12 Thanksgiving Desserts That *Aren't* Pumpkin Pie

Tired of pumpkin pie? No problem. There are plenty of other Thanksgiving desserts you can serve after dinner this year.

You can make sweet and spicy tequila-laced pears, use the last of the season's bright purple plums in an upside-down cake, or bake the ultimate fall dessert with pumpkins and apples. The options are almost endless, but we narrowed it down for you.

Here are ten desserts to serve after Thanksgiving dinner that everyone will love:

Coffee Toffee Date Bundt Cake

This plush date and coffee Bundt cake is anointed with glistening toffee sauce. Get Tara O'Brady's coffee toffee date bundt cake recipe.

Quince And Mascarpone Cheesecake

Cookbook author Camilla Wynne doesn't like to pick favourites...but this might be her favourite recipe in her latest cookbook, Nature's Candy. "Not only is it positively stunning," she says, "but I could eat the whole thing myself." Get her quince and mascarpone cheesecake recipe.

Recipes and text by Camilla Wynne. Photography by Mickaël A. Bandassak. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.

Tequila-Poached Pears with Chili-Chocolate Sauce

"Spoonably soft fruit and a velvety chocolate sauce get spiked with tequila and cayenne. Poach pears ahead of time for a quick dessert or skip the sauce and use a drinking chocolate mix instead, which is thicker than typical hot chocolate. Soma and ChocoSol make great Canadian options. —Chantal Braganza." Get her tequila-poached pears with chocolate sauce recipe.

(Produced by Stephanie Han Kim; Photography by Christie Vuong; Food Styling by Matthew Kimura; Prop Styling by Christine Hanlon)

Plum And Black Pepper Clafoutis

"Sometimes I flip the script and make this for my daughters for breakfast. It’s eggy and fruity and a touch sweet, and comes together so quickly." —Christine Flynn. Get her plum and black pepper clafoutis recipe.

Photography by Suech and Beck. Excerpted from A Generous Meal by Christine Flynn. Copyright © 2023 Christine Flynn. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.

Milk Punch Marble Cake

This twist on tres leches cake can be shaken up in no time with store-bought pound cake. Caribbean milk punch is a silky, booze-forward drink studded with grated coconut—an eggless eggnog you can drink year-round without shame. This recipe is courtesy of Zeke Goodwin, a Toronto-based food stylist and pastry chef. And if you have the time, bake the marble cake, too! Get our milk punch marble cake recipe.

Photo, Christie Vuong.

Pumpkin Cheesecake With Bourbon Whipped Cream

Everyone’s favourite fall gourd can be used for so much more than just pie (though, that’s delicious too!) Get our pumpkin cheesecake with bourbon whipped cream recipe.

Photo, Carmen Cheung.

Classic Cheesecake with Cranberry-Clementine Sauce

This rich and creamy dessert can be topped with any fruit sauce or simply melted chocolate — it’s up to you. (We’re partial to this cranberry sauce during the holidays, though.) Get our classic cheesecake with cranberry-clementine sauce recipe.

Quince Tarte Tatin

Sweet, fragrant and available only at this time of year, these exquisite apple-like fruits are a little-known treat. Use them in an easy, classic French recipe for a stunning autumn dessert. (You can also use apples for a classic apple tarte tatin!) Get our quince tarte tatin recipe.

(Photo: Erik Putz)

Faisa Hayani Bellili’s Caramelized Plum Upside-Down Cake

"As soon as I heard about the Kitchen, I volunteered to help, cooking recipes from my homeland, Algeria. This cake is one my mum used to make. She always said plums are an unreliable fruit – they can be quite sour when raw. This brings out the best in them." Get Faisa Hayani Bellili's caramelized plum upside-down cake recipe.

Photo, Jenny Zarins

Semolina and Ricotta Cake

Think of migliaccio as an Italian cheesecake, but lighter than most North American varieties. Originally from the Campania region of Italy, it was traditionally made with millet but the recipe evolved over time to use semolina. While the cake can be made with semola, the finer variety of semolina, we prefer to use the coarse variety here. Don’t skimp on the orange, as it provides a ton of flavour. Get our semolina and ricotta cake recipe.

Recipes and text by Jess Maiorano; produced by Stephanie Han Kim; photography by Christie Vuong; food styling by Ashley Denton; prop styling by Madeline Johari.

Apple Dumplings With Manischewitz Caramel Sauce

While it's typically a Hanukkah dessert, this lightly spiced McIntosh apple wrapped in pastry combo is a sure hit for any festive season. Get our apple dumplings with manischewitz caramel sauce recipe.

Photo: Erik Putz

Pumpkin-Spiced Apple Pie

This pie combines everyone’s favourite fall flavours for the ultimate cozy dessert. Get our pumpkin-spiced apple pie recipe.

Photo, Christie Vuong.