11 Easy 5-Ingredient Thanksgiving Desserts

Five ingredients gives you just enough room for real flavor, think brown butter, maple, warm spice and tart cranberries, while keeping the shopping list short and the steps simple. Every dessert here uses exactly five ingredients, most of them pantry staples you probably already have.

You’ll find pies and custards, crisps and tarts, cookies and bars, and a couple of no-bake options for when the oven is spoken for. Most can be made a day ahead, so Thanksgiving dessert is ready before the turkey is.

1. Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Spice cake mix gets a homemade upgrade with pumpkin purée, making moist, tender cupcakes topped with tangy cream cheese frosting. One batch makes 24, so they’re perfect for a crowd.

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Total time: 40 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 1 (15.25-ounce) box spice cake mix
• 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin purée
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 (16-ounce) tub cream cheese frosting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Beat the cake mix, pumpkin, eggs and oil on medium speed for 2 minutes, until smooth.
3. Fill the liners two-thirds full and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Cool completely, then frost. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

2. Maple Pecan Pie Bites

Mini phyllo shells filled with toasted pecans and a simple maple custard bake into two-bite pecan pies in about 15 minutes. They’re easy to serve and pretty on a dessert tray.

Servings: 15 (30 bites)

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 (1.9-ounce) packages frozen mini phyllo shells (30 shells)
• 1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and arrange the phyllo shells on a sheet pan.
2. Divide the pecans among the shells.
3. Whisk the maple syrup, egg and melted butter and spoon over the pecans, filling the shells just below the rims.
4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the filling is set and reads 160°F (71°C). Cool before serving.

3. Oat-Topped Apple Crisp

Tender cinnamon apples bake under a crunchy oat and brown sugar topping made without any flour. It’s a classic fall dessert with a short ingredient list and big flavor.

Servings: 6

Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Toss the apples with 1/4 cup of the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and spread in an 8-inch square or 2-quart baking dish.
3. Mix the oats with the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the melted butter, and sprinkle over the apples.
4. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the apples are tender and the topping is crisp. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

4. Nantucket Cranberry Cake

Tart cranberries baked under a buttery, crackly-topped batter make this easy cake-like pie a New England favorite. It’s mixed by hand in minutes and tastes wonderful warm with whipped cream.

Servings: 8

Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus a little for the dish
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9-inch pie plate.
2. Toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and spread in the pie plate.
3. Whisk the eggs and remaining 1 cup sugar until pale, then whisk in the melted butter. Stir in the flour until smooth.
4. Pour the batter evenly over the cranberries.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

5. Brown Butter Pecan Shortbread

Browning the butter gives this shortbread a toasty, nutty depth that pairs beautifully with brown sugar and toasted pecans. Cut it into squares for a buttery cookie that keeps for a week.

Servings: 16

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, swirling, for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden with brown bits. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes, until solid but soft.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
3. Beat the brown butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add the flour, salt and pecans and mix until the dough comes together.
4. Press evenly into the pan, prick with a fork and chill for 15 minutes.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden at the edges. Cut into squares while warm and cool completely in the pan.

6. Easy Chocolate Mousse

Warm cream melts good chocolate into a smooth base that gets folded with whipped cream for a rich, airy mousse with no eggs. A little espresso powder deepens the chocolate flavor.

Servings: 4

Total time: 25 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream, divided
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

1. Put the chocolate, espresso powder and salt in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1/2 cup of the cream until steaming, pour it over and stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Whip the remaining 1 cup cream with the sugar to soft peaks.
3. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate in two additions until no streaks remain.
4. Spoon into 4 glasses and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

7. Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust

A spiced gingersnap crust holds a creamy filling made with cream cheese and pumpkin pie filling, which brings its own sugar and spices. The bars slice neatly after chilling and are best made a day ahead.

Servings: 16

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely crushed gingersnaps (about 35 cookies)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling (sweetened and spiced)
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
2. Mix the gingersnap crumbs and butter, press into the pan and bake for 10 minutes.
3. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the pumpkin pie filling. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed just until blended.
4. Pour over the crust and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set, the center jiggles slightly and it reads 160°F (71°C).
5. Cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cut into 16 bars.

8. Caramel Apple Puff Pastry Tarts

Rectangles of puff pastry topped with thin apple slices, brown sugar and butter bake into crisp, golden tarts that get a finishing drizzle of caramel. They look bakery-made with very little effort.

Servings: 6

Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
• 2 apples, cored and very thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Cut the pastry into 6 rectangles, place on the pan and score a 1/2-inch border around each without cutting through.
3. Arrange the apple slices overlapping inside the borders, brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and golden and the apples are tender.
5. Warm the caramel sauce and drizzle over the tarts. Serve warm.

9. Sweet Potato Pie

Mashed sweet potatoes, sweetened condensed milk and warm spices bake into a silky, deeply flavored pie in a store-bought crust. It’s a Southern Thanksgiving classic that’s easy to make the day before.

Servings: 8

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (from about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

1. If needed, prick the sweet potatoes and microwave for 8 to 10 minutes, until very soft, then scoop out and mash until smooth.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edge.
3. Whisk the sweet potatoes, condensed milk, eggs and pumpkin pie spice until smooth. Pour into the crust.
4. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the edges are set, the center jiggles only slightly and it reads at least 160°F (71°C).
5. Cool for at least 2 hours. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

10. No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

A fluffy peanut butter cream cheese filling piled into a chocolate cookie crust tastes like a giant peanut butter cup. It needs no oven, just a few hours in the fridge.

Servings: 8

Total time: 15 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 1 (9-inch) store-bought chocolate cookie crust
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 (8-ounce) tub whipped topping, thawed, divided

Instructions

1. Beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
2. Fold in 2 cups of the whipped topping until no streaks remain.
3. Spread into the crust, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
4. Top with the remaining whipped topping before serving.

11. Maple Pots de Crème

Pure maple syrup sweetens these silky baked custards, giving them a deep, caramel-like flavor that’s perfect for fall. Make them up to three days ahead and top with whipped cream to serve.

Servings: 6

Total time: 1 hour, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set 6 ramekins in a baking dish.
2. Simmer the maple syrup in a saucepan for 3 to 4 minutes to concentrate it slightly, then add the cream and milk and heat until steaming.
3. Whisk the egg yolks and salt in a bowl, then slowly whisk in the hot maple cream. Strain into a pitcher and divide among the ramekins.
4. Pour hot water into the baking dish to come halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until set at the edges with a slight wobble in the centers and 170°F (77°C).
5. Cool in the water for 20 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.