You just finished a huge dinner, but you still have just a little more room for dessert, right? Doesn't everybody always have room for dessert? No matter how delicious your Thanksgiving spread is, you'll definitely want to save room for these desserts. From classic fall flavors to adorable Thanksgiving-themed cookies, these are the Thanksgiving desserts you can't resist.
Fall Applesauce Cake
This spicy cake gets its moistness from applesauce, a harvest-time favorite. It's delicious with coffee or tea. The cake serves eight to 12.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup butter, slightly soft
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1¾ cups applesauce
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups chopped walnuts (optional)
- 6-8 walnut halves (optional)
- Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Beat eggs in a small bowl; cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add eggs to the creamed mixture and combine well.
- In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together, and sift gradually into the creamed mixture, mixing well.
- Add applesauce and vanilla; mix well.
- Stir in the chopped walnuts (if desired).
- Pour batter into a well-greased and floured Bundt or tube pan.
- Bake for approximately 40-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, checking for doneness after 40 minutes.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before turning the cake out of the pan. Putting a plate under the cake before turning it out helps keep it stable.
- Serve the cake once it has cooled. Lightly sprinkle powdered sugar across the cake and top with walnut halves before serving.
Make the cake even more delicious by using homemade applesauce.
Pumpkin-Ginger Harvest Trifle
This beautiful, layered dessert adds elegance to your holiday table and is reminiscent of pumpkin pie. It serves about eight, depending on serving size.
Ingredients
- Baked and cubed or sliced spice cake (made from a mix or homemade)
- 1 package vanilla instant pudding mix
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 container non-dairy whipped topping
- 1½ cups crushed gingersnaps
Pudding Directions
- Beat evaporated milk and pudding mix in a large bowl.
- Refrigerate for 5 minutes or until set.
- Stir in the pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.
Trifle Assembly Instructions
- Add a layer of spice cake to the bottom of a trifle dish, a large glass bowl, or individual parfait cups; top with a layer of pumpkin pudding and a layer of non-dairy whipped topping sprinkled with crushed gingersnaps.
- Repeat the layers until the dish is full, making sure you end with a layer of non-dairy whipped topping and gingersnaps.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Related: 10 Full Cupcake Ideas With Sugar & Spice in Every Bite
Mini Cranberry Sauce-Topped Cheesecakes
When rich cheesecake is paired with tart cranberry sauce, the result is a luscious dessert guests will devour. The recipe makes about nine mini cheesecakes.
Crust Ingredients
- ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Filling and Topping Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup white sugar, divided
- 1 egg
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line each mini cheesecake pan with paper liners.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, and melted butter; press about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each paper liner.
- In a medium bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter; stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, and egg.
- Spoon cream cheese batter into each paper liner, about ⅔ full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until centers are almost set.
- Cool the cheesecakes completely in then pan; add 1 heaping tablespoon cranberry sauce to each cheesecake.
- Transfer cheesecakes to the refrigerator and chill until ready to serve.
Thanksgiving Cookies
The turkey shape makes this cookie fun for kids to eat, yet the sprinkling of coarse sugar makes it elegant enough to serve to adults. This recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies.
Ingredients
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 sticks butter (slightly softened)
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup canned pumpkin purée
- Coarse sugar for sprinkling on cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In another large bowl, cream the sugars, butter, pumpkin purée, and vanilla (by hand or using an electric mixer); stir in the egg.
- Using an electric mixer, gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients. Be sure each addition is well-incorporated before adding more.
- Turn about ⅓ of the dough onto a floured surface; roll out to quarter-inch thickness.
- Cut out turkey shapes using a floured cookie cutter; place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle each cookie shape with coarse sugar.
- Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until the edges are light brown.
- Remove cookies from the cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack.
Decadent Thanksgiving Desserts
A lot of thought, time, and love goes into making desserts, and Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to sho off your baking skills. Let your guests know you care by offering them an array of delicious desserts you're proud to serve.
