You can serve Thanksgiving dessert without a pie by baking a pumpkin cheesecake, an apple crisp, a spice bundt cake, a pumpkin roll, or a tray of cookies. Those desserts still taste like the holiday, they are easier to transport than a fragile crust, and most of them can be made a day ahead. Use this shortlist with the Thanksgiving guide and the Thanksgiving desserts index, and keep classic pies in reserve if someone at the table still wants a slice: how to make pumpkin pie, how to make pecan pie, and how to make apple pie.
Start with a make-ahead cheesecake or crisp
A baked pumpkin cheesecake looks festive and slices cleanly after an overnight chill. Use a springform pan and a water bath so the top does not crack, then cool it completely before you refrigerate it. If you want something faster, an apple crisp is mostly fruit and a simple oat topping baked in a 9-by-13-inch dish. It does not need a bottom crust, and you can hold it at room temperature while dinner ends, then serve it warm with whipped cream.
Add a cake or a pumpkin roll for easy slicing
A pumpkin or spice bundt cake is a good second dessert when you are feeding a crowd, because one pan yields many thin slices. Grease the pan thoroughly, let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack so the pattern stays sharp. A pumpkin roll looks more dramatic than it is: bake a thin pumpkin sponge, turn it onto a towel, roll it while it is warm, then unroll, fill, and roll it again. Chill it before you slice. Both options travel better than a custard pie.
Finish with cookies and safe storage
Cookies are the easiest way to give children something to decorate while the main meal happens. Bake one reliable dough, cut simple leaf or turkey shapes, and let the icing stay optional. Refrigerate desserts that contain eggs, cream cheese, or whipped cream within 2 hours, keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, and plan to use leftovers within 3 to 4 days, the same window USDA gives for other cooked perishable foods. For crust troubleshooting on any pie you do still bake, see how to keep pie crust from getting soggy.
Frequently asked questions
What Thanksgiving dessert can I make if I do not want pie?
Bake a pumpkin cheesecake, an apple crisp, a bundt cake, a pumpkin roll, or a batch of cookies. Pick one make-ahead option and one that can sit out briefly after dinner.
Can I make these desserts the day before Thanksgiving?
Yes. Cheesecake, bundt cake, a pumpkin roll, and most cookies actually improve after a rest. Keep egg- and dairy-based desserts covered in the refrigerator.
Do non-pie desserts still need to be refrigerated?
Custard and cream-cheese desserts should be refrigerated within 2 hours. A plain bundt cake or crisp can sit out during the meal, then be covered; refrigerate anything with perishable toppings.
Helpful baking tools
- MALACASA 9-Inch Ceramic Pie Pan Set of 2 — Useful if you add a backup pie, and the extra dish can hold a crisp or a no-bake dessert.
- Pyrex Deep 9×13-Inch Glass Baking Dish with Lid — The right size for apple crisp, and the lid makes it easy to make ahead and chill.
- OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Digital Kitchen Food Scale — Weighing flour and pumpkin puree keeps cakes and cheesecakes consistent.
- OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk — A balloon whisk blends pumpkin batter and cheesecake filling without a lot of extra bowls.
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