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No one dishes up nostalgic Thanksgiving desserts like Grandma can. Many generous Allrecipes home cooks have shared their family heirloom recipes passed down through generations, including favorites like apple pie and chocolate cream pie to cupcakes and everything made with pumpkin. Start a new tradition in your family with these timeless Thanksgiving dessert recipes that are good enough to earn Grandma’s stamp of approval.
Chocolate Cream Pie
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This rich and silky chocolate cream pie is an old family recipe my grandmother used to make me when I was a little boy. I still love it to this day!” says recipe submitter Cecil.
Butternut Squash Pie
Allrecipes / Julia Hartbeck
Take a break from pumpkin and stuff your pie crust with warmly spiced butternut squash. Ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla lend similar flavors to the classic Thanksgiving favorite, just with a twist. “My grandmother taught me how to make this recipe while I was a teenager working on her farm in the summers. For people that find the taste of pumpkin a little strong or just want a change, this is a milder but still delicious pie,” says recipe submitter blaze.
Grandma Carol’s Pumpkin Roll
No need to be intimidated by the prospect of making a cake roll (aka jelly roll). Recipe submitter SusieQ’s Grandma Carol will walk us through it! “My mom’s pumpkin roll recipe is a holiday favorite. She always makes this around Thanksgiving and takes it to work—everyone wants the recipe,” says SusieQ. “It is, without a doubt, the best pumpkin roll I’ve ever had!”
Grandma Bowen’s Girdle Buster Pie
Allrecipes/Karen Hibbard
“This is now a family favorite! We love a good pudding parfait but the cream cheese layer in this recipe adds extra richness, and takes it up a few notches! Easy and fast to make. Highly recommend!” —CozyCurd4915
Grandma’s Iron Skillet Apple Pie
Passed down by grandmas for generations, a cast iron skillet can bake up a picture-perfect pie. For this nearly-mile-high pie, recipe submitter TL Dixon’s grandma calls for three layers of pie pastry: one at the bottom, one in the middle, and one on top. Think of this cinnamon-spiced apple creation as the Thanksgiving dessert cousin of a triple-decker sandwich.
Southern Possum Pie
ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTURGA
“This possum pie is such a wonderful summer dessert as it’s light but decadent in flavor,” says recipe creator tawn. “This is an old recipe passed down by my grandmother from Tennessee.”
Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
“This is a fantastic Bundt cake that my grandmother used to make for Thanksgiving. It has been a family favorite for years,” says recipe contributor Dani. Allrecipes home cook Jillian made it and says, “OMG! This apple cake is so moist and so delicious! It’s the perfect fall dessert. I used half white sugar and half brown sugar, and next time, I would probably cut back on the oil because it was almost too moist. I did add just a splash of vanilla to that to give it more of that ‘caramel’ flavor.”
Apple Butter Spice Cake
For a fall-flavored cake recipe, consider this coffee cake-like option that recipe submitter shirley scored from her grandma “years ago.” Sour cream makes the crumb dense yet tender, while apple butter lends loads of fall flavor in seconds. “Very moist, delicious cake. Would make a good breakfast cake,” says one Allrecipes member. Translation: Thanksgiving day brunch menu, solved!
Grandma’s Gingersnap Cookies
This recipe for gingersnaps makes gingersnap cookies that melt in your mouth! I received this ginger cookie recipe from my grandmother; it’s been enjoyed in my family since 1899. Store cookies in an airtight container.
Old Fashioned Raisin Pie
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
This is something you don’t see on the Thanksgiving table often. “This raisin pie recipe was given to me 41 years ago by my husband’s grandmother,” says recipe submitter Linda. With over 140 5-star reviews, this recipe is worth making.
Anna’s Custard Pie
We bet you already have everything you need to make this easy pie recipe, developed by recipe submitter Anna’s German grandma. Vanilla extract stars in the simple flan-like filling, which can be spiced up with cinnamon and/or nutmeg. “I found this recipe delightfully easy to make but absolutely delicious and eggy. I did add a little more nutmeg as it is a holiday favorite flavor in my family,” one baker who tried it herself says. “I also served it with homemade whipped cream sprinkled with nutmeg.”
Apple Pie by Grandma Ople
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Recipe submitter MOSHASMAMA generously shared her grandma’s twist on the beloved apple dessert and admits, “I have never seen another one quite like it. It will always be my favorite and has won me several first-place prizes in local competitions.” What makes it stand out? Partially cooking the fruit-free portion of the pie filling, then pouring it over the sliced apple-topped pie crust. The results are “A++ decadently delicious,” according to other home bakers who have tried this at home.
Grandma’s Lemon Meringue Pie
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“What a great recipe! I’ve had many lemon fillings that never quite got the acid/sugar balance right, but this was bang on,” says one Allrecipes reviewer.
Chess Pie
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This chess pie is a very old Southern recipe. It’s a very sweet, rich dessert which cannot be described as anything but marvelous. This is not my personal recipe but was passed to me by my grandmother and from her grandmother and so on and so forth,” says recipe contributor T Knecht. “You will think you have died and gone to heaven when you taste this, especially when served with whipped cream.”
