Healthy Thanksgiving Desserts for a Guilt-Free Feast

Turkey might technically take center stage on Thanksgiving, let’s be honest: Desserts are the real star of the festive holiday spread. No matter how many helpings of stuffing you’ve demolished, you always seem to find room for pies galore.

If you’re trying to keep it healthy—or honor any dietary restrictions without missing out on the sweet stuff—though, Thanksgiving dessert can feel like mission impossible.

After all, a single slice of store-bought pecan pie can pack up to an alarming (brace yourselves) 500 calories and more than 50 grams of sugar, which is about 12.5 teaspoons of the sweet stuff. A single slice. At about 290 calories and 30 grams of sugar, a slice of classic pumpkin pie won’t send you on quite as extreme a blood sugar rollercoaster, but still pretty much guarantees an eventual food coma.

The way to have your pie and eat it, too: DIY your Thanksgiving desserts. With the right recipes, you can keep your feast healthy (or at least healthier) and avoid super-processed ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup.

Get started with one of the following healthy Thanksgiving dessert recipes. From vegan options (like paleo pumpkin brownies), to gluten-free eats (like pumpkin mousse shooters), to better-for-you versions of your favorite treats (check out the almond flour apple pie), there’s something here for everyone at your table.

Put on a flannel and get your appetite ready, because you’re going to want seconds of every better-for-you treat on this list.