30 Thanksgiving Desserts That Are Not Pie

Caramel Apple Cake — 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.

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Pumpkin Spice Magic Cake

Pumpkin Spice 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.

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Caramel Apple Cake

This showstopping cake is drizzled with homemade caramel sauce. But the best part? It only requires 20 minutes of hands-on cooking.

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Spiced Pecan Pie Bars

Swap out the pecan pie for these bite-sized treats. For an extra festive touch, finish the bars with a drizzle of dark chocolate.

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Butterscotch-Toasted Oatmeal Cookies

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.

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Fresh Apple Cake

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.

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Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Grab fresh apples from the farmer's market and whip up this decadent apple cake.

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Chocolate Torte

This cake is the perfect chocolate-filled finish to a hearty Thanksgiving dinner. Serving it with freshly whipped cream is optional, but highly advised.

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Pumpkin Layer Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting

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.

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Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake

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.

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Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

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.

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Pear Upside-Down Cake

Everyone loves the magic of an upside-down cake. Topped with caramelized pears, this cake is more impressive than any classic pie.

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Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

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.

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Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

Set out a tin of these sugary treats, and they will be gone in seconds.

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Southern Sweet Potato Cake

Talk about a sugar rush—this sugary Sweet Potato Cake is covered in brown sugar icing.

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Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

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.

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Brown Sugar-Rum Cake

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.

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Brown Butter-Maple-Pecan Blondies

These blondies are sure to be a crowd favorite, make sure to use high-quality maple syrup for a sweeter taste.

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Pecan Pie Brownies

Decadent and gooey, these brownies will melt in your mouth.

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Pecan Snowball Cookies

Start your holiday cookie baking a little early this year. These Southern classic cookies are coated in powdered sugar and stuffed with crushed pecans.

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Pecan Tassies

These indulgent Pecan Tassies have the best of both worlds, by combining pecan pie and shortbread cookies.

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Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

Would you believe us if we said that this no-bake recipe has only four ingredients?

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Praline Mini Cakes

These sugary Bundt cakes are the perfect bite-sized treat—no sharing required.

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Wacky Cake

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.

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Pumpkin-Chocolate Brownies

The addition of pumpkin elevates classic brownies and turns them into ooey-gooey treats.

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Old-Fashioned Caramel Cake

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.

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Apple Dumplings With Bourbon-Caramel Sauce

A large apple dumpling covered in bourbon-caramel sauce sits on a slate plate next to a copper fork — 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.

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Apple Rose Tart

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.

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Pumpkin Spice Battenberg

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.

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