Simple, no-bake Thanksgiving desserts to make ahead of time for guests to devour after the big feast (and then ask for the recipe).
Tired of the same ol', same ol' Thanksgiving desserts that take hours to prepare and feel really heavy (after an already-heavy feast)?
I am, too!
I wanted to try something simpler this year, which is why I worked through these simple, no-bake Thanksgiving desserts over the last few months.
And I couldn’t be happier.
Simple No-Bake Thanksgiving Desserts
Check out these make-ahead, yummy desserts you can serve at Thanksgiving (without opening your oven)!
1. No-Bake Pumpkin Mousse Cheesecake Jars
This dessert had me at “pumpkin mousse”, and “cheesecake”.
The fact that I could have both, layered together, without needing to bake? Well, it’s an instant hit I knew I needed to share.
Servings: 12 (note: it depends on the size of the jar you use)
Ingredients:
- 1 15-oz. can of pumpkin puree
- 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 32-oz. container Greek Yogurt (2%)
- 1 cheesecake-flavored Jell-o instant pudding mix
- 2 cups of whipped cream (1 cup of heavy cream you whip yourself, Cool Whip, or whatever whipped topping you’d like to use)
- 1 tbsp. powdered sugar (if whipping your own heavy cream)
To make a batch:
- Use a mixer to mix together the entire can of pumpkin puree, and the entire can of sweetened condensed milk.
- Combine the 32-oz. Greek Yogurt container with the entire cheesecake-flavored Jell-o package.
- Whip the 1 cup of heavy cream (and add 1 tbsp. powdered sugar) if you’re making your own (this yields 2 cups of whipped cream).
- Fold in the 2 cups of whipped cream to the pumpkin mixture.
- Alternate layers of the cheesecake mix, and the pumpkin mix, until you reach the top of your containers.
2. No-Bake Cranberry Fluff
Creamy, tart, and colorful – this is the perfect complement to a Thanksgiving feast.
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces cranberries
- ½ cup sugar
- 1.5 – 2 tubs Whipped Topping (8 oz. each)
To make a batch:
- Chop up the cranberries in a food processor.
- Mix the chopped cranberries with the sugar. Soak overnight.
- Fold the whipped topping into the cranberries. That’s it!
Who knew just three ingredients could create something so yummy?
Here are 4 more Thanksgiving dessert salad recipes.
3. No-Bake Turkey Trail Mix Rice Krispies Treats™
These are my absolute favorites.
And not just mine – my husband and I can devour a batch of them in two days, flat.
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 package (10 oz., about 40) Marshmallows
- 6 cups crispy rice cereal
- Crunchy peanut butter, pecan butter, Nutella, or other nut spread of your choice
- Trail mix or nuts of your choice
- Candy Corn
To make a batch:
- Make a batch of Rice Krispies Treats™ using the original recipe (I use parchment paper in the pan for easy removal later, or spray the pan).
- Allow them to cool. Then take the whole block out of the pan and slice the entire thing crosswise, in half.
- Spread crunch peanut butter or Nutella on one half. Then top it with as much trail mix or your favorite nuts as you’d like (for me, that’s Maple Walnuts – hands down my favorite healthy Dollar Tree snack).
- Press the other half firmly back on top.
- Take a turkey-shaped cookie cutter, and press firmly to cut out as many turkeys as you can make.
- Splay the candy corn pieces to make the tail stick out.
4. No-Bake Pumpkin Layered Fluff Dessert Shooters
Ooooohhhhh – do you love pumpkin stuff? I sure do.
When I saw a bag of my most favorite ginger snap cookies from childhood, I knew I had to make these.
Here's another no-bake, make-ahead dessert shooter recipe.
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 can of pumpkin
- 1 bag of ginger snaps cookies
- 1 Jet Puff Marshmallow Fluff
- 1 container of vanilla icing
To make a batch:
- Heat 2/3 cup of marshmallow fluff in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
- Combine ¼ cup pumpkin with the heated marshmallow fluff.
- Crush 10 ginger snap cookies.
- Put some ginger cookie crumbs in the bottom of a dessert shooter. Layer with the pumpkin fluff, then a dollop of vanilla icing (easiest done through an icing piping bag). Repeat the layers. Top with just a sprinkle of ginger cookie crumbs.
- Yields 6. I don’t think you can just eat one, though, so I can’t really call it six servings (haha!).
Here are 4 more dessert shooter recipes.
5. No-Bake Cranberry Icebox Cake
I listened to a segment on NPR last summer about icebox cakes and made my first one ever just a few months ago.
They’re SO simple, and so delicious.
Just like this no-bake, Cranberry Icebox Cake below.
Servings: 10
Ingredients:
- 12-ounce bag of cranberries
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tbsp. Vanilla extract
- 36 Vanilla Wafers
To make a batch:
- Chop cranberries in a food processor.
- Add ½ cup sugar to the cranberries, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- Whip 2 cups heavy whipping cream, ½ cup powdered sugar, and ½ tbsp. vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
- Fold in the cranberries.
- Line a rectangular baking dish (10” X 6“) with a layer of Vanilla Wafers.
- Put a layer of the cranberry cream on top.
- Layer with another single layer of Vanilla Wafers.
- Make one final layer of cranberry cream on top.
- Refrigerate for 4-6 hours before eating.
That’s it!
Amanda L Grossman
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