Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas: Cakes, Cupcakes & Cookies
Thanksgiving dessert doesn’t have to stop at pumpkin pie!
If you’re looking for something a little different to add to your Thanksgiving table this year, I’ve gathered some of my favorite Thanksgiving dessert ideas in one place. There are cozy fall cakes, filled cupcakes, oversized frosted cookies, decorated sugar cookies and even cookies inspired by classic Thanksgiving pies.
Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner or bringing dessert to someone else’s house, there’s a little something here for everyone.
Easy Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas
I love having a variety of desserts on a Thanksgiving table.
Pie will always have its place, but adding a cake, a platter of cookies or a few different cupcakes gives everyone something to choose from—and makes the dessert table so much more fun.
Some of these desserts can also be made ahead, which is always helpful when the oven is already working overtime on Thanksgiving Day.
Here are a few of my favorites.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
For the chocolate lovers, this Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake is hard to beat.
Rich chocolate cake layers are filled and frosted with homemade caramel buttercream, then finished with homemade caramel dripping down the sides and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
It’s beautiful enough to be the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving dessert table, but the chocolate and caramel combination makes it a great cake to keep in your recipe collection year-round.
Apple Pie Cupcakes
If you love apple pie but want to serve something a little different, make Apple Pie Cupcakes!
These start with my vanilla bean cupcakes and have a surprise apple pie filling hidden inside. They’re topped with buttercream for a fun cupcake version of one of our favorite fall desserts.
You still get those cozy cinnamon-apple flavors without having to slice another pie.
Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cupcakes
These might be the ultimate Thanksgiving cupcake.
Soft pumpkin cupcakes are filled with gooey pecan pie filling and topped with caramel buttercream.
You get pumpkin cake, pecan pie and caramel all in one dessert!
Chai Smash Cookies
These oversized Chai Smash Cookies are soft, thick and filled with warm fall spices.
The cookies have a tender, cakey texture and are topped with a generous layer of vanilla bean buttercream and a little sprinkle of cinnamon or chai spice.
Serve them with coffee or tea after Thanksgiving dinner, or make them a day ahead so there’s one less thing to prepare on Thanksgiving.
Chai Smash Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Chai Spice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Chai Cookies:
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons prepared chai spice mixture
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chai spice.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix just until a thick, soft dough forms.
- Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
- Portion the dough into approximately 1/3-cup portions for large bakery-style cookies. Roll gently into balls and place several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Lightly flatten each dough ball with your palm or the bottom of a measuring cup. You want thick discs rather than thin cookies.
- Bake for 11–13 minutes.
- The edges should be set and may just begin to turn golden, but don’t wait for the centers to brown. Slightly underbaking them will help maintain that soft, cakey center.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Notes
– 1 cup salted butter, softened
– 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
– 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
– 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
– Pinch of salt, if needed
Beat the butter for 3–4 minutes until very light and fluffy.
Gradually mix in the powdered sugar.
Add the vanilla bean paste and 2 tablespoons cream. Beat for another 2–3 minutes.
Add additional cream as needed until the frosting is soft and easily spreadable but still holds its shape.
Spread a generous layer over each cooled chai cookie using a small offset spatula.
Finish with a very light dusting of the remaining chai spice.
Nutrition
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smash Cookies
Not every Thanksgiving dessert needs pumpkin or cinnamon!
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Smash Cookies start with an oversized, soft chocolate cookie and are topped with creamy peanut butter buttercream.
They’re rich, soft and cakey and such a good option for anyone who wants chocolate on the Thanksgiving dessert table.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smash Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookies:
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 3/4 cups cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Peanut Butter Buttercream:
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-5 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
Instructions
Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together for about 3 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- Mix in the sour cream.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- Scoop approximately 1/3 cup of dough per cookie.
- Roll gently into balls and place several inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.
- Lightly press each ball into a thick disc.
- Bake for approximately 11–13 minutes. The edges should look set while the centers remain soft.
- Don’t wait until the entire cookie looks completely baked—the cookies will continue setting as they cool.
- Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Cool completely before adding the peanut butter buttercream.
Peanut Butter Buttercream:
- Beat the butter and peanut butter together for 3–4 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar.
- Add the vanilla and 3 tablespoons cream.
- Beat for another 2–3 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add additional cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach a soft, easily spreadable consistency.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, add a generous scoop of peanut butter buttercream to the center of each cookie.
- Use a small offset spatula to spread the frosting almost to the edges, leaving some of the chocolate cookie visible around the outside
Nutrition
Thanksgiving Pie Cookies
Can’t decide which pie to make? Make cookies inspired by all three!
For this collection, we made:
Pumpkin Pie Cookies with cream cheese glaze
Pecan Pie Cookies with vanilla glaze
Apple Pie Cookies with cinnamon glaze
They’re such a cute way to get those classic Thanksgiving pie flavors in individual cookie form.
Arrange all three varieties together on a large platter for an easy Thanksgiving cookie tray.
Thanksgiving Sugar Cookies
You can’t have a Jenny Cookies dessert table without decorated sugar cookies!
Pumpkins and turkeys are perfect for Thanksgiving, and decorated cookies are especially nice because they can be made ahead and set out on a platter when it’s time for dessert.
Use my favorite sugar cookie recipe and buttercream frosting to create your own Thanksgiving cookie designs.
How to Build a Thanksgiving Dessert Table
You definitely don’t need to make every dessert on this list.
If I’m putting together a larger Thanksgiving dessert spread, I like choosing desserts with different flavors, textures and sizes.
Try combining:
That gives guests plenty of choices without needing five different cakes or pies.
Use cake stands and trays at different heights to give the table dimension, then fill in the empty spaces with smaller plates of cookies.
For a fall table, pumpkins, warm linens, candles and simple neutral serving pieces are really all you need.
Thanksgiving Desserts You Can Make Ahead
If you’re hosting, don’t save all of your baking for Thanksgiving morning.
Cookies are especially helpful because many can be baked ahead. Cake layers can also be baked in advance and wrapped until you’re ready to decorate.
For filled cupcakes and anything containing perishable fillings or frostings, follow the individual recipe’s storage directions.
Even making one or two components ahead can make Thanksgiving Day much easier.
What Dessert Should I Bring to Thanksgiving?
If you’re bringing dessert rather than hosting, I’d choose something that’s easy to transport and doesn’t require cutting or serving utensils.
Cookies and cupcakes are perfect for this.
A platter filled with chai smash cookies, chocolate peanut butter cookies and Thanksgiving pie cookies would be so fun to bring because guests can try more than one flavor.
If you’re responsible for the main Thanksgiving dessert, that’s when I’d go for the Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake.
More Than Just Pumpkin Pie
There will always be room for pie on our Thanksgiving table, but it’s fun to mix things up too!
From salted caramel chocolate cake and apple pie cupcakes to oversized chai cookies and decorated Thanksgiving sugar cookies, there are so many ways to bring fall flavors to the dessert table.
Pick a favorite…or make a few…and enjoy them with the people you love.
If you make any of these Thanksgiving dessert recipes, let me know which you chose!
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