This list presents 20 delightful and distinctive Thanksgiving desserts that are sure to impress your guests. Whether you prefer a classic pumpkin pie or want something new and exciting, this roundup offers plenty of inspiration. Each recipe includes clear step-by-step photos and often videos to help you follow along easily.
My top-rated recipe this year is the pumpkin pie cookies — miniature pumpkin pies with a crisp, buttery shortbread crust and a silky pumpkin filling. They can be made a day or two ahead, or you can freeze the pre-baked cookie crusts for a few days and add the filling later to keep the cookies perfectly crisp.
If you’re focused on pumpkin-only desserts, see the separate roundup of the 15 best easy pumpkin desserts. For a wider selection of fall flavors, continue browsing this curated list of fun Thanksgiving desserts.
1. Pumpkin pie cookies
Pumpkin Pie Cookies
Buttery brown sugar cinnamon shortbread cups filled with a smooth, spiced pumpkin filling and finished with a dollop of whipped cream—everything you love about pumpkin pie, in cookie form.
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2. Sweet potato crème brûlée – inside a sweet potato!
Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée
Creamy custard infused with sweet potato and warm spices, finished with a crisp caramelized sugar top. The recipe shows how to bake the custard in ramekins or hollowed sweet potatoes for a festive presentation.
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3. Easy salted caramel spiced apple cheesecake bars
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
A spiced graham crust topped with a creamy cinnamon-caramel cheesecake layer and a spiced caramel apple topping. Warm fall spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom amplify the apple flavor for a fragrant, indulgent treat.
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4. Pumpkin cheesecake roll
Pumpkin Cheesecake Roll
A soft pumpkin sponge is rolled with a luscious no-bake cheesecake filling and topped with spiced whipped cream. The recipe offers tips for rolling and preventing cracks so you get a perfect swirl every time.
5. Easy pumpkin cheesecake bars
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
A simple no-bake cheesecake base with whipped cream folded in for a light, creamy texture, set on a brown-sugar graham crust with a hint of pumpkin spice and finished with whipped cream on top.
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6. Cinnamon swirl bundt cake
Cinnamon Bundt Cake
A moist, tender bundt with a gooey cinnamon swirl and cream cheese glaze—think cinnamon roll transformed into a show-stopping bundt cake. The combination of butter and oil keeps the cake rich and moist for days.
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7. Brown butter pumpkin pie bars
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Brown butter shortbread crust paired with a smooth, spiced pumpkin filling and whipped cream. These bars are easier to make than a classic pie and deliver a rich, toasty flavor from the brown butter.
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8. Easy pumpkin cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting
Pumpkin Spice Cake
A one-bowl pumpkin cake that’s soft and moist, topped with a nutty, caramel-like brown butter cream cheese frosting for an elevated holiday centerpiece.
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9. Pumpkin spice cinnamon roll pancakes
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Pumpkin Spice Swirl
Fluffy pumpkin pancakes with a caramelized cinnamon-spice swirl and cream cheese glaze—perfect for a special fall breakfast or a Thanksgiving morning treat.
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10. Apple cider donut bundt cake
Apple Cider Bundt Cake
Tender bundt cake with apple cider, applesauce, and apple chunks, finished with brown butter and a cinnamon-sugar coating for an apple-cider-donut flavor in cake form.
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11. Pumpkin spice donuts with pumpkin custard
Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Pumpkin Custard [no knead]
Crisp-edged, pillowy donuts filled with a pumpkin-pie-like custard and coated in sugar and pumpkin spice. The no-knead dough creates the ideal texture for piping and filling.
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12. Chai cake with spiced apple filling
Chai Cake with Spiced Apple Filling
Layers of chai-spiced cake hold a gooey spiced apple filling and are finished with cream cheese frosting and an optional caramel drip—an elegant cake that combines chai and apple for peak fall flavor.
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13. Savory and sweet pumpkin spice butter board
Pumpkin Spice Butter Board
A spreadable pumpkin-infused butter topped with crispy sage, pumpkin seeds, flaky salt, and maple syrup—serve with bread or crackers as a shareable fall appetizer that’s both sweet and savory.
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14. Salted caramel apple pie cinnamon rolls
Caramel Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Soft no-knead dough filled with a spiced apple compote, topped with a crisp cinnamon crumble and salted caramel cream cheese glaze—like apple pie in a cinnamon roll.
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15. Brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies
Toffee Cookies with Foolproof Homemade Toffee
Brown butter cookie dough studded with toffee pieces and chocolate yields crisp edges and chewy, caramel-filled centers. The homemade toffee melts into pockets of rich flavor throughout the cookie.
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16. Pumpkin crème brûlée – inside a pumpkin!
Pumpkin Creme Brulee
A silky pumpkin custard spiced with warm flavors and finished with a caramelized sugar crust. The recipe includes instructions for baking in ramekins or hollowed mini pumpkins for a festive presentation.
Check out this recipe
17. Salted caramel apple pie bars
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
A brown sugar shortbread base topped with a gooey salted caramel apple filling and a crisp crumble, all drizzled with extra salted caramel for a decadent, easy-to-serve alternative to pie.
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18. Pumpkin chocolate cake
Pumpkin Chocolate Cake
A sheet-pan cake loaded with pumpkin puree and warm spices, finished with a silky pumpkin-chocolate buttercream and decorated with piped mini pumpkins—rich, moist, and full of fall flavor.
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19. Pumpkin cheesecake cookies
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Large cookies with crisp edges, chewy centers, and a creamy pumpkin cheesecake core, enhanced by ribbons of graham cracker crumbs for extra texture and flavor.
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20. Pistachio cardamom brown butter chocolate chip cookies
Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thin, crisp-edged cookies with chewy centers, loaded with pistachios and both milk and dark chocolate. Brown butter and cardamom add a warm, toasty depth that complements the pistachios beautifully.
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