28 Unexpected Thanksgiving Desserts Your Entire Family Will Love
Pumpkin pie who?
Will Anderson
As much as we love classic apple pie or pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, sometimes it's nice to mix things up a bit. Why not try a unique recipe to round out the dessert table at this year's family feast? From delectable cakes and bread puddings to cheesecakes and tarts, these unexpected Thanksgiving desserts are sure to impress all of your guests.
Related: 22 of Our Most Impressive Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes, From Pie to Pandowdy
Persimmon Tart
Persimmons are one of autumn’s most underutilized fruits. The sweet-tart flavor and silky texture of ripe Fuyu persimmons work wonders in the custard for this delicate dessert.
Related: 14 Persimmon Recipes Everyone Should Make This Fall
Butterscotch Pie With Pecan-Shortbread Crust
This one is for guests who have a serious sweet tooth. The brown sugar-butterscotch custard will instantly transport you to your childhood, while the toasted pecan crust is suitable for more refined palates. Get creative with your design on top and have fun arranging the pecans into unique shapes.
Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake
If you ask us, chocolate should appear on more Thanksgiving dessert menus. Rich and dense flourless chocolate cake is always a crowd-pleaser, and it’s perfect for gluten-free guests who can’t indulge in flaky pies.
Steamed Cranberry Pudding
Old-school steamed puddings may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re planning your Thanksgiving menu, but we think they deserve a spot nonetheless. This pudding is studded with both fresh and dried cranberries, and we like to serve it with something worthy of the season—our kirsch-flavored whipped cream.
Spiced Snacking Cake
Easy desserts are always a good thing to include at the holidays, especially if crimping pie dough isn’t your thing. This delicate snacking cake has specks of cinnamon and cardamom throughout, and a smooth citrus and vanilla glaze makes it extra special.
Citrus Upside-Down Cake
This stunning dessert will wow each and every one of your guests when you set it down on the table. We use a combination of blood oranges, Cara Caras, and mandarins, but navel oranges and pink grapefruits would be equally as delicious. If desired, top each slice with a pillowy dollop of whipped cream before serving.
Pumpkin Cupcakes
What’s better than pumpkin pie? Pumpkin cupcakes! And the only thing better than pumpkin cupcakes is the bite-sized marzipan pumpkins that sit on top. Each bite of these cupcakes is perfectly spiced with a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
Panna Cotta With Roasted Grapes
What makes this the perfect Thanksgiving dessert? Besides the seasonal grapes, we love this recipe because it can be made ahead of time. The grapes only take about 10 minutes to roast, so dessert will be ready to go as soon as your guests are hungry again.
Three-Tier Candied-Pecan Cake With Brown-Butter Pears
This impressive three-tier cake can be refrigerated for up to three days before serving. Just top with whipped cream before unveiling it for your guests.
Pear Cranberry Slab Pie
Prepared in a rimmed baking sheet, this mega-fruit pie has a crumb topping and a perfect crust-filling-topping ratio in each of its 24 slices.
Apple Crostata With Cheddar Crust
This rustic free-form take on apple pie gets a savory tang from the addition of sharp cheddar cheese to the crust. After the crostata comes out of the oven, brush the filling with melted apricot jam to make it glisten.
Pumpkin Layer Cake
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh ginger spice this moist pumpkin-buttermilk cake. The combination of cream cheese and goat cheese in the frosting gives it a unique, tangy twist.
Salted-Caramel Six-Layer Chocolate Cake
Rich salted caramel oozes between layers of chocolate buttermilk cake. Use a candy thermometer to ensure that the caramel turns out perfectly.
Cranberry-Port Sorbet
Ruby port adds depth to tangy cranberry sorbet. Serve it as a palate cleanser between courses, or with Black Walnut Shortbread Cookies as a light dessert.
Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Dulce de Leche
Rich, anise-scented pumpkin custard bakes with bread cubes and pecans in this rustic dessert. Drizzle it with homemade or store-bought dulce de leche just before serving.
Pear and Apple Phyllo Crisp
Sprinkle chopped pecans and cinnamon-spiced breadcrumbs between the layers of phyllo dough for a uniquely crunchy crust. This easy, elegant tart doesn't have a filling; simply arrange thin slices of apple and pear over the top.
Sweet Potato Souffle Pie
In place of traditional pie crust, this soufflé-like sweet potato pie is surrounded by light, crisp layers of phyllo dough. The pie filling will puff up while baking, but it will settle once it has begun to cool.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake
Can't get enough of your favorite fall espresso drink? Have it for dessert, too! This moist cake is reminiscent of gingerbread is topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream and dusted with espresso powder—just like the real deal.
Pumpkin Roulade With Mascarpone and White Chocolate
While rolled cakes are most often associated with Christmas, and the classic holiday Buche de Noel, once you taste this luscious pumpkin roulade you'll want for Thanksgiving and all through the fall. Lightly whipped mascarpone cheese and white chocolate provides the perfect filling.
Chocolate-Maple Pecan Tart
Everyone expects pecan pie on their Thanksgiving table, but offer a delicious surprise by serving it in tart form with a chocolate-studded crust. Cut this rectangular tart into wedges so everyone gets the perfect slice with plenty of crust.
Maple Flan
Maple syrup stands in for the usual caramel sauce in this fall take on flan. It pairs wonderfully with the light, creamy custard.
Apple Pandowdy
Like a cross between a pie and cobbler, a pandowdy is an easy, traditional dessert that deserves a place on the Thanksgiving table. Don't let its funny name distract you!
Cranberry-Curd-and-Citrus Pavlova
Ryan Liebe
Want to make a holiday dessert that's a true showstopper? Look no further than this easy but stunning pavlova, the meringue is topped with luscious cranberry curd and plenty of sunset-colored fruit.
Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake
Can't get enough cranberry sauce or have too much leftover? Then make this classic cheesecake, the filling is swirled with homemade or store-bought sauce for a picture-perfect Thanksgiving dessert.
Pear-Cranberry Tart
No apples, pumpkins, or pecans in sight here! Serve a magical tart with sliced pears and sugar-coated cranberries, which cuts their tartness. The crust can easily be pressed into a tart pan, so no rolling or flouring needed either. Win-win!
Related: 17 Delicious Recipes Featuring Pears—a Massively Underrated Fall Fruit
Apple Sundaes With Caramel Cider Sauce
Ice cream sundaes might not be the first thing that comes to mind for Thanksgiving dessert, but with caramelized apples and a cream- and cider-based sauce, they totally make sense.
Apple-Cider Doughnut Cake
Who doesn't love eating apple cider doughnuts during the fall? This Bundt has all the flavors—apple cider, cinnamon, and sugar—of fall's favorite ring-shaped treat in cake form.
Apple-Cardamom Brown-Butter Dutch Baby
A Dutch baby is essentially a giant, fluffy pancake that can be served for breakfast or dessert. Here, we've given it the autumnal touch it deserves with nutty brown butter and slices of tart Granny Smith apples.
Read the original article on Martha Stewart.
