgiving dessert can also mean seasonal treats like pumpkin bread, spiced cakes, and more. So bring on the Thanksgiving pies — and so much more. Here are the recipes you’ll need.
The Best Thanksgiving Pies, Tarts, and Crisps
Thanksgiving dessert means pie, first and foremost. Here are the main essentials, plus a few extra pie-ish desserts (like crisps and tarts) to sweeten the table.
Original Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe, But Better
The Rules of Thanksgiving say that dessert MUST include pumpkin or sweet potato pie. Pumpkin pie, custardy and fragrant with baking spices, is always great, but BETTER pumpkin pie needs this pastry technique to take the crust from limp to luscious.
Homemade Caramel Apple Pie
A perfect, all-American apple pie. Cinnamon sweet, stuffed with crisp and tart apples, wrapped in an all-butter pie crust. Get the recipe.
Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie
Incredible, and incredibly easy! Get this decadent Kentucky Derby chocolate chip pecan pie recipe, perfect for Derby Day or Thanksgiving Day.
Cranberry Cobbler With Biscuit Topping
Cozy up to this homey cranberry cobbler recipe with biscuit topping. Tart, sweet, and topped with easy buttermilk drop biscuits.
Apple Crisp With Oat Topping
An essential, easy apple crisp recipe with oatmeal topping, baked with brown sugar to fall dessert perfection. Think pie, but easier.
French Apple Custard Tart (Tarte Normande)
Say bonjour to your new favorite dessert. This classic apple custard tart combines apple pie’s deliciousness with silky chic custard.
Holiday Cranberry Curd Tart
This stunning, festive cranberry curd tart tastes as good as it looks. With a buttery graham cracker crust and a silky, tart curd.
Fresh Fruit Tart
A fresh, French-style classic fruit tart recipe, with berries and other fresh fruit arranged over vanilla pastry cream and crisp, butter tart shell. A classic French dessert.
If you’re making apple pie or crisps this Thanksgiving season, you’ll love:
The Best Not-Pie Thanksgiving Desserts: Cakes, Loaves + More
These Thanksgiving desserts are just as comforting, sweet, and seasonal as pie, but offer a nice alternative for those who want a little something different.
Thanksgiving Cake
Pie who? We’re all about this easy, moist, spiced Thanksgiving cake recipe, folded with apples, cranberries, and nuts, for dessert.
Southern Banana Pudding Recipe (With Meringue)
This Southern banana pudding is an old-fashioned, from-scratch dessert made with creamy vanilla custard, fresh banana slices, and a fluffy meringue topping. Adapted from Maya Angelou.
Bullseye Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Bullseye! This easy pumpkin cheesecake recipe tastes just as magical as it looks. A buttery chocolate crust makes this the perfect fall and holiday dessert.
Cranberry Orange Nut Bread
You’ll love this sweet cranberry nut loaf cake, fragrant with orange. An easy and festive holiday dessert recipe.
Easy Pear Cake
Get the recipe for this sweet vanilla pear cake. Fragrant with cinnamon and vanilla, it’s moist, delicious, and loaded with ripe pears.
Apple Spice Cake
A big, super moist apple layer cake loaded with apples and spice and everything nice, from pastry chef and cake artist Monica OConnell.
Pecan Pumpkin Bread
This recipe is truly excellent, with just the right combination of pumpkin, sweetness, and spice. Bake into homey loaves, a layer cake or cupcakes.
With all these good sweets, let’s also make sure to eat well for the main course and afterward! Get these roundups of all the Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes and the Best Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes.
Sweet Cookies and Bars for Thanksgiving
For a smaller sweet bite, these Thanksgiving desserts — seasonal, satisfying cookies and bars — hit the spot.
Toffee Pecan Pie Bars
Imagine pecan pie combined with rich toffee and buttery shortbread cookies, and you have these elegant, indulgent pecan bars. Get the recipe.
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Yum. This chewy chocolate chip pecan cookie recipe is the perfect combination of sweetness, texture, and buttery goodness. Easy and festive.
Gooey Cowboy Cookie Bars
Inspired by Laura Bush’s winning cowboy cookie recipe, this recipe for fudgy cowboy blondies with nuts, chips, and coconut takes the cake.
Soft Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies
These sweet and soft cornmeal shortbread cookies bake up a light golden brown, with just the right amount of flavor and homey grit from fine yellow cornmeal. Simple to make, and perfect with a cup of tea.
Thanksgiving dessert is always one of the best parts of the Big Meal. From the best apple pie you’ll ever eat to a festive layer cake or batch of cookies, these recipes cover all the top Thanksgiving desserts.
