Is it even Thanksgiving without a Thanksgiving dessert? This national winter holiday is begging for something deeply aromatic, frosted, and sticky sweet. In this article I include show-stopping desserts that are a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Perfect for entertaining and impressing a large crowd, these desserts are plain dazzling. Some are safe for those with sensitivities, too! I hope you enjoy this collection of amazing desserts!
What Is Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is an annual National holiday in the United States and Canada. Usually on the last Thursday week of November, Thanksgiving is a day to remember a time where the pilgrims faced severe poverty and were looked after by the Native Americans. hardship and of provision that the pilgrims experienced.
I love that the US stops everything to observe and remember a time when cultures collided and looked after each other during a time of extreme hardship. To me, this is the best kind of historical moment to commemorate. In New Zealand, we have nothing like this national holiday, and it is a shame because generosity and selflessness needs to be ritually recognised.
Sharing a meal together is so intimate and so personal. It’s different to signing peace or independence documents. I love that the Thanksgiving Holiday is observed by breaking bread together, by connecting with each other. It’s about relationship.
Why it’s important to be Thankful
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday because it creates an opportunity to take stock of what we have that we can be grateful for.
I like to think of myself as a thankful, grateful person, but to be honest, thankfulness requires intentionality. This national holiday puts thankfulness in the spotlight and guides people to perceive their blessings (which they possibly didn’t recognise as blessings before).
Having an attitude of thankfulness is a weapon against depression and anxiety. Being thankful helps us to see our circumstances through a more empowering lens. When we are thankful, we are mobilised to do more.
The Bible actually requires us to be thankful in all circumstances. It is God’s will for us (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). God is not sadistic and requires us to be thankful simply to bend us to his will. No, it is his will for us to have life and life abundantly, and being thankful is a way in which we can achieve that.
When we are thankful, we perceive our life as being abundant. But our perceptions are powerful – when we perceive our lives as abundant, we enjoy abundance. It’s all about perception.
What is the opposite of thankfulness? Despair. Depression. Resentment. None of these are good for us, are they? No. They rob us of life.
So be intentional about being Thankful! Then your life will abound with good things.
It’s not Thanksgiving without Dessert
I don’t know about you, but I have a really strong sweet tooth. For me, dinner is not over until dessert has been consumed. Dessert is just a little something which makes me very happy. Thankful, if you will!
To have Thanksgiving without Dessert…well, it’s unheard of, isn’t it? The table needs to be groaning with Thanksgiving desserts. Then the party can really begin!
3 Thanksgiving Dessert Tips
If you are making a dessert to bring to a party, or as host, then here are my 3 top tips to avoid stress and keep you in a thankful frame of mind.
- Make ahead – consider making your dessert the day before or even a week before your party (if it can be frozen, such as a cake). Desserts can be pretty finnicky and sometimes they don’t turn out, just when you want them to! If you make them ahead of time, then you don’t have to deal with a failed dessert the day of, plus you can relax closer to the time. It’s really hard to engage with people when you are anxious, and this is a time to connect with people, not to be worrying about dessert.
- Keep it simple – the last thing you need is to be dealing with lots of different thanksgiving desserts or components or garnishes. Stick to one spectacular dessert, such as a large cake, and let your focus be making that really delicious. If you spread yourself over lots of different treats, they could turn out mediocre. All people need is one really amazing dessert to make them impressed. Then, just buy ice cream or whipped cream to pair with it.
- Think about your guests – it is so common in this age to be sensitive to something – nuts, dairy, gluten, even eggs! But there are also a wealth of delicious thanksgiving desserts that don’t contain any of these (like this one), which everyone will enjoy. Do your research with plenty of time to plan and execute – that will save a lot of stress on the day!
27 Warming Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes that will Wow your Sweet Tooth
It's sweet and spice and all things nice with all these electrifying Thanksgiving desserts. From Apple Cinnamon Cakes, to Sweet Potato Treats, you will find something to love in this list of delectable sweets.
A cheesecake for fall (that isn’t pumpkin!): this wonderfully creamy cheesecake is made with reduced fresh apple cider which gives it a tangy, tart and most autumn-like apple flavor.
This Healthy Vegan Banana Cake is made using Sourdough Discard. It is sugar free, butter free, and can be long – fermented, too! Super delicious topped with your favourite frosting.
In the mood for a show-stopping fall dessert? This moist pumpkin layer cake is all of that and more. This is the best pumpkin cake I have ever made and I hope you try it too. The cake itself is full of pumpkin flavor, has the perfect texture, and is the perfect treat for pumpkin season.
This cake has a juicy, lemony burst of sunshine in every bite! It is my favourite recipe for sourdough discard, to date. So sweet and tart, it is a refreshing treat for any day of the week, because it is super budget-friendly. Not to mention vegan and sugar-free, too – this cake ticks all the boxes.
This Toffee Pecan Caramel Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting is every bit as delicious as it sounds. It will become an instant family favorite!
This Healthy Vanilla cake is delicately sweet, moist, with crunchy edges. Such a comforting something-something for after dinner, elevenses or even as a dainty afternoon tea.
This Light And Fluffy Pistachio Cake Is flecked With ground pistachios and flavored with just the right amount of almond extract. It’s Absolutely Divine! One bite of this pistachio cake is all you need. It truly is love at first bite! Buttery, nutty, and topped with a sweet and slightly tangy frosting.
This Vegan Pineapple Cake is just like a Pina Colada. With a juicy sweet pineapple flavoured cake, and a luscious coconut frosting, you can serve up your favourite cocktail as a delicious dessert!
This Vegan Chocolate Mousse Tart is the perfect end to any dressy dinner party, yet light enough to have any night of the week. Made from simple, whole ingredients, this no bake mousse tart gives you bang for your buck!
The moisture and delicate flavor in zucchini always make cakes amazingly moist!! This one is no exception.
Peanut Butter Cookie Dessert is layer upon layer of cookies, peanut butter, pudding, and whipped topping. And then, a few Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are sprinkled on top. It’s an indulgent no-bake treat you will love!
This is a miraculous cake - rich and caramelly, and you would never guess it is refined sugar-free, let alone harboring a secretive vegetable!
A stunning Gingerbread Cake with two thick, moist layers of spiced gingerbread cake and big generous swirls of sweet cinnamon cream cheese frosting on top!
This recipe for Chocolate Mouse is SO easy and makes a luscious, rich dessert. No separating eggs, no fiddling round with dairy. This can be made so quickly, and then chilled in the fridge.
This custard-based pie is made with apple butter and topped with a layer of cinnamon sugar - all baked in a flaky gluten free pie crust!
This utterly divine dessert cake is rich and aromatic, teeming with that woody coffee flavour. You would hardly believe how healthy it is - plant based, refined sugar-free, dairy free and egg-free. This makes a massive cake to feed a crowd.
This Low Lactose Cheesecake is creamy and subtly flavoured with Caramelised Peaches. Topped with a optional whipped White Chocolate Ganache, this cake is sure to impress everyone!
Liv From Bake has transformed a traditional Thanksgiving side dish into the perfect dessert with this Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Frosting. Yum!
This White Chocolate Mousse Tart is utterly sublime. The mousse is the easiest in the world to make, and uses only 3 ingredients! No separation of eggs required! It is a silky, sophisticated dessert that will finish off your meal with a sweet bang.
Sicilian whole orange cake is a moist and delicious crowd-pleasing dessert. It is called a whole orange cake, because the entire orange is used, peel and all. Perfect for any occasion, but such a treat with a cup of tea or coffee.
This Caramelised Peach Cake is a rich sweet treat - but super budget-friendly. There are no odd or expensive ingredients in this cake. And with the added benefits of Sourdough and fermentation, it is good for you, too!
This Italian Cream Cake has a pumpkin cream cheese frosting that makes this a winning combination. This dessert is perfect for the holidays or any occasion. This is a moist and family favorite cake that the Happy Happy Nester has been making for years.
This sweet potato pie features hints of bourbon and vanilla, lots of cinnamon and spice, and tastes phenomenal paired with creamy marshmallow meringue on top. Make the pie dough ahead of time so it’s ready to be filled once the sweet potato filling is complete.
This Cinnamon Apple Cake is large, fluffy and ever-so-cinnamony. It is decadently topped with a thick, creamy coconut frosting. You would never guess that this delicious dessert is Vegan and Refined Sugar Free!
This delicious cake is from Chenee Today. It is an old-fashioned butter pecan cake with cream cheese frosting. How incredible does it look! It's got brown butter in the butter pecan cake frosting and in the cake layers. It's the best butter pecan cake recipe and a perfectly decadent 6-inch celebration cake for special occasions!
This Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake is everything a Carrot Cake should be: large, spicy, fluffy and caramelly-sweet, with a thick, creamy frosting. You would never guess that it was secretly healthy!
