31 Thanksgiving Desserts That Aren’t Pie (Like Pumpkin Angel Food Cake and Pecan Brownies)

• Time Commitment:2 hours
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

True to its name, this a cake you literally poke all over—then top with a gooey sauce that seeps into the holes, infusing the entire confection with extra flavor and moisture. The cake is gently spiced, thecaramelis spiked with cider and the frosting is cream cheese—dreamy.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

In our humble opinion, theholiday spreadis always lacking one thing:chocolate. The solution is easy, and it’s called brownies. Even better, these start with aboxed mix, so dessert is as easy to make as it is impressive.

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:ready in <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

If you, like us, are convinced that the红薯casserole Great Aunt Sally serves every Thanksgiving is more of a dessert than aside dish, then these cookies are for you. Make the sweet potato puree in advance to save time, and hold off on adding the marshmallows until the cookies are half-baked, so they don’t burn.

• Time Commitment:1 hour
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

They’re sweet, spiced and filled with gooey caramel (store-bought, don’t fret!) for a treat that’s sure to please everyone from your kid cousins to your grandpa.

• Time Commitment:6 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
• Why We Love It:米ake ahead, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, no cook

It’s creamy, lightly sweet and laced with fall baking spices, but the ease of execution is the real kicker. There’s no fussing with a cooked custard, and it actually tastes better if you make it ahead. (Thebourbonis optional, so omit it if you want to make it kid-friendly.)

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Vegetablesin a cake? We went there. Butternut squash is naturally sweet, making it a perfect pair for a toffee-like cake. Because the caramel coats the top like a glaze, it doesn’tneedany accompaniment…but a drizzle of cold heavy cream just before serving wouldn’t hurt either.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, gluten free

Behold, a Thanksgiving dessert with all the flavor ofpumpkin pie(minus the trouble of making a crust). You can use store-bought meringue cookies to streamline it further.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Light-as-air pumpkin cake, swoon-worthy cream cheese frosting drips and a 20-minute prep time? Yes, yes and yes. (Psst: You can serve that glaze on the side, too, if everyone wants to drizzle their own.)

• Time Commitment:2 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It:米ake ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, gluten free

We love a loaf cake for many reasons, but the fact that you can make it ahead is main among them. This one happens to be gluten free, but you can make it with wheat flour too.

• Time Commitment:55 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion–worthy

When you need dessert and you need it fast, this gorgeous, aromatic cake has your back. It’s ready in about an hour andtastes like fallin every bite.

• Time Commitment:3 hours, 15 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, gluten free

When you want a show-stopping dessert for a fall get-together or holiday party, this is it. Plus, it’s naturally gluten free thanks to the meringue base.

• Time Commitment:2 hours, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, one pan, kid-friendly

Let’s make Thanksgiving brownies a thing. These are extremely gooey and decadent, and if you’re wondering, plates are optional. (Go ahead, dive in with a spoon.)

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 50 minutes
• Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, gluten free

If your goal is to impress your Thanksgiving guests, look no further. These pots de crème—essentially a type of custard or pudding—give fancy restaurant vibes but are home kitchen friendly. (You can and absolutely should make them in advance.)

• Time Commitment:50 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly, gluten free

For something equally elegant but a bit lighter in flavor, these wine-poached pears will bring theoohs andahhs. Better yet, they’re made with just six ingredients. Choose a dryroséthat you’d enjoy drinking on its own for best results.

• Time Commitment:55 minutes
• Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly

To wow the table while barely lifting a finger, stock up on frozenpuff pastryand make this one-skillet wonder. It’s best served warm, so it’s ideal for a special occasion and a room full of hungry people.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 35 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

拼写是一个古老,nutrient-packed类型的小麦, and here it adds nutty flavor and a beautiful color. (It doesn’t hurt that the cake is lightly sweet and feels sorta healthy.)

• Time Commitment:30 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, ready in <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Sweet, tangy frosting and gently spiced, fluffy cookies—yep, it’s time to don your apron and make a batch of these babies. They’rea classicfor a reason.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly

What’s a high ratio cake, you ask? It’s a baker’s way of saying there’s at least a one-to-one ratio of sugar to flour. This ensures a tender, moist crumb like the cakes you’d find in a bakery.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 15 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, make ahead

Nothing says “holiday season” quite likegingerbread, but we’re ditching the cardboard cookies for this delightful cake. Feel free to adjust the spices to your taste.

• Time Commitment:45 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Remember those pumpkin cookies we suggested you make? As it turns out, you can use the same fluffy cookie base and frost them à la New York black and white cookies for a delicious twist. Make sure you’re using plaincanned pumpkinpuree andnotpie filling—the latter contains added sugar and spices, and you’ll be adding your own.

• Time Commitment:35 minutes
• Why We Love It:gluten free, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

If you spent too much time worrying about theturkeytemperature and getting lumps out of yourgravy, never fear. This chic (and relatively healthy) dessert takes about 30 minutes to make.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, gluten free

Candy for Thanksgiving dessert is 100 percent acceptable when it’s in the form of this oversize peanut butter cup. Hot tip: Let it come to room temperature before slicing for the best presentation.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

If making a whole cheesecake on Turkey Day sounds like your nightmare, try these sweet bites instead. They have all the flavors you crave without so much of the effort.

• Time Commitment:55 minutes
• Why We Love It:kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

While we wouldn’t object to a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the holiday table, this cake feels a little more capital-e Event-worthy. Luckily, it’s just as easy to make as a batch of those aforementioned treats.

• Time Commitment:45 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

To maximize the chewy texture of these cookies, make sure to not overbake them. Since the dough is dark, it can be tricky to check for doneness by color alone. Instead, look for puffed, crackly tops and just-set edges.

• Time Commitment:40 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Give us rich, chocolatey chocolate cake and we’re happy campers. Make it a recipe you can’t mess up and we’re even more pleased.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, gluten free, special occasion–worthy, make ahead

You’ll refrigerate the custard before adding that crackly top, so feel free to make them ahead and chill overnight. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, pop the ramekins in a cold oven and turn on the broiler for similar results.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It:special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

This stunner is inspired by the British sticky toffee pudding. It has a thick, honey-flavored caramel hiding beneath a cloud of unsweetened whipped cream, so you could say it’s ready for its Thanksgiving closeup.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 50 minutes
• Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

A slice of this light-as-air cake is like eating a sweet cloud, so go ahead and have that second piece. Baking it in aBundtpan ensures it looks impressive without any intricate frosting or decorating.

• Time Commitment:1 hour, 45 minutes
• Why We Love It:beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Easy instructions and maximum flavor? Be still our hearts. Make these cobblers up to four hours ahead, then used the free time to sip on a well-deservedThanksgiving cocktail.

• Time Commitment:2 hours
• Why We Love It:米ake ahead, no cook, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

You had us at “mini,” but the sweetest thing about these bite-size cakes is they’re entirely no bake. Assemble, refrigerate and serve (and then pat yourself on the back).