Thanksgiving dessert tables have a predictable color palette.
Pumpkin pie. Pecan pie. Apple pie. Something involving cinnamon. Another dessert that is also, somehow, beige.
Chocolate is a useful interruption.
It gives the people who don’t particularly care about pumpkin something to get excited about, and it works especially well for crowds because brownies, bars, truffles, and layered desserts can all be made ahead.
These five Thanksgiving chocolate desserts lean into holiday flavors without making every recipe taste identical: pecan pie brownies, chocolate pumpkin cheesecake bars, cranberry chocolate cake, maple chocolate truffles, and chocolate caramel pretzel bars.
What You’ll Need
Chocolate Pecan Pie Brownies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 large egg
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- 20 chocolate sandwich cookies
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup plain pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
Cranberry Chocolate Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup hot coffee or hot water
- 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
- Powdered sugar for serving
Maple Chocolate Truffles
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
- Cocoa powder
- Finely chopped pecans, optional
Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bars
- 2 cups crushed chocolate cookies
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup caramel sauce, thick enough for bars
- 1 1/2 cups roughly broken pretzels
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- Flaky salt, optional
Tools You’ll Need
You won’t need five different sets of baking equipment.
Keep these nearby:
- 8 or 9-inch square baking pans
- 9-inch round cake pan
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Parchment paper
- Sharp knife
- Small cookie scoop
Parchment is particularly helpful for the brownies and bars.
Holiday baking is considerably more pleasant when dessert leaves the pan voluntarily.
Chocolate Pecan Pie Brownies
This is what happens when the brownie and pecan pie stop competing for space on the Thanksgiving table and agree to share one pan.
The bottom stays fudgy while the top gets sweet, nutty, and slightly sticky.
Make the Brownie Layer
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment.
Melt the butter and stir in sugar.
Whisk in two eggs and vanilla.
Add cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Stir just until combined.
Spread the batter into the pan.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Add the Pecan Topping
Mix pecans, brown sugar, maple syrup, melted butter, and the remaining egg.
Carefully spoon the mixture over the partially baked brownies.
Return the pan to the oven for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the topping is set and the brownie underneath is baked.
Cool completely before slicing.
For neat Thanksgiving squares, chill the pan briefly before cutting.
For impatient kitchen sampling, neatness becomes considerably less important.
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin and chocolate work surprisingly well together.
The pumpkin keeps these firmly connected to Thanksgiving, while the chocolate cookie crust and dark swirls prevent them from becoming another variation of pumpkin pie.
Start With the Crust
Heat the oven to 325°F.
Crush the chocolate sandwich cookies finely and mix with melted butter.
Press into a parchment-lined 9-inch square pan.
Bake for 8 minutes.
Let it cool slightly.
Make the Filling
Beat softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low.
Stir in vanilla.
Remove about 3/4 cup of the cheesecake mixture and combine it with melted semisweet chocolate.
Stir pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining filling.
Spread the pumpkin mixture over the crust.
Drop spoonfuls of chocolate cheesecake over the top and gently swirl with a knife.
Five or six passes are plenty.
Keep going and eventually you’ve simply created brownish-orange cheesecake.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still has a slight wobble.
Cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before cutting.
Pro Tips for a Thanksgiving Chocolate Dessert Table
Use good chocolate where it matters. Truffles contain very few ingredients, so chocolate quality is particularly noticeable there.
Toast pecans when you have time. A few minutes of gentle toasting gives them deeper flavor. Watch closely because nuts can go from toasted to burned surprisingly quickly.
Cut smaller portions. Thanksgiving guests often want to try several desserts. Brownie squares and cheesecake bars don’t need to be enormous.
Use plain pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced.
Give desserts enough cooling time. Warm brownies may taste excellent, but cutting them into neat party portions is another matter entirely.
Thanksgiving dessert portions seem to operate under unusual laws of physics anyway.
Everyone is full until four desserts appear.
Cranberry Chocolate Cake
This cake goes in a completely different direction.
Chocolate is rich and deep. Cranberries are tart and bright.
Put them together and you get a dessert that doesn’t feel quite as heavy after a large Thanksgiving dinner.
Mix the Batter
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
Combine the wet and dry mixtures.
Pour in the hot coffee or water and stir until smooth.
The batter will be fairly loose.
Fold in the cranberries.
Bake
Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for approximately 30 to 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
Cool completely.
Dust with powdered sugar shortly before serving.
You can add chocolate ganache if you want something richer, but the cake doesn’t need it.
Thanksgiving has plenty of desserts wearing accessories already.
Maple Chocolate Truffles
No oven space?
Excellent.
These truffles can quietly wait in the refrigerator while the turkey, stuffing, rolls, and several casseroles argue over the oven schedule.
Make the Ganache
Put the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl.
Heat the heavy cream until steaming but not vigorously boiling.
Pour it over the chocolate.
Leave it alone for about 2 minutes.
Stir slowly until smooth.
Mix in maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until firm enough to scoop.
Shape the Truffles
Use a small cookie scoop or teaspoon to portion the ganache.
Quickly roll each portion between your hands.
Coat the truffles in cocoa powder or finely chopped pecans.
Return them to the refrigerator until serving.
Keep them small.
A truffle should feel like a little bite of chocolate, not something requiring both hands and a dinner knife.
Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bars
After four soft, creamy, cakey desserts, we need some crunch.
These bars bring chocolate, caramel, salty pretzels, and pecans together in small squares.
They are also very easy to transport.
Make the Base
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Combine crushed chocolate cookies with melted butter.
Press firmly into a parchment-lined 9-inch square pan.
Bake for 8 minutes.
Cool slightly.
Add the Layers
Spread the chocolate chips over the warm crust and return the pan to the oven for about 2 minutes.
Once softened, spread the chocolate into an even layer.
Add the caramel.
Scatter pretzel pieces and chopped pecans across the top.
Press them gently into the caramel.
Finish with a tiny amount of flaky salt if using.
Refrigerate until firm enough to cut cleanly.
Use a warm, dry knife for neater squares.
And don’t bury the entire thing under caramel.
Guests should not require excavation equipment to locate the pretzel layer.
Easy Substitutions and Variations
Dark chocolate can replace semisweet chocolate if your crowd prefers something less sweet.
Walnuts work instead of pecans.
For the cranberry cake, frozen cranberries can go into the batter without thawing first. The baking time may need a slight adjustment.
No buttermilk?
Use your usual buttermilk substitute suitable for baking.
The pumpkin cheesecake bars can be made with a graham cracker crust if you want less chocolate.
For truffles, skip the pecan coating and use cocoa powder, finely crushed cookies, or another suitable coating.
The caramel pretzel bars are also good without nuts.
If you’re serving guests with allergies, check every packaged ingredient carefully. Chocolate, cookies, pretzels, caramel, and decorations may contain common allergens or have cross-contact warnings.
Your Thanksgiving Make-Ahead Plan
Dessert is one of the easiest parts of Thanksgiving to move off the actual holiday schedule.
Two days ahead: Make the truffles and cheesecake bars.
One day ahead: Bake the brownies and cranberry chocolate cake. Prepare the caramel pretzel bars.
Thanksgiving Day: Cut the bars, dust the cake with powdered sugar, arrange everything on serving platters, and take credit for appearing unusually organized.
The cheesecake bars and truffles should remain refrigerated until needed.
Brownies can be cut ahead, but store them tightly covered so the edges don’t dry out.
Wait until the chocolate caramel bars are properly firm before slicing.
Trying to cut warm caramel into precise squares is less baking technique and more optimism.
Storage and Food Safety
Chocolate desserts don’t all follow the same storage rules.
The cheesecake bars and truffles contain perishable dairy and should be kept refrigerated at 40°F or below.
Don’t leave perishable desserts at room temperature longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour when temperatures are above 90°F.
Homemade cheesecake is generally best used within 3 to 4 days when properly refrigerated.
The cranberry cake and brownies can usually be kept tightly covered for a couple of days, assuming you haven’t added a perishable frosting or filling.
Store the caramel pretzel bars according to the requirements of the caramel you use. Refrigeration also helps keep them firm for clean serving.
Several of these desserts freeze well.
Brownies are particularly freezer-friendly. Cheesecake bars can also be frozen before delicate toppings are added.
Label frozen desserts.
“Chocolate rectangle” may describe several different Thanksgiving leftovers by the end of the weekend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What chocolate desserts are good for Thanksgiving?
Brownies, chocolate cheesecake, chocolate pecan desserts, cranberry chocolate cake, truffles, chocolate tarts, and chocolate caramel bars all work well.
Can Thanksgiving chocolate desserts be made ahead?
Yes. Most of these recipes can be prepared at least one day ahead, and the cheesecake and truffles benefit from advance chilling.
What fall flavors pair well with chocolate?
Pumpkin, pecans, maple, cranberry, caramel, cinnamon, orange, coffee, and apples can all pair nicely with chocolate.
What is the easiest recipe for a crowd?
Brownies and chocolate caramel pretzel bars are especially convenient because they can be cut into many small portions.
What can I make without using the oven?
The maple chocolate truffles require no baking.
Can I use milk chocolate?
Yes, though the desserts will generally taste sweeter. Semisweet or dark chocolate provides more contrast with caramel, maple, and other sweet ingredients.
How many desserts should I make for Thanksgiving?
If you’re offering several choices, cut desserts into smaller tasting portions. Guests frequently want a little of more than one option.
Can I freeze these desserts?
Brownies, many unfrosted cakes, cheesecake bars, and truffles can generally be frozen, though textures and decorations may vary after thawing.
Should cheesecake bars stay refrigerated?
Yes. Keep them at 40°F or below and follow the two-hour room-temperature limit for perishable foods.
Wrapping Up
Chocolate does not need to replace the pumpkin and pecan pies at Thanksgiving.
It can simply sit beside them and provide a very convincing alternative.
Make chocolate pecan pie brownies for the person who wants both dessert categories at once.
Try the pumpkin cheesecake bars when you want something unmistakably Thanksgiving without making another pie.
The cranberry chocolate cake gives the table a tart contrast, while maple chocolate truffles handle dessert without taking another minute of oven time.
And if your crowd prefers salty-sweet desserts, the chocolate caramel pretzel bars should disappear with very little assistance.
Five desserts. Five fairly different personalities.
Because chocolate, pumpkin, pecans, maple, caramel, and cranberries are all excellent holiday flavors.
They do not need to form a committee in every single recipe.
If you try one of these Thanksgiving chocolate dessert recipes, leave a comment and tell me which one made it onto your holiday table, or share any questions below.
