45 Non-Pumpkin Thanksgiving Desserts Everyone Loves
Easy Thanksgiving desserts with no pumpkin! These non pumpkin fall dessert recipes are the best pumpkin free Thanksgiving desserts for your holiday dinner or friendsgiving potluck!
Want to change up Thanksgiving dessert this year?
Forget traditional pumpkin pie, and make a non-pumpkin dessert instead!
Not everyone likes pumpkin, and it’s so fun to make something new and unique.
I put together a list of the best pumpkin-free Thanksgiving desserts, so you have tons of fresh, creative recipes to inspire you.
These non-pumpkin desserts include pies and cheesecakes, cakes and cupcakes, and Thanksgiving cookies and treats.
There’s a fun recipe for every type of celebration, from traditional Thanksgiving dinners to casual Friendsgiving potlucks.
Let’s check ‘em out!
(🍂 Looking for more tasty Thanksgiving recipes? Check out these Thanksgiving charcuterie board ideas, easy bite-size finger food appetizers, fun Thanksgiving cookies, and easy holiday dips.)
Thanksgiving Desserts Without Pumpkin
Easy Cranberry Tart
Super easy Cranberry Tart recipe is made with a buttery tart crust of only 4 ingredients, a tart cranberry filling and a crumbly top with walnuts.
It’s soft and sweet, with a flavorful and delicious filling - the perfect balance between sweet and tart!
10 Minute Turkey Cake
This easy turkey cake is made from a store bought chocolate bundt cake and packaged cookies and candy, so it’s no-bake and fast to make.
Apple Crumble Cheesecake
Apple Crumble Cheesecake sits on a shortbread crust with a layer of salted caramel apples, then a creamy cheesecake filling, and a crunchy pecan apple crumble topping.
Thanksgiving dessert doesn’t get any better than this!
Oreo Turkey Truffles
Kids and adults alike will love munching on these fun Turkey Oreo Balls.
With just 3 ingredients, you can prep these in advance and have them ready for holiday snacking.
Sour Cream Apple Squares
These Sour Cream Apple Square bars are filled with apples, a hint of cinnamon and have an amazing shortbread crust.
Slice these moist apple squares warm or at room temperature into oversized squares and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Sweet Potato Cheesecake is full of creamy sweet potatoes and warm spices.
It's baked on a pecan graham cracker crust and garnished with a homemade marshmallow topping that's been toasted to perfection.
Cranberry Bliss Bars
Cranberry Bliss Bars are a homemade copycat version of Starbucks' ever-popular seasonal dessert.
Speckled with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries, these beauties are extremely hard to resist.
Pecan Pie Cupcakes
Pecan Pie Cupcakes are made with a delicious butter pecan cupcake full of toasted pecans and topped with a brown sugar and cream cheese frosting.
Talk about the perfect fall and Thanksgiving cupcake!
Easy Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
If you need a super easy dessert snack for the holidays, this Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip will do the trick!
Just three ingredients including cream cheese, sauce and sugar, it can also double as an appetizer.
Pecan Pie Cheesecake
Pecan Pie Cheesecake is the ultimate combo of your favorite fall pie and creamy cheesecake.
This easy Thanksgiving dessert can be made ahead of time and is perfect to feed a crowd.
Apple Pandowdy
Apple Pandowdy is a classic American dessert that’s chock full of autumn flavor.
Spiced apples are topped with rustic puff pastry and drizzled with melted butter, with a crunchy sugar crust.
Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars
Merging two delicious desserts, Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars combines creamy cheesecake with a candied pecan pie filling and piles it on to a graham cracker crust. It’s heavenly!
Terrific Turkey Cupcakes
Everyone will get such a kick out of these adorable turkey-decorated cupcakes.
No one will be able to resist plucking off the candy corn "feathers" and snacking away.
Cranberry Cheesecake
Cranberry Cheesecake is a graham cracker crust, creamy vanilla cheesecake, and swirled with a homemade cranberry filling.
It’s basically the perfect holiday cheesecake!
Apple Crumb Cake
Warm Apple Crumb Cake is brimming with sweet apples and a crunchy double cinnamon streusel topping.
Best of all, it's soft, perfectly spiced, and drizzled with caramel sauce.
Cinnamon Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip pecan cookies are a cozy twist on classic chocolate chip cookies.
Packed with cinnamon-roasted pecans, molasses, and chocolate chips- these bakery-worthy cookies have a rich buttery flavor everyone will go “nuts” for!
Cranberry Upside Down Cake
Cranberry Upside Down Cake is perfect if you are looking for something special and unique to add to your holiday dessert table.
The cranberries not only look gorgeous sitting on top of the cake, but they add a nice, tart contrast to the brown sugar syrup, which soaks into the buttery, rich cake underneath.
Butternut Squash Cake with Maple Frosting
Butternut Squash Cake combines healthy squash with vanilla and warm spices that smell and taste so good.
The creamy, sweet, and tangy maple cream cheese frosting is the perfect contrast to the rich, moist cake.
Turkey Cake
Picture this: It’s Thanksgiving, and you’ve got one job - to bring a dessert.
Impress your friends and family with a turkey-themed cake that’s so good, they’ll be talking about it all night.
Apple Cider Cupcakes
Apple Cider Cupcakes have all the apple cider flavor you love, laced with cinnamon and topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting.
Beautiful texture, and autumn colors and flavors make this the perfect choice for Thanksgiving and all fall gatherings.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Irresistible Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars include a buttery crust, layer of creamy cheesecake, spiced apples, and a crumble topping with caramel drizzle.
It's a perfect combination of sweet, creamy and crunchy, which will have everyone hooked from the first bite!
Cinnamon Walnut Apple Bars
Cinnamon Walnut Apple Bars are a quick and easy, spiced fall apple dessert with a nutty spiced oatmeal streusel topping and simple glaze that’s irresistible.
Buttery, nutty and lightly sweet, they make a perfect afternoon pick me up.
Cranberry Meringue Pie
Sweet, tangy, and topped with a billowy, toasted meringue, this cranberry meringue pie is sure to be the showstopper of your Thanksgiving table.
It’s perfect for those who don’t love too-sweet desserts.
Pilgrim Hat Cookies
Step into the Thanksgiving spirit with these adorable Pilgrim Hat Cookies!
Crafted from fudge-striped shortbread cookies and adorned with yellow frosting, Reese’s Miniature Cups, and mini orange M&M’s, they’ll really offer a festive touch to your holiday table.
Pecan Pie Cake
Pecan Pie Cake has all the favorite elements of a pecan pie: ooey gooey filling and tons of pecans.
It has a pecan-filled cake too, to really take it over the top.
Maple Apple Pie
Maple Apple Pie is enhanced with a little maple syrup to make a cozy, irresistible pie that tastes heavenly.
It has a flaky pie crust and a delicious apple filling that's caramelized and saucy and spiced to perfection.
Nutter Butter Turkey Cupcakes
It doesn’t get much cuter than these Nutter Butter Turkey Cupcakes.
They’re a fun project, and will look adorable on your dessert table.
Pecan Bars with Shortbread Crust
Change up your regular pie with these Pecan Bars!
They have all the delicious flavors your’re used to, with the ease of bite-size cookie bars.
Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
If you’ve been looking for something new to do with fresh in-season apples, it’s this Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake!
Think lightly spiced sour cream spice cake, topped with tart Granny Smith apples and a brown sugar syrup to create a bite that is insanely delicious and perfectly sweet.
Pecan Tassies
Pecan Tassies are like mini pecan pies in cookie form!
These bite-size morsels will disappear from your dessert platter in no time.
Cranberry Bread Pudding Cheesecake
An amazing union of tasty cranberry bread pudding, cheesecake flavor, and citrus caramel sauce.
With an unexpected and welcome toffee crunch, Cranberry Bread Pudding Cheesecake is the definition of delicious holiday comfort food.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Delicious Chocolate Pecan Pie has a homemade all-butter pie crust and rich chocolate pecan filling.
The addition of chocolate really takes pecan pie over the top!
Apple Pie Cupcakes
Do you prefer apple pie or cupcakes for dessert? Why choose when you can have the best of both worlds!
These Apple Pie Cupcakes are soft and fluffy cinnamon infused cupcakes with a surprise apple pie filling in the center.
Biscoff Cheesecake
No Bake Biscoff Cheesecake recipe is so easy to make and brings two favorites – biscoff and cheesecake – together in one delicious mouthful!
With a luscious combination of cookie crust and a velvety cheesecake filling, it offers a delightful balance of sweetness and decadence.
Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
Caramel Apple Sheet Cake is a sweet cinnamon cake loaded with tender apple chunks and covered in a homemade caramel frosting.
It's perfect for those fall potluck gatherings, Thanksgiving, and football season.
Cranberry Cheesecake Brownies
Delicious Cranberry Cheesecake Brownies are the perfect combination of Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies and creamy and tangy cranberry cheesecake.
They are extremely easy to make and taste so delicious - truly a showstopper dessert!
Easy Apple Crisp
This easy Apple Crisp is made with just 8 ingredients.
A subtly sweet, perfectly spiced apple filling sits beneath a buttery crisp topping and is baked to bubbly perfection.
Praline Apple Bread
Praline Apple Bread is so delicious, with a light and moist crumb, chunks of fresh apples in every bite, and topped with a heavenly Praline Sauce.
Serve it for dessert, an afternoon snack, or even for brunch.
Cinnamon Cream Pie
Cinnamon Cream Pie has a flaky pastry crust filled with a cinnamon cream cheese filling, piled high with apple cider meringue, then topped with homemade apple chips. Beyond delicious!
Sour Cream Apple Walnut Pie
Sour Cream Apple Walnut Pie is a delicious twist on the classic apple pie.
The addition of sour cream adds a tangy, creamy element to the filling, and the crunchy walnuts provide a nice contrast in texture.
Easy Crustless Nantucket Cranberry Pie
Nantucket Cranberry Pie is not technically a pie. It’s more like an upside down cranberry cake, and it’s one of the fastest desserts you can make.
With no crust to roll, you can assemble it in five minutes!
Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake
Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake is moist, flavorful, and filled with chunks of apples, then topped with a luscious cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
It’s incredibly moist, and the frosting is SO good.
Indiana Sugar Cream Pie
If you love vanilla custard or creme brulee, Indiana Sugar Cream Pie will be your new favorite dessert.
A flaky pie crust filled with sweet decadent vanilla custard, it's a heavenly Midwest classic.
Carrot Cake with Caramel Frosting
Carrot Cake with Caramel Buttercream is moist and tender because it's made with vegetable oil instead of butter.
It's spiced up with cinnamon and nutmeg too and the frosting is a swiss meringue buttercream with a caramel sauce added to it.
Amazing Maple Pecan Pie
Maple Pecan Pie is the easiest and best tasting pecan pie around!
Maple syrup and a hint of molasses are the perfect corn syrup substitute to make an ultra-smooth filling that's not too sweet and ready to bake in just 15 minutes.
Ready to try some non-pumpkin Thanksgiving desserts?
I hope this list of pumpkin free Thanksgiving dessert ideas has given you tons of new recipes to change up your holiday menu.
From kid-friendly treats to crowd-pleasing cheesecakes, pies, and cakes, there are so many creative desserts to choose from!
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