Pumpkin pie is on most Thanksgiving tables because it is expected, not because everyone loves it. If you or your guests would rather have something else — or you just want the dessert table to have some range — the season has plenty of other flavors. Here are the ideas worth building around, and how to plan a table that is not all one note.

[Photo: a slice of caramel apple cake and a wedge of pear frangipane tart on a plate, no pumpkin in sight]

Apple, in more than pie form

• Caramel apple cake, a spiced apple cake with a poured caramel glaze. Slices for a crowd, keeps well, no lattice to fuss over.
• Apple crisp or crumble, the easiest apple dessert there is. Sliced apples, a buttery oat topping, baked until bubbling. Serve warm with ice cream.
• Apple galette, a free-form tart. No pie plate, no crimping, and a rustic look that forgives a lot.

Pecan and caramel

• Pecan pie bars, the flavor of pecan pie in a shortbread-based bar, cut small because it is very rich. Feeds far more people than a single pie.
• Salted caramel tart, a chocolate or plain shell filled with soft caramel and finished with flaky salt. Made a day ahead.
• Sticky toffee pudding, a date sponge under a warm toffee sauce. The most comforting dessert on this list, and it reheats well.

Pear

• Pear and almond (frangipane) tart, poached or sliced pears in an almond cream, baked in a tart shell. Elegant, and pears are at their best in November.
• Roasted pears with mascarpone, halved pears roasted with butter, honey and vanilla, served warm with a spoon of sweetened mascarpone. Barely a recipe.

Cranberry and gingerbread

• Cranberry curd tart, a bright, tart, ruby-colored curd in a shell. The sharpest dessert of the day, and a visual standout.
• Cranberry-orange cake, a buttery cake studded with whole cranberries that burst as it bakes.
• Gingerbread cake or bundt, deeply spiced, molasses-dark, with a lemon or cream cheese glaze. Bridges Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The one non-pumpkin cheesecake

A maple-pecan cheesecake on a gingersnap crust gives the table a rich, make-ahead centerpiece that is clearly not pumpkin. If your family expects a cheesecake, this is how to have one without repeating the pie flavor.

Planning a table without pumpkin pie

You still want a spread of textures, not just flavors. A good three: one baked fruit dessert (apple crisp or a galette), one rich set dessert (caramel tart or cheesecake), and one cake (cranberry-orange or gingerbread). Serve the crisp warm, the tart cold, the cake at room temperature. If someone will genuinely miss the pumpkin pie, keep our pumpkin pie on the list too, it is a make-ahead and it costs you nothing on the day. More non-traditional options are in our 12 unique traditional Thanksgiving desserts, and the full range is in Thanksgiving desserts.

Frequently asked questions

What can I serve at Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin pie?

Apple crisp or galette, pecan pie bars, a salted caramel or cranberry curd tart, a pear frangipane tart, gingerbread cake, or a maple-pecan cheesecake. All are seasonal and none are pumpkin.

What is the easiest non-pie Thanksgiving dessert?

Apple crisp, sliced apples under a buttery oat topping, baked until bubbling, served warm with ice cream. Or roasted pears with sweetened mascarpone.

How do I plan a dessert table that isn’t all pumpkin?

Aim for three different textures: one baked fruit dessert served warm, one rich set dessert served cold, and one cake at room temperature.

Should I still make a pumpkin pie?

If anyone will miss it, yes, it is a make-ahead that needs no attention on the day. Just do not let it be the only dessert.

The bottom line

The season has apple, pear, pecan, caramel, cranberry and gingerbread to work with. Pick a fruit bake, a set dessert, and a cake, and keep the pumpkin pie only if someone truly wants it.

Save this for the year you are ready to break from the pie.