25 Thanksgiving Desserts (Easy Ideas Beyond Pumpkin Pie)

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Pumpkin pie will always have a spot on the table, but a second (or third) dessert makes Thanksgiving feel extra generous. These ideas lean on the flavors of the season: apples, pears, cranberries, pecans, caramel, and of course a little pumpkin.

You’ll find easy bars and dump cakes, cozy apple cakes, rustic tarts and galettes, a couple of cheesecakes, and a few lighter options. Each one has a quick ingredient list and simple steps, plus a link to the original creator’s recipe for exact amounts.

Kitchen essentials for this list

• A 9×13-inch metal baking pan: for bars, dump cakes, and sheet cakes
• A 9-inch springform pan: for cheesecakes
• A 5-speed hand mixer: for batters and fillings
• An apple slicer and corer: for quick apple prep
• A wire cooling rack: for cooling cakes and tarts

Note: the quick ingredients and steps below are our short guide to each dish, not the creator’s exact recipe. Follow the link under each one for exact amounts and the full method.

1. Puff Pastry Apple Tarts

Thin apple slices are fanned over buttery, cinnamon-sugared puff pastry squares and baked until crisp. They look bakery-fancy but take about 30 minutes.

Quick ingredients

• Puff pastry sheets, thawed
• Apples, thinly sliced
• Granulated sugar and cinnamon
• Softened butter
• Raw sugar, plus apricot jam for an optional glaze

How to make it

1. Cut the pastry into squares and score a border on each one.
2. Spread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
3. Shingle the apple slices inside the border and sprinkle with raw sugar.
4. Bake until golden, then brush with warm jam or serve with ice cream and caramel.

Tools you need: a half sheet pan with cooling grid, parchment paper, and an apple slicer and corer

👉 Get the full recipe: Puff Pastry Apple Tarts at A Latte Food (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

2. Apple Cranberry Crisp

Tart cranberries and sweet apples bake under a crunchy oat and walnut topping. It’s a bright, rosy alternative to pie and so easy to make ahead.

Quick ingredients

• Fresh cranberries and apples
• Brown sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch
• Cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of salt
• Old-fashioned oats, flour, and walnuts
• Melted butter

How to make it

1. Toss the cranberries and apples with the sugar, lemon, cornstarch, and spices and spread in a buttered dish.
2. Whisk the oats, flour, nuts, brown sugar, and salt.
3. Scatter the topping over the fruit and drizzle with melted butter.
4. Bake until the fruit bubbles and the top is browned. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Tools you need: an 8×8-inch glass baking dish, an apple slicer and corer, and glass mixing bowls

👉 Get the full recipe: Apple Cranberry Crisp at Hello Little Home (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

3. Pumpkin Pie Bars

A creamy pumpkin custard bakes under a buttery, crumbly topping with pecans, so you get pumpkin pie flavor in easy, sliceable bars. They’re great for feeding a crowd.

Quick ingredients

• Pumpkin puree and sweetened condensed milk
• Brown sugar and eggs
• Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg
• Flour, sugar, dry milk powder, baking powder, and baking soda
• Melted butter and chopped pecans

How to make it

1. Beat the pumpkin, condensed milk, brown sugar, eggs, and spices and pour into a greased 9×13 pan.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients and sprinkle them evenly over the pumpkin layer.
3. Drizzle with melted butter and scatter pecans on top.
4. Bake until set, then cool and refrigerate before cutting into bars.

Tools you need: a 9×13-inch metal baking pan, a 5-speed hand mixer, and canned pure pumpkin

👉 Get the full recipe: Pumpkin Pie Bars at Lovely Little Kitchen (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

4. Italian Apple Cake (Torta di Mele)

A tender, lemony yogurt cake is topped with a ring of cinnamon-sugar apple slices. It’s simple, not too sweet, and lovely with coffee after a big meal.

Quick ingredients

• Eggs and sugar
• Lemon zest and juice
• Greek yogurt and oil
• Flour and baking powder
• Golden Delicious apples
• Cinnamon sugar and powdered sugar

How to make it

1. Beat the eggs, sugar, and lemon zest until pale and fluffy.
2. Mix in the yogurt and oil, then fold in the flour and baking powder.
3. Pour into a 9-inch pan and press lemony apple slices on top in a circle.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Tools you need: 9-inch round cake pans, a 5-speed hand mixer, and a Microplane zester

👉 Get the full recipe: Italian Apple Cake (Torta di Mele) at As Easy As Apple Pie (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

5. Apple Buttermilk Cake with Brown Sugar-Maple Drizzle

A one-bowl buttermilk cake studded with diced apple gets an apple cider glaze and a drizzle of brown sugar-maple icing. It’s moist, cozy, and surprisingly easy.

Quick ingredients

• Diced apple
• Oil, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla
• Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
• Powdered sugar and apple cider for the glaze
• Butter, brown sugar, cream, and maple syrup for the drizzle

How to make it

1. Whisk the wet ingredients and sugar, then the leaveners and salt, then the flour.
2. Fold in the diced apple and bake in an 8-inch round pan.
3. Brush the warm cake with the cider glaze.
4. Cook the brown sugar-maple drizzle and spoon it over the cooled cake.

Tools you need: 9-inch round cake pans, a balloon whisk, and a wire cooling rack

👉 Get the full recipe: Apple Buttermilk Cake with Brown Sugar-Maple Drizzle at The Café Sucre Farine (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

6. Pumpkin Spice Brownies

Fudgy boxed brownies get swirled with a spiced pumpkin cream cheese layer. They’re an easy crowd-pleaser for anyone who wants chocolate on the dessert table.

Quick ingredients

• Boxed brownie mix, plus what the box calls for
• Chocolate chips
• Cream cheese and sugar
• An egg and vanilla
• Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice

How to make it

1. Make the brownie batter, fold in the chips, and spread most of it in a lined 8×8 pan.
2. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and spice.
3. Pour the pumpkin layer over the brownies and dollop the rest of the batter on top.
4. Swirl with a knife and bake until set. Cool, then refrigerate leftovers.

Tools you need: an 8-inch square baking pan, a 5-speed hand mixer, and parchment paper

👉 Get the full recipe: Pumpkin Spice Brownies at The Cookin Chicks (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

7. Apfelstrudel (German Apple Strudel)

A hand-stretched, paper-thin dough is rolled around cinnamon apples, raisins, nuts, and buttery toasted breadcrumbs. It’s a weekend project that’s worth every minute.

Quick ingredients

• Flour, salt, oil, egg, and lukewarm water for the dough
• Butter-toasted breadcrumbs
• Apples, sugar, and cinnamon
• Raisins, chopped nuts, and a splash of rum (optional)
• Melted butter for brushing

How to make it

1. Knead a smooth, elastic dough and let it rest.
2. Toast the breadcrumbs in butter and mix the apples with sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and nuts.
3. Stretch the dough very thin over a floured cloth, scatter with crumbs and filling, and roll it up using the cloth.
4. Brush with butter and bake until golden. Dust with powdered sugar and slice warm.

Tools you need: a half sheet pan with cooling grid, a silicone pastry brush, and an apple slicer and corer

👉 Get the full recipe: Apfelstrudel (German Apple Strudel) at The Fresh Cooky (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

8. Pumpkin Dump Cake

A spiced pumpkin custard layer is topped with dry yellow cake mix, pecans, and melted butter, and it bakes into a crunchy, gooey dessert. Minimal effort, maximum praise.

Quick ingredients

• Pumpkin puree and evaporated milk
• Eggs, sugar, salt, and cinnamon
• Yellow cake mix
• Chopped pecans
• Melted butter
• Whipped cream or ice cream

How to make it

1. Mix the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and cinnamon and pour into a greased 9×13 dish.
2. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly on top, then the pecans.
3. Pour the melted butter over everything without stirring.
4. Bake until golden and set, then serve warm with whipped cream.

Tools you need: a deep 9×13 glass baking dish with lid, a balloon whisk, and canned pure pumpkin

👉 Get the full recipe: Pumpkin Dump Cake at Yummy Healthy Easy (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

9. Lighter Cranberry Galette

Fresh cranberries with orange, vanilla, and a hint of clove are piled into a folded pie crust for a rustic, ruby-red tart. This version uses a sugar substitute to keep it light.

Quick ingredients

• A refrigerated rolled pie crust
• Fresh cranberries
• Orange zest or flavor and vanilla paste
• Granulated sweetener and ground cloves
• An egg yolk for brushing

How to make it

1. Let the crust soften and unroll it onto a lined baking sheet.
2. Toss the cranberries with orange, vanilla, sweetener, and cloves.
3. Pile the filling in the center and fold the edges up over it.
4. Brush the crust with egg wash and bake until golden and the berries burst.

Tools you need: a half sheet pan with cooling grid, parchment paper, and a silicone pastry brush

👉 Get the full recipe: Lighter Cranberry Galette at Desserts With Benefits (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

10. Pecan Streusel Pear Tart

Sliced pears with vanilla and nutmeg bake in a buttery shortbread-style crust under a thick cinnamon pecan streusel. It’s an elegant change from pecan pie.

Quick ingredients

• Flour, sugar, nut flour, butter, and crème fraîche for the crust
• Bartlett pears, sliced
• Lemon juice, vanilla, sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg
• Toasted pecans, flour, sugars, and cinnamon
• Melted butter

How to make it

1. Make the crust in a food processor, press into a tart pan, and blind-bake it with pie weights.
2. Pulse the pecan streusel ingredients with melted butter until clumpy.
3. Toss the pears with lemon, vanilla, sugar, cornstarch, and spice and arrange them in the shell.
4. Cover with streusel and bake until golden and the filling bubbles.

Tools you need: a 14-cup food processor, ceramic pie weights, and a wire cooling rack

👉 Get the full recipe: Pecan Streusel Pear Tart at The Vanilla Bean Blog (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

11. Pumpkin Caramel No-Bake Cheesecake

A homemade pumpkin caramel flavors a fluffy no-bake cheesecake on a gingersnap crust, with more caramel poured on top. It frees up the oven and can be made a day ahead.

Quick ingredients

• Gingersnap or Biscoff crumbs and melted butter
• Sugar, water, cream, and pumpkin puree for the caramel
• Vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt
• Full-fat cream cheese
• Heavy cream for whipping
• Powdered sugar for the topping

How to make it

1. Press the cookie crust into a springform pan.
2. Cook sugar and water to caramel, then carefully whisk in warm pumpkin cream, butter, and spices. Hot sugar burns, so go slowly.
3. Beat cream cheese with some caramel, fold in whipped cream, and chill until firm.
4. Pour cooled caramel on top, pipe whipped cream, and keep refrigerated.

Tools you need: a 9-inch springform pan, a 5-speed hand mixer, and a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan

👉 Get the full recipe: Pumpkin Caramel No-Bake Cheesecake at Host The Toast (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

12. Sweet Potato Sheet Cake

Mashed sweet potato, brown sugar, and warm spices make a soft, moist cake topped with tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s a great swap for sweet potato pie.

Quick ingredients

• Cooked, pureed sweet potatoes
• Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
• Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg
• Eggs, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla
• Cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar

How to make it

1. Cook and puree the sweet potatoes, then cool.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients, then beat the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and sweet potato.
3. Combine and bake in a 9×13 pan until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Cool completely and spread with cream cheese frosting. Refrigerate leftovers.

Tools you need: a 9×13-inch metal baking pan, a 5-speed hand mixer, and an angled offset spatula

👉 Get the full recipe: Sweet Potato Sheet Cake at Texanerin Baking (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

13. Pecan Pie Cheesecake

A brown sugar and cinnamon cheesecake bakes on a graham crust, then gets topped with a gooey caramel pecan layer. It’s pecan pie and cheesecake in one show-stopper.

Quick ingredients

• Graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and butter
• Cream cheese and brown sugar
• Vanilla, cinnamon, flour, and eggs
• Butter, brown sugar, cream, and corn syrup for the topping
• Chopped pecans

How to make it

1. Press the crust into a foil-wrapped springform pan and pre-bake.
2. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flavorings, then add the eggs one at a time.
3. Bake in a water bath, then let it cool slowly in the turned-off oven.
4. Chill, then spread with the cooked caramel pecan topping.

Tools you need: a 9-inch springform pan, heavy-duty aluminum foil, and a 5-speed hand mixer

👉 Get the full recipe: Pecan Pie Cheesecake at Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

14. Cranberry Gingersnap Tart

A silky, tart cranberry curd sets in a spicy gingersnap crust. Topped with whipped cream and orange zest, it’s a stunning, bright finish to a heavy dinner.

Quick ingredients

• Gingersnap crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter
• Fresh cranberries, an orange, and sugar
• Eggs and egg yolks
• Butter and vanilla
• Whipped cream and orange zest

How to make it

1. Press the gingersnap crust into a tart pan and bake until set.
2. Simmer the cranberries with orange juice, peel, and sugar until they burst, then blend smooth.
3. Temper the eggs with the hot puree, then cook with butter and vanilla until thick (160°F).
4. Pour into the crust, chill until firm, and top with whipped cream.

Tools you need: a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan, fine-mesh strainers, and a Microplane zester

👉 Get the full recipe: Cranberry Gingersnap Tart at Girl Versus Dough (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

15. Jewish Apple Cake

This tall, dairy-free cake layers a rich oil-and-orange-juice batter with cinnamon apples, and finishes with a buttery streusel. It stays moist for days.

Quick ingredients

• Apples, sugar, and cinnamon
• Flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt
• Eggs, oil, orange juice, and vanilla
• Brown sugar, flour, and butter or margarine for the topping

How to make it

1. Toss the apple slices with cinnamon sugar.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients, then stir in the oil, eggs, juice, and vanilla.
3. Layer batter and apples in a greased tube pan, ending with batter.
4. Sprinkle with streusel and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tools you need: a 12-cup Bundt pan, an apple slicer and corer, and a balloon whisk

👉 Get the full recipe: Jewish Apple Cake at The Lemon Bowl (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

16. Apple and Cranberry Pie with Spiced Crust

Apples and fresh cranberries fill a flaky, warmly spiced all-butter crust. It’s a rosy twist on apple pie that looks beautiful with cut-out shapes on top.

Quick ingredients

• Flour, sugar, salt, butter, and warm spices for the crust
• Ice water and cider vinegar
• Apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• Fresh cranberries
• Turbinado sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger
• An egg for egg wash

How to make it

1. Make a flaky spiced dough, divide, and chill.
2. Roll out the bottom crust and toss the fruit with sugar, cornstarch, and spices.
3. Fill the pie, add the top crust or cut-outs, and chill again.
4. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake until deep golden and bubbling.

Tools you need: a 9-inch glass pie plate, a French rolling pin, and an adjustable pie crust shield

👉 Get the full recipe: Apple and Cranberry Pie with Spiced Crust at Cloudy Kitchen (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

17. Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

A buttery shortbread crust holds a creamy cheesecake layer, spiced apples, and an oat streusel, all finished with caramel. They’re easier than pie and great for parties.

Quick ingredients

• Flour, brown sugar, and butter for the crust
• Cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla
• Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg
• Brown sugar, flour, quick oats, and butter for the streusel
• Caramel sauce

How to make it

1. Press the crust into a lined 9×13 pan and bake until lightly golden.
2. Beat the cream cheese filling and pour it over the warm crust.
3. Spoon the spiced apples over the filling and sprinkle with streusel.
4. Bake until set, drizzle with caramel, then cool and chill before cutting.

Tools you need: a 9×13-inch metal baking pan, a 5-speed hand mixer, and parchment paper

👉 Get the full recipe: Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars at Num's the Word (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

18. Vegan Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

A silky, stovetop pumpkin custard made with dairy-free cream sets in ramekins, then gets a crackly torched sugar top. No oven, no eggs, and no tofu.

Quick ingredients

• Sugar, cornstarch, and salt
• Vegan heavy cream and dairy-free milk
• Pumpkin puree
• Vanilla and pumpkin pie spice
• Vegan butter (optional)
• Sugar for the tops

How to make it

1. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt, then whisk in the cream, milk, and pumpkin.
2. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thick.
3. Stir in the vanilla, spice, and butter, divide among ramekins, and chill.
4. Sprinkle with sugar and caramelize with a kitchen torch just before serving.

Tools you need: 6-ounce ceramic ramekins, a balloon whisk, and a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan

👉 Get the full recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Crème Brûlée at Delightful Adventures (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

19. Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Pumpkin and cocoa make a deeply moist, warmly spiced Bundt cake with a simple vanilla glaze. It’s a nice option for chocolate lovers at Thanksgiving.

Quick ingredients

• Flour, cornstarch, and cocoa powder
• Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
• Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and allspice
• Pumpkin puree, sugars, eggs, oil, and vanilla
• Milk
• Powdered sugar for the glaze

How to make it

1. Whisk the dry ingredients and spices.
2. Mix the pumpkin, sugars, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
3. Add the dry ingredients and milk in turns, then pour into a greased Bundt pan.
4. Bake until a toothpick shows just a few crumbs, cool, and drizzle with glaze.

Tools you need: a 12-cup Bundt pan, a balloon whisk, and a wire cooling rack

👉 Get the full recipe: Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake at stetted (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

20. Apple Crumb Cake

A tender sour cream cake is layered with cinnamon apples and a thick layer of big, buttery crumbs, then drizzled with an apple cider glaze.

Quick ingredients

• Butter, brown sugar, sugar, and eggs
• Sour cream and vanilla
• Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
• Chopped apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar
• Melted butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the crumbs
• Powdered sugar and apple cider for the glaze

How to make it

1. Cream the butter and sugars, beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, then add the dry ingredients.
2. Spread in a greased 9-inch square pan and top with the cinnamon apples.
3. Squeeze the crumb mixture into clumps and scatter over the apples.
4. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, cool, and drizzle with cider glaze.

Tools you need: an 8-inch square baking pan, a 5-speed hand mixer, and an apple slicer and corer

👉 Get the full recipe: Apple Crumb Cake at Cupcake Project (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

21. Salted Caramel Pecan Coffee Cake

A sour cream coffee cake is swirled with salted caramel and crowned with a nutty brown butter pecan streusel. It’s dessert-worthy but also perfect for the morning after.

Quick ingredients

• Browned butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans for the streusel
• Thick caramel and flaky salt
• Flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Eggs, melted butter, and vanilla

How to make it

1. Brown the butter and mix it into a clumpy pecan streusel.
2. Warm the caramel with a splash of milk and a pinch of flaky salt.
3. Spread half the batter in a lined pan, swirl in caramel, then add the rest of the batter and caramel.
4. Top with streusel and bake until set in the center.

Tools you need: an 8-inch square baking pan, parchment paper, and a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan

👉 Get the full recipe: Salted Caramel Pecan Coffee Cake at The Baking ChocolaTess (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

22. Red Wine Poached Pears

Whole pears simmer in red wine with orange, lemon, vanilla, and cinnamon until tender and jewel-toned. It’s a light, elegant dessert you can make a day ahead.

Quick ingredients

• Firm Bosc pears, peeled with stems on
• A bottle of dry red wine
• Sugar
• Orange juice and lemon juice
• Vanilla and cinnamon sticks
• Whipped cream or ice cream to serve

How to make it

1. Peel the pears, leaving the stems attached.
2. Bring the wine, sugar, juices, vanilla, and cinnamon to a boil.
3. Lower the pears in, stem up, and simmer gently until tender, turning occasionally.
4. Cool in the liquid, then serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Tools you need: a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan, an 8-inch chef’s knife, and an apple slicer and corer

👉 Get the full recipe: Red Wine Poached Pears at SugarHero (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

23. Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

An oat crumble crust is layered with thin apple slices, cranberries, walnuts, and melted caramel, then topped with more crumble. They’re sweet, chewy, and easy to pack.

Quick ingredients

• Flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt
• Melted butter
• Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
• Walnuts and dried cranberries
• Caramel bits and whipping cream

How to make it

1. Mix the crumble, reserve some, and press the rest into a greased 9×13 pan. Pre-bake briefly.
2. Layer the apples, cranberries, and walnuts over the crust.
3. Melt the caramel bits with cream and pour over the fruit.
4. Crumble the remaining mixture on top and bake. Cool completely before cutting.

Tools you need: a 9×13-inch metal baking pan, a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan, and an apple slicer and corer

👉 Get the full recipe: Caramel Apple Crumb Bars at Craving Some Creativity (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

24. Easy Apple Dumplings

Apple wedges are wrapped in crescent dough, then baked in a buttery brown sugar and vanilla syrup until puffy and golden. Just a handful of ingredients.

Quick ingredients

• Refrigerated crescent rolls
• Granny Smith apples, cut into wedges
• Brown sugar and water
• Butter and vanilla extract

How to make it

1. Simmer the water, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla, then let it cool slightly.
2. Wrap each apple wedge in a crescent triangle and set in a greased 9×13 pan.
3. Pour the sauce over and around the dumplings.
4. Bake until golden and puffy and serve warm with the sauce spooned over.

Tools you need: a 9×13-inch metal baking pan, a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan, and an apple slicer and corer

👉 Get the full recipe: Easy Apple Dumplings at Frosting & Fettuccine (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

25. Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

Soft cinnamon roll bites soak up a vanilla custard and get layered with a buttery toffee apple filling. It’s a cozy, make-ahead dessert that tastes like apple pie.

Quick ingredients

• Granny Smith apples, diced
• Butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, cream, and flour for the filling
• Whole milk, cream, butter, eggs, yolks, brown sugar, and vanilla for the custard
• Cinnamon roll bites or other soft bread

How to make it

1. Cook the apples with butter, brown sugar, and spices into a thick filling.
2. Warm the custard ingredients gently until the butter melts.
3. Layer the bread cubes and apples in a buttered dish and pour the custard over.
4. Bake until golden and set in the center (160°F).

Tools you need: a deep 9×13 glass baking dish with lid, a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan, and an instant-read thermometer

👉 Get the full recipe: Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding at Bake With Zoha (exact amounts, full method, and the creator’s tips)

FAQ

What desserts can I make ahead for Thanksgiving?

No-bake cheesecake, cranberry curd tart, pumpkin pie bars, and poached pears are all best made a day ahead. Most apple cakes and coffee cakes stay moist for 2 to 3 days, well wrapped.

What’s a good Thanksgiving dessert besides pie?

Apple crumb cake, pecan pie cheesecake, caramel apple cheesecake bars, and pumpkin dump cake all give you classic holiday flavor without rolling out a crust.

Which Thanksgiving desserts need to be refrigerated?

Anything with cream cheese, custard, curd, or whipped cream (cheesecakes, cheesecake bars, crème brûlée, and the cranberry tart) should stay in the fridge and shouldn’t sit out more than 2 hours. Fruit crisps and most cakes are fine at room temperature for a day.

How many desserts should I make for Thanksgiving?

Plan on about one dessert for every 6 to 8 guests, and mix it up: one pie or tart, one cake or bars, and one lighter or fruit-based option.

What’s the best apple for baking?

Firm, tart apples like Granny Smith hold their shape, while Honeycrisp and Golden Delicious add sweetness. Using a mix gives the best flavor and texture.

Pick one or two of these to go with the pie and watch the dessert table disappear. Still need the classic? Our easy pumpkin pie is simple and reliable. Planning the rest of the meal? See these Thanksgiving side dishes, and save our Christmas desserts roundup for next month.

You might also like: Christmas cake recipes and leftover turkey recipes.