Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

There's no better way to end Thanksgiving than with a sweet treat, and we've got you covered with all of our Thanksgiving dessert recipes. From apple pie to pecan pie bars, we have so many delicious Thanksgiving dessert recipes that we bet you can't just make one!

Staff Picks

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potatoes make a mouthwatering, creamy custard for the filling in this lightened-up pie with an easy gluten-free cookie crust. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream for dessert.
By Carolyn Casner

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Rating: Unrated
1
This dairy-free pumpkin pie gets its structure from aquafaba (the leftover water from a can of chickpeas) whipped up into a meringue-like foam. When it's combined with pumpkin and poured into a gluten-free pecan crust, you would never know beans had anything to do with this easy dessert recipe.
By Breana Killeen

Cranberry Cheesecake Bars

A great dessert option for your next holiday party, these sweet cheesecake bars have an oat crust and a cranberry-orange sauce that's swirled on top and baked right in.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Brown Butter Apple Pie

Rating: Unrated
1
This homemade apple pie recipe has a simple and classic flavor, with fresh apples, spices and butter that's been sizzled until it's brown and nutty. The top crust is where you have the opportunity to add a touch of pizazz. Here we suggest cutting the dough into leaf shapes for an autumnal motif, but you could cut any shape you want.
By Hilary Meyer

Mini Pecan Pies

Rating: Unrated
2
The key to these decadent treats is the portion size--baking them in mini-muffin tins keeps the carbs and saturated fat in check. And maple syrup allows you to make this pecan pie recipe without corn syrup.
By Lauren Grant

Apple Crisp

Rating: Unrated
1
There's nothing like this old-fashioned apple dessert recipe to top off a good dinner. It's low in calories and can be made even lower if prepared with sugar substitute.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Pecan Pie Bars

These delectable bar cookies are great for holiday cookie trays, to bring out at casual gatherings, or just to enjoy with a cup of coffee.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Coconut Cream Pie

This luscious cream pie recipe, made with low fat milk and just a little sugar, is the perfect guilt-free dessert.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel

Rating: Unrated
3
This riff on the Thanksgiving favorite combines a traditional pumpkin pie filling with swirls of sweetened cream cheese. And since it's only Thanksgiving once a year, we've topped it all off with a buttery spiced-pecan topping. This easy pie recipe will please anyone at your table this holiday.
By Hilary Meyer

French Silk Pie

Rating: Unrated
3
This French silk pie recipe deviates from tradition for a lighter version. Butter and sugar are traded for dates and canola oil in the crust, while the chocolate filling has less egg and butter and is thickened with gelatin. The tasty secret is a shot of coffee that enhances the pie's chocolate flavor without giving it a detectable coffee flavor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Light Lemon Meringue Pie

Rating: Unrated
2
Smooth and soothing; a great classic pie right down to the crust, redefined with a generous amount of lemon and fewer egg yolks in the filling.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Diabetic Carrot Cake

Rating: Unrated
3
With this luscious take on an all-time favorite, you can fit this low-sugar cake into a diabetic meal plan with style.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Inspiration and Ideas

Our Best Low-Carb Thanksgiving Desserts

Our Best Low-Carb Thanksgiving Desserts

Wow your family and friends with these show-stopping Thanksgiving desserts. We've rounded up our best Thanksgiving dessert recipes to end your holiday meal on a sweet note. Many of these desserts can be made ahead, so you can bring them along wherever you’re having Thanksgiving dinner.
Our Best Traditional Pumpkin Pie

Our Best Traditional Pumpkin Pie

Get the classic creamy pumpkin taste but less saturated fat and sugar with this lightened-up recipe.
Thanksgiving Desserts That Aren't Pie

Thanksgiving Desserts That Aren't Pie

Chocolate-Sweet Potato Parfait

Chocolate-Sweet Potato Parfait

Sweet Potato Pie Recipes So Good You'll Forget About Pumpkin

Sweet Potato Pie Recipes So Good You'll Forget About Pumpkin

18 Thanksgiving Desserts for Two

18 Thanksgiving Desserts for Two

Cranberry Crumble Bars

Rating: Unrated
1

These cranberry-orange bars freeze well. Make a batch on a free afternoon and pop them in the freezer so you'll always have a healthy dessert on hand when company calls.

All Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

Mini New York Cheesecakes

Rating: Unrated
2
These mini cheesecakes aren't just adorable--baked in a muffin tin, they're quicker to make than traditional cheesecake and perfectly portioned.
By Breana Killeen

Lemon Poppy Seed Chiffon Cake

Beating the egg whites separately and then folding them into the batter gives this chiffon cake recipe great height, while the egg yolks make this healthy cake recipe rich and tender. Be sure to use a completely clean bowl and whisk when beating the whites-if the whites come in contact with any fat they won't whip up airy and light.
By Joanne Chang

No-Sugar-Added Mini Apple Pies

Rating: Unrated
1
These delectable single-serving tarts are gluten-free and sweetened with dates instead of refined added sugars. Top with a little unsweetened whipped cream to take this special--yet healthy--dessert to the next level.
By Carolyn Casner

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Rating: Unrated
4
Here's a simple recipe for low-fat vanilla ice cream. Our version has all the richness you'll need but about 90 fewer calories than store-bought premium ice cream and a whopping 15 grams less total fat and 10 grams less saturated fat per serving.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Fresh Apple Squares

Rating: Unrated
4
One batch of dough does double duty as both the crust and streusel topping to make one of the easiest desserts around.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Carob Molasses Cake (Sfouf b' Debs)

Rating: Unrated
2
With all due respect to baklava, we've found a new favorite Lebanese dessert. This rich, moist cake is sweetened with carob molasses and has a hit of anise. We may or may not have fought over it in the Test Kitchen.
By Kamal Mouzawak

Apple Crisp with Cranberries

Rating: Unrated
1
Sticking to its food-waste mission, L.A. Kitchen created this dessert to work with almost any fruit you have on hand. We've done it here with pears and apples, but you can use berries or even tropical fruits instead. The addition of dried fruit adds a concentrated hit of flavor you won't get from fresh alone.
By Theresa Farthing

Fried Apple Pie Rolls

Rating: Unrated
10
In this healthy take on apple pie, wonton wrappers stand in for pie crust, saving you calories and the headache of rolling out dough. We like to use Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape and provide tart balance to the sweet filling. Try dipping these handheld crispy treats in whipped cream.
By Breana Killeen

Cranberry-Almond Granola Bars

There are plenty of granola bar options at the grocery store, but they're also easy (and often healthier) to make at home. Feel free to vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, nuts, seeds and/or chocolate chips for the dried cranberries and nuts in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.
By Breana Killeen

Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars

Rating: Unrated
4
These easy apple-cinnamon fruit bars make a big batch--perfect for fall potlucks and parties.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chocolate Decadence

Rating: Unrated
11
Inspired by the old-school, ultra-rich, mousselike chocolate cake that usually called for a whole pound of chocolate, half a dozen eggs and lots of butter, this enlightened rendition has deep bittersweet chocolate flavor and dense melt-in-your-mouth texture. No one will guess it's healthier. The secret is excellent natural cocoa powder and good-quality bittersweet chocolate, preferably with 70% cacao. Although the cake can be eaten once it's completely cool, it comes out of the pan much easier and even tastes better if it has been chilled at least overnight.
By Alice Medrich

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Rating: Unrated
1
Here's a simple recipe for low-fat chocolate ice cream. Our version has all the richness you'll need but about 90 fewer calories than store-bought premium ice cream and a whopping 15 grams less total fat and 10 grams less saturated fat per serving.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegan Sugar Cookies

Rating: Unrated
1
It's hard to imagine a classic buttery sugar cookie without the butter, but trust us, it's possible. Here, we use coconut oil instead of butter for dairy-free eggless cut-out cookies that taste delicious and are fun to make and eat. Decorate with a citrus glaze colored with a little food dye, sprinkles and/or sanding sugar as you wish.
By Carolyn Casner

Coconut-Dark Chocolate Truffles

Rating: Unrated
4
Coconut macaroons meet dark chocolate truffles in these little treats. Inside the snap of the dark chocolate shell lies the tender coconut-cocoa filling: a mix of naturally sweet dates, cocoa and coconut flour. Coconut flour is a healthy way to add decadent coconut flavor to this coconut-dark chocolate truffle recipe and other baked goods. It packs a whopping 5 grams of fiber per 2 tablespoons (with only 2 grams of total and saturated fat). Look for coconut flour near other gluten-free flours.
By Katie Webster

Dried-Fruit Bars

Rating: Unrated
1
Make a batch of these easy homemade dried-fruit bars to tuck into your kid's lunchbox all week.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Old-Fashioned Fruit Crumble

Rating: Unrated
6
Use whatever fresh or frozen fruit you have on hand to make this old-fashioned crumble. Typical crumble topping has as much as a half cup of butter--ours has just a bit of canola oil and, for richness, chopped almonds, which are full of healthy monounsaturated fats.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Pear Custard Pie

A velvety, light custard surrounds ripe pears in this healthy pear pie recipe. Serve with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream.
By Summer Miller

Vegan Cheesecake

This luscious vegan cheesecake nixes the dairy in favor of a filling made with coconut cream, tofu and cashews or macadamia nuts instead of the traditional eggs and cream. Coconut oil and nuts make for a rich-tasting and crunchy crust, so nobody will miss the butter.
By Breana Killeen

Sweet Potato Pudding Cake

Rating: Unrated
6
This cake was inspired by the one of the most popular Jamaican desserts, sweet potato pudding. Traditionally, raw shredded sweet potatoes are used, but we found that sweet potatoes sold in the U.S. don't provide the same texture as those in Jamaica. Instead, we mix mashed sweet potato with eggs and flour to get a slightly different, but equally delicious, cheesecake-like result.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Sweet Potato Pie with Cream Cheese Swirl

Rating: Unrated
3
This creamy sweet potato pie recipe is seasoned like a pumpkin pie with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg and gets nice ginger flavor from the gingersnap crust. For the best results, roast sweet potatoes in the oven; in a pinch, microwave them instead.
By Stacy Fraser

Coconut Whipped Cream

Rating: Unrated
1
Coconut whipped cream, also known as vegan whipped cream, is the perfect topping for any dairy-free or vegan dessert. It's light, creamy and entirely plant-based. Like regular whipped cream, you can also add flavoring--citrus zest, espresso powder or a different extract--to this basic recipe to customize the flavor. Refrigerating the can of coconut milk or cream overnight allows the fat/cream to separate from the liquid and solidify.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Riesling Baked Pears

Rating: Unrated
3
Here's an elegant yet simple twist on the autumn classic. Pears are oven-poached in Riesling wine, which is known for its floral accents and aromas and hints of honey and pear. Serve this dessert with lightly sweetened ricotta cheese. Delicious hot, room temperature or chilled.
By Marie Simmons

Caramelized Spiced Pears

Rating: Unrated
1
Serve these caramelized pear slices over ice cream, stir into plain yogurt or enjoy as a topping for pancakes or waffles. Brown-skinned Bosc pears hold their shape during cooking, but any variety of pears tastes delicious.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegan Meringue Cookies

Rating: Unrated
1
Magical aquafaba--the liquid from canned chickpeas that often gets poured down the drain--mimics egg whites in these airy vegan meringue cookies. The other magical thing? These cookies require just three ingredients! Save the chickpeas themselves for hummus, stew or any one of our other recipes that call for canned chickpeas.
By Breana Killeen
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