Farmers' markets packed with gourds and grocery-store shelves filled with canned pumpkin puree are a telltale sign that Thanksgiving is near. We have a host of pumpkin desserts, including classic pies, cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, and puddings. Chocolate wafer cookies create the crust of this dessert that always demands seconds.

Nutmeg, ginger, and allspice season this light, fluffy confection perfectly.

The sweet winter squashes in this pie, which is lighter than the traditional pumpkin variety, sing with a hint of sage.

Room-temperature egg whites are the secret to this frothy meringue, which gets dolloped atop the pie just before serving.

A chocolate cookie crust forms the base of these chocolate-swirled pumpkin cheesecake bars. It's a pretty, portable dessert that can be made up to two days ahead.

Hand-held whoopie pies are a great dessert for kids -- but with a rich chocolaty filling between two soft pumpkin-flavored cookies, grown-ups will want in, too.

Rich, anise-scented pumpkin custard bakes with bread cubes and pecans in this rustic dessert. Drizzle it with homemade or store-bought dulce de leche just before serving.

An easy gingersnap crust sets this pumpkin pie apart. The silky-smooth custard filling is cooked on the stove top.

With a cakelike interior and sugar-coated exterior, these treats capture the essence of doughnuts without the mess of deep-frying. Buttermilk and pumpkin puree make them melt-in-your-mouth moist.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh ginger spice this moist pumpkin-buttermilk cake. The combination of cream cheese and goat cheese in the frosting gives it a unique, tangy twist.

The Italian restaurant standby gets dressed up for Thanksgiving, adding canned pumpkin puree and replacing the espresso syrup with almond liqueur. This is a perfect make-ahead dessert, as it tastes even better after it's been refrigerated overnight.

These moist, cakelike cookies use pumpkin pie spice and a full can of pumpkin puree. The decorative drizzle of semisweet chocolate is easy to do with an improvised piping bag made from a resealable plastic bag.

Chewy chocolate-molasses gingerbread cookies enclose homemade pumpkin ice cream in this make-ahead Thanksgiving dessert. If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can use store-bought pumpkin ice cream instead.

Maple syrup and lemon zest give a nuanced sweetness to the filling of this tart. Fold fresh breadcrumbs into the pumpkin custard before baking for a unique texture.

This pumpkin icebox pie is an easy solution to Thanksgiving dessert. Rather than the usual baked custard filling, this pumpkin pie gets its silky texture courtesy of cream cheese and gelatin. Plus, the only baking involved is for the graham cracker crust.

For this holiday dessert, adorable jack-be-little pumpkins are sprinkled with cinnamon, baked, and filled with a molasses-flavored pumpkin pudding. For a decorative touch, garnish with puff-pastry leaves.

Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves give this pumpkin cake a warm, comforting holiday flavor. The easy honey-and-cream-cheese frosting adds a sweet and tangy flourish. This recipe works well in a square pan or a loaf pan.

This recipe puts a Thanksgiving twist on the traditional flan with the addition of pumpkin puree, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Each mini flan is served in a baked pastry crust, which catches the caramel syrup.

This pumpkin cake, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, gets festive for Thanksgving with a nutty brown butter icing and a decoration of caramelized walnut halves. Either canned or homemade pumpkin puree can be used in this recipe.

The filling of this traditional Thanksgiving pumpkin pie is lighter than some, being made with evaporated milk rather than cream. The fluted crust is blind baked for 30 minutes before the pumpkin custard is poured in to ensure that it's golden-brown and flaky from top to bottom.

These individual pumpkin pies have a gingersnap crust and a silky no-bake custard filling. The pies are garnished with ribbons of candied pumpkin spiced with cinnamon and ginger.

This swirled "pumpkin pie" cheesecake is actually made from butternut squash, which has a smooth texture and fresh flavor that some people even prefer to pumpkin. In place of the usual graham cracker crust, there is tender shortbread pastry at the base of this cheesecake. Make this a day or two before Thanksgiving for best results.

This Thanksgiving dessert begins with pumpkin filling that gets a tang from creme fraiche and warm flavors from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. It's baked in a spiced cocoa crust that's lined with a layer of best-quality semisweet chocolate. A drizzle of melted chocolate on top makes an easy flourish.

Either roasted sugar pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin may be used to make the filling of this pie, which is poured into a press-in graham crust made with with whole-wheat flour, ground pepitas (pumpkin seeds), brown sugar, and a touch of cinnamon. The candied pepitas that top this pumpkin pie are seasoned with a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Ground ginger adds bright flavor to this pumpkin bread drizzled with an easy confectioners' sugar glaze. Serve this moist bread for Thanksgiving breakfast, or for dessert with a dollop of rum-spiked whipped cream.

This pumpkin pie (right) gets a smoky, spicy little kick from the addition of chipotle chile powder. The pie is served with bourbon whipped cream.

This pumpkin pie features an exceptionally creamy spiced-pumpkin filling. The whipped-cream topping is stabilized with gelatin so it doesn't collapse, making it possible to assemble the entire pie the day before Thanksgiving.

Rich chocolate brownies are made extra-moist with swirled layers of spiced pumpkin. The brownie batter is made with bittersweet chocolate and a little bit of cayenne pepper to appeal to sophisticated palates.

Enticingly fragrant when served straight from the oven, this fall-themed take on bread pudding will warm your Thanksgiving guests from the inside out. The top is crusty and golden; the custardy inside is rich with pumpkin and spices. A sprinkle of confectioners' sugar and whipped cream on the side finish the dessert.

A graham cracker crust with a hint of cocoa powder forms the base of this luscious new take on Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. The brandied pumpkin mousse filling gets its light texture by whipping eggs with hot sugar syrup and gelatin. Refrigerate the dessert until set, preferably overnight; and serve chilled.

These are a Thanksgiving take on blondies, with pumpkin puree and a generous tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. Kids will love them, and so will the adults. Make sure to cool the pumpkin squares completely before slicing.

This pumpkin Bundt cake, spiced with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, is a wonderful treat when served with coffee or tea after Thanksgiving dinner. It also makes a perfect potluck dessert. If you don't have cake flour, you can substitute 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus a 1/2 cup cornstarch.

In this upgraded pumpkin pie, a layer of bittersweet chocolate coats the graham cracker crust, while semisweet chocolate adds depth and smoothness to the pumpkin custard filling. Make this pie the day before Thanksgiving to give the filling time to set in the refrigerator; drizzle on the melted milk-chocolate topping just before serving.

The secret to making cheesecake that's free of cracks is baking at a low temperature and letting it cool in the oven without opening the door. This spiced pumpkin cheesecake uses a traditional graham cracker crust, but feel free to create variations by adding chopped pecans or pumpkin seeds, or substituting ginger snaps or chocolate wafer cookies for the graham crackers.

The classic New England whoopie pie gets reinvented for Thanksgiving with pumpkin puree and warm spices, including cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Sandwich two of the cakelike pumpkin cookies together with cream cheese filling to create handheld treats everyone will love.

This pumpkin flan tastes like an extra-silky pumpkin pie without the crust. It features the traditional caramel syrup but the filling has a Southwestern twist with a double kick from chipotle and cayenne chile powders, which will snap everyone out of that Thanksgiving turkey coma.

Maple syrup gives aromatic sweetness to this pumpkin pie. The lattice top decorated with pastry leaves is baked separately from the pie and placed on top during the pie's last 10 minutes of baking. You will need a 2-inch leaf cutter for this recipe.

A chocolate cookie crust is coated with a semisweet chocolate, which adds an extra layer of rich flavor and keeps the crust from getting soggy. The maple-sweetened pumpkin custard filling can be made with homemade sugar-pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin.

A deep, dark caramel topping complements this richly spiced pumpkin flan. This is a refreshing alternative to the usual Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

Butter is simmered on the stove top until it turns golden-brown in color and nutty in flavor, adding a sophisticated note to the confectioners' sugar icing. These soft, cakelike iced pumpkin cookies will be a welcome addition to a Thanksgiving dessert buffet.

A combination of grated sugar pumpkin, pumpkin puree, and pecans make these cupcakes extra special for Thanksgiving. Spread the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and add a finishing touch with tiny pumpkins sculpted from marzipan. Kids and adults alike will adore these.

The crust for this pumpkin pie tastes like a shortbread cookie, and is easy to make. No rolling pin required; just press it into the pan with your hands. The pumpkin custard pie is extra rich, thanks to a cup of heavy cream.