Thanksgiving desserts: 30 pies, bars and easy ideas

The short answer: the best thanksgiving desserts are ones you can bake a day or two early, like pumpkin, pecan and apple pie, plus a non-pie option.

• Plan one dessert for every 6 to 8 guests
• Offer at least two choices
• 30 ideas and a make-ahead baking schedule
• Storage tips based on USDA and FDA guidance
• Next step: Plan it with the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99).

The best Thanksgiving desserts are the ones you can bake a day or two early: pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie and a non-pie option like cheesecake, bars or a crisp. Plan one dessert for every 6 to 8 guests, with at least two choices. Below are 30 Thanksgiving dessert ideas, a make-ahead baking schedule, how much to bake, and storage tips based on USDA and FDA guidance, including why the FDA says to skip raw dough.

Desserts are easier when they sit on the same plan as the rest of the meal. Our Meal Planner & Grocery List: Thanksgiving Edition ($4.99) has a Thanksgiving Day timeline, a dinner plan and prep page, a grocery list and recipe cards.

Classic Thanksgiving pies (10 ideas)

1. Pumpkin pie, the classic custard pie with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Start with our homemade pumpkin pie recipe.
2. Apple pie with a lattice or double crust.
3. Pecan pie, rich and easy to make ahead.
4. Sweet potato pie, a Southern favorite that is smoother and lighter than pumpkin.
5. Dutch apple pie with a crumb topping instead of a top crust.
6. Chocolate pecan pie for chocolate lovers.
7. Cranberry apple pie for a tart, bright option.
8. Bourbon pecan pie with a splash of bourbon in the filling.
9. Pumpkin chiffon pie, light and airy.
10. French silk pie, a no-bake chocolate cream pie.

Thanksgiving desserts that are not pie (10 ideas)

1. Pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust.
2. Apple crisp with an oat crumble.
3. Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting. The same frosting tops our carrot cake recipe.
4. Pecan pie bars, easier to cut than a whole pie.
5. Pumpkin roll filled with cream cheese.
6. Caramel apple cake.
7. Bread pudding with a bourbon or caramel sauce.
8. Spiced bundt cake with a maple glaze.
9. Pear and cranberry galette.
10. Pumpkin trifle layered with whipped cream and gingersnaps.

Easy Thanksgiving desserts (10 ideas)

These need no rolling and little skill:

1. Sheet-pan pumpkin pie, which feeds 20 or more.
2. Apple dump cake made with apple pie filling and cake mix.
3. No-bake pumpkin cheesecake cups.
4. Pumpkin muffins or pumpkin bread.
5. Chocolate-dipped pretzels and apple slices.
6. Pumpkin snickerdoodles. Our pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips are another easy pick.
7. Caramel apple dip with apple slices.
8. Store-bought pie crust with a homemade filling.
9. Pumpkin pie dip with graham crackers.
10. Sugar cookies cut into leaves or turkeys.

Three easy Thanksgiving dessert recipes

Apple crisp (serves 8 to 10)

Peel and slice 6 to 7 medium apples, such as a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith. Toss them with a quarter cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, a squeeze of lemon and 1 tablespoon of flour, then spread them in a 9x13 baking dish. For the topping, mix 1 cup of oats, three-quarters of a cup of flour, three-quarters of a cup of brown sugar and a pinch of salt, then work in half a cup of cold butter until it looks like coarse crumbs. Scatter it over the apples and bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the fruit bubbles and the top is golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. The topping can be mixed and frozen a week ahead. For a cobbler instead, see our homemade peach cobbler.

Pecan pie bars (makes 24)

Press a simple shortbread crust of 2 cups of flour, half a cup of brown sugar and three-quarters of a cup of softened butter into a lined 9x13 pan and bake at 350°F for 15 to 18 minutes. While it bakes, whisk 3 eggs with 1 cup of corn syrup, three-quarters of a cup of brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Stir in 2 cups of chopped pecans, pour over the hot crust and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is set. Cool completely before cutting. Bars are easier to share than a whole pie and keep well for two to three days covered in the fridge.

Sheet-pan pumpkin pie (serves 20 or more)

Roll two pie crusts together into a large rectangle and fit it into a rimmed half sheet pan. Whisk two 15-ounce cans of pumpkin puree with 4 eggs, two 12-ounce cans of evaporated milk, one and a half cups of sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon each of ginger and salt, and half a teaspoon of cloves. Pour into the crust and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes, until the center barely jiggles. Cool, chill and cut into squares. It is the cheapest way to serve pumpkin pie to a big crowd.

How many Thanksgiving desserts to make

Most guests take a small slice of two kinds, so plan more variety than volume.

A 9-inch pie cuts into 8 slices; a 9x13 pan of bars cuts into 24 or more. If you are feeding a crowd on a budget, bars and sheet-pan desserts go further.

Thanksgiving dessert baking schedule

Write each dessert onto your Thanksgiving Day timeline. The oven is the busiest appliance in the house that week, so moving baking to Tuesday and Wednesday is the biggest time saver.

Storing and serving desserts safely

• Custard and cream pies go in the fridge. Pumpkin, sweet potato, cheesecake and cream pies contain eggs and dairy. The USDA's danger zone guidance says perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours, so chill these pies after they cool and after dessert.
• Fruit and pecan pies are more forgiving, but cover them and refrigerate leftovers after a day or two for the best quality.
• Do not eat raw dough. The FDA's flour safety page explains that raw flour has not been treated to kill germs, so tasting raw cookie or pie dough is not safe. Bake fully, and keep kids from licking the bowl if it has raw flour or raw egg.
• Freeze to get ahead. USDA's freezing and food safety page notes that food kept at 0°F stays safe indefinitely, though quality drops over time. Pie dough, cookie dough, quick breads and baked fruit pies freeze well.

Thanksgiving desserts for guests with dietary needs

• Gluten-free: crustless pumpkin pie, flourless chocolate cake, meringues, baked apples or a crisp made with gluten-free oats.
• Dairy-free: fruit pies with an oil-based crust, a coconut-milk pumpkin pie, sorbet with fruit.
• Nut-free: pumpkin or apple pie with no nut topping; label pecan desserts clearly.
• Lower sugar: baked pears, a fruit and cheese plate or a smaller slice of pie with unsweetened whipped cream.

If a guest has a serious allergy, bake their dessert first, on clean pans, and keep it covered and labeled.

Pie crust tips that make a difference

1. Keep everything cold. Cold butter and ice water give a flaky crust. Chill the dough at least an hour.
2. Roll from the center out and turn the dough a quarter turn every few rolls so it does not stick.
3. Blind-bake custard pie crusts with pie weights or dried beans so the bottom does not turn soggy.
4. Shield the edges with foil or a pie ring after the first 20 to 30 minutes so they do not burn.
5. Cool completely on a rack. Custard pies need about 2 hours to set before slicing.

Let guests bring dessert

Dessert is the easiest course to hand to a guest because it is made ahead and travels well. Use a sign-up sheet so you get a mix of pies and non-pie options. Our Thanksgiving potluck sign-up sheet has a dessert section, and our Thanksgiving menu template helps you see the whole meal on one page.

Keep your family's dessert recipes

Thanksgiving desserts are often the recipes families care about most: a grandmother's pecan pie or an aunt's pumpkin roll. Writing them down keeps them from being lost.

• Family Recipe Binder ($6.99): dividers for Desserts, Baking and Holidays, a recipe index, 4x6 recipe cards and a fillable type-in version.
• Meal Planner & Grocery List: Thanksgiving Edition ($4.99): plan the whole meal, from timeline to grocery list.
• Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99; the six items cost $25.94 separately): planning tools for the whole season, including a Christmas budget and gift planner.

For more on the full meal, read how to plan Thanksgiving dinner.

Baking several fall desserts at once? Mix one batch of pumpkin pie spice first and use it across the pies, breads and cookies.

Looking beyond the holiday table? See our list of the best desserts for every occasion.

Want a pie beyond pumpkin and pecan? Our Southern chess pie needs only pantry staples, and our bread pudding turns day-old bread into a make-ahead dessert.

Want a chocolate option on the dessert table? Our German chocolate cake has three layers and a cooked coconut pecan frosting you can make ahead.

Need a dessert for the non-pie fans? Our homemade chocolate cake bakes as a 9x13 sheet cake in 35 to 40 minutes. For a make-ahead custard that isn't a pie, try classic caramel flan, which chills overnight.