Food and Recipes Desserts 30 Thanksgiving Desserts That Are Not Pie By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 21, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez In the South, bringing homemade pies to Thanksgiving dinner is as common as bringing hot casseroles to a neighbor. Although greatly appreciated, it's often expected. Seasonal cakes and cookies can go unnoticed during the holiday season, but we are here to give them their moment in the spotlight. Serve the unexpected this holiday season. Put your collection of pies on the backburner, and try an autumnal cake or cookie instead. These signature cakes, cookies, and bars will be the star of the show against a very saturated pie spread. We've collected Thanksgiving treats that are even better than pies. From Pear Upside-Down Cake to Spiced Pecan Pie Bars, these stunning desserts will make you forget about all about that pumpkin pie. Refresh your Thanksgiving dessert spread with one of these irresistible treats. 01 of 29 Pumpkin Spice Magic Cake Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox An impressive Bundt cake that is as delicious as it is stunning. It uses a rich and thick Mexican caramel sauce called cajeta to add sweet and bitter notes to this pumpkin spiced dessert. 02 of 29 Caramel Apple Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez This showstopping cake is drizzled with homemade caramel sauce. But the best part? It only requires 20 minutes of hands-on cooking. 03 of 29 Spiced Pecan Pie Bars Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Swap out the pecan pie for these bite-sized treats. For an extra festive touch, finish the bars with a drizzle of dark chocolate. 04 of 29 Butterscotch-Toasted Oatmeal Cookies Linda Pugliese These soft and chewy oatmeal cookies are richly filled with butterscotch chips and toasted oats, but you can add in chocolate chips for an even sweeter cookie fix. 05 of 29 Fresh Apple Cake Hannah Zimmerman/Southern Living The combination of apple, nuts, and warm spices can't be beat. Topped with swirls of cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans, this sheet cake is a simple but satisfying way to end your Thanksgiving meal. 06 of 29 Caramel Apple Coffee Cake Photo: Jennifer Davick Grab fresh apples from the farmer's market and whip up this decadent apple cake. 07 of 29 Chocolate Torte Micah Leal This cake is the perfect chocolate-filled finish to a hearty Thanksgiving dinner. Serving it with freshly whipped cream is optional, but highly advised. 08 of 29 Pumpkin Layer Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting Alison Gootee; Styling: Suzonne Stirling Pumpkin and caramel join forces to make this award-worthy dessert. It can also be made up to three days in advance to help free up some oven space for the rest of the Thanksgiving cooking on the big day. 09 of 29 Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake Greg DuPree This rich, three-layer cake will fulfill everyone's sweet tooth. A sprinkle of flaky salt over the top is both a pretty decorative touch and a great way to balance the sweetness of the frosting. 10 of 29 Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies Caitlin Bensel These old-fashioned cookies are Granny's signature dessert. And just like when she used to make them, there won't be any leftovers the next day. 11 of 29 Pear Upside-Down Cake Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Everyone loves the magic of an upside-down cake. Topped with caramelized pears, this cake is more impressive than any classic pie. 12 of 29 Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes Photographer: Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Erin Merhar; Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee Nothing says fall quite like Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes. Made in a muffin tin, they're the perfect sized dessert for serving after a giant Thanksgiving feast. 13 of 29 Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Set out a tin of these sugary treats, and they will be gone in seconds. 14 of 29 Southern Sweet Potato Cake Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Erin Merhar Talk about a sugar rush—this sugary Sweet Potato Cake is covered in brown sugar icing. 15 of 29 Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Micah A. Leal Trust us, you won't be able to resist this simple and easy cheesecake. It has a caramelized finish that cracks just like the classic dessert it's inspired by. 16 of 29 Brown Sugar-Rum Cake Southern Living This extra creamy cake is oh-so heavenly. If you want to skip the alcohol, you can replace the rum icing with a cream cheese frosting instead. 17 of 29 Brown Butter-Maple-Pecan Blondies Linda Pugliese These blondies are sure to be a crowd favorite, make sure to use high-quality maple syrup for a sweeter taste. 18 of 29 Pecan Pie Brownies Micah A. Leal Decadent and gooey, these brownies will melt in your mouth. 19 of 29 Pecan Snowball Cookies Micah A. Leal Start your holiday cookie baking a little early this year. These Southern classic cookies are coated in powdered sugar and stuffed with crushed pecans. 20 of 29 Pecan Tassies Micah A. Leal These indulgent Pecan Tassies have the best of both worlds, by combining pecan pie and shortbread cookies. 21 of 29 Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley Would you believe us if we said that this no-bake recipe has only four ingredients? 22 of 29 Praline Mini Cakes Southern Living These sugary Bundt cakes are the perfect bite-sized treat—no sharing required. 23 of 29 Wacky Cake Will Dickey; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Thanksgiving is stressful as is, make dessert an easy, slam dunk with an old-school Wacky Cake. Everything comes together in the pan and it requires only a few pantry staples to pull it off. 24 of 29 Pumpkin-Chocolate Brownies Greg DuPree The addition of pumpkin elevates classic brownies and turns them into ooey-gooey treats. 25 of 29 Old-Fashioned Caramel Cake Courtney West You can't go wrong with a classic caramel cake. Just remember to allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting, or the caramel icing won't adhere. 26 of 29 Apple Dumplings With Bourbon-Caramel Sauce Greg Dupree This easy recipe starts with store-bought pie dough and uses bourbon to spice up the caramel sauce topping on this old-fashioned apple dessert. 27 of 29 Apple Rose Tart Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Christina Daley We promise that this impressive looking apple dessert is easier than you think to make. You will have to do a bit of slicing however, so start sharpening your knives. 28 of 29 Pumpkin Spice Battenberg Greg DuPree This cake is not your typical layer cake. When sliced, it reveals layers of jam and sponge cake configured in a checkered pattern, all wrapped in a thin and sweet layer of marzipan. 29 of 29 White Cake With Cranberry Filling And Orange Buttercream Courtney West Don't reserve the cranberries solely for the sauce, use them to make a beautiful and flavorful Thanksgiving dessert as well. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit