31 Thanksgiving Desserts to Cap Your Holiday Feast
There’s Thanksgiving dinner, and then there are Thanksgiving desserts. These are two separate events, and in between, it’s perfectly fine to take a disco nap. (In fact, we recommend it.)
Once your energy is restored, set your sights on the holiday’s requisite dessert table. You could do very well with an array of our favorite pie recipes, from classic pumpkin to cranberry meringue. But leave a little room for pumpkin Basque cheesecake, caramel cake, and a colossal bowl of chocolate mousse. Pumpkin-spiced chocolate chip cookies are also there for the “just a bite” crowd. Planning around a turkey-occupied oven? The mousse and no-bake pumpkin chiffon pie both set in the fridge; just build in their chilling time. Whether you’re here for the classics or a break from the usual, these Thanksgiving dessert recipes make a fitting second act.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca2/31Chocolate Mousse for a Party
A colossal, self-serve mousse is a baller host move—no tidy slicing, no fussy garnishing, no jockeying for oven space. Set out bowls and spoons and let guests help themselves. Vanilla lovers, try our Colossal Crème Brûlée.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Linden Elstran3/31Pecan Cream Pie
Photography by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Tim Ferro, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi4/31Pumpkin Flan de Queso
A slice of Thanksgiving pie is nice, but how about a slice of pumpkin flan under a veneer of caramel? This one takes a page from Puerto Rican flan de queso, with cream cheese lending richness, tang, and luxurious texture.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero, Prop Styling by Adrian Ababović, Props provided by East Fork including East Fork Spun Iron Pie Dish.5/31Cranberry Meringue Pie
Photograph by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marc Williams6/31Southern-Style Caramel Cake
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni7/31BA’s Best Pumpkin Pie
Photograph by Rana Duzyol, Food Styling by Jesse Szewczyk, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua8/31Cinnamon Crunch Crinkle Pie
Skip the rolling pin: Buttered phyllo encloses an orange-scented custard, with crumpled sheets forming a dramatically ruffled top. Cinnamon sugar adds crunch to this no-roll pie.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown, Prop Styling by Adrian ababovic, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi9/31Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Cake
Photograph by Breanne Furlong, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht10/31Pear Snacking Cake With Chocolate and Rosemary
Photography by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco11/31Apple-Cranberry Tarte Tatin
Photograph by Christopher Testani, Food styling by Victoria Granof, prop styling by Alex Brannian12/31Sweet Potato Loaf Cake With Dark Chocolate Ganache
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero, Prop Styling by Adrian Ababović, Props provided by East Fork including East Fork Ceramic Pie Plate.13/31Salted Coffee Custard Pie
Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio14/31Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies
Photography by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco15/31Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Shuai Wang, Prop Styling by Megan Forbes and Christina Hussey16/31Miso-and-Maple-Pecan Butter Mochi Cake
Pecan pie meets Hawaiian-style butter mochi in this chewy, coconut-milk-rich cake. Miso-and-maple-coated pecans bring salty-sweet crunch, with some sinking into the batter as the cake bakes.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams17/31Sticky Toffee Pudding
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz19/31White Chocolate–Cranberry Cake
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca22/31Saffron Milk Cake
Photography by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Tim Ferro, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi23/31Pumpkin Tiramisu
Inspired by the flavors of a pumpkin spice latte, this rendition of old-school tiramisu calls for soaking ladyfingers in bourbon-spiked espresso, then enveloping them in plumes of pumpkin-mascarpone cream.
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski24/31Cranberry Linzer Tart
Cranberries with dinner and again for dessert? Absolutely. Tart filling hides between layers of buttery, crumbly walnut crust in this Linzer tart. Prefer individual portions? Try these cranberry hand pies.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Luciana Lamboy, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley25/31Pumpkin Mochi Crumb Cake
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz30/31Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake
More of our best Thanksgiving recipes
Whole roasted birds, spatchcocked showstoppers, braised legs, breasts for smaller gatherings, and more ways to put turkey at the center of the table.
Like brown-butter brussels sprouts with gochujang, green bean salad with Parmesan dressing, our best-ever mashed potatoes, and more reasons to rebrand the holiday “Sidesgiving.”
Squishy rolls for mopping up gravy, flaky biscuits for piling on leftover turkey, and a seedy pumpkin loaf to start the day.
From hot toddies to big-batch punch, these festive drinks will get you in the holiday spirit.
