Roast turkey, mashed potatoes with some sort of gravy, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie are true Thanksgiving classics. Well this year we urge you to try something new. There’s enough pumpkin flavored things around during fall, plus (and this might come as a shock) not everyone is a huge fan of pumpkin pie, so here are a couple of yummy alternatives you might want to attempt this year.
1. Spiced Pear Pie
Pears are a seasonal fruit in the fall, which means you’ll be able to get them ripe, cheap and full of flavor and vitamins. Plus, there’s just something very autumnal about their flavor. Add some cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg and your whole house will smell like autumn.
2. Apple Cranberry Pie
Apple pie is already as American as it gets, but add some cranberries to it and suddenly it’s got a Thanksgiving feeling. A great way to shake up people’s expectation and to explore a new exciting flavor.
3. Cranberry Cheesecake Pie
Speaking of cranberries, have you ever tried cranberry cheesecake pie? It’s freaking delicious and you can make it ahead of time and just keep it in the fridge. It actually benefits from sitting in the fridge for a couple of hours, because it allows the flavors to mix better.
4. Chocolate Cream Pie
Believe me, nobody will miss pumpkin pie if instead of it you serve this decadent chocolate cream pie. It’s the perfect treat for the holidays. Give it a try and there’s a chance you’ll never want to think of any other pie.
5. Sweet Potato Pie
It’s an interesting twist on the classic pumpkin pie. We suggest you make it and let your guests figure out what kind of pie it is.
6. Eggnog Pie
Up until now you probably thought of eggnog exclusively as a holiday drink. Well times are changing and people keep revolutionizing their favorite childhood dishes. Now you can have eggnog as a slice of pie and amaze your friends and family with this invention.
7. Cream Cheese Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
For those of you who aren’t quite ready to spend Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie – here’s an interesting alternative. Pumpkin whoopie pies will satisfy your need for that pumpkin flavor, yet it’ll be an interesting and fresh variation on the classic dessert.
8. Mini Pecan Pies
Pecan pie is also considered by many to be a holiday classic. But how about making mini pies instead of one big pie? This way you won’t even have to share or feel guilty about having a second helping, since these are so small. Oh also, this one is vegan, but no one will be able to tell.
9. Apple Quince Pie (gluten free)
Sometimes you don’t need to invent a whole new kind of pie. You can just meddle a bit with a classic, add a little to it, spice it up and you’ve got yourself a dessert that tastes familiar yet completely revamped at the same time. That’s the case with this pie.
10. Chocolate Acorns
It might sound insane to you, but sometimes you can get away without making a pie at all. Instead you can make these adorable little chocolate acorns. They’ll satisfy a sweet tooth but you won’t even have to turn on the oven.