Mini Thanksgiving Desserts

When the holidays roll around, food is a big part of the festivities. It's the super bowl of food steeped in tradition. When it comes time for dessert, we love to make Mini Thanksgiving Desserts! That way, we can taste multiple desserts and not waste since were half full of turkey lol!

Just say YES....to the mini! Here are a dozen to choose from.

People turn down desserts for one reason or another, BUT when your holiday desserts can be a small in size?? And you then have just a few bites sweet bliss. Why say no??

There is always room for a mini dessert. Your tongue and tummy will thank you! Check out this Pumpkin Pie Shooters, they are fun and festive with great flavor. Plus they are simple to make, recipe below.

When it comes to Thanksgiving dessert ideas, Christmas desserts recipes or desserts for large parties, I am all about making mini dessert recipes. That way, people can try more than one, there is much less waste and you don't feel guilty about indulging in a dessert that is just a few bites.

Plus, a tiny army desserts is SO stinkin' cute! And bonus, if you want to you can serve so many things in mini disposable cups and glasses. Here are a few examples.

• These shooter cups are amazing for transport, they come with lids and spoons.
• These are circular mini dessert cups, they comes with spoons. Your choice just depends on the look you are going for and what you are putting in them.
• These are trendy, slanted dessert cups with spoons.
• If disposable is not your thing, I have mini glass bowls like this from Pier One (I miss that store!!). with mini metal spoons. Love!

Ingredients

• butter
• gingersnap cookies or similar
• pumpkin pie spice
• sugar
• cream cheese 
• sour cream
• vanilla instant pudding 
• vanilla

Variations to Pumpkin Pie Shooters

• This recipe has pumpkin flavor. It tastes more like a cheesecake with a subtle pumpkin flavor. To boost it up a bit add in ¼ cup pumpkin puree, plus a teaspoon of sugar.
• Make as minis, in wine glasses or mason jars. Or make as one full-size parfait in a clear glass bowl.
• Swap gingersnap crumbs for Biscoff or graham cracker crumbs.

Make Ahead

All of these with the exception of the Candied Apple Slices, can be made ahead of time. The apple start to weep after a few hours.

Some Favorite Mini Thanksgiving Desserts

Mini Apple Raisin Bread Puddings with a Whiskey Sauce You can not go wrong with warm and comforting bread pudding!

3 Ingredient Nutella Mascarpone Shooters, creamy, delicious and just 5 minutes to make!

Mini Nantucket Pies - This is my favorite (and super easy) Thanksgiving & Christmas dessert! Its a vintage New England recipe and it always wows the room.

Mini Cheesecakes with Candied Apples - 2 desserts in 1! I mean come on, how cute is this?? You can of course jazz this mini dessert recipe up any way you like!

The kiddos will love this one for sure! Candy Apple Slices. AND if you are a grandparent or parent, looking for a fun activity to do with the kids. THIS! A craft they can eat! So fun 🙂

Fabulous Thanksgiving Mini Dessert Ideas from my foodie friends

• Mini No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecakes
• Mini Apple Pies
• Limoncello No Bake Cheesecake Mini's
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse in Mini Pumpkins
• Bite Sized Pumpkin Funnel Cake Crispies
• Mini Nutella Pavlovas

Now you have all sorts of holiday dessert ideas to choose from, hope you find one or two you love! XO Colleen

Recipe originally posted November 2012. Updated November, 2024. Post contains Amazon Affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase something recommended.

Mini Thanksgiving Desserts

Colleen Kennedy

Mini Thanksgiving Desserts. Mini Dessert Recipes. Holiday desert recipes, mini desserts.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 12 servings

Calories 257 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 TBS melted butter
• 20 Gingersnap cookies Sweetzles or similar
• 1 ½ TBS pumpkin pie spice
• 1 ½ TBS sugar
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 16 oz sour cream
• 1 small box vanilla instant pudding 3 oz
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

 

• Crush the gingersnaps in your food processor (or just smash them into crumbs in a plastic bag). Add in the butter and pulse until combined. Place in a small bowl and set aside.
• Make your sweet pumpkin pie spice blend by combining the pumpkin pie spice and sugar, shaking in a small mason jar or stirring vigorously to blend. Set aside.
• In your mixing bowl combine the cream cheese and sour cream and mix on medium speed until blended. Pour in the pudding mix, sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice blend you just made and mix on med-high for 2-3 minutes.
• In shooter cups, wine glasses or whatever you may be using, first spoon enough of the gingersnap mixture to cover the bottom. Then spoon or pipe in some cheesecake mixture, Then another layer of gingersnap mixture, then spoon or pipe in second layer of cheesecake mixture, then sprinkle some pumpkin pie spice mix over top.
• Keep cold until ready to serve or transport.
• You can of course layer it all in a large bowl if you prefer. Enjoy!

Notes

Homemade Pumpkin Spice recipe found here.

You can certainly halve this recipe.

Also since this recipe was originally posted back in 2012, since then Jello has a pumpkin pie spice pudding. You can choose to use that instead of the vanilla and if you do you won't need to add the sweet pumpkin pie spice mixture to this (unless you taste and adjust because you want to).

Nutrition

Serving: 12servingsCalories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 3gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 159mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 579IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 1mg

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