Pumpkin pie will always have a seat at the Thanksgiving table — but it does not have to be the only dessert. A good Thanksgiving dessert spread gives guests a choice: something chocolate, something fruity, something creamy, and something you can eat standing up in the kitchen while the turkey rests. The fifteen desserts below are all make-ahead friendly, all serve a crowd, and all pair with the recipes already on KitchenBrisk, from our Classic Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie to the Pecan Pie Bars that bake in half the time of a whole pie.
At a glance: picking your dessert lineup
| Dessert | Make-ahead | Serves | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pecan pie bars | 2 days | 24 bars | Crowd, no slicing at the table |
| Classic pecan pie | 1 day | 8 | Traditionalists |
| Apple pie | 1 day | 8 | Make-ahead, reheat-friendly |
| Sweet potato pie | 2 days | 8 | Pumpkin-pie skeptics |
| Chocolate cream pie | 1 day | 8 | Chocolate lovers, no baking the filling |
| Cranberry crumble bars | 3 days | 24 | Uses leftover cranberry sauce |
| Pumpkin cheesecake | 2 days | 12 | Showpiece, feeds more than pie |
| Apple crisp | Day-of, 45 min | 8 | Last-minute, served warm |
| Pumpkin roll | 2 days | 10 | Slice-and-serve, freezes well |
| Bourbon bread pudding | 1 day | 10 | Uses stale bread, feeds a crowd |
| Maple pumpkin bars | 3 days | 24 | Potluck, travels well |
| Pear and almond tart | 1 day | 8 | Lighter finish |
| Chocolate pecan pie | 1 day | 8 | Two favourites in one slice |
| Cranberry orange cake | 2 days | 12 | Breakfast the next morning too |
| Keto pumpkin mousse | 1 day | 6 | Low-carb guests |
A practical rule: two desserts for up to eight guests, three for twelve or more. One should be a pie, one should be something you can cut into bars and pass around, and one should be make-ahead so the oven is free for the turkey.
1. Pecan Pie Bars: All the Pie, Half the Work
Our Pecan Pie Bars take the filling everyone fights over and bake it over a shortbread crust in a sheet pan. They slice cleanly, stack well, and travel to a potluck without a pie carrier. Make them up to two days ahead and keep them covered at room temperature; a night in the fridge firms them up for neater squares.
2. Classic Pecan Pie
If your table expects a whole pecan pie, the Classic Pecan Pie is the one to make. The filling is the familiar brown sugar, butter, eggs and corn syrup base with a full cup and a half of pecans. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50–60 minutes, until the centre barely wobbles when you nudge the pan — it sets as it cools, so do not wait for it to look firm in the oven. Cool at least two hours before slicing.
3. Apple Pie with a Flaky Double Crust
Apple pie is the most forgiving Thanksgiving dessert to make ahead: bake it the day before, let it cool completely, and reheat slices at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Use a mix of tart and sweet apples — Granny Smith plus Honeycrisp is a reliable pair — so the filling holds its shape instead of turning to sauce. A tablespoon of cornstarch per five cups of sliced apples keeps the filling from running.
4. Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie is pumpkin pie’s southern cousin and a good answer for guests who say they do not like pumpkin. The filling is mashed sweet potato, butter, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a single crust. It bakes in about an hour and slices cleanly after two hours of cooling. It also pairs naturally with the Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows already on the table — same ingredient, two very different jobs.
5. Chocolate Cream Pie
For the guests who skip fruit pies entirely, chocolate cream pie is the answer, and the filling never goes in the oven: cooked chocolate custard poured into a baked crust, chilled until set, and topped with whipped cream just before serving. Make the crust and filling a day ahead; whip the cream on the day so it holds its shape.
6. Cranberry Crumble Bars
If you made Homemade Cranberry Sauce and have a cup left over, these bars are its second act. Spread the sauce over a shortbread base, crumble the remaining dough on top, and bake until the edges bubble. They keep three days at room temperature and are the easiest dessert on this list to pack for a guest to take home.
7. Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin cheesecake serves twelve from one springform pan, which makes it the most efficient showpiece dessert here. The base is a standard cheesecake batter with pumpkin purée, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg folded in, baked in a water bath at 325°F (165°C) until the centre still wobbles slightly. Chill overnight — cheesecake needs the full night to set and slice cleanly. Serve it alongside, not instead of, our Classic Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie so guests can compare.
8. Apple Crisp
Apple crisp is the dessert for when the turkey ran long and there is no time for a pie crust. Sliced apples, a brown sugar and oat topping, 45 minutes in the oven, and it comes out bubbling. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. It is the only dessert on this list best made on the day, and it is also the fastest — useful when the rest of the menu is already done.
9. Pumpkin Roll
A pumpkin roll looks impressive and is mostly assembly: a thin pumpkin sponge baked in a sheet pan, rolled while warm in a tea towel so it holds the curl, unrolled, spread with cream cheese filling, and rolled again. It slices into ten neat rounds, freezes well for up to a month, and thaws in the fridge overnight — the most freezer-friendly dessert in this roundup.
10. Bourbon Bread Pudding
Bread pudding turns stale bread into dessert, which makes it the practical choice the day after a big shop. Torn bread soaked in a custard of eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla, baked until puffed and golden, and served warm with a bourbon sauce. Make it the day before and reheat it covered at 325°F for 20 minutes. It feeds ten from a single 9×13-inch dish.
11. Maple Pumpkin Bars
Maple pumpkin bars are pumpkin pie in bar form, with maple syrup in place of some of the sugar and a streusel topping instead of a crust. They bake in a sheet pan, cut into 24 squares, and keep three days covered — the best traveller on this list alongside the pecan pie bars. They are also the easiest to double: two sheet pans, one oven, done.
12. Pear and Almond Tart
For guests who want something lighter after a heavy meal, a pear and almond tart is the graceful finish. Sliced pears fanned over almond frangipane in a tart shell, baked until the pears are tender and the edges are golden. It serves eight, keeps a day in the fridge, and looks like it took far more effort than it did.
13. Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate pecan pie is exactly what it sounds like: the classic pecan filling with cocoa and a handful of chocolate chips folded in. It wins over the guests who cannot decide between chocolate and pecan, and it bakes on the same schedule as a regular pecan pie — 50–60 minutes at 350°F, cooled two hours before slicing.
14. Cranberry Orange Cake
A cranberry orange bundt cake does double duty: dessert on Thanksgiving Day and breakfast the next morning with coffee. Fresh cranberries folded into an orange-scented batter, baked about an hour, and finished with a simple orange glaze. It keeps two days covered and slices well even a day later, which is more than most pies can say.
15. Keto Pumpkin Mousse
For low-carb guests, a keto pumpkin mousse is a real dessert, not an apology: pumpkin purée, cream cheese, heavy cream and pumpkin spice whipped together and chilled. It sets in the fridge in about two hours and serves six in small glasses. It draws on the same low-carb approach as our 15 Easy Keto Desserts — and it is the only dessert here with no baking at all.
How to plan the dessert table
Work backwards from dinner. Pies and cheesecake need a full night to chill and set, so bake them on Tuesday or Wednesday. Bars and cakes keep two to three days, so they can be baked Monday or Tuesday. The only day-of jobs should be whipping cream, reheating slices, and baking the apple crisp while everyone is eating dinner.
Oven space is the real constraint on Thanksgiving Day. The turkey owns the oven until it rests, and that resting window — 20 to 30 minutes — is when a crisp or a reheated pie goes in. Everything else should already be baked, cooled and waiting.
Storing leftovers
Most pies keep three to four days in the fridge, covered. Bars keep three days at room temperature or five in the fridge. Cheesecake keeps five days refrigerated. Anything with whipped cream topping should be eaten the same day or the cream will weep. And if there is pie left on Friday, that is what the Leftover Turkey Recipes crowd eats for breakfast — no judgement.
Frequently asked questions
How many desserts should I make for Thanksgiving?
Two for up to eight guests, three for twelve or more. One pie, one bar or cake that serves a crowd, and one make-ahead option so the oven stays free.
Which Thanksgiving desserts can I make ahead?
Almost all of them. Pies, cheesecake, bars and cakes all bake one to three days ahead. Only apple crisp and whipped cream toppings are day-of jobs.
What dessert goes with pumpkin pie?
Something contrasting: a chocolate cream pie, a fruit dessert like apple crisp, or a bar like pecan pie bars. Two pumpkin desserts on one table is one too many.
Can I freeze Thanksgiving desserts?
Yes — pumpkin roll, unbaked pie crusts, and most bars freeze well for up to a month. Baked fruit pies freeze too; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat at 350°F for 15 minutes. Do not freeze anything topped with whipped cream or meringue.
What is the best dessert for a potluck Thanksgiving?
Bars. Pecan pie bars, cranberry crumble bars and maple pumpkin bars all travel well, serve 24 from one pan, and need no slicing or serving dishes at the destination.
Do I need a dessert for guests who do not eat sugar?
The keto pumpkin mousse is the low-carb option on this list, and a fruit-based dessert like a lightly sweetened apple crisp works for guests who simply prefer less sugar. A small bowl of fresh fruit with cheese is a fine extra that needs no baking at all.
