19 non-traditional Thanksgiving desserts that aren't pie
Cakes, cookies, and even a tiramisu for your holiday dessert table.
Date
November 2, 2026
Yes, Thanksgiving is a pie-centric holiday. But what if you don’t like pie? Or maybe you just don’t want it. Either way, we’ve got lots of non-pie Thanksgiving desserts, from spiced pumpkin cupcakes to sugary apple cobblers, plus plenty of autumnal cakes.
1) The Great Pumpkin Bundt Cake
This adorable cake pulls double duty, serving as both a scene-stealing centerpiece and a feast-ending dessert. To make, stack two mini Bundt cakes together and frost with orange buttercream. Carving this frosted pumpkin at the end of the meal may just upstage the turkey!
Get the recipe: The Great Pumpkin Bundt Cake
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Mini Bundt Pan Set
2) Apple Crumb Cake
This dessert demonstrates how to dress up a crumb cake for fall: Top velvety sour cream cake with a juicy layer of apples, then crown the cake with a generous layer of apple pie-spiced streusel.
Get the recipe: Apple Crumb Cake
To make this recipe, you'll need: Instant Clearjel
3) Nantucket Cranberry Cake
Cranberry sauce can be a polarizing side dish, but everyone will love this New England-inspired cake, which pairs tart cranberries with walnuts and vanilla for a simple, satisfying dessert. (Because it’s so quick to make, this is a particularly good recipe for any last-minute holiday baking.)
Get the recipe: Nantucket Cranberry Cake
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Sparkling Sugar
4) Sweet Potato Sheet Cake with Marshmallow Frosting
Sweet potatoes belong on the dessert table, and this recipe proves it. This ultra-soft cake is gently spiced and glows orange from the sweet potato purée, and it’s finished with a fluffy meringue that mimics marshmallow-topped sweet potato casseroles.
Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Sheet Cake with Marshmallow Frosting (make it gluten-free with Measure for Measure Flour)
To make this recipe, you’ll need: 9” x 13” pan
5) Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cake
For a dessert that’s rich but not too sweet, turn to this recipe, which pairs pumpkin and pumpkin spice with chocolate chips. Baked in a decorative Bundt pan, it can be served unfrosted for an easy-yet-elegant dessert.
Get the recipe: Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cake
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Soft Swirl Bundt Pan
6) Apple Pan Dowdy
Instead of apple pie, try an apple pan dowdy on your Thanksgiving dessert table. The pan dowdy is a traditional American dish from the 1800s and early 1900s. A combination of pie and pudding, the name comes from the method in which the recipe is completed: After an apple-based filling is baked in a crust-lined casserole, the baker takes a fork and "dowdies" the crust, breaking it into pieces that remain crisp despite being partially immersed in the juicy filling.
Get the recipe: Apple Pan Dowdy
To make this recipe, you’ll need: 9" square pan
7) Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
“Thanksgiving cheesecake” may not have quite the same ring as “Thanksgiving pie,” but when your guests are eating this ultra-creamy dessert, they won’t care. With its burnished top and custardy interior, this Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake reimagines the classic with bold autumnal flair, thanks to golden pumpkin purée and warm spices.
Get the recipe: Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Pumpkin Pie Spice
8) Old-Fashioned Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting
Don’t be fooled by its stodgy name or humble appearance: This cake is so good, we named it our #1 best fall recipe! In fact, my colleague Jessica Battilana made it for Thanksgiving last year and declared it the biggest hit of the day; her guests fell in love with the moist, apple-loaded cake and fudgy brown sugar frosting.
Get the recipe: Old-Fashioned Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Vermont Boiled Cider
9) Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake
If your biggest complaint about PSLs is that there's not enough coffee flavor, look to this Bundt cake, which has an espresso powder swirl running through the tender pumpkin crumb and a coffee glaze to finish the whole thing off.
Get the recipe: Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake
To make this recipe, you'll need: Golden Wheat Flour
10) Sugar-Crusted Apple Cobbler
If you don’t want to fuss with pie, we suggest making a cobbler instead. This fruit-filled version pairs juicy spiced apples with a crackly brown sugar crust — both prep and serving are easy, and the resulting cobbler will absolutely steal the show.
Get the recipe: Sugar-Crusted Apple Cobbler
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Vietnamese Cinnamon
11) Pear and Almond Cake
Apples are great, but seasonal pears deserve some love too. This simple cake, made with a combination of almond and all-purpose flours, has a rich, buttery texture and an almost marzipan-like chew. Studded with fragrant cubes of ripe pear, it's an elegant after-dinner dessert.
Get the recipe: Pear and Almond Cake
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Almond Flour
12) Maple Pound Cake with Maple-Rum Glaze
The boozy Bundt cake features potent maple flavor thanks to the 1/2 cup (!) of maple syrup in the batter, plus the sticky maple-and-rum glaze to finish. Made with cake flour and sour cream, the cake itself is dense and velvety, like all great pound cakes should be.
Get the recipe: Maple Pound Cake with Maple-Rum Glaze
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Vermont Maple Syrup and Natural Maple Flavor
13) Mini Apple Cider Cakes
Instead of slicing and serving dessert, bake every guest their own individual mini cake. Start with a moist, spicy sheet cake, then use a biscuit cutter or overturned glass to cut rounds for individual layer cakes sandwiched with cream cheese frosting.
Get the recipe: Mini Apple Cider Cakes
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Apple Pie Spice
14) Maple Pecan Cheesecake
Rich, silky, and balanced, this cheesecake is the kind of dessert that wins people (even cheesecake skeptics) over at first bite. Pecans are blended into the crust to add a subtle nutty flavor and delicate crunch. The ultra-creamy filling gets its sweetness from brown sugar and maple syrup, while heavy cream gives it an especially luxurious texture.
Get the recipe: Maple Pecan Cheesecake
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Maple Syrup
15) Fudgy-Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
Hear us out: You don’t have to wait until December to start making holiday cookies — they deserve a spot at Thanksgiving, too! These chewy pumpkin cookies are the perfect snack for the whole holiday week, but they also make a great bite-sized dessert at the end of the meal, ideal for when you’re too full for a huge helping of sweets.
Get the recipe: Fudgy-Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Pumpkin Pie Spice
16) Classic Apple Tarte Tatin
For a little French flair at your Thanksgiving table, make this classic tarte tatin. This dessert can be a little fussy, but we’ve endlessly tested our version to make sure it goes off without a hitch in your kitchen. And it’s worth it for the deeply caramelized apples layered over shattering pastry.
Get the recipe: Classic Apple Tarte Tatin
To make this recipe, you’ll need: 9” round cake pan
17) Caramel Macchiato Tiramisu
Tiramisu gets a fall-forward spin in this coffeeshop-inspired dessert. Just like a caramel macchiato combines espresso, steamed milk, and a generous caramel drizzle, this twist on classic tiramisu layers salted caramel sauce between espresso-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone filling.
Get the recipe: Caramel Macchiato Tiramisu
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Espresso Powder
18) Pumpkin Cupcakes
Make serving Thanksgiving dessert a breeze by baking up a big batch of cupcakes. These are packed with pumpkin flavor and spice, then finished with an easy swoop of cream cheese frosting. If you really want to level up your presentation, check out these cupcake decorating techniques for a pro-level finish.
Get the recipe: Pumpkin Cupcakes (make them gluten-free with Measure for Measure Flour)
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Unbleached Cake Flour
19) Cranberry-Orange Olive Oil Cake
This holiday-ready version of our five-star Everyday Olive Oil Cake is adorned with a big red bow in the form of a simple but stunning cranberry glaze. Made by cooking cranberries with orange juice, then whisking the mixture with confectioners’ sugar, the icing adds a bright tartness that complements the rich cake.
Get the recipe: Cranberry-Orange Olive Oil Cake
To make this recipe, you’ll need: King Arthur Square Pan
Find everything you need for a successful holiday meal in our Thanksgiving Survival Guide.
Cover photo by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova.
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