39 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Desserts
Updated: Feb. 26, 2024
If you're in charge of dessert for this year's feast, look no further! These make-ahead Thanksgiving dessert recipes are easy to transport and can help relieve holiday stress.
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Spiced Pumpkin Tiramisu
I added pumpkin and subtracted some of the coffee flavor in a tiramisu I developed for a special holiday dinner. A new Christmas tradition was born! —Heather Clary, Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Also, check out these Christmas cheesecake recipes, perfect for your upcoming festive get togethers.
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Pumpkin Cheesecake
When I was young we produced several ingredients for this pumpkin cheesecake on the farm. We raised pumpkins in our large vegetable garden, and made homemade butter and lots of sour cream using milk from our dairy herd. —Evonne Wurmnest, Normal, Illinois
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Cranberry-Carrot Layer Cake
This moist cake smothered with rich cream cheese frosting makes any dinner festive. Every autumn, I go to a cranberry festival in Wisconsin and load up on fresh cranberries to freeze for year-round cooking. —Nellie Runne, Rockford, Illinois
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Favorite Pecan Pie Bars
These pecan pie bars are the perfect little gift. Send your favorite holiday travelers on their way with a package of these nutty pecan pie bars to eat when they get home. —Sylvia Ford, Kennett, Missouri
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Sweet Potato Pie
This creamy sweet potato pie is subtly spiced and slices beautifully! We suggest baking up a few sweet potato pies around the holidays to give to friends and family. — North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission
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Pecan Goody Cups
These miniature tarts feature whole pecans, a caramel-like filling, and a butter and cream cheese crust that melts right in your mouth. —Janice Hose, Hagerstown, Maryland
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Festive Holiday Cheesecake
Looking for some show-stopping Christmas cheesecake recipes? Look no further! Each slice of this holiday cheesecake is overloaded with fun candy toppings. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Frozen Pumpkin Dessert
This frozen pumpkin ice cream dessert can be prepared and frozen weeks in advance. I’ve found it has more mass appeal than traditional pumpkin pie. —Susan Bennett, Edmond, Oklahoma. Satisfy your craving with these healthy Thanksgiving desserts.
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Pecan Kringle Sticks
My family loves that the kringle is flaky and not too sweet—it just melts in your mouth. This makes a beautiful presentation on a cookie platter along with other holiday sweets. —Connie Vjestica, Brookfield, Illinois
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Dutch Apple Cake
My husband and I came to Canada from Holland more than 40 years ago. This traditional Dutch recipe is a family favorite and has frequently gone along with me to potluck suppers and other get-togethers. —Elizabeth Peters, Martintown, Ontario
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Chocolate Gingersnaps
When my daughter Jennifer was 15 years old, she created this recipe as a way to combine two of her favorite flavors. They're perfect with a glass of milk. —Paula Zsiray, Logan, Utah
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Fresh Pear Ginger Crisp
Gingersnaps lend crunch to my heartwarming cool-weather classic, featuring the season's juiciest fruit—pears.—Linda Robertson, Cozad, Nebraska
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Spiced Devil's Food Cake
One of my mom's friends gave her this recipe when I was a child, and it has been a family favorite ever since. When your chocolate sweet tooth acts up, this really hits the spot! —Linda Yeamans, Ashland, Oregon
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White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies
Friends sometimes ask me to make these for wedding receptions. For a fancier presentation, I cut the bars into triangle shapes and drizzle white chocolate over each one individually. —Erika Busz, Kent, Washington
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Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream Puffs
This extraordinary dessert showcases homemade pumpkin ice cream and cream puffs. The effort is worthwhile...and you can make the parts ahead of time for easy assembly later.—Richard Lasher, Stuarts Draft, Virginia
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Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies
Whenever I visit friends in Lutsen, Minnesota, I make sure to buy maple syrup there because I think it's even better than in Quebec. These delicious cookies can be decorated with sprinkles but they're just fine as is.—Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario
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Contest-Winning Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert
With its gingersnap crust and maple syrup drizzle, this rich and creamy spiced pumpkin dessert never fails to get rave reviews. It cuts nicely, too. —Cathy Hall, Phoenix, Arizona
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Apple Butter Cake Roll
This is a new take on a pumpkin roll. Her spicy gingerbread cake might make you think back fondly to Christmas at Grandma's! —Debbie White, Williamson, West Virginia
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Apple Cranberry Slab Pie
My husband loves pie, so I made one with apples, raspberries and cranberries. It’s so good, I bend the rules and let the grandkids have it for breakfast. —Brenda Smith, Curran, Michigan
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Chocolate Maple Bars
My family runs a maple syrup operation, and I'm always looking for new ways to incorporate maple syrup into my cooking and baking. These bars are delicious! —Cathy Schumacher, Alto, Michigan
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Pear Bundt Cake
Next time you make cake from a mix, try my easy and delicious recipe. The pears and syrup add sweet flavor and prevent the cake from drying out. And since there's no oil added to the batter, this tender fall-perfect cake is surprisingly low in fat. —Veronica Ross, Columbia Heights, Minnesota
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Deep-Dish Apple Pie
This deep-dish apple pie is a winner! The crust is so flaky and the filling is sure to please everyone. —Salem Cross Inn, West Brookfield, Massachusetts
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Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Bars
If you're looking for something other than pumpkin, these sweet potato bars are a yummy alternative. Make them ahead—they're even better refrigerated overnight. —Debbie Glasscock, Conway, Arkansas
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Potluck German Apple Cake
My mother made this German apple cake for my brothers and me when we were kids. It's an excellent choice for a Christmas potluck or actually any time of year. —Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah
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Cranberry Cheesecake
Every year when the cranberries are harvested, my family looks forward to eating this cheesecake. —Nairda Monroe, Webberville, Michigan
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Spicy Applesauce Cake
This picnic-perfect cake travels and slices very well. With chocolate chips, walnuts and raisins, it’s a real crowd pleaser. —Marian Platt, Sequim, Washington. Looking for more? Try these Thanksgiving desserts that aren’t pie.
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Chocolate Pecan Torte
This impressive dessert looks lovely on a buffet table. It takes some time to prepare, but it’s worth the effort. —Lois Schlickau, Haven, Kansas
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Maple Walnut Cake
This maple-flavored cake with candied walnuts honors beloved my grandpa, who made maple syrup when I was a child. It honors his memory and has proven to be a favorite with family and friends throughout the years. —Lori Fee, Middlesex, New York
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Lattice-Topped Pear Slab Pie
A lattice top serves as a charming frame for this special holiday dessert filled with fresh pears and candied fruit. Add a dollop of whipped cream if you like. —Johnna Johnson, Scottsdale, Arizona
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Cranberry Cake with Almond-Butter Sauce
Make room for this recipe in your collection. Tart cranberries and sweet almond glaze turn this potluck cake into something truly special. —Betsy King, Duluth, Minnesota
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Caramel Apple Bars
These bars make an excellent fall dessert. We like to warm individual servings in the microwave and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It quickly became a family favorite; maybe it’ll become one of your family’s, too. —Carol Stuber, Osawatomie, Kansas. Ease holiday rush with these make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes.
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Pumpkin Pie Bars
These bars taste like a cross between pumpkin pie and pecan pie—yum! If you can't find butter cake mix, yellow cake mix works. —Sue Draheim, Waterford, Wisconsin
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Butter Pecan Layer Cake
Pecans and butter give this cake the same irresistible flavor as the popular butter pecan ice cream flavor. —Becky Miller, Tallahassee, Florida
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Originally Published: November 21, 2022
