Thanksgiving got here quicker than most anticipated, and if you’re like me, then you aren’t quite prepared to impress friends and family with a delicious dessert. Here are some last minute, easy desserts to serve at Thanksgiving meals.
Apple Pie Bites
By: The Blond Cook
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, and additional apple pie spice (about ¼ teaspoon) for sprinkling on top of crescent rolls
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced into 8 (1/2-inch) slices
- 1 (8-ounce) can Pillsbury Original crescent rolls
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and apple pie spice. Set aside.
- Melt butter and toss apple slices in butter, set aside.
- Arrange crescent roll triangles on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Evenly distribute brown sugar mixture onto each triangle.
- Sprinkle each triangle evenly with the chopped pecans.
- Place an apple slice on the wide end of each triangle. Wrap crescent roll dough around each apple.
- Brush each crescent roll with remaining butter. Sprinkle lightly with additional apple pie spice.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Reese’s Turkeys
By: Mom On Timeout
Ingredients:
- 8 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (full size)
- 8 Reese’s Dark Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures
- 48 Reese’s Pieces
- 16 candy eyes
- ½ c semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Unwrap all the candy and set aside.
- Melt chocolate chips in microwave (15 seconds medium heat, stir, repeat) until nice and smooth.
- Transfer melted chocolate to a plastic bag and cut a very small piece off the corner.
- Pipe a small amount of melted chocolate onto the back of the miniatures and place on the far side of the full size cups.
- Pipe a small amount of melted chocolate onto the back of the candy eyes and place on the turkey’s head (the miniature).
- Pipe a small amount of melted chocolate onto the side of an orange Reese’s Pieces and place on the miniature for the turkey’s nose.
- Pipe a small amount of melted chocolate onto the back of 5 more Reese’s Pieces and place at the top of the full size cup for the feathers.
- Let sit until chocolate is completely firm.
Pecan Pie Bars
By: Just a Taste
Ingredients:
For crust:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For topping:
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 cups chopped pecans
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9×13-inch pan with foil, leaving enough for a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
- First make the crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly.
- Press the crust into the foil-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
- While the crust bakes, prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped pecans.
- Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan.
- Use the foil overhang to lift out the bars and transfer them to a cutting board. Peel off the foil, slice into bars and serve.
Pumpkin Lush
By: Averie Cooks
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 8 ounces brick-style cream cheese, softened (lite okay)
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- one 3.4-ounce box instant vanilla pudding
- 1 1/4 cups cold milk (use cow’s milk and not almond, soy, cashewmilk, etc. because pudding won’t thicken; the box will say 2 cups but use 1 1/4 cups)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- one 8-ounce tub whipped topping, thawed (fat-free or lite okay); divided
- 1/2 cup toffee bits
- 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- To a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
- Add the graham crackers crumbs and toss lightly with a fork to coat crumbs evenly.
- Turn mixture out into prepared pan, forming an even, smooth, flat crust layer by tapping crumbs into place with a spatula or your fingertips.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until just set; set aside to cool for 10 minutes so you don’t melt the cream cheese in the next step.
- To a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and combined.
- Turn cream cheese mixture out over graham cracker crust and spread it in an even flat layer using a spatula or knife. Be gentle and careful so you don’t rip the somewhat fragile crust; set aside.
- To a large bowl, add the pudding mix, milk, and beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and beat to incorporate.
- Add 1/2 cup cup whipped topping and beat to incorporate.
- Turn pumpkin mixture out over cream cheese layer, using a spatula to smooth it.
- Evenly spread the remaining 1 1/2 cups whipped topping over the pumpkin layer.
- Evenly sprinkle the toffee bits, chocolate chips, cover with foil and place in fridge to cool for at least 4 hours (overnight is better) before slicing and serving. Dessert will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
