17 Make-Ahead Desserts for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving
Save yourself from the hassle on Thanksgiving Day with these delicious, make-ahead desserts. You can prep them the day before and serve it up to your guests on the day of the feast, saving precious time and effort!
Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
![Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Snickerdoodle-Pumpkin-Cheesecake-Cookies.jpg)
Snickerdoodle pumpkin cheesecake cookies are a must-try this fall season! They are full of your favorite fall flavors—the best take on classic cookies. They are incredibly delicious and soft, with a tangy, creamy cheesecake filling—not to forget the pumpkin spice!
Go to the recipe: Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
![Double Layer Pumpkin Pie.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Double-Layer-Pumpkin-Pie.jpg)
With a mousse-like consistency and crunchy graham cracker crust, this no bake double layer pumpkin pie will knock your holiday socks off this year! This divine dessert comprises a homemade biscuit crumb crust filled with layers of yummy light, airy cream cheese, and pumpkin pie fillings topped with a lightly sweetened cream cheese decoration. This layered pumpkin pie is refined and impressive but ridiculously easy to make!
Go to the recipe: Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers
![Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Puff-Pastry-Apple-Turnovers.jpg)
Baked to golden brown perfection, these delicious puff pastry apple turnovers are flaky and crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside, filled with cinnamon-spiced sweet apples. Easier to make than apple pie, they are made using a combination of store-bought puff pastry and fresh-cooked apples. With this yummy recipe, you can have your own personal-size handheld hot apple pie in less than an hour with minimal effort!
Go to the recipe: Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers
Pumpkin Custard Pie
![Pumpkin custard pie.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Pumpkin-custard-pie-06985-1.jpg)
This is hands down the best pumpkin custard pie recipe for Thanksgiving. It features a flaky, buttery pie crust filled with silky, creamy, incredible, delicious pumpkin custard flavored with aromatic orange zest and nutmeg. This Pumpkin pie is made without evaporated milk yet super rich, smooth, and full of Fall flavors everyone loves!
Go to the recipe: Pumpkin Custard Pie
Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
![Pecan Chocolate Chip cookies.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Pecan-Chocolate-Chip-cookies-07174-1.jpg)
Making pecan chocolate chip cookies is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to celebrate the fall flavors we love! Luxurious chocolate chip cookies loaded with pecans, cinnamon, brown butter, and brown sugar make the cookies wonderfully rich yet very well-balanced in sweetness with added sea salt. These cookies are chewy on the outside and gooey on the inside, with deep chocolate and nutty flavors. They are a must-try during Fall or even Thanksgiving!
Go to the recipe: Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Hand Pies
![Pumpkin Hand Pies.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pumpkin-Hand-Pies.jpg)
With creamy pumpkin filling and a buttery, flaky crust, these adorable pumpkin hand pies are a fun and easy dessert to add to your Thanksgiving dinner table. They are a portable alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie served during October and November. You won’t want to stop at just one of these addictive mini pumpkin-shaped pies!
Go to the recipe: Pumpkin Hand Pies
Oatmeal Craisin Cookies
![Oatmeal Craisin Cookies.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Oatmeal-Craisin-Cookies.jpg)
This oatmeal craisin cookies recipe is the ultimate soft and chewy cookie treat to make over the holidays and beyond! Making these healthy oatmeal cranberry cookies is easy yet provides a luxurious cookie experience. The cookies are loaded with craisin, cinnamon, and brown sugar, making them wonderfully rich yet very well-balanced in sweetness.
Go to the recipe: Oatmeal Craisin Cookies
Apple Crumble Pie
![Apple Crumble pie with ice cream.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Apple-Crumble-pie-06033-1.jpg)
This mouthwatering apple crumble pie will knock the socks off of your guests this holiday season! Made with fresh apples, sweet apple crumble, and a flaky, buttery pie crust, it will be impossible not to return for seconds. Serve it with a bowl of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for the ultimate dessert!
Go to the recipe: Apple Crumble Pie
Apple Pie Cookies
![Apple Pie Cookies.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Apple-Pie-Cookies.jpg)
These irresistible apple pie cookies will be the talk of the table this holiday season! Made with fresh apples and a sweet, delicious apple pie filling, they will make you feel like you are eating mini apple pies (without all the hassle)! Their warm, comforting flavor makes them the perfect dessert to sweeten holiday gatherings.
Go to the recipe: Apple Pie Cookies
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie
![Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pumpkin-Cream-Cheese-Pie.jpg)
Pie season is here, and this easy pumpkin cream cheese pie is a dessert mashup of dreams – rich and smooth pumpkin cheesecake mixed with traditional pumpkin pie. The fall flavors in this foolproof pumpkin pie with cream cheese recipe are so delicious, but the contrasting textures make it an extra special and indulgent Fall or winter dessert.
Go to the recipe: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie
Puff Pastry Pumpkin Turnovers
![Puff Pastry pumpkin turnover.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Puff-Pastry-pumpkin-turnover-06891.jpg)
If you’re looking for an easy and quick dessert that everyone at your Thanksgiving Dinner table will love, these puff pastry pumpkin turnovers fit the bill! Crunchy and flaky on the outside and sweet and creamy on the inside, these warm pumpkin treats are super easy to make. Using store-bought puff pastry, pumpkin puree, and other essential kitchen ingredients, you’ll have your own mini pumpkin pie turnovers quickly.
Go to the recipe: Puff Pastry Pumpkin Turnovers
No Bake Apple Pie
![No Bake Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/No-Bake-Apple-Pie-with-Graham-Cracker-Crust.jpg)
You will love this easy, no-bake apple pie with Graham cracker crust for Thanksgiving when you don’t feel like turning your oven on! The three-step recipe uses a simple 2-ingredient pie crust filled with delicious apples cooked to perfection in a mixture of butter and brown sugar. The entire Graham cracker crust apple pie only takes 30 minutes to make and is the perfect no-bake pie for fall!
Go to the recipe: No Bake Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Pecan Snowball Cookies
![Pecan Snowball Cookies.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pecan-Snowball-Cookies.jpg)
These sweet, crunchy, buttery pecan snowball cookies are a delicious way to decorate your dessert table this holiday season! Also known as Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cookies, these snowy treats use just a handful of basic pantry staples to create a fun-shaped and eye-catching dessert that all ages will love. These are perfect for holiday parties or as edible gifts.
Go to the recipe: Pecan Snowball Cookies
Apple Hand Pies
![](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Apple-Hand-Pies-2-05978.jpg)
There is only one thing better than apple pie: apple hand pies! They’re easier to make than full-size apple pie, and there’s no need to share! Looking for the best apple pie recipe that is flaky, creamy, and super easy to make? This is it!
Go to the recipe: Apple Hand Pies
Pumpkin Pie with Sweetened Condensed Milk
![Pumpkin Pie with Sweetened Condensed Milk.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pumpkin-Pie-with-Sweetened-Condensed-Milk.jpg)
Look out, pie season; this delicious pumpkin pie with sweetened condensed milk takes center stage. With its super buttery, flaky crust, creamy custard-like filling, and yummy mascarpone frosting decoration, this pie is going to steal the show! Using condensed milk to sweeten the filling makes it easy to make, creating a pumpkin filling that tastes divine, almost like pumpkin creme brulee.
Go to the recipe: Pumpkin Pie with Sweetened Condensed Milk
Maple Donuts
![Maple Donuts.](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Maple-Donuts.jpg)
Maple donuts are the cozy, sweet, and sticky treat you must try for Thanksgiving and beyond. If you love maple syrup, you have to make this baked maple donut recipe. It is the most delicious breakfast the whole family will look forward to in the morning! The best part? Maple glazed donuts are actually really simple to make and take less than 30 minutes!
Go to the recipe: Maple Donuts
Pumpkin Brownies
![](https://www.spatuladesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Pumpkin-brownies-05724.jpg)
These gooey pumpkin brownies take the season’s best flavors and combine them to create an unforgettable combination! Made with creamy pumpkin puree sandwiched between fudgy brownie layers, they are the perfect fall treat for all ages.
Go to the recipe: Pumpkin Brownies