If the thought of pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple pie (among other pies) doesn’t get you jazzed for Thanksgiving dessert, not to worry. I’ve got more than a dozen sweet alternatives to pie that will more than satisfy you and your guests!
While pumpkin pie is the ubiquitous Thanksgiving dessert, I always love to get creative for Thanksgiving. Maybe that’s because I’m gluten-free, so I can’t eat many of the traditional pie recipes anyway (though I should mention that my pumpkin pie recipe does have a gluten-free crust, hooray!). But if you’re looking for alternatives to pie, I’ve got a bunch of Thanksgiving desserts worthy of those last few bites of sweet indulgence that you can shimmy into your belly after you’ve loaded up on roast turkey. I know you’ve got room!
Apple Crisp
This crustless apple crisp combines a sweet apple cinnamon filling with an oat crumble topping. It’s easy to make in a 9×13-inch baking dish, comes out of the oven perfectly warm, and tastes amazing with a dollop of ice cream.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
While many flourless chocolate cake recipes are dense, mine is light and fluffy. That makes it the perfect Thanksgiving dessert to balance a heavier meal!
Custard
You can serve up a chilled custard with fresh berries and chopped nuts in glasses for a simple, make-ahead dessert. Or you can serve the custard warm drizzled over the above flourless chocolate cake (the combination is divine!).
Rice Pudding
Rice pudding is a classic holiday dessert that’s ultra-creamy and perfectly spiced with a touch of cinnamon. I also love to stir raisins into my rice pudding for a bit more natural sweetness.
Carrot Cake
This reader favorite gluten-free carrot cake is made with three layers of perfectly spiced carrot cake and a delicious cream cheese frosting. The scraped sides give it a rustic look and the chopped pecans finish it off.
Baked Apples
Baked apples are a simple, cozy Thanksgiving dessert the whole family will love! Deliciously sweet apples are filled with warm spices, oats, nuts and raisins. And when they’re fresh out of the oven, you can top them with a mini scoop of ice cream!
Vegan Caramel Cheesecake
If you’ve got gluten-free and dairy-free guests, you MUST make this vegan caramel cheesecake. Though truth be told, this vegan cheesecake is a winner with all guests, no matter their dietary preference.
Tapioca Pudding
Little pearls of tapioca turn into the most luscious homemade tapioca pudding. This “from scratch” version is unmatched in terms of flavor and texture—and super simple to make!
Spiced Pear Souffle
For a light and airy holiday dessert this spiced pear souffle is sure to impress! Just make sure your guests are ready for dessert the moment they come out of the oven, so you can serve them up before they start to deflate.
Pumpkin Cake
For a Thanksgiving dessert that’s pumpkin-y without being pie, this pumpkin cake takes the cake (literally). The combination of deliciously spiced pumpkin flavor with cream cheese frosting and crunchy pecans is a personal holiday favorite of mine. If you don’t tell anyone it’s gluten-free, they won’t even know!
Chocolate Pots de Creme
While chocolate pots de creme may be French in origin, I’m happy to adopt it for American Thanksgiving. The supremely rich and decadent chocolate flavor has the most luxuriously smooth texture. Just top it with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Almond Cake
This almond cake is a great holiday cake served simply as-is or with fresh berries. And for those who love an after dinner coffee, it’s the perfect accompaniment. Bonus, it’s a naturally gluten-free dessert as it’s made from almond flour.
Bananas Foster
For southern vibes on your Thanksgiving table, bananas foster served with a scoop of ice cream is a sensational combination. There’s just something special about the warm, rum-infused, flambeed bananas with the cold, melty ice cream.
Chocolate Truffle Tart
While this chocolate tart may look like a giant peanut butter cup, there are no peanuts in this dessert. It’s three layers consist of a crumbly chocolate crust, a smooth chocolate ganache filling, and a silky chocolate glaze.
Clementine Upside Down Cake
Citrus is in peak season during the fall and winter months, so it only makes sense to incorporate clementines into your Thanksgiving dessert with this clementine upside down cake. It’s sweet, tangy, citrusy, and so very moist. Plus, the orange color will dazzle on your holiday table!
More Thanksgiving Recipes & Tips
If you make any of these Thanksgiving desserts, I’d love to hear how they turned out in the comment box below! Your review really helps give confidence to other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
This apple crisp recipe is the best fall and winter dessert with a sweet cinnamon apple filling and oat crumble topping. It’s also a Thanksgiving dessert favorite! Watch the video below to see how I make this in my kitchen!
For the apple crisp topping
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Prep the apples. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Then peel, core, and slice the apples.
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Make the fruit base. In a large bowl, toss together the apples, maple syrup, arrowroot powder, lemon juice, vanilla, and cinnamon, until well combined.
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Place in baking dish. Transfer the apple mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
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Make the apple crisp topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Then stir in the rolled oats.
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Add the topping and bake. Sprinkle the apple crisp evenly over the sliced apples in the baking dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are soft.
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Serve. Scoop a portion out and serve warm. You can also add a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream on top.
- How I prep this for Thankgiving: I’ve gotten a lot of questions about this, so here’s what I do. I make the topping ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then, as soon as the turkey comes out of the oven, I slice the apples with the Johnny apple peeler (linked above), toss with the maple syrup, vanilla, etc, add the topping, and pop it in the oven. That only takes about 15 minutes with the peeler. Also, keep in mind that a turkey needs to rest for 30 min before serving. Then, dinner will likely take at least 30 minutes. So you have plenty of time to assemble this while the turkey is resting, and it can cook in the oven while everyone is eating dinner. When it’s time for dessert, a warm apple crisp will be ready to serve up! Just remember to set a timer so you don’t forget about it in the oven. 😉
Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 360mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 606IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg
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