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26+ Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes (That Aren’t Pie)

November 7, 2025 · In: Cake, Fall, Recipes, Seasonal

Don’t get me wrong – I love a pumpkin pie on my Thanksgiving dessert table! But if you’re looking to add variety to your dessert spread, I’ve got you. These are my favorite Thanksgiving cakes, cupcakes, no-bake desserts, and more! Basically all of the classic Thanksgiving and holiday flavors translated into different kinds of desserts that are sure to impress.

26 thanksgiving dessert recipes that arent pie

As a reminder, all of my recipes include make-ahead and storage instructions that you can find at the bottom of each printable recipe.

I hope you find a new favorite dessert to add to your Thanksgiving table this year. Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

Easy No-Bake Desserts

easy no bake pumpkin cheesecake recipe

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

The dreamiest mousse-like pumpkin spice cheesecake with buttery Biscoff cookie crust, absolutely no baking necessary!

get the recipe

biscoff no bake cheesecake recipe

No-Bake Biscoff Cheesecake

Dreamy mousse-like Biscoff cheesecake filling set on a Biscoff cookie crust and topped with melted Biscoff cookie butter! The spiced caramel flavor of this dessert is incredible.

get the recipe

no bake eggnog cheesecake recipe by sugar and sparrow

No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake

A deliciously festive eggnog cheesecake made without any baking! Rich and creamy no-bake cheesecake filling infused with spiced eggnog on a beautiful Biscoff cookie crust.

get the recipe

4th of july desserts no bake

No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake

The dreamiest cookies and cream cheesecake made without any baking! Rich and creamy french vanilla filling studded with Oreo cookies on a delicious Oreo crust.

get the recipe

no bake cheesecake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Customizable No-Bake Cheesecake

Set on a buttery graham cracker crust with a rich velvety texture and the perfect tangy flavor. Use your favorite festive toppings to customize it for Thanksgiving (like sugared cranberries or Salted Caramel!)

get the recipe

peppermint oreo truffles coated in chocolate

Peppermint Oreo Truffles

The perfect easy, bite-sized dessert made with just four ingredients: Mint Creme Oreos, cream cheese, melted chocolate, and crushed candy canes! You can also make these with traditional Oreos or any Oreo flavor.

get the recipe

Pumpkin Desserts

pumpkin sheet cake recipe with cream cheese frosting

Easy Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Extra moist, wonderfully spiced pumpkin cake baked in a 9×13 pan and frosted with tangy cream cheese buttercream. A classic Fall dessert!

get the recipe

pumpkin pie layer cake recipe inspired by milk bar

Pumpkin Pie Layer Cake

Pumpkin pie in cake form! Exposed layers of spiced pumpkin cake, pumpkin creme filling, brown sugar buttercream, and crushed pie pieces.

get the recipe

pumpkin chai cake recipe

Spiced Pumpkin Chai Cake

Layers of delicious chai tea-infused pumpkin cake and chai flavored buttercream, decorated with pretty piped pumpkins to look extra festive!

get the recipe

pumpkin cupcakes recipe with cream cheese frosting

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Extra moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin cupcakes with irresistible spiced cream cheese frosting. The BEST pumpkin cupcakes I’ve ever had!

get the recipe

pumpkin layer cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Perfect Pumpkin Layer Cake

A Fall classic. Layers of moist, fluffy Pumpkin cake with just the right amount of spice, filled and frosted with tasty cream cheese buttercream.

get the recipe

pumpkin chocolate chip cookie bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

The BEST moist and chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookie bars made with brown butter and warm spices for the ideal fall treat! No dough chilling, quick to make, and perfect for serving a crowd.

get the recipe

Pumpkin Biscoff Cake Recipe

Spiced Pumpkin Biscoff Cake

Deliciously moist pumpkin cake layered with Biscoff cookie butter frosting and crumbled Biscoff cookies throughout.

get the recipe

pumpkin chocolate chip cake by sugar and sparrow

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Deliciously moist pumpkin cake with chocolate chips baked into each layer, paired with spiced cream cheese buttercream and decadent chocolate ganache.

get the recipe

Holiday Inspired Cake Flavors

cranberry orange cake by sugar and sparrow

Cranberry Orange Cake

Layers of light and zesty orange cake with fresh, whole cranberries folded in. Topped with orange flavored buttercream to give it extra zing.

get the recipe

chocolate caramel pecan pie cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Chocolate Pecan Pie Cake with Salted Caramel

Layers of decadent chocolate cake, pecan pie filling, and homemade salted caramel, all wrapped up in tasty brown sugar buttercream.

get the recipe

chocolate orange layer cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Chocolate Orange Cake

Layers of deliciously moist, citrus-infused chocolate cake and decadent chocolate-orange buttercream. The perfect cozy take on chocolate cake!

get the recipe

spiced vanilla chai cake

Spiced Vanilla Chai Cake

Layers of soft, moist vanilla chai cake that’s perfectly flavored with chai tea and a homemade chai spice mix, paired with vanilla chai buttercream.

get the recipe

chai cupcake recipe

Chai Cupcakes

Soft and moist chai cupcakes that are perfectly flavored with chai tea and a homemade chai spice mix, topped with chai buttercream.

get the recipe

chai bundt cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Spiced Chai Bundt Cake

My favorite moist, deliciously spiced chai cake recipe, baked bundt cake style and topped with chai spiced glaze.

get the recipe

gingerbread latte sheet cake for christmas

Gingerbread Latte Sheet Cake

Spiced gingerbread sheet cake that’s extra soft and moist, frosted with coffee buttercream to mimic a gingerbread latte in cake form.

get the recipe

rafaello cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Rafaello Cake

Inspired by Ferrero Rafaello truffles, this cake is layers of delicious almond cake, coconut cream filling, toasted almonds, and white chocolate coconut buttercream. It’s even rolled in shredded coconut like the real deal.

get the recipe

sugared cranberry cupcakes for the holidays

Sugared Cranberry Cupcakes

Delicious vanilla cupcakes with a cranberry swirl baked inside, topped with white chocolate buttercream and sugared cranberries. The perfect festive cupcakes for the holidays!

get the recipe

Apple & Spice Cakes

sugar and sparrow apple spice cake

Apple Spice Cake

Layers of deliciously moist apple cake with warm spices and cinnamon-vanilla buttercream to amplify all the flavors.

get the recipe

apple spice sheet cake thanksgiving dessert recipe

Apple Spice Sheet Cake

My favorite spiced apple cake topped with cinnamon-vanilla buttercream, baked in a 9×13-inch pan to feed a crowd.

get the recipe

apple crisp cake recipe by sugar and sparrow

Apple Crisp Cake

Layers of extra moist spiced apple cake, apple pie filling, baked crumble topping, and cinnamon-vanilla buttercream. Apple crisp in cake form!

get the recipe

salted caramel apple cake

Salted Caramel Apple Cake

Moist apple spice cake paired with salted caramel buttercream, topped with a salted caramel, chopped almonds, and a caramel apple.

get the recipe

spice cake recipe with brown butter cream cheese frosting

Spice Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Tender and moist spice cake made paired with brown butter cream cheese buttercream to take it beyond delicious!

get the recipe

carrot cake recipe with cream cheese buttercream

Classic Carrot Cake

My favorite carrot cake recipe for many reasons: it’s extra moist, has the most incredible spice flavor, is so easy to throw together, and irrestible with cream cheese frosting.

get the recipe

I hope you find the perfect dessert for your Thanksgiving spread! If you make one of these, let me know how it went in the comments and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes. Happy holidays to you and yours!

By: Whitney · In: Cake, Fall, Recipes, Seasonal · Tagged: thanksgiving, thanksgiving cake recipes, thanksgiving desserts

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Comments

  1. Michael J Robinsmith says

    November 15, 2022 at 12:52 pm

    Followed all the way through everything looking for the Black Velvet cake. Looks amazing. Also that pumpkin spice cake sounds so good

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      November 16, 2022 at 3:08 pm

      Thanks so much, Michael! If you are having a hard time finding the Black Velvet Cake it’s right here: https://sugarandsparrow.com/black-velvet-cake-recipe/

      Reply
  2. Razwana amin says

    December 22, 2021 at 10:46 am

    Hi can I have ur receive for vanilla sponge cake please

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      December 22, 2021 at 11:27 am

      Hi there! My vanilla cake recipe is here: https://sugarandsparrow.com/vanilla-cake-recipe Enjoy!

      Reply

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S’MORES ICEBOX CAKE 🔥 Every bit as gooey and decad S’MORES ICEBOX CAKE 🔥 Every bit as gooey and decadent as it seems and I am blown away at how EASY this recipe is! It’s layers of graham crackers, chocolate ganache, and homemade marshmallow creme, piled high in a loaf pan and refrigerated overnight. The graham crackers soften into a cake-like texture and transform this dessert into the easiest s’mores cake ever.  
 
Recipe linked in my bio and at https://sugarandsparrow.com/smores-icebox-cake/
 
#smorescake #iceboxcake #nobake #smores #cakedecorating
WHIPPED MASCARPONE FROSTING ✨silky smooth, delicio WHIPPED MASCARPONE FROSTING ✨silky smooth, deliciously light, and the perfect consistency for cake decorating (including filling layer cakes + piping)! Imagine a whipped cream frosting with notes of rich mascarpone cheese and that’s what this frosting tastes like. It’s a DREAM on my orange poppyseed cake and I can’t stop thinking of other Spring/Summer cake flavors I want to try it with! 

Full recipe with cake pairing suggestions at https://sugarandsparrow.com/whipped-mascarpone-frosting/ 

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup (8oz, 227g) mascarpone cheese, cold
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 Cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
2 Cups (240g) powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. With the whisk attachment on a stand mixer (or hand mixer with a large bowl), beat the mascarpone, vanilla, and salt together at medium speed until creamy, 1-2 min
2. Turn the mixer to low and add the heavy whipping cream slowly, then turn the mixer to medium speed and beat until soft peaks form, which could take less than 1 min (keep an eye on it!). You should be able to dip a spatula into the mixture and see a peak that slightly droops when held upright. 
3. Add the powdered sugar all at once and mix on low speed until incorporated, then turn the mixer to medium speed and whip for about 30 seconds longer, until the frosting is thick and silky. Use right away or refrigerate for up to 4 days.

#mascarpone #mascarponecream #whippedcreamfrosting #whippedcreamcake #cakedecorating
BERRY CHANTILLY CAKE 🍓🫐fully inspired by the iconi BERRY CHANTILLY CAKE 🍓🫐fully inspired by the iconic Whole Foods Chantilly cake (iykyk 🙌🏼) and every bit as delicious! My homemade version is layers of extra soft and fluffy vanilla cake, berry jam, Chantilly cream frosting with rich notes of mascarpone and a hint of almond, and fresh berries throughout. It’s the idealideal berries and cream cake and ALWAYS a hit!! 
⁣
Full recipe is linked in my bio (or at https://sugarandsparrow.com/berry-chantilly-cake-recipe/)

PS: I also have a sheet cake version of this recipe! Google “sugar and sparrow berry Chantilly sheet cake” to find it! 

#chantillycake #whippedcreamcake #berrycake #cakedecorating #vanillacake
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SHEET CAKE 🍓aka classic straw STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SHEET CAKE 🍓aka classic strawberry shortcake toppings on a fluffy vanilla sheet cake and ideal for a crowd! It’s my favorite bakery-style white cake that’s so soft and moist, topped with silky whipped cream cheese frosting and thick homemade strawberry sauce. So easy to throw together with simple ingredients + a total showstopper ✨

Grab the recipe link in my bio or find it at https://sugarandsparrow.com/strawberry-shortcake-sheet-cake/ 

#strawberrycake #strawberryshortcake #sheetcake #whippedcreamfrosting #cakedecorating
ORANGE POPPYSEED CAKE 🍊this cake is unbelievably d ORANGE POPPYSEED CAKE 🍊this cake is unbelievably delicious with whipped mascarpone frosting!! The cake layers are soft and moist, packed with fresh citrus flavor, and has the satisfying crunch of poppy seeds in every bite. The mascarpone frosting keeps it light and refreshing and I love that it comes together in just about 5 minutes with minimal effort. A fancy cake that’s secretly simple!

Grab the recipe link in my bio or find it at https://sugarandsparrow.com/orange-poppyseed-cake-with-mascarpone-frosting/

#poppyseedcake #layercake #mascarpone #whippedcreamfrosting #cakedecorating

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