With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to write about one of my favorite parts of the holiday: the desserts. Let’s be real, the dessert at the end is the best part of the meal. I have nothing against Thanksgiving foods, but there is something so comforting about fall flavors like pumpkin and apple. While these flavors are normally delivered in pie form with Thanksgiving dinner, this isn’t the only option.
The process of making a pie from scratch can be difficult, and even as a seasoned baker, it’s something that requires a fair amount of concentration and patience for me. Sometimes, I’m just not in the mood to spend all day standing over the stove or constantly checking the oven. If you are like me and also make the Thanksgiving day meal for your family, you know there is no time to also make a pie. Luckily, there are plenty of other sweet options to impress your family and friends that require minimal effort and time. Follow along as I talk about eight different desserts that aren’t pie but still feature the classic fall flavors that you know and love.
1. Pie Cupcakes
While these may look like pie, they certainly won’t taste like it. These pie cupcakes are super cute and completely customizable to whatever flavors or designs your heart desires. My personal favorites are the ones with the lattice detailing on top, achieved with a flat piping bag tip. Little dots of blue or red frosting underneath act as the blueberry, strawberry, or cherry filling for the “pies.” Another option is to make them look like pumpkin pies with orange frosting and a white swirl with a star tip to resemble a dollop of whipped cream.
2. Pumpkin Pie Cookies
These pumpkin pie cookies are a simple way to keep that classic pie taste (and look) without all the hassle. If you love the taste of pumpkin pie filling, these cookies are perfect for you. Personally, I find the filling of pumpkin pie to be slightly overpowering sometimes, but this cookie seems to balance the flavors well. The cookie “crust” is sweeter and less crumbly than a traditional pie crust, and there is less surface area of just pumpkin which I feel gives the cookies a better ratio.
3. Brown Butter Upside Down Cake
Upside down cakes are always impressive for guests, but surprisingly easy to make. It is simply assembled backwards, with the bottom becoming the top, and the sugar on the bottom caramelizing to create a glaze on top. The cake on the bottom is moist and flavorful from the cooked apples on the bottom.
4. Apple Fritter Bites
These apple fritter bites are made by frying a small scoop of the batter in a layer of oil and then tossing them in a cinnamon sugar mixture. These are perfect to get the classic apple pie flavor without the hassle of cooking down the fruit. Instead, the apples are simply mixed with the batter to make a warm, gooey donut.
5. Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats
If you are looking for a low effort option, these pumpkin pie rice krispie treats only require four ingredients and minimal time to prepare. While they won’t taste like pie, they certainly look like a slice of it. A funny alternative is to make them into turkey legs, using two marshmallows and some white chocolate to create the “bone” and using brown food coloring to create the “leg.”
6. Patterned leaf cake
While this cake looks super impressive, it is fairly simple to make. Cake batter is colored, piped into whatever picture you want, and then frozen. When you pour the rest of the batter into the pan, the picture stays intact by being frozen. While this recipe shows a leaf, you could make whatever picture you wanted. Personally, I think turkeys or some pumpkins would also be cool ideas.
7. Cranberry orange cheesecake
While orange isn’t necessarily a classic Thanksgiving flavor, it certainly is a holiday one. Personally, I’m a huge fan of cheesecakes, so this is a recipe I will definitely be making for my Thanksgiving dinner. The flavors of cranberry and orange pair sweet and sour together and complement one another perfectly. Cheesecake definitely isn’t the easiest dessert to make, but a no-bake (Philadelphia) cheesecake is much simpler and tastes equally as good.
8. Chai cookies
While this isn’t a traditional Thanksgiving flavor, these chai cookies are perfect for the Thanksgiving vibes and they taste like fall in a cookie. They are spiced with classic autumnal flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, and are pretty easy to make. A speckled glaze to top them off makes the cookies look truly professional.
Final Thoughts
Unless you make the perfect pie, they can sometimes miss the mark. These desserts, however, are simple to prepare and guaranteed to taste delicious. Even if you are planning to not celebrate the holiday or prepare a big dinner, these desserts are an easy and delicious way to celebrate the fall season. If you are hosting, either the actual holiday of Thanksgiving or a “Friendsgiving,” try one of these recipes for a unique twist on dessert. Maybe you’ll start a new tradition with your family or friends by choosing not to make pie this year. Whether you chose to make one of these recipes or decide (against my advice) to make a pie, have a happy Thanksgiving.