The little things in life mean the most, and these tiny treats prove it. We love these mini dessert recipes for Thanksgiving because they’re portioned into single-serve bites. What’s more, many are make-ahead and stored in the refrigerator, so you can give more attention to the main course and your guests on Turkey Day.
Many recipes in this mini-dessert collection—from bars and mini-pies to chickpea balls and brownies—travel well for guests bringing dessert to their holiday meal. But don’t limit these delicious ideas to Thanksgiving. You can enjoy these sweet treats any time of year!
Mini Pumpkin Pies With Speculoos Crust and Whipped Cream
Jennifer Causey
These custardy, ginger-scented pies have a spiced cookie crust that will have guests reaching for seconds. If you can’t find speculoos cookies for the crust (we bought ours at Trader Joe’s), gingersnaps work just as well. Paper liners in your muffin tin make clean-up a breeze, which is always welcome, but more so on Thanksgiving.
Mini S’mores Cookie Cups
Grace Elkus
The recipe for this diminutive dessert turns a sweet summer staple into a holiday hero. It uses a mini-muffin pan to form graham cracker cookie dough, half a marshmallow, and a Hershey’s Kiss into an adorable single-bite treat.
Dark Chocolate Coconut Tartlets
Jennifer Causey
Peanut butter cups meet coconut macaroons in this little nest-like presentation. A toasted shredded coconut crust holds a filling of nut butter (your choice) and chocolate topped with flakey salt. What’s best is these not-too-sweet, gluten-free tartlets are actually healthy-ish.
Cardamom Bun Cookies
Caitlin Bensel
Each of these pinwheel bites looks like a cinnamon roll but carries the warm spiced flavor of a cardamom bun. Not a fan? Experiment with other festive fall flavors by swapping the cardamom with pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or classic cinnamon.
Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
John Kernick
Simple, classic, and universally loved, these cupcakes are just the mini dessert to cap off a feast. This recipe starts with a boxed yellow cake mix, so it doesn’t add much to your culinary workload. Make these in a mini muffin pan to accommodate guests who have room for only one bite of dessert.
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Greg DuPree
A generous slice of cheesecake may be just too much of a good thing on Thanksgiving, and that’s where these little bites come in. Spread a speculoos cookie crust onto a 9 by 13-inch baking pan, swirl the pumpkin and cheesecake fillings on top, and bake. Once cooled on the counter and then set in the fridge, cut into bite-sized squares so everyone can savor just a taste.
Malted Chocolate Brownies
Victor Protasio
Easy and universally loved, brownies are a crowd-pleaser under any circumstance. This recipe adds malted milk powder to the batter and then mixes in crushed malted milk balls to give this familiar treat an unexpected twist. Cut these into extra-small squares for a one-bite Thanksgiving showstopper.
Apple Rugelach
Victor Protasio
Get a jump on Thanksgiving dessert by making these light-and-airy apple pastries two days ahead. Start by making a crescent roll-style dough, spread with an apple butter mixture, and then roll and bake. Leftovers are great for breakfast!
Marshmallow and Chocolate Shortbread Slices
Caitlin Bensel
Decadent and fancy-looking: Isn’t that what Thanksgiving dinner is all about? These bites certainly qualify, despite being surprisingly easy to make. To offer guests this homemade candy bar experience, we recommend cutting them into bite-sized servings instead of slices.
Lemon Pistachio Bars
Antonis Achilleos
Need a gluten-free finale for your Thanksgiving production? Try these bright, beguiling mini bars with a pistachio crust and lemony-custard filling. Allow 4 hours to cool at room temp and set in the fridge, then serve with a sprinkle of nuts and lemon zest.
Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies
Antonis Achilleos
This healthier take on a classic carrot cake turns the dessert inside-out and into finger food. The sandwich cookies are loaded with hearty rolled oats, but the filling is that oh-so-familiar cream cheese frosting we can’t imagine eating carrot cake without.
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Betty Gold
Is anyone interested in making cinnamon buns without the rising, proofing, and kneading? This mini dessert recipe uses store-bought puff pastry sheets to bypass all that, yet the treats retain their comforting cinnamon-y goodness. Make a double batch of these little gems: one for dessert and one for breakfast the next day.
Brown Butter Jam Tarts
Fred Hardy
You’ll need to get out your trusty muffin pan for these tasty individually-portioned tarts. Toasty brown butter, fruity and smooth jam, crunchy almonds, and a crumby cookie shell come together in this take-home-friendly dessert recipe. You’ll have them prepped in less than an hour, and you can make them up to three days in advance (read: a dessert perfect for a busy Thanksgiving.)
Macaroon Thumbprints With a Surprise Nutella Center
Fred Hardy
If you’re looking for a simple and sweet treat to serve this Thanksgiving, try these mini hazelnut macaroon thumbprints. Crunchy and nutty with a delicious dollop of Nutella in the middle, these cookies are bite-sized and irresistible. Plus, the recipe makes over two dozen, so you don’t have to feel bad when grabbing two (or more).
Orange & Walnut Palmiers
Caitlin Bensel
Store-bought puff pastry—a busy baker’s best friend—plays a prominent role in these too-easy-to-be-true treats. Palmiers are called something different all around the world, but their translation means one thing—delicious. Orange zest, walnuts, and honey get layered in these delicate desserts that resemble baklava.
Sweet Tahini and Date Truffles
Victor Protasio
These homemade truffles look and sound impressive but are deceptively easy to make. With just five ingredients (six if you count a sprinkling of sea salt at the end), these decadent bites are anything but basic. The secret to the marzipan-esque texture is the almond flour, which you blend in the food processor with sweet dates and nutty tahini until smooth.
Hazelnut Swirl Blondies
Greg DuPree
Chocolate-hazelnut spread and the buttery batter of blondies are a match made in heaven. These bars are always a big hit—who doesn’t like Nutella? For some crunchy texture, make sure not to skip the chopped hazelnuts in the batter, then finish with sea salt to bring out the sweetness of the brown sugar and chocolate spread.
Chocolate Peppermint Shortbreads
Johnny Miller
Get a jump on the rest of the holiday season with these double chocolate peppermint delights. They feature cocoa-infused shortbread with a hint of peppermint extract to give the cookies a perfectly mint-chocolate flavor. Finish with a dunk in melted chocolate and a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy and you’ve got your very own homemade peppermint patty-thin mint combo.
Chocolate-Dipped Apple Slices
Greg Dupree, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen, Food Stylist: Emily Hall
For something on the lighter side, these chocolate dipped apple slices will do the trick. The secret here is to elevate the basic after-school-type treat by adding elegant toppings, like chopped pistachios, shaved coconut, or toasted sesame seeds. This recipe calls for Honeycrisp apples (which won’t brown until around two hours after slicing), but you can choose your own adventure when it comes to apple type and chocolate variety as well as the toppings.
Microwave-Baked Apples
Getty Images
Microwaved apples may seem like a simple dessert, but once you bust out the toppings, these apples take on a whole new complexity. You can top them with caramel syrup, custard, Greek yogurt, have them a la mode—the possibilities are endless. Opt for firm varieties of apples that are a little tart, as they hold their shape better when heated.
Chickpea “Cookie Dough” Bites
Victor Protasio
This dessert recipe transforms chickpeas into what tastes like oatmeal-raisin cookie dough. Besides tasting great, they’re a whole-grain, no-bake, protein-packed, fiber-rich, gluten-free dessert that’s a no-brainer for a guilt-inducing Thanksgiving menu. For a more seasonal twist, switch out raisins for dried cranberries.
Marshmallow Popcorn Bars
John Kernick
Part popcorn ball, part Rice Krispy treat, all delicious! Allow guests to indulge their inner child with this twist on crispy treats. This gooey confection calls for only three ingredients—popcorn, butter, and marshmallows—making it a super easy dessert option for a super busy day. The result is a salty-sweet bite guests of all ages will go for.
Coconut Macaroons
José Picayo
Looking for something easy to make, quick to bake, and a delight to bite? Try these chewy, flour-free cookies that are perfect for topping off a Thanksgiving meal. Make them up to five days ahead for a trouble-free holiday mini-dessert.
Gingerbread and Chocolate Sandwiches
Beatriz da Costa
This mini dessert recipe is ideal for when you’re short on time but still want to put out something wintry and delicious for dessert. These sandwiches, made with store-bought gingerbread cookies and a confectioner’s sugar and chocolate icing, are perfect for a mini sweet at the end of a Thanksgiving dinner. Not a fan of gingerbread? Substitute any of your favorite cookies and sandwich the hot cocoa filling.