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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Texas chapter.

Thanksgiving is coming up, and it’s never too late to start experimenting with new recipes. Personally, I always love to experiment when it comes to baking and cooking. It’s always so fun to see how my family reacts to the new meals and treats I force them to try. Below are some fun recipes to introduce during this year’s Thanksgiving dinner! 🦃

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

  • Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
  • One can of pure pumpkin

Directions:

  1. Butter a baking dish (doesn’t matter the size)
  2. Cut cinnamon rolls and place them in the dish
  3. Mix in a can of pure pumpkin into the dish with cinnamon rolls
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes (stir halfway through)
  5. When finished, take it out and top it with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
  6. Microwave cream cheese icing for 10 seconds and drizzle over the top
  7. Done!

Banana Cheesecake Pudding

Ingredients:

  • 6-8 large bananas (fresh)
  • 1 box of vanilla wafers
  • 5 oz of cheesecake pudding mix
  • 2 cups of vanilla-flavored almond milk
  • 1 small can of condensed milk
  • 8 oz block of cream cheese
  • 12 oz of whipped cream topping

Directions

  1. Add 2 cups of almond milk to a bowl
  2. Mix in cheesecake pudding mix with almond milk (mix until smooth) then put into the fridge for 30 minutes
  3. In another bowl mix together one block of soft cream cheese and one can of condensed milk (mix until smooth)
  4. Add in the 12 oz of whipped cream topping into a mixture with cheesecake pudding and almond milk and fold it in very carefully
  5. Once folded in carefully, add that mixture to the bowl with the soft cream cheese and condensed milk
  6. Now, add a layer of vanilla wafers and bananas to a dish then add a small portion of the mixture
  7. Continue the step above until the dish is full of multiple layers
  8. Top with crushed vanilla wafers and let chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours
  9. Enjoy!

Crockpot Fondue

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz bag of milk chocolate chips
  • 16 oz bag of white chocolate chips
  • 16 oz bag of peanut butter chips
  • 8-10 cups of water
  • Fruit(s) of choice (strawberries, pineapple, etc.)
  • Pretzels
  • Cookies
  • Small pieces of pound cake

Directions:

  1. Add each 16 oz of the chocolate chips into individual mason jars
  2. Add the individual mason jars into a crockpot with 8-10 cups of water
  3. Cook on high for 1 hour (or until the chocolate is at desired temperature)
  4. Arrange sides (fruit, pretzels, cookies, etc.) for dipping
  5. Stir chocolate
  6. Serve!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 1/4 cups of sugar
  • 1/3 cup of melted butter
  • 32 oz of cream cheese
  • 1 tsp of vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup of pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp of ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Prepare crust by mixing together the graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 sugar, and 1/3 melted butter into a bowl
  2. Line the pan with parchment paper and place the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan
  3. Bake crust at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes, take out and let cool
  4. Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl then blend until smooth, add one egg at a time while blending
  5. Take two cups of batter and spread evenly over the cooled crust
  6. Add 1 cup of pumpkin puree, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of ground cloves, and 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg into the remaining batter and blend
  7. Pour mixture and spread evenly on top of the previous layer
  8. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes
  9. Remove from oven and allow to cool
  10. Once cooled, cover, and refrigerate for three hours or overnight
  11. Cut into small squares and serve with whipped cream on top

Chocolate Cream Pie

Ingredients:

  • 9 egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of cornstarch
  • 3 1/2 cups of half and half
  • 12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 2 tsp of vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Mix 9 egg yolks, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup cornstarch into a bowl
  2. Heat 3 1/2 cups of half and half on medium heat until it starts to simmer
  3. Once simmering, remove from heat and mix into egg mixture
  4. Once mixed, pour back into the pot and let it simmer on medium heat until it’s semi-thick
  5. Mix 12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 stick of butter, and 2 tsp of vanilla extract into the mixture
  6. Strain the mixture so it comes out as smooth as possible
  7. Add mixture into pie crust (can be homemade or store-bought)
  8. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours
  9. Top with whipped cream and enjoy!
Hii! My name is Adrianna and I'm a freshman English major at UT Austin.