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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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pumpkin pie layer cake recipeA Pumpkin Pie Layer Cake Recipe That’s Easy & Eye-Catching
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small batch red velvet cake recipeSmall Batch Red Velvet Cake

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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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Cookies & Cream Cake (Vanilla Oreo Cake)

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@sugarandsparrowco

LEMON RASPBERRY CAKE 🍋♥️ this cake has the dreamie LEMON RASPBERRY CAKE 🍋♥️ this cake has the dreamiest layers: soft and zesty lemon cake with raspberries baked into every bite, thick homemade raspberry filling, and lemon raspberry buttercream with the prettiest natural color 😍 
 
✨recipe linked in my bio or at https://sugarandsparrow.com/lemon-raspberry-layer-cake/
 
#lemonraspberry #lemoncake #raspberrycake #pinkcake #layercake
SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM ✨I could eat this salty SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM ✨I could eat this salty-sweet caramel frosting by the spoonful but it’s absolutely delicious on cakes, cupcakes, macarons, and more 🙌🏽 I use my homemade EASY salted caramel recipe here but you can use any salted caramel sauce that you love.⁣

✨Full recipe (including homemade salted caramel) + cake pairing suggestions are on my blog at https://sugarandsparrow.com/salted-caramel-buttercream-recipe/ 
⁣
SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM⁣
Yield: 2.5 Cups ⁣
⁣
INGREDIENTS⁣
1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature⁣
3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar⁣
2 tsp vanilla extract⁣
1/2 Cup (120ml) salted caramel sauce, room temperature⁣
Pinch of salt⁣
⁣
INSTRUCTIONS:⁣
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high until it’s creamy and light in color, 5-6 minutes. ⁣
2. Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each interval.⁣
3. With the mixer still on low, mix in the vanilla extract, salted caramel, and a pinch of salt. Continue mixing on low speed until fully combined. ⁣
⁣
#saltedcaramel #caramel #cakedecorating #frosting #buttercream
NO-CHURN BERRY CRISP ICE CREAM✨you don’t need any NO-CHURN BERRY CRISP ICE CREAM✨you don’t need any fancy equipment to whip up this delicious ice cream that tastes JUST like berry crisp a la mode! I layered my favorite 3-ingredient no-churn vanilla ice cream base with ribbons of homemade berry filling + buttery oat streusel in every bite. Even if you’ve never made ice cream from scratch before, I promise you can master this recipe!! 
 
🍦Full recipe linked in my bio or find it at https://sugarandsparrow.com/no-churn-berry-crisp-ice-cream/

#nochurnicecream #icecream #icecreamlover #berries #summerdessert
STRAWBERRY SHEET CAKE 🍓based on my favorite strawb STRAWBERRY SHEET CAKE 🍓based on my favorite strawberry layer cake recipe, this sheet cake version is so fun to decorate + such a crowd pleaser! I love using a combination of fresh and freeze-dried strawberries to create the most powerful authentic flavor ✨
 
🍓Full recipe (with strawberry buttercream) at https://sugarandsparrow.com/strawberry-sheet-cake-recipe/
⁣ 
STRAWBERRY SHEET CAKE⁣ 
Serves 24
⁣ 
INGREDIENTS⁣ 
1 Cup (12oz) fresh strawberries, pureed ⁣ 
3/4 Cup (180ml) whole milk, room temp⁣ 
2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour⁣ 
2 tsp baking powder⁣ 
1/4 tsp baking soda⁣ 
1/2 tsp salt⁣ 
3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temp⁣ 
1 2/3 Cups (350g) granulated sugar⁣ 
3 large eggs, room temp⁣ 
1/3 Cup (75g) sour cream, room temp⁣ 
2 tsp pure vanilla extract⁣ 
1-2 drops pink food coloring (optional)⁣ 
⁣ 
INSTRUCTIONS⁣ 
1. Simmer the strawberry puree in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point the puree should have reduced from 1 Cup to 1/2 Cup (if you have more, keep cooking!). Refrigerate until room temp, then whisk together with the whole milk and set aside.⁣ 
2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and line a 13×9 inch baking pan. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. ⁣ 
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high until creamy, 2 min. Add the sugar and beat with the butter until light and fluffy, 2 min. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and sour cream, then turn the mixer to high and beat for 1 minute.⁣ 
5. With the mixer on low, add all of the dry ingredients at once until just combined, then add the strawberry milk mixture and pink food coloring (if using) until just combined. Give the batter a few stirs by hand to make sure everything is incorporated without over-mixing. ⁣ 
6. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. ⁣ Cool completely to room temperature before topping with strawberry buttercream (full recipe at the li
COOKIES & CREAM ICE CREAM CAKE 🤎 If you’re an Oreo COOKIES & CREAM ICE CREAM CAKE 🤎 If you’re an Oreo lover, this is your sign to make an ice cream cake this summer: no-churn cookies & cream ice cream set on an Oreo cookie crust, topped with hot fudge and whipped cream frosting. The perfect amount of Oreos in EVERY BITE! 

Full recipe link in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/cookies-and-cream-ice-cream-cake/ 

OREO CRUST
22 Oreo cookies
5 Tbsp melted butter

ICE CREAM LAYER
2 Cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
14 Oz sweetened condensed milk
15 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped

TOPPINGS
12.8 Oz jar of hot fudge
Whipped cream frosting (see full recipe link)
4 Oreo cookies, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix together the Oreo crust ingredients and pack tightly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Freeze while you make the ice cream.
2. In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla to stiff peaks. Fold in the sweetened condensed milk until uniform, then fold in the chopped Oreos. Pile the ice cream on top of the Oreo crust, smooth it down, cover and freeze overnight.
3. When the ice cream layer is set, top with the hot fudge, whipped cream frosting, and more chopped Oreos. Store in the freezer until ready to serve! 

#oreocake #icecreamcake #nochurnicecream #birthdaycake #cookiesandcream

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