38 Unexpected Desserts for Thanksgiving

Pecan Cream Cake

Like many traditional Emirati desserts, luscious pumpkin porridge (in Arabic it’s a halvah, or sweet food) straddles the line between sweet and savory. The dish thickens as it cools, so be sure to serve it while it’s still quite warm.

Use up leftover pumpkin or squash puree in a sweet, spiced ice cream.

Layers of spiced sweet potato cake alternate with marshmallowy meringue icing in a rich dessert that’s a riff on the classic Thanksgiving side.

All the traditional flavors of pumpkin pie combine in this satisfying, creamy mousse. Get the recipe for Pumpkin and Bourbon Mousse »

Rum and gingersnaps add a spicy, warming flavor to this rich fall dessert. Get the recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake »

Serve this spiced ice cream on its own or scooped on top of warm fruit crisps, cobblers, or pies, particularly apple.

The dessert’s delicate texture is achieved by cooking the cheesecake in a bain-marie, a water bath made by surrounding the springform pan with boiling water. Both the desserts need to be made at least a day before serving, and the ice cream can be made up to a week before serving.To save yourself more time on Thanksgiving day, you can also make the soup and the chutney up to two days ahead. Get the recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap and Hazelnut Crust »

The silky, custardlike base of this autumnal pie is made from sweetened navy bean purée spiced with nutmeg, vanilla, and cinnamon. Get the recipe for Navy Bean Pie »

Creamy custard sweetened with maple syrup makes a lovely ending to any meal. Get the recipe for Maple Pot de Crème »

Applesauce adds moisture and sweet apple flavor in a lovely cinnamon-spiced, autumnal cake. Get the recipe for Spice Applesauce Cake »

Shredded carrots turn soft and sweet in this cardamom-spiced rice pudding.

This batter also makes delicious muffins, perfect for a day-after-Thanksgiving brunch.

Alternating layers of white and brown spiced cake are delicious sandwiched with a rich, chocolate fudge icing.

A refreshing, seasonal ice cream is a satisfying way to end your Thanksgiving meal. See the recipe for Apple Cider-Cinnamon Ice Cream »

A welcome addition to the holiday table, this simple frosted layer cake can be made with either canned or homemade puréed pumpkin.

This recipe, from Fore Street restaurant in Portland, Maine, calls for using six 4″ steel blini pans. But you can make a single cake in an 8″ cast-iron skillet, if you prefer. If fresh or frozen cranberries aren’t available, use reconstituted dried berries. Get the recipe for Apple and Cranberry Upside-Down Cakes »

There’s nothing like homemade rice pudding—creamy, sweet, and comforting. The brown sugar lends a caramel-like sweetness, while cinnamon and rum-soaked raisins add warmth and depth. Get the recipe for Cinnamon Rice Pudding »

This sweet-tart conserve is a luscious accompaniment to ice cream. It also adds a fruity dimension when stirred into champagne.

This variation on a classic French pound cake, in which ingredient quantities are determined by relative weight, uses olive oil instead of butter for a light, fresh flavor. The recipe was developed by SAVEUR contributor Nancy Harmon Jenkins, who recommends using a Polder Kitchen Scale for accurate measure.

Apples are roasted in wine and butter for this sweet and spicy dessert, a staple of holiday markets throughout Germany.

A supremely moist, boozy Southern bundt cake fitting for any holiday spread.

Dough studded with dried cranberries and a drizzle of sweet, cinnamon-spiced glaze take oatmeal cookies from ordinary to perfect.

This twist on traditional pecan pie provides a snack-able ending to the holiday feast. This recipe first appeared in our November 2012 issue along with Ben Mims’s story Sugar and Spice. Get the recipe for Pecan Pie Brittle »

Replacing bread with chocolate spice cake adds richness and dark chocolate flavor to this pudding.

The gooey filling in this tart is held together by a rye flour crust that gets its structure, and depth, from chocolate. Get the recipe for Honey-Nut Tart with Chocolate Rye Crust »

The warm flavor of maple syrup enhances rich dumplings in a super-simple, comforting dessert.

Acadian Syrup Cake »

Impress your guests with a show-stopping layer cake stuffed with a luscious custard filling and topped with meringue frosting.

Serve this simple, elegant ice cream with fresh fruit or on top of warm bread pudding. See the recipe for Honey Ice Cream »

Fuji apples hold their shape perfectly when baked and coated in caramel.

Vanilla ice cream makes the perfect topper for a warm, molasses-sweetened Indian Pudding.

This Mexican take on a Cajun-style bread pudding is studded with cubes of squash and plump raisins.