Most of these desserts can also be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator, so you can spend Turkey Day working on the main course. This particular collection of desserts—which ranges from fruity cheesecakes and mini pies to tiny donuts and parfaits—is also a great inspiration for anyone contributing dessert to a friend or family member’s holiday meal. Everyone will appreciate the creativity, and they’re the perfect size to bring to a dinner with fewer guests. And don’t limit these delicious ideas to Thanksgiving—they’re a great sweet treat any time of year. Top each mini pie with homemade whipped cream, chopped crystallized ginger, or crumbled speculoos cookies, and serve alongside coffee after the big meal. Both the filling and the crust can be made up to one day ahead. If you can’t find speculoos cookies (we bought ours at Trader Joe’s), gingersnaps would be just as delicious in the crust. To create the miniature cake rounds, you’ll bake a chocolate cake in a 9x13-inch pan, then use a 3-inch cookie cutter to create 12 rounds. Genius! Extra cake scraps can be toasted until crispy, then sprinkled over ice cream. Alternatively, layer them in a trifle with chocolate pudding and fresh berries.
