Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

If you're ready for a change from standard pumpkin pie, try this pumpkin torte recipe with a deep chocolate flavor. Pureed pumpkin helps make the dessert incredibly moist and dense. The topping is whipped cream with a touch of vanilla and sugar and a bit of pureed pumpkin folded in.

This easy vanilla-bourbon homemade whipped cream recipe makes a sophisticated topping for any pie, crisp or crumble, or dollop in after-dinner coffee for an elegant treat.

Turn classic apple crumb pie into a gluten-free-friendly dessert with this easy gluten-free flour crust. Serve the warm pie with vanilla ice cream for an extra-special treat.

Rich, creamy, vanilla bean-flecked pudding tempers the tart-sweet pomegranate compote. Pick out small, festive glass dessert dishes for this pretty parfait.

This healthy chocolate mousse recipe gets its body from sweet potato rather than eggs. Both the mousse and the meringue cookies can be made ahead of time, so all you have to do is assemble the parfaits when you're ready for dessert.

This melt-in-your-mouth custard is delicately flavored with vanilla bean and lightly sweetened with agave syrup. Crunchy caramelized walnuts are an addictively delicious topping. Adapted from Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World-Famous Spa (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008) by Deborah Szekely and Deborah M. Schneider with Chef Jesús González, Chef of La Cocina Que Canta.

Our hot cocoa is rich and chocolaty without the overly sweet taste of some packaged mixes. We give it a luxurious froth with a whisk or blender--or use a cappuccino frother if you have one.

These fall treats have just enough caramel to give a nice hit of salty-sweet flavor in each bite.

We pulled out a few of our favorite EatingWell tricks to achieve plenty of creaminess in our pumpkin cheesecake without all the saturated fat of a typical recipe: nutrient-packed canned pumpkin and pureed nonfat cottage cheese replace some of the cream cheese. A touch of pumpkin pie spice warms up the flavor. For the crust, shop the natural-foods section for gluten-free gingersnaps without any hydrogenated oil. Simple toasted walnuts are an elegant garnish. Or try making candied walnuts. Just be careful not to eat all of them before they make it to the cake!

Stuffed with dried cranberries, these pretty baked apples would be delicious served with Custard Sauce (see associated recipe).

Deliciously addictive, these simple fruit candies have an intense cranberry-raspberry flavor and a consistency vaguely reminiscent of soft gumdrops. The individual candies are normally rolled in granulated sugar, but for a different, frosted look and smooth consistency, you can roll them in sifted powdered sugar instead. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

A Thanksgiving meal wouldn't be complete without pumpkin, and here in Vermont we wouldn't dream of excluding our beloved maple syrup. We've combined the two in these elegant custards, featuring the best part of a pumpkin pie and saving calories for a luscious finish of real whipped cream. If you can find it, use Grade B dark amber syrup to get the best maple flavor.

These brownies are a high-energy treat you can pack in your lunch bag or tuck into your fanny pack when you are out walking. Wrap cooled brownies individually for fast picnic assembly or lunchbox fill-ups.

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.

Inspired by a recipe developed by Chef Patrick Grangien at Cafe Shelburne in Shelburne, Vermont, this lightened version has less than half the calories and one-eighth the fat of a classic brulee.

Panna cotta (“cooked cream” in Italian) is a silky-smooth dessert that works beautifully with the flavor of coffee. The sauce was inspired by café brûlot, the New Orleans classic coffee drink spiked with flamed brandy. Cooking for teetotalers? Use brandy extract in the panna ­cottas and omit brandy (and flambéing) from the sauce. Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans, if desired. Recipe by Joyce Hendley for EatingWell.

The baked pears in this easy fruit dessert recipe simply bake in a sauce of Marsala wine mingled with honey, orange, cinnamon and vanilla. Serve the pears warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or with a small sugar cookie.

This healthy, gluten-free dessert has everything--crisp-on-the-outside, gooey-inside meringue base, whipped cream, tart cranberry sauce and toasted nuts. Plus, you can make everything ahead of time, then simply assemble and serve.

This spiced hot chocolate warms you from within.

This ethereal citrus dessert is a lighter version of classic lemon mousse. Serve with a fresh berry sauce for a special treat.

With just a few simple steps, you can transform plain chocolate into a divine treat with this chocolate bark recipe. We stir dried papaya, pepitas and chile powder into this chocolate bark, which is perfect for a gift.

The vibrant red cherry-wine sauce serves as a scrumptious low-calorie, fat-free flavor accent to the tart-sweet baked apples in this recipe.

This gingerbread-flavored homemade marshmallow recipe is a fun, naturally gluten-free alternative to holiday cookies--and you won't believe how much better homemade marshmallows are than traditional store-bought marshmallows until you taste one. Use a stand mixer to make them, though--hand mixers typically aren't powerful enough to get the job done.

Light enough to follow even a substantial meal, this pretty compote has a refreshing balance of sweet and tart flavors. Serve with vanilla frozen yogurt for dessert or with plain yogurt for breakfast or brunch.