45 Creative Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas to Sweeten Your Feast
Creative Thanksgiving dessert ideas! These unique Thanksgiving dessert recipes include fun cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, cookies, and so much more.
Looking for some fun desserts to make for Thanksgiving?
You’re in the right place!
Sure, pumpkin pie is cool, but what if you changed it up and served something more creative?
I put together a list of unique Thanksgiving dessert ideas, so you feel extra inspired to try something new.
These creative desserts for Thanksgiving include:
- Fun cakes and cupcakes
- Simple dessert bars
- Unique pie recipes
- Fall cheesecakes
- Pumpkin and chocolate recipes
- Cute treats for kids
There’s something for every kind of celebration and dessert-making “skill level.”
Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner or attending a Friendsgiving potluck, include one or two of these crowd-pleasing desserts.
Let’s check ‘em out!
(🍂 Looking for more tasty Thanksgiving recipes? Check out these unique non-turkey Thanksgiving dinner ideas, festive charcuterie board ideas, easy bite-size finger food appetizers, and easy holiday dips and friendsgiving appetizers.)
Unique Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
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!
Chocolate Pumpkin Magic Cake
Chocolate Pumpkin Magic Cake is such a unique three in one dessert.
It truly bakes in a mysterious way with three layers of creamy vanilla mousse, moist chocolate cake, AND pumpkin pie on the bottom!
Pumpkin Pie Cookies
Pumpkin Pie Cookies are the perfect way to enjoy all the flavors of pumpkin pie without all the work.
Made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen, these cookies are perfect for a Thanksgiving party.
Pecan Pie Pumpkin Cheesecake
You’ll love this delicious recipe for Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake with homemade pumpkin butter.
You’ll never eat plain pumpkin pie or pecan pie again!
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.
Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
With all our favorite elements pie AND cupcakes, these Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes have everything from frosting and cake to filling and pie crust.
They’re so pretty and making the spiced pie leaves is so easy.
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!
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
This moist Pumpkin Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting is one of the tastiest fall desserts!
The brown butter frosting has specks in it and tastes sweet and nutty.
The pumpkin cake is packed full of spices and topped with adorable chocolate pumpkin truffles.
Turkey Oreo 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.
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!
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.
Easy 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.
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.
Pumpkin Pie Thumbprint Cookies
These adorable Pumpkin Pie Thumbprint Cookies look and taste like mini pumpkin pies!
They’re ultra buttery, easy to make and require zero chill time.
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.
Pumpkin Dump Cake
Pumpkin Dump Cake has all of your favorite Fall flavors wrapped in one delicious dessert!
It’s made with spice cake mix and pure pumpkin puree and takes only 10 minutes to prep. Dump, bake, and eat!
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!
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!
Turkey Cake
Picture this: It’s Thanksgiving, and you’ve got one job - to bring a dessert.
You could go for the classic pumpkin pie, but where’s the fun in that?
Instead you can impress your friends and family with a turkey-themed cake that’s so good, they’ll be talking about it all night.
Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese Ball
Everyone will love this sweet cream cheese ball that tastes just like pumpkin pie!
Pair it with sliced apples or cookies and you have the perfect easy Thanksgiving dessert.
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.
Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie is a flavorful sweet treat that combines all the flavors of Fall.
It's easy to put together and a fun variation on classic pumpkin pie.
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!
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.
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.
Pumpkin Spice Tiramisu
The perfect combination of a pumpkin spice latte and your favorite Italian dessert, Pumpkin Spice Tiramisu is creamy, rich, and delicious.
A rich pumpkin cream layered between espresso-soaked ladyfingers topped with a cocoa and cinnamon dusting is the perfect fall dessert.
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!
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.
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.
Pumpkin Spice Cannoli Dip
If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing desert dip for entertaining hungry party guests, then look no further than this Pumpkin Spice Cannoli Dip.
It’s like eating a cannoli but without having to fill cannoli shells.
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.
Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars have layers of graham cracker crust, vanilla cheesecake and pumpkin cheesecake, all baked together to create an impressive dessert.
It’s the perfect alternative to pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving day!
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.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes are a homemade pumpkin cupcake topped with a rich chocolate frosting made from scratch and lots of mini chocolate chips.
It's such a delicious and easy pumpkin dessert to serve up this Thanksgiving!
Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Not only do these Pumpkin Cookies embrace the beloved pumpkin flavor, but the added touch of the tangy and velvety texture of the cream cheese frosting takes them to the next level.
Best of all, they’re super easy to make because they start with boxed cake mix.
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.
Mini Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Ring in the season and upcoming holidays with our sweet Mini Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes!
These fun mini-sized treats literally taste like you’re biting into a slice of homemade pumpkin pie.
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.
Mini Sweet Potato Pocket Pies
Sweet Potato Hand Pies (also called pocket pies) are like pie with a mini, handheld twist.
Filled with fresh sweet potato and chai spices, all surrounded by a flaky pie dough topped with turbinado sugar, they use premade crust to easily feed a crowd.
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.
Ready to try some new Thanksgiving dessert recipes?
I hope this list of unique Thanksgiving dessert ideas has given you tons of inspiration for new recipes to try.
From creative cakes, pies, and cheesecakes, to fun pies and fall treats, there’s something perfect for your celebration!
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