Somewhere along the road, pie staked its claim as the official dessert of Turkey Day. We have nothing against a slice of pecan, apple or pumpkin, but what would life be like if the holiday menu included non-traditional items like pecan pie brownies, no-cook pumpkin spice tiramisu, and Texas sheet cake too? It would be better—so much better. If you, like us, are looking for Thanksgiving desserts that aren’t pie, you’ve come to the right place. Presenting 40 sweet recipes—from gooey dulce de leche brownies to butternut squash cake—that are just as festive and even more exciting than pie.
40 Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Desserts That Aren’t Pie (Like Pecan Pie Brownies and Sweet Potato Sugar Cookies)
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Published Sep 18, 2023
Katherine Gillen
1. Apple Cider Caramel Poke Cake with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: one 9-by-13-inch cake (about 15 servings)
True to its name, this a cake you literally poke all over—then top with a gooey sauce that seeps into the holes, infusing the entire confection with extra flavor and moisture. The cake is gently spiced, the caramel is spiked with cider and the frosting is cream cheese—dreamy.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 9
In our humble opinion, the holiday spread is always lacking one thing: chocolate. The solution is easy, and it’s called brownies. Even better, these start with a boxed mix, so dessert is as easy to make as it is impressive.
3. Sweet Potato Sugar Cookies with Marshmallow Topping
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 15
If you, like us, are convinced that the sweet potato casserole Great Aunt Sally serves every Thanksgiving is more of a dessert than a side dish, then these cookies are for you. Make the sweet potato puree in advance to save time, and hold off on adding the marshmallows until the cookies are half-baked, so they don’t burn.
4. Caramel-Stuffed Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 12
They’re sweet, spiced and filled with gooey caramel (store-bought, don’t fret!) for a treat that’s sure to please everyone from your cousins to your grandpa.
5. No-Cook Pumpkin Spice Tiramisu
- Time Commitment: 6 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, no cook
- Serves: 10 to 12
It’s creamy, lightly sweet and laced with fall baking spices, but the ease of execution is the real kicker. There’s no fussing with a cooked custard, and it actually tastes better if you make it ahead. (The bourbon is optional, so omit it if you want to make it kid-friendly.)
6. Caramelized Butternut Squash Upside-Down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
- Serves: 12
Vegetables in a cake? We went there. Butternut squash is naturally sweet, making it a perfect pair for a toffee-like cake. Because the caramel coats the top like a glaze, it doesn’t need any accompaniment…but a drizzle of cold heavy cream just before serving wouldn’t hurt either.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, gluten free
- Serves: 6
Behold, a Thanksgiving dessert with all the flavor of pumpkin pie (minus the trouble of making a crust). You can use store-bought meringue cookies to streamline it further.
8. Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 10
Light-as-air pumpkin cake, swoon-worthy cream cheese frosting drips and a 20-minute prep time? Yes, yes and yes. (Psst: You can serve that glaze on the side, too, if everyone wants to drizzle their own.)
9. Aran Goyoaga’s Spiced Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, gluten free
- Serves: 8 to 10
We love a loaf cake for many reasons, but the fact that you can make it ahead is main among them. This one happens to be gluten free, but you can make it with wheat flour too.
10. Cinnamon Sheet Cake with Cider Frosting
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion–worthy
- Serves: 18
When you need dessert and you need it fast, this gorgeous, aromatic cake has your back. It’s ready in about an hour and tastes like fall in every bite.
11. Roasted Apple Pavlova with Honey Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, gluten free
- Serves: 6
When you want a show-stopping dessert for a fall get-together or holiday party, this is it. Plus, it’s naturally gluten free thanks to the meringue base.
12. Dulce de Leche Skillet Brownie
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pan, kid-friendly
- Serves: 14
Let’s make Thanksgiving brownies a thing. These are extremely gooey and decadent, and if you’re wondering, plates are optional. (Go ahead, dive in with a spoon.)
13. Sweet Potato Pots de Crème with Toasted Marshmallow
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, gluten free
- Serves: 6
If your goal is to impress your Thanksgiving guests, look no further. These pots de crème—essentially a type of custard or pudding—give fancy restaurant vibes but are home kitchen friendly. (You can and absolutely should make them in advance.)
14. Rosé Poached Pears with Ginger and Vanilla
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly, gluten free
- Serves: 6
For something equally elegant but a bit lighter in flavor, these wine-poached pears will bring the oohs and ahhs. Better yet, they’re made with just six ingredients. Choose a dry rosé that you’d enjoy drinking on its own for best results.
15. Fig Tarte Tatin
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 8
To wow the table while barely lifting a finger, stock up on frozen puff pastry and make this one-skillet wonder. It’s best served warm, so it’s ideal for a special occasion and a room full of hungry people.
16. Apple Cider Pear Spelt Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 10
Spelt is an ancient, nutrient-packed type of wheat, and here it adds nutty flavor and a beautiful color. (It doesn’t hurt that the cake is lightly sweet and feels sorta healthy.)
17. Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, ready in <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 12
Sweet, tangy frosting and gently spiced, fluffy cookies—yep, it’s time to don your apron and make a batch of these babies. They’re a classic for a reason.
18. Chocolate ‘High-Ratio’ Sheet Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 20
What’s a high ratio cake, you ask? It’s a baker’s way of saying there’s at least a one-to-one ratio of sugar to flour. This ensures a tender, moist crumb like the cakes you’d find in a bakery.
19. Gingerbread Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, make ahead
- Serves: 8 to 10
Nothing says “holiday season” quite like gingerbread, but we’re ditching the cardboard cookies for this delightful cake. Feel free to adjust the spices to your taste.
20. Pumpkin Black and White Cookies
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 12
Remember those pumpkin cookies we suggested you make? As it turns out, you can use the same fluffy cookie base and frost them à la New York black and white cookies for a delicious twist. Make sure you’re using plain canned pumpkin puree and not pie filling—the latter contains added sugar and spices, and you’ll be adding your own.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, gluten free
- Serves: 10
Candy for Thanksgiving dessert is 100 percent acceptable when it’s in the form of this oversize peanut butter cup. Hot tip: Let it come to room temperature before slicing for the best presentation.
23. Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 24
If making a whole cheesecake on Turkey Day sounds like your nightmare, try these sweet bites instead. In the realm of Thanksgivign desserts, they have all the flavors you crave without so much of the effort.
24. Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: one 9-inch cake
While we wouldn’t object to a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the holiday table, this cake feels a little more capital-e Event-worthy. Luckily, it’s just as easy to make as a batch of those aforementioned treats.
25. Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 15
To maximize the chewy texture of these cookies, make sure to not overbake them. Since the dough is dark, it can be tricky to check for doneness by color alone. Instead, look for puffed, crackly tops and just-set edges.
26. Texas Sheet Cake
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 12+
Give us rich, chocolatey chocolate cake and we’re happy campers. Make it a recipe you can’t mess up and we’re even more pleased.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
- Serves: 6
You’ll refrigerate the custard before adding that crackly top, so feel free to make them ahead and chill overnight. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, pop the ramekins in a cold oven and turn on the broiler for similar results.
28. Sticky Toffee Honeycomb Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: one 9-inch cake
This stunning Thanksgiving dessert is inspired by the British sticky toffee pudding. It has a thick, honey-flavored caramel hiding beneath a cloud of unsweetened whipped cream, so you could say it’s ready for its Thanksgiving closeup.
29. Cardamom Cream-Filled Bundt Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
- Serves: one 9-inch cake
A slice of this light-as-air cake is like eating a sweet cloud, so go ahead and have that second piece. Baking it in a Bundt pan ensures it looks impressive without any intricate frosting or decorating.
30. Miniature Banoffee Cobblers
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
- Serves: 6
Easy instructions and maximum flavor? Be still our hearts. Make these cobblers up to four hours ahead, then used the free time to sip on a well-deserved Thanksgiving cocktail.
31. Mini No-Bake Gingersnap Icebox Cakes
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why I Love It: make ahead, no cook, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 6
You had us at “mini,” but the sweetest thing about these bite-size cakes is they’re entirely no bake. Assemble, refrigerate and serve (and then pat yourself on the back).
Broma Bakery
32. Chai Spice Cake With Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd pleaser
- Serves: 16
Gorgeous, decadent and still festive.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd pleaser
- Serves: 10
Truly the definition of moist.
What's Gaby Cooking
34. Pumpkin Cheesecake With Marshmallow Meringue
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 10
Not trying to be cheesy, but this might be the greatest Thanksgiving dessert of all time.
Photo: Joe Cospito/Styling: Erin McDowell
35. Caramel Pecan Pies with Cinnamon Roll Crust
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
- Serves: 24
Who doesn't love a mini dessert?
Katherine Gillen
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, no cook, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
- Serves: 6 to 8
These are almost too cute to eat... almost.
Photo: Christine Han/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
- Serves: one 9-inch pie
OK, it is a pie, but we promise it's not your average Thanksgiving pie.
Damn Delicious
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
- Serves: 15
Not quite a doughnut, yet not quite a muffin.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
39. Churro Bites With Chocolate Sauce
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
- Serves: 6 to 8
Unconventional but awesome.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
40. Gluten-Free Apple Rose Tart
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
- Serves: 10
This Thanksgiving dessert is way easier than it looks, we promise.
Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.
