Delicious and Healthy Desserts for Thanksgiving

While Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate blessings and companionship with family and friends, desserts usually take center stage — or table — during the festivities. This year, cut back on the unhealthy additives with these Thanksgiving dessert recipes.

The Best Healthier Apple Pie

While this apple pie recipe can be made for any occasion, it may steal attention from pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving. Try your hand at making this whole grain pie crust or use pre-made pie crust — we won’t judge!

Ingredients:

Whole grain pie crust (makes 2 crusts):

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter

8–10 tablespoons ice water

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Apple pie filling:

6­–7 cups 1/4-inch sliced apples (about 7 medium apples, mix of Granny Smith, Jonagold and Honeycrisp)

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar or coconut sugar

2 tablespoon tapioca flour or cornstarch

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Egg wash:

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk of choice

Get the full recipe on Fit Mitten Kitchen.

Easy No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

How can we celebrate Thanksgiving without pumpkin? This delicious twist on cheesecake is the perfect pairing with your main dishes.

Ingredients:

Gingersnap pecan crust:

20 gingersnap cookies, ground very finely

1/2 cup of pecans, finely chopped

4 tablespoons of butter, melted

Pumpkin cheesecake filling:

15 ounce can of pumpkin puree

8 ounce cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

12 ounces of lite frozen whipped topping (thawed)

Get the full recipe on Joyful Healthy Eats.

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Bars

If you’re looking for a dairy-free recipe, we have it right here! These pumpkin pie bars can help save you time and hassle compared to baking a pumpkin pie, but can still provide a crunchy and tasty crust. Happy baking!

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 cups almond flour, superfine

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

3 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Whipped Cream Topping:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Get the full recipe on Fit Foodie Finds.