Food & DrinkThanksgivingNewsTaste

Stunning Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes That Aren’t Pie

Cakes, tarts and custards that'll be the hit of the feast.
By 

Head of Life and Commerce

Everything Thanksgiving: Get all our Thanksgiving recipes, how-to’s and more!

It’s safe to say we’re big fans of pie. We believe that pumpkin, pecan and apple pie should be had in some form come Thanksgiving. But pie isn’t the only Thanksgiving dessert you should be making this year, especially when your holiday cake and tart options look this good.

Since Thanksgiving is a holiday to celebrate bounty of harvest, the best way to honor that is, without a doubt, to make a bounty of desserts — including at least one or two from the choices below. We’ve got luscious layer cakes, gooey custard cakes, spooned desserts and everything else that’s worth saving some extra room for after the big meal. Happy baking!

1
Half Baked Harvest
Salted Caramel Apple Snickers Cake
Get the Salted Caramel Apple Snickers Cake recipe from Half Baked Harvest
2
Hummingbird High
Clementine and Almond Syrup Bundt Cake
Get the Clementine and Almond Syrup Bundt Cake recipe from Hummingbird High
3
Half Baked Harvest
Pumpkin Nutella Crepe Cake
Get the Pumpkin Nutella Crepe Cake recipe from Half Baked Harvest
4
Completely Delicious
Maple Bundt Cake
Get the Maple Bundt Cake recipe from Completely Delicious
5
How Sweet It Is
Pumpkin S'Mores Tart
Get the Pumpkin S'Mores Tart recipe from How Sweet It Is
6
Life, Love & Sugar
Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake
Get the Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake recipe from Life, Love & Sugar
7
Half Baked Harvest
Cinnamon Apple Crumble Cake
Get the Cinnamon Apple Crumble Cake recipe from Half Baked Harvest
8
HuffPost
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Flan
Get the Salted Caramel Pumpkin Flan recipe from Hummingbird High
9
Adventures in Cooking
Rosemary Corn Cake With A Honey And Brown Butter Buttercream
Get the Rosemary Corn Cake with a Honey & Brown Butter Buttercream recipe from Adventures in Cooking
10
How Sweet It Is
No-Bake Bourbon Pecan Pie Cheesecakes
Get the No-Bake Bourbon Pecan Pie Cheesecakes recipe from How Sweet It Is
11
I Am Baker
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
Get the Chocolate Pumpkin Cake recipe from I Am Baker
12
Half Baked Harvest
Gooey Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Custard Cake
Get the Gooey Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Custard Cake recipe from Half Baked Harvest
13
Brown Eyed Baker
Salted Caramel Apple Cake
Get the Salted Caramel Apple Cake recipe from Brown Eyed Baker
14
Minimalist Baker
One-Bowl Apple Gingerbread Cake
Get the One-Bowl Apple Gingerbread Cake recipe from Minimalist Baker
15
Sally's Baking Addiction
Cranberry Apple Upside-Down Cake
Get the Cranberry Apple Upside-Down Cake recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction
16
mookies/Food52
Pecan Pie Cheesecake
Get the Pecan Pie Cheesecake recipe from mookies via Food52
17
Always With Butter
Classic Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Get the Classic Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from Always With Butter
18
Life, Love & Sugar
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
Get the Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake recipe from Life, Love & Sugar
19
Gimme Some Oven
Pumpkin Roll
Get the Pumpkin Roll recipe from Gimme Some Oven
20
i am baker
Caramel Cake With Apple Cider Whipped Cream
Get the Caramel Cake With Apple Cider Whipped Cream recipe from i am baker
21
A Spicy Perspective
Pumpkin Spice Cake With Maple Frosting
Get the Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Frosting recipe from A Spicy Perspective

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

Baking Steels For Making The Perfect Pies
The Original Baking Steel(01 of06)
Open Image Modal
This U.S.-made, “virtually indestructible” baking steel measures 16 inches by 14.25 inches and weighs a hefty 16 pounds. It can be used in home ovens and over grills and campfires. It comes pre-seasoned and was developed by a man whose family has been in the steel business for more than 40 years.

Get it from The Original Baking Steel for $119. (credit:The Original Baking Steel)
NerdChef Steel Stone(02 of06)
Open Image Modal
The two holes at the corners of this baking steel make it easier to handle as you’re moving it in and out of the oven. It measures 14.5 inches by 16 inches and is a quarter-inch thick. The NerdChef Steel Stone boasts a low-friction surface that’s textured, sanded smooth and pre-seasoned with flaxseed oil.

Get it from Amazon for $109.99. (credit:Amazon)
De Buyer Blue Steel Pizza Pan(03 of06)
Open Image Modal
This round pan comes in three sizes and a perforated option for each size, and can be used for pizza (for a crispy, perfectly golden crust), tarts, roasted vegetables, pie and more. It’s made of 100% blue steel, which gets darker and more nonstick with every use. For an extra crispy pizza crust, go for the perforated version, but the non-perforated pan has more versatile applications.

Get it from Food52 from $24.95 to $34.95. (credit:Food52)
Sur La Table Baking Steel(04 of06)
Open Image Modal
A Sur La Table exclusive, this baking steel is made of 100% recycled steel and is heat-safe up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, which is much more than you’ll need for baking pie crust, but still impressive. The manufacturer claims the quarter-inch steel won’t shatter or crack, and it’s easy to clean up with some gentle soap and warm water.

Get it from Sur La Table for $99.99. (credit:Sur La Table)
9-inch aluminized steel pie pan(05 of06)
Open Image Modal
These (and the next set, too) are similar to the pans that Baldwin suggests using with baking steels.

Get it from Amazon for $15.97. (credit:Amazon)
A set of two nonstick 9-inch pie pans(06 of06)
Open Image Modal
Get a set of two from Amazon for $10.80. (credit:Amazon)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

This Affordable Drugstore Cream Might Be The Closest Thing To The Famous La Mer

This Seemingly Silly Luxury Is Actually Important For Your Pet's Health

This Purse Was Made For Travel — And It's On Sale At The Lowest Price It's Been All Year

This $4 Cat Toy Is 'Worth Its Weight In Gold' — And Behaviorists Say There's A Reason

These Leakproof Swim Goggles Are A 'Lifesaver' For Your Next Vacation

MORE IN LIFE

Money

7 Surprising Money ‘Rules’ Most People Don’t Know (But Should)

Parenting

I’m Taking Ozempic. Here’s What I’m Telling My Kids.

Style & Beauty

5 Good Signs Your Skin Is Actually Aging Well

Wellness

I’m A Spine Doctor. Here’s 1 Thing I’d Never, Ever Do If I Had Back Pain.

Parenting

The Most Ridiculous Things People Say To Multiracial Families

Travel

The 1 Big Mistake You Should Never, Ever Make With Your Passport

Relationships

5 Signs Your Partner May Have An Avoidant Attachment Style

Life

6 Signs Your Dog Is Happy

Shopping

This Skin Serum Is A Secret Weapon For Shrinking Large Pores — And It's On Sale

Shopping

Right Now, This Affordable Stanley Tumbler Look-A-Like Is On Sale For Even Less

Shopping

This Luxury Moisturizer Is Very Rarely On Sale — So Act Fast

Life

The Nasty Truth About 'Poo Plumes' — And How To Protect Yourself From Them

Shopping

This Palestinian Olive Oil Soap Is The Best I’ve Ever Used

Shopping

The 'Unsexy' Beauty Products That My Algorithm Keeps Suggesting Are Actually Pretty Great

Shopping

Skin Care Gems Reviewers Say Save Them During Flights & Beyond

Shopping

12 Cute And Comfortable Garden Clogs That Aren’t Crocs

Shopping

37 Ways To Make Your Backyard Look Like An 'After' Shot On HGTV

Shopping

HuffPost Readers Love This Ultra-Comfortable Sneaker — And It Just Got An Upgrade

Life

Why Drew Barrymore’s Interview With Kamala Harris Was So Cringey

Shopping

This Luxury Moisturizer Is Very Rarely On Sale — So Act Fast

Shopping

6 Reasons To *Love* Your Sam’s Club Membership

Paid for by Sam's Club
Shopping

This Popular Dyson Vacuum Is On Sale At A Surprisingly Low Price

Shopping

These Shoe Inserts Promise Heavy-Duty Support — And They're 30% Off

Shopping

This Magical $5 Gel Banishes Grime From So Many Nooks And Crannies

Shopping

This Incredibly Hydrating French Moisturizer Is Hiding In Plain Sight Online

Shopping

Gabriel García Márquez Wanted His Final Novel Destroyed. Here’s Why His Sons Published It Anyway.

Shopping

This Genius Gadget Lets You Stare At Your Screen Hands-Free, No Arm Strength Required

Shopping

These Genius Security Products Will Help You Enjoy The Beach While Safeguarding Your Valuables

Shopping

27 Home Decor Pieces From Target That Might Be The Best $20 You’ve Ever Spent

Shopping

Our Readers Are Shopping These Air Purifiers In Droves — And They’re Worth Every Penny

Shopping

33 Products To Help With All Your Ickiest Problems

Wellness

5 Sneaky Signs Your Doctor Is Gaslighting You

Relationships

Want A Better Sex Life? Then It's Time To Embrace 'Outercourse.'

Shopping

These Shoe Inserts Promise Heavy-Duty Support — And They're 30% Off

Shopping

These Noise-Canceling Headphones Are Highly Coveted — And They're $100 Off Right Now

Life

31 Tweets That Will Make Sense To Anyone Who Is A Taurus

Shopping

The Best Shoe Brands For Kids, According To Podiatrists

Shopping

My Holy Grail Skin-Perfecting Cream Is On Rare Sale Right Now

Life

This Box Office Bomb Is The Top Movie On Hulu Right Now

Shopping

These Are HuffPost Readers’ All-Time Favorite Walking Shoes For Men And Women