Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

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These Thanksgiving dessert ideas are sure to be the star of your Thanksgiving celebration. From old-fashioned classics to creative and kid-friendly Thanksgiving desserts that look like turkeys, you will find all of the best Thanksgiving dessert recipe ideas below.

Rather than grab a pumpkin pie from the bakery give one of these Thanksgiving dessert recipes a try this year. We have no-bake desserts, made-from-scratch recipes, slow cooker desserts, and more. From apple desserts to pumpkin desserts, I am sure that you will find a dessert recipe (or two!) perfect for serving at your Thanksgiving.

Over 21 Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas

And while this list started out with only 15 recipes, it has grown over the years to over 25 ideas. I just keep adding more of our favorites!

Read on for all the best dessert recipes for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas

When you find a recipe that you would like to try, simply click the recipe title and it will take you over to the full blog post dedicated to the recipe. There you will find the ingredients, instructions, and a printer-friendly version of the recipe.

Pumpkin roll cake with cream cheese filling.

Pumpkin Roll Cake

Pumpkin roll cake combines tender pumpkin cake with a generous swirl of cream cheese filling for a classic Thanksgiving dessert full of Fall flavor.

Apple pie cookies stacked on top of one another.

Apple Pie Cookies

Sure apple pie is amazing, but these bite-sized apple desserts are just as tasty–if not better. They are like mini apple pies! Flakey pie crust combines with a delicious homemade apple pie filling for the best apple pie cookies ever.

Made with Nutter Butters, Fruit Roll-Ups, Swedish Fish, and mini M&Ms, turkey cupcakes are colorful, tasty, and so much fun for the kids to help create.

Turkey Cupcakes

Nutter Butter cookies, Swedish Fish, Fruit Roll-Ups, mini M&Ms, and candy eyes turn these cupcakes from plan to turk-a-rific! This kid-friendly Thanksgiving dessert idea is easy to make and super cute–a treat the little ones will absolutely love!

Soft Apple Cookies on Plate.

Soft Apple Cookies

Tender pieces of apple, crunchy bits of toasted pecans, and a sweet glaze make these soft apple cookies completely irresistible. Even if you are stuffed with turkey.

Slow cooker fried apples.

Slow Cooker Fried Apples

These fried apples are so tender and full of flavor, just like the ones at Cracker Barrel. Plus, they are super simple to make right in your crockpot and a great warm option for your Thanksgiving dessert table.

Pecan Pie Cheesecake.

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

An ultra-creamy New York style cheesecake with a graham cracker crust and delicious caramel pecan pie topping.

No bake pumpkin lush layered dessert with a graham cracker crust, sweetened cream cheese, pumpkin pie filling, vanilla pudding, and whipped topping.

Pumpkin Lush

An easy no-bake Fall dessert with a buttery cinnamon graham cracker crust and layers of sweetened cream cheese, creamy pumpkin filling, and whipped topping.

Turkey shaped lollipops.

Turkey Shaped Lollipops

These “sweet” turkey suckers are perfect for serving at your Thanksgiving party or even for having out as favors. Made with Jolly Ranchers, Red Hots, and Tic-Tacs, these lollipops are sure to be a hit with the kids and get gobbled up in no time!

apple pie bites made with crescent roll dough and apple pie filling.

Apple Pie Crescent Rolls

Everyone loves apple pie… but why go to the trouble of making a full pie when you can pack all the flavor of the classic dessert inside of a crescent roll? Apple pie crescent rolls have all the flavor of a classic apple pie in one easy 3-ingredient Fall dessert.

Apple Crisp in 9 x 13 pan.

Easy Apple Crisp

You don’t even need your mixer to make this delicious apple crisp. Instead, you’ll spread the layers of apple pie filling, brown sugar, cake mix, butter, and granola in layers and let the oven do all the work. Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve with a scoop of ice cream for an incredible Thanksgiving dessert.

No oat apple crisp served on a white plate, finished with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Apple Crisp Without Oats

If you prefer an apple crisp recipe without oatmeal, this homemade no-oats apple crisp is for you. It is packed with tender, cinnamon-coated apples and topped with a buttery, crumbly topping. Baked until golden brown and served warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, it makes a perfect sweet treat after Thanksgiving dinner.

Cinnamon sugar chex mix in glass serving bowl with measuring cup of brown sugar and cinnamon sticks beside it.

Cinnamon Sugar Chex Mix

This tasty snack mix is made with Chex cereal, pretzels, pecans, cinnamon, butter, and brown sugar. Full of cinnamon flavor and baked to sweet, crunchy perfection, this chex mix is always a crowd-pleaser at parties. The best part is, the easy recipe is perfect for parties and makes enough for up to 16 people!

Apple Pie Cupcakes.

Apple Pie Filled Cupcakes

These soft cinnamon cupcakes are stuffed with sweet apple pie filling and topped with creamy cinnamon vanilla buttercream –and more apple pie filling. Yum!

Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These soft and chewy pumpkin cookies are loaded with chocolate chips and pumpkin flavor. This is the kind of dessert option that everyone in the family will love.

These easy-to-make, no bake, Turkey Rice Krispie Treats are sure to be the hit of the dessert table this Thanksgiving - especially with the kids!

Turkey Krispie Treats

These easy-to-make, no-bake, Rice Krispie Turkey Treats are sure to be the hit of the dessert table this Thanksgiving – especially with the kids!

Pumpkin dip in white bowl with vanilla wafer sticking out of the top. Vanilla cookies and cinnamon sticks are on tabletop around the bowl.

Pumpkin Fluff Dip

Pumpkin Fluff Dip is a tasty dessert dip made with Cool Whip, vanilla pudding, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Pair the yummy fluff with graham crackers, apples, or vanilla cookies for dipping and enjoy!

Apple Cider Bundt Cake topped with glazes and drizzle of caramel sauce.

Apple Cider Bundt Cake

If you like apple cider doughnuts you are going to love this apple cider bundt cake. The moist apple cake is topped with a sweet cider glaze and then drizzled with caramel sauce for layer upon layer of delicious Fall flavors.

2-ingredient pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting sliced into a square.

2-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake

Made with a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree, this easy pumpkin cake recipe seriously couldn’t be any simpler to make.

An easy apple pear crisp recipe made in the slow cooker. This warm and comforting Fall dessert is great on its own or served with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Slow Cooker Apple Pear Crisp

This apple pear crisp is amazing and, best of all, it is super easy to make right in your crockpot. Let the slow cooker do the work while you enjoy spending time with your guests

harvest spice bars on plate.

Harvest Spice Bars

These harvest spice bars with cream cheese are the perfect Thanksgiving treat. Made with spice cake mix and cream cheese, they are a sweet and delicious recipe all of your dinner guests will enjoy.

Baked pumpkin doughnuts smothered with vanilla glaze.

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Baked pumpkin doughnuts served warm and smothered with glaze are make an irresistible Thanksgiving dessert. Plus you can enjoy the leftovers for breakfast the following mornings.

Pumpkin spice doughnuts topped ith orange and green icing to look like pumpkins.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

These tasty pumpkin spice cupcakes are frosted to look like actual pumpkins. How neat is that?

Pumpkin Cobbler

This Thanksgiving dessert idea from Love and Confections makes the perfect dessert for your Thanksgiving party. Serve with a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream for a treat your guests are sure to love.

Cranberry Bliss Baklava Bites

These Cranberry Bliss Baklava Bites from Peas & Crayons cover all bases. They are crispy and crunchy, salty and sweet. And best of all, they are no-bake!

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

What is better than a pumpkin pie flavored cookie that is the perfect size for dipping into your coffee?! Nothing, that’s what! Give these pumpkin biscotti from Sidewalk Shoes a try and I am sure that you will agree!

Turkey Sugar Cookies

With a little imagination and some candy, you can turn plain sugar cookies into cute little turkeys just like Finding Zest did here! They make the perfect fun Thanksgiving dessert idea for the kids!

Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cakes

If you are looking for the perfect individual-sized dessert for your Thanksgiving, these Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cakes from Chicken Scratch NY are just the thing. Everyone gets their own mini bundt cake–how cool is that?

Easy Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies

The Frugal Mom brings us a super-easy Thanksgiving dessert recipe that requires no baking at all, just some simple assembly. Candy eyes, orange M&Ms, and icing turn these plain-old Nutter Butter cookies into adorable turkeys in a matter of seconds.

Caramel Apple Bars

Packed with oats and apples, these Caramel Apple Bars from Snappy Gourmet sneak some healthy food into dessert. Top with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel for a super heavenly Thanksgiving dessert treat!

Rustic Cranberry Apple Pie

If you are searching for a Thanksgiving dessert idea that can be thrown together in a snap, this Rustic Cranberry Apple Pie from Simply Being Mommy is perfect. Using refrigerated pie crust, cranberry sauce, and apple pie filling, this beautiful pie comes together in no time at all.

Candy Corn Thanksgiving Turkey Lollipops

These adorable turkey lollipops from The Mama Report are perfect for any candy-corn lover! They feature not one, not two, but three flavors of candy corn!

15 Thanksgiving Desserts Guests Will Gobble Up.


Happy baking and have a great Turkey Day! Gobble Gobble!

Which of these Thanksgiving dessert recipes will you this year?! I would love to know in the comments below.

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37 Comments

  1. Yum! Dessert is my favorite part of thanksgiving and I’m always in charge of preparing them! I love trying new recipes too! Thanks!

  2. These do look like quite delicious. I personally like the idea of having many different desserts to choose from. I’m going to try and make the Turkey Sugar Cookies, Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies, and Candy Corn Lollipops for starters!

  3. Oh my goodness, so many cute fall treats. It’s the best time of the year!! I especially love the pumpkin rolls! They are my all-time favorite!

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