Cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and mashed potatoes are must-haves this time of year, but anyone with a sweet tooth can agree that the best part of Thanksgiving comes after the turkey. And while we'll never turn down a slice of pumpkin pie with a generous dollop of whipped cream, this food-focused holiday is the time to go all out. This year, stray from tradition and give one of these unique Thanksgiving dessert recipes a try. With options like sticky sweet caramel apple cake and creamy sweet potato ice cream, your entire family will be glad you did!
1. Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée
If you need any amount of convincing that pumpkin spice creÃÄme bruÃÇleÃÅe is the perfect Thanksgiving dessert, just picture this: you use your spoon to crack into the layer of caramelized sugar, scoop up the silky smooth pumpkin custard below, and take the perfect bite. Convinced yet?
2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie Pops
Chocolate chip cookie pie pops are the cuter, sweeter version of the Thanksgiving turducken—because no one should have to choosen between cookies and pie when it's time for dessert. With a leaf-shaped cookie cutter and some foliage-colored sanding sugar, you can make these pops even more festive.
3. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you haven't committed to all things pumpkin spice by Thanksgiving, don't worry: it's not too late! Ease into the season with these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. They're sweet enough to check off your Thanksgiving dessert box, but can also be served for breakfast the next day (if there are leftovers, which isn't guaranteed).
4. Mini Pumpkin Hand Pies
It's time to tap into your inner child, because miniature handheld food is where it's at, and these mini pumpkin hand pies are as fun to make as they are to eat. Each little pie pocket is stuffed with a traditional pumpkin pie filling, then baked to crispy, flaky perfection. Both the kids and adults at your Thanksgiving table will adore them!
5. Sweet Potato Brownies
The secret to extra fudgy brownies might come as a surprise, but it makes sense when you think about it. Any guesses? Yep, it's sweet potato! You probably have some on hand for your Turkey Day casserole already, so why not give this unique Thanksgiving dessert a try this year?
6. Fresh Cranberry Orange Bread
November is the height of cranberry season, so why not showcase these fresh, tart, deep red berries in your Thanksgiving dessert? This cranberry orange bread is bright in flavor and holds up well when made ahead of time, freeing up oven space for your turkey and giving you less to worry about on Thanksgiving day.
7. Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake
The messiest, stickiest sweets are always the most delicious. Add this caramel apple upside-down cake to your Thanksgiving dessert lineup, and it's pretty much guaranteed to be gobbled up before it's even had the chance to cool. Think of it as the a mashup of warm, slightly caramelized apple pie filling and cinnamon-spiced cake.
8. Sweet Potato Casserole Cupcakes
What happens when you turn an all time favorite Thanksgiving side dish into a dessert? Answer: you get the tenderest, moistest sweet potato cupcake ever. Like sweet potato casserole, it's spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and each bite has a hint of maple. No frosting needed for these beauties: just top with mini marshmallows and pop them back in the oven to get all toasty and golden!
9. Pumpkin Spice Scarecrow Cupcakes
Made with a moist pumpkin spice cupcake batter, cinnamon cream cheese frosting, and a few finishing touches that bring them to life right before your eyes, these scarecrow cupcakes are an adorable addition to any Thanksgiving spread...especially at the kids' table!
10. Maple Pecan Cheesecake
Can't choose between pecan pie and cheesecake for the last course of your Thanksgiving feast? We have three words for you: maple pecan cheesecake. The creamy cheesecake filling in this recipe is sweetened with pure maple syrup, then topped with an amazing brown sugar pecan glaze.
11. 4 Ingredient Hazelnut Brownies
Chocolate is an oft forgotten ingredient in Thanksgiving desserts, and usually reserved for other holidays when mousse and cheesecakes are on the menu. But who doesn't want a gooey, rich brownie after finishing off that plate of stuffing and squash? These hazelnut brownies are sure to hit the spot. This easy Thanksgiving dessert recipe only require 4 ingredients and 25 minutes to make, so you can forgo the labor-intensive homemade pie crusts this year and feed the entire extended family with ease.
12. Colorful Sugar Cookie Wreaths
It's time to break out your cookie cutter collection and make some memories in the kitchen! These wreaths are made from a simple sugar cookie dough, but you'd never guess how easy the recipe is to follow just by looking at them. Get the kids involved by having them help paint and arrange the colorful leaves before baking.
13. Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream with Graham Cracker Toffee
If you're up for a more hands-on but totally unique Thanksgiving dessert recipe, this ice cream is the way to go. You can serve it with a slice of pie, but given how packed it is with swirls of brown sugar and pockets of toasted marshmallows, it can be a showstopper all on its own—especially when enjoyed alongside crunchy and sweet homemade graham cracker toffee.
14. Thanksgiving Sugar Cookie Hand Turkeys
Decked out in icing feathers and sprinkles, these sugar cookie turkeys are almost too pretty gobble up (almost)! Just like the paper and hand tracing activity you did in elementary school, the recipe is a craft in and of itself. Get the whole family involved to make a collection of adorable edible keepsakes on Thanksgiving eve.
15. Cranberry Orange Puff Pastry Bites
Who needs frozen toaster strudel when you could be biting into one of these homemade cranberry orange puff pastry bites fresh from the oven on Thanksgiving morning? Sweet enough to double as dessert, this recipe is a great way to use up extra cranberry sauce and requires just a few other ingredients that are probably already on your Thankgiving grocery list.
