Thanksgiving is one of the most important holidays in the American calendar. It is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November every year. It’s seen as a day for gratitude, to spend time celebrating the value of family and friends, and appreciate the life we have while looking forward to what’s coming next. The history of Thanksgiving is rooted in a celebration of harvest, when English settlers in America exchanged food with the native tribes as a token of gratitude. This spirit of celebration and gratitude has similar festivals around the world. Depending on where you live, Thanksgiving can be a ritual that occurs all at once, or one of many different holiday traditions celebrated throughout the year.
Turkey isn’t the only thing that makes Thanksgiving an indulgent holiday. Making your own Thanksgiving desserts is a great way to add variety to the feast, and it also presents a great opportunity to have the entire family work together to make delicious holiday treats.
5 Mouthwatering Thanksgiving Desserts
For the best results, try to make your desserts at least a few prior to the festival so they have time to chill. If you’re having dessert for Thanksgiving dinner, make sure you’re planning for that too, since you’ll want to give your guests enough time to eat dinner, relax, and then enjoy the dessert.
Here are a few recipes you can use to make desserts that are will add joy to the occasion. These are easy to make, so your kids can help you out as well.
1. Simple Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
- 2 eggs
- 1 can of condensed milk
- 1 can of pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 220 C.
- Add the 9-inch pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish and place on a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, condensed milk, and pumpkin pie spice and combine well.
- Add this mixture in to the pie crust.
- Place the pie crust on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 175 C and bake for 40 minutes till the filling is set.
- Remove from the oven, and allow it to cool down completely.
2. Yummy Thanksgiving Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 packet of orange cake mix or any cake mix available.
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 175 C.
- In a bowl add the cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil and the dried cranberries, and mix well to form a smooth batter.
- On a baking sheet add 1 to 2 tablespoons batter per cookie.
- Bake for 10 minutes till it is done.
- Cool the cookies on a baking sheet to cook completely.
3. Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf of frozen bread dough (thawed)
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped walnuts and almonds
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
- Grease 2 round cake pans with butter.
- Roll the bread dough to a 6x18-inch rectangle and brush it with melted butter.
- In a bowl add the brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon and mix.
- Sprinkle these over the butter.
- Now roll the dough into a log, and moisten the edge with water and seal.
- Cut the log into 20 slices and arrange rolls cutting the sides down in the prepared cake pans.
- Cover it with a towel and let it rise till double in volume for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 175 C.
- Pour heavy cream over dough.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes till golden brown.
- In a bowl add confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla and combine well. Drizzle it over the warm cinnamon rolls before serving them.
4. Easy-Peasy Apple Pie
Ingredients:
- 1 package pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 cups thinly sliced apples
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 230 degrees C.
- Line a 9-inch pie dish with a pastry crust and set the second one aside.
- Add one cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well.
- Layer the apple slices on the prepared pie dish, and sprinkle every layer with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Add small cubes of butter on the top layer and cover with top crust.
- Bake pie on the lowest rack for 10 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 175 C and continue baking till golden brown for 30 minutes.
- Serve warm or cold.
5. Easy Thanksgiving Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 packets of ready cake mix
- 6 large eggs at normal temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup condensed milk
- 2 cups white or regular chocolate chips
- 1 can (500 gm) vanilla frosting
- 1 cup shredded coconut
Method:
- Preheat oven to 175 C.
- In a bowl, add the cake mixes, eggs, pumpkin, oil and milk and beat on low speed for 30 seconds.
- Now beat it on medium for 2 minutes and add the chocolate chips to it.
- Fill cake tins till two-thirds full.
- Bake till a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes.
- Allow the cakes to cool off completely before frosting them with vanilla frosting.
