Best Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Desserts

From pumpkin pie to pumpkin cake, I’ve got you covered with the best gluten-free Thanksgiving desserts! And bonus: you don’t have to save them just for Thanksgiving!

The Best Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Desserts

It’s that time again! Pumpkin cake, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies – you can bake all of the pumpkin things and then some and add them to your Thanksgiving dessert menu. But you don’t have to limit yourself just to pumpkin desserts. A seasonal fruit crisp or a dark chocolate cake would be very welcome alongside the more familiar offerings.

Maybe you’re going gluten-free this year for the first time, or bringing a gluten-free dessert to a potluck to share. Or maybe you’re an old hand at baking gluten-free. Whatever you gluten-free baking comfort level, you’re sure to find something for everyone at the table in my suggestions below. Choose from a silky smooth gluten-free pumpkin pie, a sweet and juicy gluten-free apple galette, a scoop of no churn pumpkin ice cream, or bake maple sugar shortbread and drizzle each one with melted chocolate. Read on for the best gluten-free dessert ideas.

Easy Thanksgiving Desserts to Try

Thanksgiving is the cook’s holiday, as I’ve always said, and even if you’re not much of a cook you may find yourself in the kitchen anyway! Besides the turkey, a highlight of the big day is usually the dessert hour, and if you’re like me, you probably like serving a bit of a buffet!

Pumpkin pie of course is a must, but maybe you’d also like to add a fruit pie, a cookie plate, even ice cream? You don’t have to stick to the traditional idea of what “should” be served to finish off the Thanksgiving feast – if you love chocolate cake, go ahead and treat yourself to a double layer gluten-free chocolate cake with whipped chocolate ganche! There are no rules, only what brings delight.

I’ve put together my favorite gluten-free Thanksgiving dessert options for you in this post. They feature, yes, a few pumpkin desserts, but I think you’ll be happy to find others as well. And if you feel like going completely outside the box, put together a local cheese plate, add a dollop of apple jelly alongside plus some fresh, crisp apple slices to serve, and call it good.

Pumpkin Desserts

Let’s start with pumpkin-centric sweets. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie – The classic! My version of gluten-free pumpkin pie swaps evaporated milk for heavy cream to create an incredibly rich custard that’s baked in a flaky, gluten-free crust.
• Maple Pumpkin Pie – Another winner, this gluten-free pumpkin pie is sweetened with pure maple syrup for gorgeous flavor and a seasonal touch.
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie with Maple Sugar and Cream – Or, try a pumpkin pie made with maple sugar for a hint of natural sweetness! The decadent pumpkin filling is balanced on a simple gluten-free crust.
• No Churn Pumpkin Ice Cream – I love serving this creamy, easy pumpkin ice cream at Thanksgiving!
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bundt Cake – Swap the pie and make a gluten-free pumpkin bundt cake that’s topped with a luscious maple syrup glaze.
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars – These hand-held treats are a favorite across all ages. Warmly spiced and packed with mellow pumpkin flavor, gluten-free bars are topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting.
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bake a batch of gluten-free pumpkin cookies with or without (but may I suggest with) chocolate chips.
• Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Cake – This dairy-free and gluten-free pumpkin chocolate cake has you covered if you need to make a dessert for those who skip dairy and gluten.

Chocolate Desserts

Go beyond pumpkin and make something rich and chocolatey. Choose one of my oh-so-delicious gluten-free chocolate cake recipes to serve this Thanksgiving:

• Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake – This gluten-free version of my tried-and-true chocolate cake features a trio of gluten-free flours to make a tender, sturdy crumb.
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Dump-It Cake – The easiest gluten-free chocolate cake, you “dump” it all together to make a moist and delicious cake.
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake – Oat and almond flours combine to make a gluten-free chocolate layer cake that will disappear fast. Frost it with chocolate buttercream or drizzle slices with caramel sauce.
• Gluten-Free Oat Flour Chocolate Cake – Just one flour, oat flour, is needed to make this whole grain, wholly gluten-free chocolate cake!

Fruit Forward Thanksgiving Desserts

Fresh and flavorful fruit desserts always have a place at the table. These wonderful bakes can be made all year long.

• Apple Galette – A gluten-free apple galette makes a perfect fall and Thanksgiving dessert! A tender and flaky gluten-free crust wraps around lightly sweetened apple slices.
• Gluten Free Apple Crisp – Or keep things easy and make a gluten-free apple crisp. Throw in a handful of fresh or frozen cranberries while you’re at it.
• Gluten Free Apple Pie – Thanksgiving means pie, and it doesn’t just have to be pumpkin. Make a gluten-free apple pie to add to your dessert offerings.
• Gluten-Free Blackberry-Apple Crisp – Or, make a gluten free blacberry-apple crisp! You can use frozen blackberries and fresh apples for a seasonal treat.
• Gluten Free Gravenstein Apple Cake – Sub any apples you prefer in this flavorful gluten-free cake that’s oh-so buttery and spiked with cozy spices.
• Gluten-Free Pear Cake – Tuck juicy pears into a rich, sweet gluten-free pear cake. Best served warm, with ice cream!

Cookies

Why not add a plate of cookies to go alongside your pies? From simple shortbread to ginger cookies, you’ll love these gluten-free cookie options:

• Maple Sugar Shortbread – Lightly sweetened with pure maple sugar, these delicate gluten free shortbread cookies are always a hit when I serve them at the end of the Thanksgiving meal.
• Gluten-Free Chewy Molasses Cookies – It’s the beginning of the holidays! Transition into winter baking with these wonderful gluten-free molasses cookies.
• Gluten-Free Cherry Oatmeal Cookies – For a simple and less rich sweet, bake a batch of gluten-free cherry oatmeal cookies that feature whole grain oats and dried cherries.
• Gluten-Free Moroccan Ghriba Cookies – I love a nutty plate of gluten-free ghriba cookies that are perfect with a post-dinner cup of tea.

And see my gluten-free baking tips to help guide you through this busy baking season.