From classic Southern pecan pie to creative pumpkin blondies, Salon's food writers have shared their most beloved recipes to sweeten your holiday season. These eight dessert ideas capture the flavors and traditions of Thanksgiving while introducing delightful twists — like a chocolate-tahini pumpkin pie or coconut pie that’s as effortless as it is delicious.
Whether you’re in search of a show-stopping centerpiece, a quick weekday bake or something to enjoy with coffee the morning after the feast, these recipes are tested, crowd-pleasing favorites.
Here’s how our contributors are reimagining fall desserts, with stories and inspiration to guide you to your next favorite treat.
Pumpkin and tahini pie with chocolate crust
As an unapologetic choco-holic, food writer Grant Melton was always a little disappointed at Thanksgiving. While he always saved room for a slice of pumpkin or pecan pie, when it came to dessert, the flavor for which he was most thankful was chocolate.
That’s what led to the creation of this unique play on the Thanksgiving classic. Melton’s pumpkin pie features a chocolate crust, which is made by simply subtracting a little flour and adding a little cocoa powder and sugar to a standard crust recipe (plus, a splash of water for pliability). To counteract the slight bitterness of the cocoa, Melton’s pumpkin pie filling also incorporates smooth, nutty tahini.
Check out the full recipe here.
Easy pumpkin blondies
After a long, hot summer, Salon Senior Writer Mary Elizabeth Williams was very ready to make use of the omnipresent orange cans of pumpkin that began popping up in her supermarket come fall.
“As I often do, I turned first for inspiration to Inspired Taste's brilliant and endlessly adaptable blondies recipe,” Williams wrote. “It's a weeknight workhorse that bakes up a perfect portion of treats in a little over a half hour from start to finish. As a bonus, it's got just one egg, one stick of butter, one kind of sugar and no baking powder or baking soda, so it bakes up more densely than your typical blondie — exactly what I wanted from something with the elevating element of pumpkin going for it.”
Her resulting pumpkin blondies — flecked with dark chocolate chips and sea salt — are the perfect solution for holiday bakers who are low on time, but excited to capture seasonal flavors.
Check out the full recipe here.
Martha Stewart-inspired pumpkin bars
For columnist Bibi Hutchings, who lives in beachy coastal Alabama, “Martha Stewart Living” offered her a way to learn to love one of fall’s most iconic ingredients.
“I always loved warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves,” Hutchings wrote. “I loved gingerbread and cinnamon toast has been a lifelong comfort food, but I don't remember ever buying a can of pumpkin before Martha. I certainly had not made or eaten pumpkin muffins, pumpkin scones or pumpkin pancakes before, and I don't think any of my friends had either. This was long before Starbucks and pumpkin-spice lattes, practically eons before pumpkin-spice took over the world each October.”
Inspired by Martha Stewart’s own seasonal bakes, Hutchings created these classic pumpkin bars with a slightly tangy cream cheese frosting.
Check out the full recipe here.
(And speaking of Martha, if you’re not a pumpkin person, maybe try her chocolate-and-pear pie as a Thanksgiving option?)
Sweet potato pie: Classic and with a twist
In her excellent food history essay, “Thanks, Patti LaBelle: Sweet potato pie will always beat pumpkin in my household,” Salon Senior Critic Melanie McFarland unfurls the dessert’s profound meaning and roots in Black American culture. Take some time to read that and after you do, consider trying your hand at the iconic recipe McFarland sourced, which comes from a 1999 cookbook written by Pattie LaBelle and is credited to her best friend Norma Gordon Harris.
Check out the full recipe here.
Once you’ve mastered the classic sweet potato pie, consider taking a note from columnist Bibi Hutchings and use citrus zest and a splash of juice to brighten up the flavors.
Southern pecan pie
While there may be some disagreement on how to pronounce the star ingredient in this holiday pie (columnist Bibi Hutchings goes with “"pah-KAHN,” for what it’s worth) one thing is for sure: This classic Southern recipe has withstood the test of time for a reason.
Check out the full recipe here.
Old-fashioned coconut pie
Let’s say you’re tired of the typical seasonal pumpkin, sweet potato and pecan pies — or someone else in your family simply has those covered. Consider trying this easy-to-make, old-fashioned coconut pie to round out the dessert table. It requires only seven ingredients: a stick of butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, dried coconut and a splash of white vinegar, which are combined and poured into an unbaked pie shell.
“It's now my go-to dessert during the holidays because you can whip it up in no time,” Bibi Hutchings writes. “And it's a reliable crowd pleaser that turns out delicious every single time.”
Check out the full recipe here.
Black Friday scones
The morning after Thanksgiving deserves some sweetness, too. If the idea of braving the crowds for discounted air fryers doesn’t quite do it for you this year, follow Mary Elizabeth Williams’ advice and “stay inside Black Friday and eat scones instead.”
“The Black Friday scones are a product of my desire to bring something to the holiday weekend, even when there is no room for me to flex at the Turkey Day meal itself,” she wrote. “They are not pumpkin, not gingerbread, not apple pie-inspired. The only nod to the season is the simple maple glaze on top, which is just enough to say, "I get it" without trying too hard. They are also incredibly good.”
Check out the full recipe here.
Pumpkin spice breakfast bread
If you’d like another breakfast sweet to usher in the post-holiday weekend, my easy pumpkin spice breakfast bread lets you embrace fall flavor while also making use of any leftover pumpkin pie filling you might have lying around after the big meal. It’s already pre-seasoned with pumpkin spice, taking the guesswork out of seasoning.
Check out the full recipe here.
