Save Room for 20 of Our Most Popular Thanksgiving Desserts

overhead view of two slices of Sweet Potato Pie I recipe topped with whipped cream
Photo: Mackenzie Schieck

You might push away from the table stuffed to the gills with turkey and 'taters, but you know when it comes down to it, you'll find room somewhere for a little sweet sumthin' sumthin' to top off your Thanksgiving feast. I've combed through our vast collection of Thanksgiving dessert recipes to put together this sampling of some of our most popular, highly rated, crave-worthy desserts that home cooks love to serve at their own Thanksgiving tables. Take a look, and maybe you'll find a new favorite to add to your dessert buffet.

01 of 20

Mrs. Sigg's Fresh Pumpkin Pie

slice of Mrs. Sigg's Fresh Pumpkin Pie recipe
Lovinfood

The first Thanksgiving dessert most people think of is pie. And my oh my, do we have Thanksgiving pies! This 5-star winner is one of the all-time most popular pumpkin pies on Allrecipes and is made from scratch with roasted pumpkin instead of canned. (Of course, you can use canned to save time and effort. It's all good.) If you're going to roast your own, read up on how to prep and bake with fresh pumpkin.

Home cook LPS says, "This is the best pumpkin pie that I have ever had. Even my hard-to-impress father-in-law loved it."

02 of 20

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople recipe ina gray pie plate
Allrecipes Magazine

It's no exaggeration to call this the grandmother of all apple pies. Check out the stats: More than 11,000 reviews and 3,000+ photos to date. Yes, this pie deserves a place at your Thanksgiving table. Oh, you'll want to read up on how to make a lattice crust, right?

Home cook LADYJAYPEE says, "I've made good apple pies for decades. :-) This is an excellent-tasting apple pie and stellar-looking as well. DON'T FORGET TO ADD CINNAMON to the sauce if you prefer your apple pie that way!"

03 of 20

Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup

pecan pie up close
jasperwoman

"Unlike most pecan pies, this one does not require corn syrup," says recipe creator Elaine Helms. And that's a plus for lots of our home cooks. ROSEANNEB says, "I'll never make pecan pie with corn syrup again! This recipe doesn't have that sickening sweetness usually associated with pecan pie, but it DOES have that scrumptious nuttiness."

04 of 20

Granny Kat's Pumpkin Roll

Granny Kat's Pumpkin Roll topped with powdered sugar
Allrecipes

If pies look pleasingly rustic and homey, cakes are their more dress-up cousins that can be centerpieces all on their own. Here's one our most popular Thanksgiving cakes: A thin layer of pumpkin cake is rolled up around a sweet cream cheese filling and sliced into pinwheel rounds to serve. Watch the video and you'll see it's actually easy to make.

05 of 20

Pumpkin Cake

slice of pumpkin bundt cake topped with whipped cream
momlovestocook

You can bake this moist and spicy cake in a sheet pan per recipe instructions or in a Bundt pan, round layer cake pan, or 9x13-inch pan, or you can even use it to make cupcakes.

Home cook Lyssiana says, "This cake is moist and rich without being overwhelmingly heavy. I have made this twice now. Once in a Bundt pan and once as cupcakes. I used a cream cheese icing both times, and it has been a hit every time!"

06 of 20

Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze

apple cake baked in a bundt pan and topped with caramel glaze
Charris

Apples, harvest, and Thanksgiving all come together in this easy cake topped with a homemade caramel glaze. Pie had better watch out!

Home cook SweetMaple says, "I served this at a party and everyone raved about it and asked for the recipe! It was great because I made it the day before the party and just drizzled the glaze over it when I was ready to serve it."

07 of 20

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

double layered pumpkin cheesecake on a plate with whipped cream topping
An Do

If you wait for special occasions (like, say Thanksgiving) to make rich, decadent cheesecakes, then do I have some cheesecake recipes for you! For this harvest beauty, pumpkin pie meets cheesecake — things get interesting and you get a double dose of mmm mmm good!

Madam.D has a helpful recipe tweak for you: "A very tasty dessert! For cheesecake lovers, you may want to double the amount of cream cheese mix. Or, at least add 1/2 more because the pumpkin pie layer is thicker than the cheesecake layer. It's very rich, but definitely worth it! Gobble, gobble."

08 of 20

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

slice of marbled pumpkin cheesecake with whipped cream piping
Steven Austin

A marble-effect topping makes this cheesecake look and taste extra-special.

Home cook APRILEYER says, "I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a HUGE hit. It didn't last more than 24 hours. Which is saying a LOT since there were about 20 other desserts available."

09 of 20

Autumn Cheesecake

cheesecake topped with apples and pecans in a springform pan
Christiana Reuling

This cheesecake has everything: apples, cinnamon, pecans, and an unmistakable autumn vibe.

Jillian raves, "In a word - Fabulous! If you LOVE apples and you LOVE cheesecake then this dessert is for you! I had my eye on this for a while and decided to make this for Thanksgiving and was so glad I did! The crust is awesome."

10 of 20

Sweet Potato Pie

overhead view of two slices of Sweet Potato Pie I recipe topped with whipped cream
Mackenzie Schieck

Lots of folks prefer the taste of sweet potato pie over pumpkin. (We say, why not do both?) This 5-star recipe starts with fresh sweet potatoes that you'll boil (or roast) yourself.

Or you could do what ALHARROUN did: "This is an excellent recipe! To speed up cook time, though, I microwave the sweet potato for 6 minutes. Using the microwave makes it a lot easier, too."

11 of 20

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

pumpkin cookies with white zigzag icing on a cooling rack
Janis Harrell

Who eats Thanksgiving cookies where there's pie and cake and cheesecake? Everyone! So make these crowd-favorites and watch them disappear.

These easy, autumn-spiced cookies are soft and cake-like. JPICHE says, "For someone who has never liked pumpkin much, these cookies are just pure DANGER! Not only was the wonderful 'fall' aroma wonderful through the house...but the cookies are extremely tasty."

12 of 20

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

plate of cutout sugar cookies decorated like foxes, racoons, and owls
LadyOlta

Sugar cookie cutouts are easy and versatile, and they give you a chance to show off your creativity. We're not saying you should tackle these cookies if you're also in charge of making Thanksgiving dinner, but if you're bringing a dessert to share with family and friends, go on and knock their socks off with your mad sugar cookie baking skills.

13 of 20

White Chocolate Macadamia Cranberry Dreams

two White Chocolate Macadamia Cranberry Dreams on a plate
CookinBug

Dried cranberries give these easy cookies that Thanksgiving flavor, and the white chocolate and macadamia nuts make them perfect for a special occasion dessert cookie.

Valerie Brunmeier says, "Delicious! I used parchment paper-lined cookie sheets and chilled my dough for about an hour before rolling into small balls."

14 of 20

Cranberry Bread Pudding

Cranberry Bread Pudding
Debbie

It's true, online searches for bread pudding spike at Thanksgiving and Christmas. And for good reason: It's an easy comfort food dessert that's the polar opposite of fussy. Serve up a warm bread pudding on a cold autumn night and listen for the mmmms and aaaahs.

"I made this for a Thanksgiving dessert," says arisa. "Great hit with the family! Easy to make with a taste of elegance. I will be making this again."

15 of 20

Bread Pudding with Praline Sauce

slice of bread pudding with praline sauce on a white plate
kitseallyboy

Chilly weather doesn't stand a chance against this warm and cozy bowl of saucy goodness.

Occasional Cooker says, "OMG! I think I have died and gone to heaven eating this fantastic praline bread pudding! It is awesome! And it tastes great either hot or cold. It was so easy to make."

16 of 20

Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding in a white dish
Allrecipes

"This was our Thanksgiving dessert and EVERYONE thought it was a HUGE success," says Nancy Reid. "From our two-year-old grandson (who pulled up a stepstool in the kitchen so he could help himself) to my 60-year-old husband, and everyone in between! This will become a staple at holiday meals."

17 of 20

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

cupcakes with piped marshmallow topping on a white dish
Kim

Cupcakes and mini pies are a great way to let everyone get a little taste of lots of different desserts.

"These spiced fall cupcakes are a riff on the classic Thanksgiving casserole," says recipe creator Doughgirl8. "These days, I tend to like savory sweet potato dishes with the meal, but marshmallowy cupcakes make a terrific fall dessert!"

18 of 20

Mini Apple Pies

a double crust mini apple pie
Reb

Use refrigerated pie crust to make these bite-sized, apple-packed pies a snap to pull together.

KeriN88 says, "I loved this recipe! Super quick and easy, warmed the house right up on a crisp fall day. Huge hit with the whole family (ages 12 to 92).I used two pre-made crusts and about 6 or 7 large apples — a healthy mix of Gala, Golden Delicious, Empire, and Granny Smith."

19 of 20

Mini Pecan Pies

mini pecan pies on a white dish
sugarplum

A whole slice of sweet, sticky pecan pie can be a little overwhelming. The solution? Mini pecan pies.

Lindie Vandiver says, "I followed the directions exactly. I used a regular cupcake pan and regular refrigerated pie crusts that I rolled out and cut with a 3-inch diameter glass and then put 1 spoonful of pecan filling in each. The recipe made 36 little pecan tarts. I made these for a company Thanksgiving potluck, and everyone raved! They were the best-tasting (and best-textured) pecan pies I've ever made, and they were the perfect serving size for a gathering with lots of deserts to try."

20 of 20

Mini Pumpkin Pies

mini pumpkin pie with whipped cream topping
Caroline

Mini pumpkin pies look adorable, they're easy to serve, and they don't have the cracking problem that full-size pumpkin pies have. The recipe calls for refrigerated pie crusts cut into circles, but you can also use prepared graham cracker crusts in mini foil pie pans.

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