Save Room for Dessert: Sweet Thanksgiving Traditions Beyond Pumpkin Pie

After turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and all the trimmings, Thanksgiving dinner reaches its grand finale: dessert.

Pumpkin and apple pies may be Thanksgiving classics, but America's holiday dessert table has always had room for variety. Pecans, cranberries, maple syrup, molasses, nuts, warm spices, and seasonal fruits have all found their way into autumn desserts over the generations.

This Thanksgiving, consider giving two other seasonal favorites a place at the table: rich Pecan Pie Bars and a festive Old-Fashioned Cranberry Orange Cake.

Pecans: An American Favorite

Pecans are native to North America and have been eaten on the continent for centuries. Indigenous peoples gathered and consumed the nuts long before European settlement, and pecans later became particularly important in Southern cooking.

Pecan pie eventually emerged as an American dessert favorite, combining a pastry crust with a sweet, nut-filled filling. Its rich flavor and connection to the American South helped make it a natural addition to holiday tables.

Pecan pie bars capture those same flavors but offer a major advantage for a large Thanksgiving gathering: they're easy to cut into small portions and serve.

Thanksgiving Pecan Pie Bars

For the crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

For the filling

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift the finished bars from the pan.
2. Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Press firmly and evenly into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for approximately 18 to 20 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn golden.
5. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir in pecans.
6. Pour the filling over the warm crust.
7. Return to the oven and bake approximately 25 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is set around the edges and only slightly soft in the center.
8. Cool completely before lifting from the pan and cutting into squares.

Cranberries Aren't Just for Sauce

Cranberries are one of the foods most closely associated with the American Thanksgiving table. Native to North America, the tart berries were used by Indigenous peoples long before the arrival of European settlers.

Although cranberry sauce is the most familiar Thanksgiving preparation today, cranberries are also wonderful for baking. Their tartness provides a welcome contrast to the rich, sweet foods that dominate the holiday dessert table.

Pairing cranberries with orange makes them even more festive. The bright citrus flavor balances the berries while giving this simple cake a fresh aroma.