Healthy Thanksgiving Desserts

Find a list of over ten of the best healthy Thanksgiving desserts to bring to your holiday table! From healthy apple pie to healthy pumpkin cake, there’s something to satisfy all your cravings this holiday season. 

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. With so many delicious dishes to enjoy with loved ones, it’s a holiday that feels all kinds of cozy and comforting. I look forward to it every year, eagerly planning out my Thanksgiving dinner meal plan in anticipation of a big gathering with friends and family. Like many families, we often have a big spread with everything from turkey and cornbread to my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes (I’m looking at you, stuffing)!

I have absolutely zero reservations when it comes to fully indulging on Thanksgiving but also recognize offsetting so many rich and heavy dishes with some lighter fare has its appeal as well. Plus, these days there are no shortage of healthy Thanksgiving desserts out there to help satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth after lunch or dinner in a slightly better-for-you way. They’re still delicious but feel like a lighter way to enjoy all the flavors and traditional Thanksgiving desserts you crave without ending the day feeling stuffed beyond belief.

If you’re hoping to make some lighter fare this Thanksgiving, you’ve come to the right place today! Below you’ll find a list of  healthy Thanksgiving desserts, along with some not-so-healthy dessert recipes with notes on how you can modify them to make them a little less indulgent. No matter what foods find their way on your Thanksgiving table, I hope you take the time to enjoy the holiday and every delicious bite on this special day!

10+ Healthy Thanksgiving Desserts

Pumpkin Pie Magic Cookie Bars

Naturally sweetened, dairy-free, and gluten-free, these cookie bars are a mashup of pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookies. Soft and gooey with a satisfying crunch and sweet taste, they’re a favorite among kids and adults alike! 

Thanksgiving Cookie Cake Pie

You can’t have Thanksgiving without pie! Of course, we always have pumpkin pie and pecan pie, but this cookie cake pie is a great one to include on your holiday table if you have kids who aren’t super psyched to dig into a gooey pie. This recipe features a pie crust filled with cinnamon oatmeal cookie dough and topped with spice cake and pumpkin spice buttercream. What’s not to love? Simple to prepare, it’s easy to customize with different crusts, healthier cake mixes, and cleaner-ingredient cookie dough to fit all your flavor preferences and dietary needs. Gotta love a customizable dessert! 

The Ultimate Healthy Apple Pie

This healthy apple pie recipe features all the warm fall flavors you know and love but is refined sugar-free! Made with a homemade pie crust, it’s sweet, comforting, and easy to make. Serve it with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream for maximum holiday deliciousness! 

Pumpkin Icebox Cake

Sweet, creamy, and overflowing with cinnamon and pumpkin flavor, this recipe just screams Thanksgiving. The use of pure pumpkin puree has the added benefit of giving this recipe a little boost of fiber and nutrients. It’s not exactly a healthy Thanksgiving recipe as written, but you can swap out the Biscoff cookies in this recipe in favor of these healthy gingerbread cookies to make it a little less indulgent..

Healthy Pumpkin Cake

Gluten-free and naturally sweetened, this pumpkin cake is soft, moist, and infused with incredible spiced flavor. Topped with a sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting, it’s perfect for a crowd and can easily be prepared in advance to keep the holiday stress-free. 

Oatmeal Apple Crisp

You knew this timeless fall dessert had to make this list! Oatmeal apple crisp is truly one of my all-time favorite desserts, especially when paired with a scoop of cold, creamy vanilla ice cream. The apples in this recipe provide lots of natural sweetness, nutrients, and fiber, and you can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free oats and measure-for-measure gluten-free flour. 

Gluten-Free Crustless Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes (Dairy-Free)

You can’t have Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie, right? Gluten free, dairy free, grain-free, soft, spiced, sweet, and moist, this recipe has it all. It tastes just like the classic dessert you know and love but is made a little healthier and is suitable for a variety of dietary needs. Plus, the individual cupcakes help make it easy to keep portions in check. 

Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Soft and sweet, these cupcakes have the spiced flavor of pumpkin pie. However, all you need is a box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin! As a result, the cupcakes are infused with nutrients. Opt for a cleaner cake mix and a healthier icing recipe to make this Thanksgiving dessert less indulgent. 

Slow-Cooker Baked Apples

Made with just six simple ingredients, these baked apples become tender and caramelized as they cook, enhancing their natural sweetness. A hands-off treat, they’re great for serving a crowd and satisfying your sugar cravings with the addition of fiber and nutrients to keep you full! 

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Blondies

Soft and chewy, these gluten-free blondies offer delicious spiced pumpkin flavor and sweet white chocolate chips in every bite. Made with coconut sugar, they have a slightly lower glycemic index than other desserts and offer healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and nutrients thanks to almond flour, oat flour, and pumpkin. Served in bar form, they’re a great single-serving option after your big meal! 

Pumpkin Nice Cream

Ice cream is my all-time favorite food and I am all about enjoying the real stuff, but I’ve made a handful of “nice cream” recipes — ice cream recipes that use frozen bananas as a base instead of cream — and they’re shockingly good! This recipe is made with traditional fall flavors but also incorporates peanut butter in the recipe which I love for added creaminess.

How to Make Desserts Healthier

I’m all for enjoying everything in moderation and preparing a full-fat, full-sugar dessert from time to time. It can also be fun to experiment in the kitchen and find ways to make your favorite treats a little healthier. A few tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the years include:

• There are a myriad of swaps out there for traditional sugar these days. My favorites are more natural options like  honey, maple sugar and coconut sugar. 
• Swapping white all-purpose flour with an alternative flour such as whole wheat flour, oat flour or almond flour can be an easy way to add extra nutrients into your recipes. 
• Though we’re admittedly all about butter in our house, swapping out butter for applesauce, Greek yogurt or even pumpkin puree in certain recipes can work well. 
• Remember that fresh fruit is naturally sweet and a great dessert option sometimes, too! To make it feel a little more special and “dessert-y,” you can always add a little dollop of whipped cream on top of a bowl of juicy red strawberries!

Question of the Day

Do you have any tips for making desserts healthier? I’d love it if you let us all know in the comments below! Or, share your favorite healthy Thanksgiving dessert recipes so we can all make them this holiday season!