12 Classic Thanksgiving Desserts for a Sweet Holiday

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Bring warmth and tradition to your Thanksgiving with classic dessert recipes like Southern Sweet Potato Pie, Pecan Pie, and Pumpkin Delight. These beloved desserts, including Layered Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding Trifle and a lush Country Apple Pie recipe that yields three pies, blend holiday flavors like pumpkin, cinnamon, and caramel for a sweet finale to your feast. Add in festive choices like White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies or a nostalgic Bread Pudding for a dessert spread everyone will love.

Crock Pot Pecan Pie

A slice of pecan pie on a patterned plate with a brown-handled fork nearby.
Image Credit: The Country Cook

Crock Pot Pecan Pie brings all the rich, nutty flavors you expect in a classic Thanksgiving dessert, with the convenience of slow cooking. Its gooey filling and flaky crust make it a crowd-pleaser, especially for busy holidays.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Pecan Pie

Bread Pudding Recipe: Rum and Raisin

A freshly baked bread pudding in a rectangular pan, topped with raisins. Beside the pan are scattered raisins, a red cloth, a white dish, and a gold spoon.
Image Credit: Noshing With The Nolands

Bread Pudding with Rum and Raisins brings a bold, cozy flavor that’s perfect for Thanksgiving. The rum-soaked raisins and creamy texture add a special touch, making this dessert a memorable way to finish the holiday feast.
Get the Recipe: Bread Pudding Recipe: Rum and Raisin

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Close-up of freshly baked cookies on a cooling rack, featuring white chocolate chips and chunks of dried cranberries. The cookies have a light golden-brown color and a soft texture, with visible specks of cranberry and chocolate.
Image Credit: The Cookie Rookie

Chewy and packed with flavor, White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies add a festive twist to Thanksgiving dessert tables. The combination of sweet white chocolate and tart cranberries creates a treat everyone will reach for.
Get the Recipe: White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Layered Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding Trifle

A glass bowl filled with banana pudding, topped with whipped cream and crushed cookies, lined with round vanilla wafers.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Layered Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding Trifle is a creamy, crowd-sized treat that’s perfect for Thanksgiving. With layers of pudding, whipped cream, and Nilla Wafers, it’s a comforting dessert with flavors everyone loves.
Get the Recipe: Layered Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding Trifle

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

The image features a slice of pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream on a decorative plate, alongside cinnamon sticks and a fork. A glass of milk is visible in the background.
Image Credit: The Country Cook

Creamy and warmly spiced, this Southern Sweet Potato Pie is a Thanksgiving classic that brings everyone back for seconds. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a delicious change from traditional pumpkin pie.
Get the Recipe: Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Slab Pie

A rectangular pumpkin pie with a crimped edge crust in a baking pan, topped with small white pastry cutouts, placed beside an orange cloth.
Image Credit: The Country Cook

For large gatherings, this Sweet Potato Slab Pie makes serving easy, offering all the rich, spiced flavors of the classic pie in a party-sized format. It’s an ideal Thanksgiving dessert that leaves no one without a slice.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Slab Pie

Caramel Pie

A pumpkin pie topped with eight dollops of whipped cream, arranged in a circle near the crust. The pie sits on a light gray marble surface with a dark gray cloth to the side.
Image Credit: The Cookie Rookie

With a silky caramel custard filling, this Caramel Pie is a must-have on Thanksgiving tables. Its deep, sweet flavor and smooth texture make it an elegant and satisfying choice for the holiday dessert lineup.
Get the Recipe: Caramel Pie

Cinnamon Roll Cake with Apples and Pecans

A baked apple and cinnamon dessert in a rectangular dish is topped with chopped pecans and drizzled with white icing.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Cinnamon Roll Cake with Apples and Pecans brings together favorite fall flavors in a warm, comforting dessert that’s perfect for Thanksgiving. The mix of cinnamon, apples, and pecans makes this cake a hit with guests.
Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Cake with Apples and Pecans

Pumpkin Delight

The image features a slice of layered pumpkin dessert topped with whipped cream and pecans, placed on a white plate. Beside the plate are a fork and a small pumpkin.
Image Credit: The Country Cook

Four layers of creamy, spiced goodness make this Pumpkin Delight an unforgettable Thanksgiving dessert. With a buttery pecan crust and fluffy whipped topping, it’s a sweet addition that’s as fun to eat as it is to make.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Delight

Pumpkin Dump Cake

A dessert plate with a slice of pumpkin dump cake topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with caramel sauce. The cake has a crumbly texture, and there are bowls and jars in the blurred background.
Image Credit: The Cookie Rookie

Simple to make yet packed with flavor, this Pumpkin Dump Cake combines pumpkin, cake mix, and crunchy pecans into a quick, holiday-friendly dessert. It’s an easy addition to Thanksgiving spreads and always a big hit.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Dump Cake

Country Apple Pie

A freshly baked pie with a golden crust decorated with leaf-shaped cutouts, placed on a checkered cloth with a fork nearby.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

This Country Apple Pie recipe is a lifesaver for anyone juggling multiple holiday gatherings—it will save you hours in the kitchen while enabling you to bring a homemade hostess gift. How? This recipe makes three pies, and you can choose to bake them individually, all at once, or bake later!
Get the Recipe: Country Apple Pie

Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie

The image features a slice of pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream, placed on a white plate. Nearby are a fork and a glass of milk.
Image Credit: The Country Cook

Smooth and perfectly spiced, this Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie brings a deep caramel-like sweetness to the classic Thanksgiving dessert. It’s a delicious way to end your holiday meal and a treat everyone will enjoy.
Get the Recipe: Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie

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About Jenny deRemer

I am a Charleston, South Carolina-based culinary novice, an ardent authority on all things travel, a designer by trade, and the creator of Not Entirely Average. I have a weakness for farmers' markets, delight in adventures way off the beaten path, enjoy documenting my many moods through photography, and have been known to conquer the occasional yard sale with gusto!

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