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38 Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Desserts That Everyone Will Love

We're all very thankful for these desserts.

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sweet potato pudding
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

You know what we're really thankful for this year? That so many of our favorite Thanksgiving desserts also happen to be gluten-free too. After all, Thanksgiving is all about sharing food with loved ones, and that absolutely means making sure our gluten-free pals can partake in all the pies, cakes, and cookies this holiday season. And can we be honest for a moment? These gluten-free treats are often the first ones to get scraped clean on the dessert table. Yup, these 38 rich gluten-free desserts not only highlight our favorite fall flavors, but just might be better than their gluten-y versions. One bite of our crustless pumpkin pie is guaranteed to have you feeling very thankful.

Living gluten-free thankfully doesn't mean you have to skip out on your favorite Thanksgiving desserts. It also doesn't have to be complicated either! Some of our favorite gluten-free recipes don't even require any special ingredients or flours. Simply going crust-less makes a ton of fall desserts delicious for everyone, like our crustless apple pies, sweet potato pudding, and chocolate pots de creme. And if you've never delighted in a rich, fudgy flourless chocolate cake, now is the time to make our flourless peanut butter chocolate cake or flourless chocolate coconut cake recipes.

Okay, while we'd love to have a dessert-only Thanksgiving, we get it if you need to complete your meal with all the fixings. Try all our gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes to fill your plate (especially with plenty of gluten-free stuffing). No matter who is coming to Thanksgiving dinner, we've got plenty of recipes to accommodate with our vegan Thanksgiving ideas, vegetarian Thanksgiving, and healthy Thanksgiving recipes. And no meal is complete without a Thanksgiving dessert or one of these Thanksgiving cocktails, right?

1

Gluten-Free Apple Pie

gluten free apple pie
PHOTO; RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLIST; FRANCESCA ZANI

We hope you're not batting your eyes at “gluten-free.” So often is the word associated with negative connotations because there’s just nothing quite like a gluten-filled treat—bread, pasta, pie, cakes, cookies, you name it… or so you think. Stop there: Gluten-free apple pie can be just as good as all the others.

Get the Gluten-Free Apple Pie recipe.

2

Sweet Potato Pudding

sweet potato pudding
Erik bernstein

This silky smooth sweet potato pudding is a lighter, simplified cousin of sweet potato casserole without the topping or crust. It's essentially the filling of sweet potato pie with an optional whipped cream or marshmallow fluff topping.

Get the Sweet Potato Pudding recipe.

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3

Crustless Apple Pies

crustless apple pie
Park Feierbach

You need to try this hasselback trick with apples ASAP. It tastes like a cross between a homemade apple pie and a warm apple crumble. The best part: You don't need to deal with rolling out and chilling pie dough.

Get the Crustless Apple Pies recipe.

4

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

crustless pumpkin pie   delishcom
Parker Feierbach

For those who can't have gluten or think the pie crust is just a vessel to get the best part of the pie, this pumpkin pie is for you. Made without the crust, this pie takes less than half the time and WAY less effort. No making pie crusts, no chilling, and no blind baking. It's a Thanksgiving miracle.

Get the Crustless Pumpkin Pie recipe.

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5

Poached Pears

poached pears
Erik bernstein

Poaching slightly underripe pears makes them tender and sweetens them while allowing them to maintain their structure. Once poached, they can be served warm or cold, garnished with a caramel reduction of the cooking liquid, and accompanied with everything from ice cream to whipped cream to yogurt.

Get the Poached Pears recipe.

6

Chocolate Soufflé

chocolate souffle
Suzanne Clements

If your soufflé attempts have always turned out flat and sunken in, this recipe is here to help. We've got all the tips and tricks to help you make a perfect light, airy, and decadent chocolate dessert to impress all your guests.

Get the Chocolate Soufflé recipe.

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7

Keto Pecan Pie

keto pecan pie
Lucy schaeffer

This keto pecan pie has all the flavors of the holidays with none of the refined carbs or sugar. Classic keto baking ingredients such as almond flour, coconut flour, monkfruit sweetener, and heavy cream make it possible to make a great pecan pie.

Get the Keto Pecan Pie recipe.

8

Pumpkin Mousse

easy pumpkin mousse
Kat Wirsing

This mousse is exactly what we think fall tastes like. Love the flavor but missing some crunch? Add a couple crushed gluten-free cookies of your choosing to the bottom of each serving dish for a makeshift crust, like we did for our lemon cheesecake mousse recipe.

Get the Pumpkin Mousse recipe.

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9

Amaretti Cookies

amaretti cookies

If you like the flavor of French macarons, you'll love this take on Italian amaretti cookies. Soft, pillowy, moist, sweet, and lightly scented with amaretto liqueur as well as citrus zests, these cookies get made multiple times a season, year after year.

Get theAmaretti Cookies recipe.

10

Flourless Chocolate Coconut Cake

flourless chocolate coconut cake
ERIK BERNSTEIN

This gluten-free cake is a perfect last-minute dessert to whip up that is so gorgeous, people will think it took you days to make. The flourless cake is made out of butter, semisweet chocolate, and eggs, PLUS fragrant toasted coconut in the batter and on top. The signature cracked topping dusted with cocoa powder makes this easy dessert into a stunning centerpiece.

Get the Flourless Chocolate Coconut Cake recipe.

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11

Panna Cotta

panna cotta
Lucy Schaeffer

Panna cotta is a cream-based Italian dessert that is set with gelatin and flavored with vanilla. No baking is required—once the heated milk and cream is mixed with the gelatin and vanilla, the mixture is then poured into ramekins (or molds) and chilled until set. Often topped with fresh (or roasted) fruit or a berry sauce, it’s the perfect no-bake dessert to wow your dinner party with minimal effort.

Get the Panna Cotta recipe.

12

Brigadeiros

brigadeiros covered in chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, pistachios, and almonds
PHOTO: JOEL GOLDBERG; FOOD STYLING: HADLEY SUI

For many Brazilians, the most iconic nostalgic childhood treat is absolutely brigadeiros. Many a Brazilian birthday party had a dessert table that featured these fudgy, sprinkle-covered truffles, and it's pretty clear why. They’re delicious, adorable, and often disappear in seconds!

Get the Brigadeiros recipe.

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13

Gluten-Free Pie Crust

gluten free pie crust
Kat Wirsing

Finding a good pie crust when you're not gluten-free is already tough (our classic pie crust took us several tries to get just right)—imagine when you need to avoid flour! Fortunately, our gluten-free pie crust has been tested and perfected. The secret to perfect GF pie crust? Cold sour cream!

Get the Gluten-Free Pie Crust recipe.

14

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

flourless peanut butter chocolate cake

We gave the classic flourless chocolate cake an upgrade in the form of LOTS of peanut butter. The chocolate and PB combo make it even richer than the original, while being just as easy to make. The fancy stripes are optional—but who doesn't love a little extra peanut butter?!

Get the Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake recipe.

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15

Pavlova Cupcakes With Raspberry Sauce

pavlova cupcakes with raspberry sauce
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Pavlovas have a crispy exterior with a soft, marshmallow-like interior, and these mini ones made into cupcakes are ideal for serving to guests. Dollop with a little homemade whipped cream and raspberry sauce for the perfect bite.

Get the Pavlova Cupcakes With Raspberry Sauce recipe.

16

Baked Pears

cinnamon baked pears
Chelsea Lupkin

In this easy dessert, fresh pears are halved, topped with sweetened oats and nuts, then baked and topped with ice cream to create a delicious, individual treat. Ready in under an hour and only requiring a handful of staple ingredients, these pears are the perfect last-minute dessert when you're itching for a sweet fall treat.

Get the Baked Pears recipe.

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17

Butter Mochi

butter mochi
LUCY SCHAEFFER

A sweet, chewy but tender treat from Hawaii, butter mochi is one of our favorite things to bake. The batter is simple, the process is straightforward, and the results are delightful. It features using Japanese glutinous rice flour called mochiko, with roots stemming from a Goan dessert called bebinca. This special dessert was so well-liked that it traveled from one former Portuguese colony to the next, landing its way in Hawaii and the Pacific.

Get the Butter Mochi recipe.

18

Chocolate Pots De Crème

chocolate pots de crème
Andrew bui//Alamy

These little pots of chocolatey goodness defy explanation. While they're technically a custard, they fall somewhere in the middle between a pudding and a mousse. All you really need to know is that these ultra-chocolatey cups are a rich, sweet dream, topped with fluffy whipped cream.

Get the Chocolate Pots De Crème recipe.

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19

Best-Ever Flan

flan
Bryce Johnson

In our opinion, Flan (AKA the classic baked custard often served in Latin America & Spain) never goes out of style. So pour yourself a freshly brewed cup of coffee and dig into one of the creamiest, most luxurious desserts ever. The addition of egg yolks makes for a particularly rich version, leaving you with just enough egg whites to make coconut macaroons or French macarons.

Get the Best-Ever Flan recipe.

20

Bloomin' Apples

bloomin apple
Parker feierbach

We took inspo from the ever popular Bloomin' Onion and made a just as fun, easy dessert. Because apples can turn brown really quickly, you'll want to brush them with butter and get them in the oven pretty quickly after slicing them. These are also so fun to make in the air fryer!

Get the Bloomin' Apples recipe.

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