Rethought Classics: Traditional Dessert Flavors with a Twist (2024)

These sweet little pies have a lovely filling that combines tart and sweet apples with farmer cheese and cinnamon.

Recipe: Apple Blintz Hand Pies

Nothing says Southern hospitality better than this scrumptious pie, which combines two regional specialties.

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Pecan Pie with Cinnamon Cream

This lightened version has less than half the calories and one-eighth the fat of a classic brûlée.

Recipe: Dark Roast Crème Brûlée

Moist and chewy like brownies, but with the spicy holiday flavor of gingerbread, these sweet bars make a delectable treat — or gift — for friends and family during the winter months.

Recipe: White Chocolate-Gingerbread Blondies

Our decadent pumpkin cheesecake crème caramel is a delightful alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving dessert.

Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Crème Caramel

For a wonderful contrast to the sweetness of her pecan pie, master baker Alice Medrich adds minced candied ginger and a splash of rum to the filling.

Recipe: Pecan Pie with Candied Ginger and Rum

This creamy pumpkin mousse pie will surprise you with its chocolate wafer crust.

Recipe: Icebox Pumpkin-Mousse Pie

This flaky, gluten-free pie crust can be used with any fruit filling. Try it with apple or pumpkin this Thanksgiving.

Recipe: Apple-Raisin Pie with Walnut-Cream Cheese Crust

This torte is a mix between a gingerbread cookie and a linzer tart, with raspberry jam peeking out of snowflake cutouts.

Recipe: Gingerbread Linzertorte

This pumpkin pie and its whipped cream topping are made with a splash of dark rum, making this American classic even more irresistible.

Recipe: Ultimate Pumpkin Pie with Rum Whipped Cream

Grade B maple syrup, which is darker and has a more intense flavor than grade A, is preferable for baking this treat.

Recipe: Maple Crème Caramel

These shell-shaped, cakey cookies are a French treat typically served with tea. The buttery madeleines are spiced with ground cardamom and coated with a sweet citrus icing.

Recipe: Orange-Cardamom Madeleines

This recipe goes beyond simple butterscotch pudding by adding browned butter for an irresistibly nutty, caramel flavor.

Recipe: Browned Butter Butterscotch Meringue Pie

A hybrid of two classics, this dessert takes the best from both the apple pie and apple crisp, and makes an amazing addition to any holiday menu.

Recipe: Apple Crostata

Jessie Oleson rolls chocolate cookie dough into ropes, then cuts them into mini logs to resemble the classic French bûche de Noël cake.

Recipe: Baby Bûche de Noël Cookies

This pecan tart gets added tang from dried cherries. Instead of corn syrup, which is found in most pecan pie recipes, we've opted for maple syrup. If you can find it, choose dark amber or grade B, because it has the richest maple flavor.

Recipe: Maple Pecan Tart with Dried Cherries

This unusual apple pie brings together both sweet and savory flavors for an impressive holiday dessert.

Recipe: Apple Pie with Rosemary and Honey

Instead of the traditional Southern pie this year, feature these delectable bars are part of your Thanksgiving spread.

Recipe: Pecan Squares

Layers of paper-thin buttery phyllo overlap to form a delicate base for a sweet potato souffle.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Souffle Pie

Underneath the pecan sheath of this statuesque cake lies a sweet secret: brown-butter frosting and butterscotch-soaked layers spiked with rum, both of which make familiar flavors seem sophisticated.

Recipe: Butterscotch-Pecan Cake