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This Thanksgiving, I’m off the pie. Flavor’s got nothing to do with it—butter-rich crust and sugar-laden fillings remain really, really delicious. It’s just that pie serving—heating, cutting, plating, ice cream scooping, and silverware providing—gets in the way of me having the best time.
Instead, I want desserts that slip into conversations. Bites that can be plucked from a platter and carried onto the couch without missing a beat of your uncle’s Electoral College monologue. Treats that reject plates, satisfy a post-Turkey sugar craving, and flourish alongside coffee and amaro. Below are six desserts that do just that.
1. Individual Apple Cranberry Crisps
These single-serve crisps come together in under an hour, can be made three days in advance, and hit all the notes of a classic, Thanksgiving apple-based dessert. Pro tip: Check how many ramekins you’ve got before committing to this recipe.
2. Pecan Pie Bars
Pecan Pie: Absolutely delicious, but do I want a dozen bites of it? Probably not. Enter: pecan pie bars—a crowd-friendly solution to ensure each guest receives their desired amount of the always-delicious, holiday classic.
3. Brown Butter Pumpkin Bars with Brown Sugar-Cream Cheese Frosting
In her glowing review of these pumpkin bars, community member Megan encapsulates their appeal: “Light moist cake and the best cream cheese frosting I’ve ever had. I usually loathe the cloying sweetness of most cream cheese frostings, but this is nutty and flavorful with just the right sweetness and tang.”
4. Linsey Shere’s Baked Caramel Pears
Part of our Feel Good Thanksgiving recipe collection, Linsey Shere’s fruit forward dessert well exceeds the sum of its parts. Which is especially great considering its parts are limited to five ingredients and twenty minutes of work.
5. Fudgy Bourbon Balls
At any point on Thursday night, if I find myself in the middle of a card game with 1) a mug of coffee; 2) a rocks glass of something strong; and 3) a bowl of Amanda’s fudgy bourbon balls all within arm’s reach—I’ll consider Thanksgiving a massive success.
6. Chocolate & Olive Oil Ice Cream Sandwiches
Sure, these ice cream sandwiches aren’t being cast in the upcoming version of Most Cliche Thanksgiving Ever—but they’re delicious. And crowd-friendly. And, again, they’re ice cream sandwiches.
What are some other great non-pie Thanksgiving sides? Let us know in the comments below!