Thanksgiving is approaching faster than ever this year and if you’re still planning the menu (and you’re like me) you’re mulling over the dessert. The plain facts are that it’s not Thanksgiving (at least for me) unless there is some pumpkin pie somewhere in the mix. There are so many other great desserts that have pumpkin in them though that this year I have decided to branch out and try something new. I still want pumpkin, don’t get me wrong, but you can still pull off the feeling of the holidays with a pumpkin trifle, a cake, or any other number of desserts. With that in mind, here is a list of the top five non-pie pumpkin desserts for the holidays.

5. Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes
Why I like em: First off, you usually cannot go wrong with a recipe made by Paula Deen. The woman is magic in the kitchen. These days she is, hands down, my favorite chef on Food Network. The recipe for this appeared in Paula’s Southern Thanksgiving episode. It comes highly recommended by users that have made it and it’s simple as pie to make.

Note: If you do not like pumpkin or want to switch this up, there are variations on the recipe page for Peanut Butter Gooey Cake or Pineapple or Banana. So, if you don’t want to do pumpkin you have a number of options to consider here.

4. Pumpkin Bourbon Cheesecake
Why I like it: This recipe was on the show, The Cookworks. If you’re looking for a good alternative to pumpkin pie and you like cheesecake and bourbon this should be it for you. It’s relatively easy to make, it looks delicious, and chances are the family will be fighting over the leftovers. What more could you want in a holiday dessert?

3. Pumpkin Bars
Why I like em: This Paula Deen recipe was a product of her Southern Thanksgiving Leftovers show. One of the things that I love about this recipe is that with the exception of the pumpkin I have every item sitting around my kitchen or in my pantry. This is one of those easy, on the fly desserts that turns out great for everyone in the house. You can decide whether to make these small or large and they are easy to make so there’s no reason not to give them a shot.

2. Fried Pumpkin Layer Cake with Cream Cheese and Orange Frosting
Why I like it: Paula has outdone herself with this one. Just the idea of this makes my mouth water. I know Deep Fried Cake sounds like a bad idea. It’s not healthy and people just don’t need to deep fry things like this. That’s true. If you want to indulge and you have the cooking skill to work it out, I recommend you try it. If you don’t (in either case) you can just as easily prepare this cake without deep frying and it should still be just as delicious and a little more healthy, too.

1. Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
Why I like it: Just look at this thing (picture is up above). It signifies the best about Thanksgiving desserts. Trifles are incredibly easy to make so anyone should be able to handle one of these. Not only that, but they taste delicious! If you’re all about pumpkin and gingerbread then this will be right up your alley. Don’t miss out on this one!

Note: Photos copyrighted to Food Network and their respective photographers.

Technorati Tags: Thanksgiving, Desserts, Pumpkin, Ginger, Gingerbread, Bourbon, Trifle, Pie, Deep Fried, Paula Deen

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