11 Easy 3-Ingredient Thanksgiving Desserts

Three ingredients is about as simple as baking gets, and during a busy Thanksgiving week that simplicity is a gift. Each dessert in this collection uses exactly three ingredients, with clever shortcuts like pie filling, cake mix, puff pastry and sweetened condensed milk doing much of the work.

You’ll find pumpkin, apple, pear, pecan, chocolate and coconut treats, from a fluffy mousse and a bubbling dump cake to fudge, truffles and buttery shortbread. Most need very little hands-on time, and several can be made a day or more ahead.

1. Pumpkin Mousse

Canned pumpkin pie filling, already sweetened and spiced, folded into whipped cream becomes a light, airy mousse in about 15 minutes. A sprinkle of crushed gingersnaps adds crunch and a little extra spice.

Servings: 6

Total time: 15 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling (sweetened and spiced, not plain pumpkin purée)
• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
• 1/2 cup crushed gingersnap cookies

Instructions

1. Whip the cream to firm peaks. Set aside about 1/2 cup for topping.
2. Put the pumpkin pie filling in a large bowl and fold in the remaining whipped cream in three additions until smooth and airy.
3. Spoon into 6 small glasses, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
4. Just before serving, top with the reserved whipped cream and sprinkle with the crushed gingersnaps.

2. Chocolate Pecan Clusters

Toasted pecans topped with a melted caramel and a spoonful of dark chocolate make classic turtle-style candies with almost no effort. They’re easy to package as favors or set out with coffee after dinner.

Servings: 24 clusters

Total time: 35 minutes, plus setting

Ingredients

• 2 cups pecan halves
• 24 soft caramels, unwrapped
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Toast the pecans on the pan for 8 minutes, then arrange them in 24 small clusters of 3 or 4 halves each.
2. Set one caramel on top of each cluster and return to the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until the caramels are soft.
3. Gently press each caramel flat over the pecans with the back of a lightly buttered or greased spoon. Let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth. Spoon a little over each cluster.
5. Let set at room temperature for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Store airtight for up to 1 week.

3. Apple Dump Cake

Apple pie filling topped with dry spice cake mix and slices of butter bakes into a bubbly, cobbler-like dessert with a crisp, golden top. It takes about 5 minutes to assemble and tastes wonderful warm with ice cream.

Servings: 12

Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 (21-ounce) cans apple pie filling
• 1 (15.25-ounce) box spice cake mix
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, thinly sliced, plus a little for the dish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and rub a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a little of the butter.
2. Spread the apple pie filling evenly in the dish.
3. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the filling without stirring.
4. Cover the cake mix with the butter slices in a single layer, covering as much of the surface as possible.
5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until golden and bubbling with no dry, powdery spots. Cool for 10 minutes and serve warm.

4. Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter, sugar and a single egg are all it takes to make tender, nutty cookies with the classic crisscross pattern on top. They’re naturally flourless and come together in one bowl in about 25 minutes.

Servings: about 18 cookies

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for the fork
• 1 large egg

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Stir the peanut butter, 1 cup sugar and the egg in a bowl until smooth.
3. Roll the dough into 1-tablespoon balls and place 2 inches apart on the pan.
4. Dip a fork in the remaining sugar and press a crisscross pattern into each cookie.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden at the edges. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, as they’re fragile while warm, then transfer to a rack.

5. Maple Roasted Pears

Pear halves brushed with butter and maple syrup roast until tender and caramelized, with a glossy syrup pooling in the pan. They’re an elegant, light finish to a big Thanksgiving meal.

Servings: 4

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 ripe but firm Bosc pears, halved lengthwise and cored
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Arrange the pears cut side up in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. Brush with the melted butter and drizzle with the maple syrup.
3. Roast for 25 to 35 minutes, basting twice with the pan juices, until tender when pierced and caramelized at the edges.
4. Serve warm with the syrup from the pan spooned over the top.

6. Classic Shortbread

Salted butter, sugar and flour bake into tender, sandy shortbread with a rich buttery flavor. It keeps for over a week, so it’s an easy dessert to bake well before the holiday.

Servings: 16

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
2. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the flour and mix on low until the dough comes together.
3. Press evenly into an 8-inch square pan, prick all over with a fork and score into 16 pieces.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until pale golden at the edges.
5. Cut along the scored lines while still warm, then cool completely in the pan. Store airtight for up to 10 days.

7. Pumpkin Spice Fudge

White chocolate melted with sweetened condensed milk and pumpkin pie spice sets into creamy fudge with the flavor of a pumpkin latte. It takes 10 minutes on the stove and keeps for two weeks in the fridge.

Servings: 36 pieces

Total time: 10 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 3 cups (18 ounces) white chocolate chips
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
2. Combine the white chocolate and condensed milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly for 5 to 7 minutes, until melted and smooth, without letting it boil.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the pumpkin pie spice.
4. Spread in the pan and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until firm.
5. Lift out and cut into 36 squares. Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

8. Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers

Store-bought puff pastry folded around apple pie filling and sprinkled with sparkling sugar bakes into flaky, golden turnovers in about 25 minutes. They look bakery-made and are easy to eat out of hand.

Servings: 8

Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (17-ounce) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed in the refrigerator
• 1 (21-ounce) can apple pie filling
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Coarsely chop the apple slices in the pie filling. Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares.
3. Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling onto each square, fold into a triangle and crimp the edges with a fork. Cut a small slit in each top.
4. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, pressing it in lightly so it sticks.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and deep golden. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

9. Chocolate Truffles

Silky chocolate ganache rolled into balls and coated in cocoa makes elegant truffles from three pantry ingredients. They’re perfect with coffee after dinner or packed into small boxes as favors.

Servings: about 20 truffles

Total time: 25 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until steaming, pour it over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.
2. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until firm enough to scoop.
3. Scoop level tablespoons and roll quickly between your palms into balls.
4. Roll each truffle in the cocoa powder. Refrigerate for up to 1 week and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

10. Pumpkin Spice Cake Bars

Spice cake mix stirred together with pumpkin purée bakes into moist, tender bars that get a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. One pan makes 24 squares, enough for a crowd.

Servings: 24

Total time: 40 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 1 (15.25-ounce) box spice cake mix
• 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin purée
• 1 (16-ounce) tub cream cheese frosting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9 x 13-inch pan with parchment paper.
2. Stir the cake mix and pumpkin together until smooth; the batter will be thick.
3. Spread evenly in the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
4. Cool completely, then spread with the frosting and cut into 24 bars. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

11. Coconut Macaroons

Sweetened coconut bound with condensed milk and whipped egg whites bakes into chewy, golden-tipped mounds that are crisp outside and moist inside. They keep for a week, so they’re easy to make ahead.

Servings: about 24 macaroons

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Stir the coconut and condensed milk together in a large bowl.
3. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold them into the coconut mixture.
4. Scoop 1 1/2-tablespoon mounds onto the pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
5. Cool completely on the pans. Store airtight for up to 1 week.