Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

Take your pumpkin spice cake to the next level with this pretty, party-worthy presentation.

This recipe for Libby's famous pumpkin pie is courtesy of Libby's.

Pate brisee is cut into diamonds and used to embellish this apple pie. Half are brushed with egg yolk, and the other half are finished with egg white and sanding sugar, yielding a beautifully patterned, jewel-like top crust. For the decorating technique, see our step-by-step photos.

Tart apples, sweet raisins, and a crumb topping make for a blue-ribbon dessert. Pack the apples in tightly to minimize gaps between filling and crust once the pie is baked.

Try this deep-dish pumpkin pie when you need to please both traditional and modern palates at the Thanksgiving table. Adding Chinese five-spice powder to the filling may seem unorthodox, but two of its components (cinnamon and clove) can already be found in standard pumpkin-pie spice. The dramatic crust is delightfully easy to create—just brush butter onto sheets of store-bought phyllo and layer them at different angles in the pan. Finish with freshly whipped cream, and you'll have one mighty fine, crowd-pleasing dessert.

The incomparable flavor of pure maple syrup is reason enough to make this sweet treat; that it is also quick to prepare is an added bonus. Maple syrup is marked and graded by its color, ranging from light to dark -- the darker the color, the more intense the flavor. If you can find grade B, use it here for both the batter and the icing.

This family recipe for sweet potato pie comes courtesy of actor Danny Glover.

Deep, dark chocolate, rich caramel, and a sprinkling of fleur de sel atop a shortbread crust make a contemporary combination with timeless appeal. Martha made this recipe on Martha Bakes episode 405.

Dark chocolate and gooey caramel make this twist on pecan pie taste like a candy bar. Finish with flaky sea salt for balance and extra crunch.

Essentially crustless pumpkin pie, this custard relies on nonfat evaporated milk for its silky texture and rich flavor.

For the best flavor, use a sugar pumpkin to make a homemade Pumpkin Purée. This variety of pumpkin, also known as "New England Pie" and "Sugar Pie" weighs from five to eight pounds and is known for its sweet, fine-grained flesh.

Loaded with fall flavor, apple brownies mix up as quickly as the chocolate version -- just the thing for a school bake sale. Any sweet, firm variety of apple will work in this recipe, which was developed by John Bunker's friend Amy Traverso. Recipe adapted from " The Apple Lover's Cookbook," by Amy Traverso.

This mash-up recipe combines two holiday dessert favorites: apple pie and pecan pie. Delicious on its own, this pie also pairs well with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

This recipe for our spicy pumpkin bundt cake is a delicious and seasonal treat sure to please the whole family.

To make this recipe in less time, you can substitute organic canned butternut-squash puree for the fresh squash. For the decorating technique, see our step-by-step photos.

Add a pecan crumble topping for a new twist on traditional pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving.

This pie can be made up to two days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

To make this knockout dessert appear, you'll need reinforcements: a springform pan, a food processor (to blitz the chocolate wafers for the crust), and a mixer (to beat the cheesecake ingredients). After that, just a few simple steps result in a firm, delicately flavored pumpkin filling and a deliciously intense chocolate crust. Serve it as is, or pour a stove-top chocolate-caramel glaze on top for a glossy, glamorous finish.

Traditional pumpkin pie gains depth of flavor with roasted fresh pumpkin and just the right amount of warming spices.

Apples spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg serve as the filling for this double-crust Thanksgiving pie. A generous sprinkling of sanding sugar before baking makes the top sparkle.

To concentrate the flavor of pumpkin pie, the pumpkin flesh is roasted before being pureed. Fresh whipped cream is a cool counterpoint to the filling's ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Spicy gingersnaps stand in for the more traditional graham crackers in the crust of this Pumpkin-Cheesecake Pie, and make an excellent foil for the rich pumpkin-cream cheese filling. A border of meringue piped into leaves and bruleed with a kitchen torch takes the pie to the next level.

As the pie bakes, the filling separates into a silky, creamy custard base with a featherlight souffleed pumpkinlayer on top.

Celebrate harvest season with "ears" of candied popcorn, reminiscent of Indian corn. Unbleached parchment paper from your pantry is all you need for the pretty presentation.