Delicious Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Desserts

The Best Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Desserts

It's that time again! Gluten free pumpkin sheet cake, pie, spiced gluten free pumpkin blondies - 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. An apple crisp or a fluffy oat flour chocolate cake would be very welcome alongside the more familiar offerings. It's up to you!

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 your 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 or (my absolute favorite) gluten-free maple pumpkin pie, a sweet and juicy gluten-free apple galette, a scoop of no-churn pumpkin ice cream, or bake gluten free maple shortbread and drizzle each one with melted chocolate. Read on for more 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 ganache! 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 Pumpkin Sheet Cake - This moist and tender pumpkin cake is topped with tangy cream cheese frosting for a lovely take on classic fall pumpkin flavors.

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!
• Chocolate Teff Cake - Gluten free whole-grain teff flour stars in this luscious cake that's topped with a layer of chocolate icing.

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 blackberry apple crisp! You can use frozen blackberries and fresh apples for a seasonal treat.
• Gluten Free French Apple Cake - Substitute any apples you prefer in this flavorful gluten-free cake that's oh-so buttery.
• 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 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.