I personally love pumpkin pie; however, I can understand it is not the favorite dessert choice for many people. When I was a child, my mom would always offer different pies in case someone didn’t like pumpkin pie. Not many people grew up this way, yet you can make a change in your own holiday celebration. You can choose to serve pumpkin pie or another dessert. Or you could offer a variety of desserts to ensure everyone can have a sweet treat they enjoy.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it’s important to get the Thanksgiving dinner menu ready. Traditionally for Thanksgiving, people have pumpkin pie for dessert. While many people love pumpkin pie, some people are not fond of it and others get tired of it year after year.
If you aren’t a fan of pumpkin pie or simply want to shake things up this year, here are a few fresh ideas for Thanksgiving desserts:
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1. Sweet Potato Pie
One Thanksgiving dessert that is not pumpkin pie is sweet potato pie. While these pies are closely linked together, not many people think of offering sweet potato pie at a Thanksgiving dinner. If you want to change things up this year, try baking a sweet potato pie for your family. Maybe sweet potato pies are your favorite or perhaps it is something you want to try for the first time. If you are still wanting to offer pumpkin pie too, you can offer both pies to make sure everyone has an option as to which pie they would like best.
When you are deciding on the way to prepare your sweet potato pie, know that it is perfectly okay to buy a pre-made pie and serve this one. You don’t have to make a sweet potato pie from scratch in order for your family to love it. Most grocery stores offer pre-made sweet potato pies that you can buy and just reheat. If your grocery store does not already have fully cooked sweet potato pies, you can always buy one from the freezer section and follow the directions to bake it.
Many of us think we have to make a pie from scratch in order for it to be “good enough” to serve to our friends and family on Thanksgiving, but this isn’t true. Our friends and family don’t care if we bought a pre-made sweet potato pie and reheated it. They care about spending time with us and enjoying the holiday with loved ones. Never feel guilty for serving a pre-made pie at your Thanksgiving dinner because there is nothing to feel guilty about. Making pies from scratch can take a lot of time and energy, which can be hard to find during the holiday season.
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2. Chocolate Pie
A second dessert to try this Thanksgiving that is not pumpkin pie is chocolate pie. While this is still a pie, it is a good alternative for those who prefer chocolate to pumpkin. My mom always loved chocolate pie as well as my sister, who loves anything chocolate. Due to this love for chocolate, my mom ensured that chocolate pie was one of the pies offered during our Thanksgiving celebration. The chocolate pie my mom would offer was a chocolate cream pie she would purchase from the store. It had to thaw for a few hours and then it was ready to serve.
It was low stress on my mom, who was already stressed out by three kids and a full-time job. If you want to try having a chocolate pie for this Thanksgiving holiday, know that it will be a hit with the chocolate lovers in your life. Chocolate is a favorite of many people; therefore, you can be assured the chocolate pie will not be left for leftovers the next day. Even if everyone at your Thanksgiving celebration doesn’t enjoy chocolate pie, you can always offer another type of pie or another dessert that will make them happy too.
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3. Fruit Bars
A third Thanksgiving dessert that you can try this year that’s not pumpkin pie is fruit bars. While this might be unusual, hear me out. As someone who has grown up in the South, many Thanksgivings have been uncomfortably warm. When your Thanksgiving is above eighty degrees, it can be hard to be in the mood for a warm pie. This is why fruit bars are a good alternative. Fruit bars are cold treats that keep you cool when it is hot outside, which can be much needed if you are living somewhere where it is hot during the Thanksgiving holiday.
You can try your hand at making your own fruit bars or you could purchase a box of fruit bars at the store. Whichever is most convenient and doable for you sounds good. I personally always purchase fruit bars because it saves me a lot of time and energy. There are many other things we will cook on Thanksgiving and having this easy-to-grab and cool treat can make Thanksgiving dessert a lot less stressful. If fruit bars are not your thing, you can always try fudge bars or frozen yogurt bars.
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4. Ice Cream Sundaes
A fourth Thanksgiving dessert that you can try this year that has nothing to do with pumpkin is ice cream sundaes. Who doesn’t love ice cream? By having ice cream sundaes for dessert on Thanksgiving, it will be a new twist to the holiday. Similar to fruit bars, ice cream sundaes are a great option if you live somewhere where it is warm during Thanksgiving. Even if you live somewhere where it is cold for Thanksgiving, ice cream sundaes are still a great choice. If you have kids or teens, they will also love the idea of having ice cream sundaes and the new twist you are giving to the Thanksgiving dessert this year.
Choose whatever flavors of ice cream you want at the grocery store and buy a variety of toppings. You can purchase cookies, cherries, cereal, whipped cream, hot fudge, or any other topping you think your family will enjoy for your Thanksgiving dessert. Don’t forget to choose a few toppings you want also. Ice cream sundaes are a fun alternative to pumpkin pie because they are unique and quite unexpected for a Thanksgiving celebration. If you want to add in an extra element of surprise, don’t tell your kids you are having ice cream sundaes for dessert until right before you serve them. It will be a joy to bring a smile to their faces!
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5. Avocado Brownies
A fifth Thanksgiving dessert you could try this year that’s not pumpkin pie is avocado brownies. This is the only dessert on my list that actually requires you to bake something because I understand how stressful it can be to bake more things in addition to what you are already making on Thanksgiving. A great recipe for avocado brownies can be found here. The recipe is relatively easy and won’t take up too much time. Avocado brownies are a healthier twist on brownies because they have avocados in them.
If you are trying to watch your heart health this holiday season, avocado brownies might be the way to go. Even if avocado brownies sound a bit odd, know that they do taste delicious. Despite having avocado in them, you don’t taste the avocado at all. Avocado brownies just taste like regular brownies, which are sure to be a hit with your family and friends. You don’t even have to tell them the brownies have avocados in them if you don’t want to. It can be your own secret recipe.
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Originally published Friday, 17 November 2023.