Easy Thanksgiving Desserts That Are Delicious | Dorsey College

Easy Thanksgiving Desserts That Are Delicious

Easy Thanksgiving Desserts That Are Delicious

Desserts are universally a welcomed ending to any meal, but Thanksgiving desserts are the end of to an iconic holiday meal so they are expected to hit differently. This isn’t just a store-bought popsicle or an average Sunday night bowl of ice cream. Thanksgiving dessert is literally the after dish of a feast. If you’re looking for some easy thanksgiving desserts that are delicious, read on!

We asked our culinary director Chef Matt Schellig for his personal favorite Easy Thanksgiving dessert recipe. We also looked back on some of our favorite easy Thanksgiving desserts that we’ve shared in the past.  Because Thanksgiving already requires so much food prep, the recipes below are simple but delicious desserts.  Below are the 3 easy Thanksgiving Desserts right from the cookbooks experts:

Pumpkin Roll (+ cream cheese frosting)

You can never go wrong with the autumn classic: the pumpkin roll. A warm, seasonally spiced roll topped with creamy thick cream cheese frosting is sure to delight you and your guests.

What to get: (We recommend getting these prior to the Wednesday before Turkey Day: remember everyone’s preparing for the same meal as you)

  • 6 Eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans

What to do:

  1. Beat eggs and sugar on high speed in the mixer for 5 minutes.
  2. Add pumpkin & lemon juice to mixture
  3. Mix all dry ingredients together
  4. Fold dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture.
  5. Spread on a parchment-lined sheet tray and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes
  6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm
  7. Cut roll in half width-wise
  8. Roll the two halves then unroll and chill
  9. Spread with cream cheese frosting then re-roll the cake
  10. Make sure the crease is facing downward
  11. Top the roll with the cream cheese frosting
  12. Sprinkle toasted pecans on the frosting

Want to make your own cream cheese frosting? It’s simple and will make for a better pumpkin roll!

Cream Cheese Frosting

What to get:

  • 1 lb cream cheese
  • 5 ½ oz butter
  • 5 ½ oz brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

What to do:

  1. Cream (mix) butter and sugar
  2. add cream cheese in chunks to butter mixture
  3. beat mix until smooth and add vanilla
  4. Place in a plastic container and label and date

Sweet Potato Pie 

Ah, the sweet potato pie, a lovely Thanksgiving classic. Sweet, creamy, and smooth, you can never go wrong with a perfectly baked sweet potato pie. Especially during the holidays.  Here’s a sweet and simple sweet potato pie to try this Thanksgiving, as directed by Chef Waniece Usher:

What to get: (We recommend getting these prior to the Wednesday before Turkey Day: remember everyone’s preparing for the same meal as you)

  • 1 unbaked pie crust
  • 2 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, mashed
  • 1/2 cup  butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 5 ounces evaporated milk
  • 1 tsp  vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

What to do:

  1.  Preheat oven to 350
  2.  Roll pie crust into a greased pie pan.
  3. In a large bowl mix: mashed sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, milk, vanilla, eggs, cinnamon, cloves, ginger,  nutmeg.
  4. Pour filling in pie pan and bake for 60 minutes or until middle is set.
  5. Remove and cool.

 

Baked Apples

There’s always someone who’s calorie-conscious about the holidays. With all the food and festivities you (or a family member) might find yourself wanting to skip dessert in favor of staying on track. With our final dessert though, you won’t have to choose between being healthy and enjoying dessert.

Chef Heather Torrente’s baked apple recipe is a tasty and healthy Thanksgiving dessert that is sure to delight calorie counters and sweet lovers alike.

Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size 1 apple (Recipe yields 5)

  • Amount per serving
  • Calories 256
  • Total Fat 12 g
  • Total Carbs 41 g
  • Protein 3g

What to get: (We recommend getting these prior to the Wednesday before Turkey Day: remember everyone’s preparing for the same meal as you)

  • 5 Honeycrisp Apples
  • 2/3 cup Instant Oats
  • 1/8 cup Dried Blueberries*
  • 1/2 cup Raw Walnut Halves
  • 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 1/8 cup Honey
  • 1 tbsp Cinnamon
  • Lemon Wedge
  • 1 Grapefruit or Paring Knife

*or naturally dried fruit of your choice

NOTE: Serve the baked apples with a cup of Low Fat Vanilla Greek Yogurt for more protein!

What to do:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Core your apples by using a corer or grapefruit knife.
  3. Then, take a grapefruit knife or paring knife and make a larger hole by carving out the sides. Do not go all the way through the apple!
  4. Rub the lemon wedge along the insides of the apples to keep them from browning.
  5. Add all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix together using a spatula.
  6.  Ensure there is no dry oatmeal. If the oatmeal is still dry, add 1 tsp coconut oil.
  7. Spoon the contents of the bowl into the hollowed-out apples. Pack it in tight and then stack some on top of the apple.
  8. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top has browned.

 

Thanksgiving dessert might seem like the end to the Thanksgiving recipe blog series. If you’re typically bombarded with leftovers each Thanksgiving (and get sick of microwaved turkey) be sure to read our next blog post. It will cover creative, tasty recipes using Thanksgiving leftovers. Happy cooking!