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  1. Midwest Living
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  4. Our Best Thanksgiving Desserts

Our Best Thanksgiving Desserts

By Midwest Living editors Updated November 17, 2022
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Pecan't Pie
Credit: Adam Albright

Top off your Thanksgiving feast with our recipes for pumpkin pie, apple crisp, pumpkin cheesecake, praline layer cake and other holiday favorites.

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Pecan't Pie

Pecan't Pie
Credit: Adam Albright
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Gerard Klass, chef and co-owner of Soul Bowl in Minneapolis, created this genius sweet-and-salty pie. It calls for pretzels, so the nut allergy folks at the table can finally have in on the goodness of pecan pie.

Related: Come Together: A Soul Food Thanksgiving

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Hazelnut Pumpkin Cheesecake

Hazelnut Pumpkin Cheesecake
Credit: Brie Passano
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Trot this one out at Thanksgiving and watch those pies quake in their aluminum plates. Gingersnaps in the base and tangy sour cream topping balance the pumpkin-spice sweetness.

Related: Rich and Creamy Cheesecakes

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Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
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A whipped-cream-based spiced filling creates a lighter-tasting version of traditional pumpkin pie; the gingersnap crust adds more kick than classic crusts. "This is a fantastic recipe," writes one of our website reviewers. "You get the wonderful pumpkin in a light chiffon pie! A holiday must!"

Related: Favorite Holiday Pie Recipes

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Paradise Pumpkin Pie

Paradise Pumpkin Pie
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A cheesecake layer and nut topping help this pumpkin pie stand out from its peers. This recipe was a winner at the Morton, Illinois, Pumpkin Festival baking competition.

Related: Perfect Pumpkin Pies

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Brown Butter Apricot Bars

Brown Butter Apricot Bars
Credit: Brie Passano
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These deceptively delicious bars deliver the perfect, rich balance of sweet-tart fruit and buttery pastry.

Related: Our Best Bar Cookies

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Mommy's Pumpkin Pie

Mommy's Pumpkin Pie
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"This recipe is adapted from my mother's classic pumpkin pie," says Linda Hundt, owner of Sweetielicious Bakery Cafe in DeWitt, Michigan. "I added cream to make it a bit richer and orange zest for flavor." The result is a dark, mahogany pumpkin pie with ginger-cinnamon-clove spiciness.

Related: Pumpkin Recipes We Absolutely Love

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Caramel-Pecan French Silk Pie

Caramel-Pecan French Silk Pie
Credit: Mark Thomas
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Caramel and pecans form a gooey base for this chocolate dream pie. Make this decadent pie at least a day ahead so it has plenty of time to chill before guests arrive. Leaf-shape pastry bits create a festive finishing touch.

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Triple Pear Pie with Walnut Crust

Triple Pear Pie with Walnut Crust
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You can't mistake the fruit in this cardamom-spiced beauty. Pear nectar and dried pears complement thick slices of fresh, juicy Bosc pears.

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Pumpkin-Pecan Tassies

Pumpkin-Pecan Tassies
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These tiny pies, baked in a muffin tin, showcase the flavors of pumpkin and pecans in a one- or two-bite dessert.

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Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
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Apple butter lends extra sweetness and a slightly softer texture to classic pumpkin pie. The streusel topping adds crunch.

Related: Make Your Best Pie Ever

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Pumpkin-Praline Layer Cake

Pumpkin-Praline Layer Cake
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This nutty layer cake has a whipped cream topping over a moist filling of pumpkin, brown sugar, pecans, butter and more whipping cream. "What a beauty! Very impressive and pretty easy, too," writes one reviewer. "The praline layer is awesome!"

Related: Ultimate Cake Recipes

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Gooey Pecan Pie Bars

Gooey Pecan Pie Bars
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Not into pie? These sweet, nutty and oh-so-buttery bars are a guaranteed showstopper on any cookie tray.

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Red Velvet Cheesecake

Red Velvet Cheesecake
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We took the red velvet cake that we love and gave it a creamy twist. Don't let the red color fool you: The flavor is all chocolate.

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Cornmeal Pumpkin Cake with Dried Fruit Compote

Cornmeal Pumpkin Cake with Dried Fruit Compote
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Riesling-poached fruit and billowy whipped cream crown a dense spice cake inspired by ingredients from the first Thanksgiving.

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Crumb-Topped Apple Trio Pie

Crumb-Topped Apple Trio Pie
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Crisp on top, sweetly tender inside, this quintessential Thanksgiving dessert blends tart and sweet apples-Granny Smith, Jonagold and Braeburn-with sugar and cinnamon under a brown-sugar and walnut crumb topping.

Related: Favorite Apple Pie Recipes

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Danish Pastry Apple Bars

Danish Pastry Apple Bars
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This recipe for Danish Pastry Apple Bars comes from an Indiana teacher. "Excellent recipe!" says a reviewer. "It's just like apple pie in a cake pan."

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Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake
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This creamy, cool cheesecake is lightly flavored with pumpkin and spices, perfect with a cup of coffee after your Thanksgiving meal. The recipe comes from a Seeley, Wisconsin, restaurant.

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Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies
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Top cake-like pumpkin cookies with a smooth brown sugar and butter frosting, then dust with cinnamon for a bite-size Thanksgiving treat.

Related: Holiday Cookie Recipes to Treasure

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Chocolate Cream Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie
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The filling of this chocolate-crust pie is luscious, but not too rich. (Think old-fashioned chocolate pudding.) A bit of sour cream in the whipped topping balances the chocolate perfectly.

Related: Decadent Chocolate Desserts

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Cider-Spiked Apple and Pecan Tart

Cider-Spiked Apple and Pecan Tart
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Apples are gently cooked in butter, then arranged in a prebaked crust and brushed with jelly. The result is an edible work of art.

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Caramel Heavenlies

Caramel Heavenlies
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Graham crackers form the base for this bar cookie with layers of marshmallows, brown sugar, almonds and coconut. It's a holiday favorite from Georgine Simmonds of Genesee, Michigan.

Related: Favorite Family Holiday Recipes

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Double Chocolate-Espresso Truffle Pie

Double Chocolate-Espresso Truffle Pie
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Do you have a chocoholic in your family? Give them something to love with this ĂĽber-rich pie. For pretty chocolate curls, warm a bar of milk chocolate in your pocket or hand, then shave with a sharp vegetable peeler.

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Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
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This make-ahead bar cookie offers an irresistible stack of flavors: sweet graham cracker crust, rich chocolaty cheesecake, spicy pumpkin cheesecake and a topping of sour cream.

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Fantasy Chocolate Pie

Fantasy Chocolate Pie
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Dream about all the ingredients you'd like to see in a dessert, and you'll see why we named this Fantasy Chocolate Pie. It's made with three kinds of chocolate pieces (milk chocolate, semisweet, and semisweet-and-white- chocolate swirled)—plus coconut, pecans and almonds. For extra indulgence, top with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

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Ginger-Cinnamon Apple Crisp

Ginger-Cinnamon Apple Crisp
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"This is a twist on a popular dish and is one of my personal favorites," says April Osburn from the Clabber Girl Bake Shop in Terre Haute, Indiana. Thinly slice the apples so they get done in the allotted baking time.

Related: Cobbler and Crisp Recipes

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    View All

    1 of 25 Pecan't Pie
    2 of 25 Hazelnut Pumpkin Cheesecake
    3 of 25 Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
    4 of 25 Paradise Pumpkin Pie
    5 of 25 Brown Butter Apricot Bars
    6 of 25 Mommy's Pumpkin Pie
    7 of 25 Caramel-Pecan French Silk Pie
    8 of 25 Triple Pear Pie with Walnut Crust
    9 of 25 Pumpkin-Pecan Tassies
    10 of 25 Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
    11 of 25 Pumpkin-Praline Layer Cake
    12 of 25 Gooey Pecan Pie Bars
    13 of 25 Red Velvet Cheesecake
    14 of 25 Cornmeal Pumpkin Cake with Dried Fruit Compote
    15 of 25 Crumb-Topped Apple Trio Pie
    16 of 25 Danish Pastry Apple Bars
    17 of 25 Pumpkin Cheesecake
    18 of 25 Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies
    19 of 25 Chocolate Cream Pie
    20 of 25 Cider-Spiked Apple and Pecan Tart
    21 of 25 Caramel Heavenlies
    22 of 25 Double Chocolate-Espresso Truffle Pie
    23 of 25 Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
    24 of 25 Fantasy Chocolate Pie
    25 of 25 Ginger-Cinnamon Apple Crisp

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