Your Thanksgiving guest list may be large or small, and dessert should follow suit. Here are ideas for full-sized and mini pies, cakes, and sweets that go beyond pumpkin pie. Whether you're cooking for a crowd or just a small group, you'll find Thanksgiving dessert ideas to meet your needs!
Yes, I know Thanksgiving dinner is sacrosanct (at least it is for me). And it doesn't matter how large or small the group is.
Certain food must be there. You know, roast turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cranberry sauce. And then there are the traditional Thanksgiving desserts. Pumpkin pie, anyone?
It's time to change things up a bit! I'm here to share with you my family's favorite desserts for Thanksgiving dinner. Whether you're cooking for a crowd or just a small group, you'll find full-sized and mini pies, cakes, and sweets that go beyond pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin Desserts
If pumpkin must make an appearance, consider Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. One recipe makes two standard loaves, but it's easily halved to make a small bundt cake or four mini loaves.
This pumpkin-spiced, chocolate-studded Sourdough Pumpkin Cake is already scaled down for you. And no, you can't tell there's sourdough starter in the batter.
For for the indecisive, or lovers of both pumpkin pie and pecan pie, there's Praline Pumpkin Pie. It's a mini version of pumpkin custard with a pecan praline topping in a graham cracker crust.
Pecan Desserts
Dress up that pecan pie for a change and eliminate the corn syrup in the process. You can make a whole pie, or halve the recipe and serve in a 7-inch pie pan.
How about serving the pecan pie in finger-food-friendly pecan bars? They freeze well for future snacking!
Pecans as pralines are another great portion-controlled idea. Don't forget to use a candy or digital thermometer.
Fruit Desserts
Nothing says Fall more than a delicious apple pie. All those wonderful varieties of Autumn apples available just beg to be baked into pie. This pretty lattice topped apple pie features my favorite secret apple ingredient, boiled apple cider. Add in a mix of your own apple pie spice for a flavor kick and an all-butter crust, and you've got a winning pie at hand!
Give the lowly cranberry a chance to shine in a delicious Orange-Glazed Cranberry Bread. Like the Pumpkin Bread above, it's easy to scale the recipe to make the amount you want.
Here the all-American apple pie can get a rustic makeover with an Apple Galette or Apple Almond Tart. Galettes are especially easy to scale because you don't need any special pans.
Start a new tradition
It might be time to introduce new flavors for Thanksgiving desserts. Butterscotch Pie, Brown Sugar Pie (or Pie Bars), and Shoofly Pie are wonderful for your Fall baking.
As we've already discussed, pies are scalable up or down. If the recipe is for a mini pie, scale up by doubling the filling ingredients and use a standard 9-inch pie pan.
Sourdough bakers, I haven't forgotten about you! Bake a Sourdough Spice Cake for a bit of Autumn flair.
Back to Basics
Here's a refresher on making a pastry or graham cracker pie crust, just in case.
No matter the size, you can still give a double-crust pie a pretty lattice design, and it's easier than you think! Just check out this step-by-step tutorial.
Thanksgiving dinner may have a food focus (and there's nothing wrong about that!), the holiday is really about stopping for a moment of appreciation.
Whatever you have for dinner (or dessert), and however many are there with you in person, I hope you get to celebrate with people you love and who love you.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
Catherine says
I didn’t know there was a way to make pecan pie better, but then you add chocolate.... game changer!