There’s Thanksgiving dinner, and then there’s Thanksgiving dessert. No matter how much turkey and stuffing you eat, you’ve got to have room for dessert! So, here are my absolute favorite Thanksgiving dessert recipes that’ll make anyone’s stomach say it has a little more space. 

Chocolate and fig cake

What you’ll need: 

• ½  cup unsalted butter (4 ounces), melted and cooled to room temperature
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour  
• ½  cup unsweetened cocoa
• ½  teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 4 to 12 ounces fresh figs, stemmed and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• Powdered sugar (for garnish)
• Unsweetened whipped cream (for serving)

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a round cake pan with butter. Dust pan and parchment with flour, tapping out excess. Make easy-lift handles out of parchment paper by cutting two strips of parchment that extend beyond the edges of the pan and overlap them, forming an “X” shape. Place this in the bottom of the buttered pan, top with parchment round and grease paper with butter. 
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and then set aside. Beat granulated sugar and butter with a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium-low speed until well combined (about 30 seconds). Add eggs (1 at a time) beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until batter lightens in color and is fluffy (about 2 minutes). Fold in flour mixture by hand until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Fold in chopped chocolate.
3. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth top. Place 2 to 3 fig slices, slightly overlapping, in the center of the cake. Bake cake in a preheated oven until just set (34 to 38 minutes). Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (about 2 hours). Let the cake cool completely before using handles to gently remove cake from pan. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, and serve with unsweetened whipped cream!

Classic apple pie

What you’ll need:

• 1 recipe for double pie crust
• 2 ¼  lbs Granny Smith Apples  (7 cups thinly sliced)
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp  all-purpose flour
• ¼  cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg  (for egg wash)

How to make it: 

1. Make the pie crust recipe and chill per instructions while preparing the filling. Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour then simmer for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue simmering 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
3. Peel, remove cores and thinly slice 7 cups of apples and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon and toss to combine. Pour the sauce over the apples and stir to coat the apple slices.
4. Add apple mixture to the bottom half of your pie crust, mounding slightly in the center and being careful not to get the filling on the edges. Roll the second crust into an 11″ round and cut into 10 strips using a pizza cutter. Arrange strips in a woven lattice pattern over the top. Beat together 1 egg and 1 tbsp water and brush the top with egg mixture.
5. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350˚F and continue baking another 45 minutes or until the apples are soft and the filling is bubbling through the vents. Rest at room temp 1 hour before serving.

Pecan squares

What you’ll need:

(For the crust)

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ cup Confectioners’ sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

(For the filling)

• 1½ sticks unsalted butter
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp honey
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 3 cups coarsely chopped pecans

How to make it: 

(For the crust)

1. Cover a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil. Push foil neatly into corners and up sides of the pan, using two pieces if necessary to ensure it overlaps all edges (to help with the removal from pan). Spray the foiled pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place the flour, cornstarch, confectioners sugar and salt in a bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture has pea-size lumps of butter within. 
3. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer over the bottom. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. While the crust is in the refrigerator, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the crust until it is set but not browned (about 17 minutes). Set on rack to cool. Leave the oven on.

(For the filling)

1. In a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil gently for 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and chopped pecans.

(To assemble)

1. Pour pecan mixture over the crust. Bake until the filling is bubbling and caramel in color (about 20 minutes). Cool completely on rack. To cut, use the foil overhang to lift baked square out of pan and onto cutting board. Loosen the foil from the edges, then cut with a sharp knife into 2-inch squares. Store finished pecan squares in an air-tight container and serve at room temperature!

With the help of these simple recipes, your desserts will make headlines at any Thanksgiving party! Save this article for this year’s upcoming festivities, or any event you find yourself in charge of desserts — these recipes will add a touch of sweetness to any occasion. Happy Thanksgiving!