10 Dairy-Free Thanksgiving Desserts So Good, No One Will Miss the Cream

Thanksgiving hits different when Aunt Karen starts side-eyeing the dessert table because of her lactose drama. You want everyone—vegan cousins, paleo pals, and that one uncle who “just feels better without dairy”—to dig in without a single complaint. I’ve got you covered with 10 dairy-free Thanksgiving desserts that taste like pure holiday magic. These aren’t sad substitutes; they’re show-stoppers that vanish before the pie cools. Ready to wow the table? Let’s roll.

1. Pumpkin Spice Coconut Milk Pudding

Who says pudding needs dairy to be silky? This one uses coconut milk for that lush texture and warms you up with fall spices.

Ingredients

• 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• Pinch of salt

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Whisk cornstarch with 1/4 cup coconut milk in a bowl until smooth.
2. Heat the rest of the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, spice, and salt in a saucepan over medium.
3. Stir in the cornstarch slurry. Cook 3–4 minutes until it thickens like velvet.
4. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and pour into ramekins.
5. Chill 2 hours. Top with coconut whipped cream if you’re fancy.

Why You’ll Love It

It’s basically fall in a cup. The coconut flavor hides behind pumpkin like a ninja, and it sets up firm enough to flip onto a plate for that “ooooh” moment. Pro tip: make it the night before—zero stress on Turkey Day.

2. Chocolate Avocado Mousse (Yes, Really)

Avocado in dessert? Hear me out. It creates the creamiest mousse without a whisper of dairy, and the cocoa masks any green vibes.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup agave syrup (or maple)
• 1/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of sea salt

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Scoop avocado flesh into a blender.
2. Add cocoa, agave, almond milk, vanilla, and salt.
3. Blend until stupidly smooth—about 30 seconds.
4. Taste and adjust sweetness. Chill 30 minutes.
5. Serve in tiny glasses with dairy-free chocolate shavings.

Why You’ll Love It

Rich? Check. Decadent? Double check. Your brain screams “ganache,” but your stomach says “thanks for the fiber.” I once served this to a French chef—he asked for seconds. Mic drop.

3. Apple Crisp with Oat Crumble (No Butter, All Flavor)

Butter who? Coconut oil steps up and makes this crisp golden and crunchy.

Ingredients

• 6 apples, peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Toss apples with lemon juice, 2 tbsp coconut sugar, and half the cinnamon in a baking dish.
2. Mix oats, almond flour, remaining sugar, spices, and melted coconut oil in a bowl.
3. Crumble topping over apples like you’re burying treasure.
4. Bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes until bubbly and golden.
5. Let cool 10 minutes—burnt tongues ruin Thanksgiving.

Why You’ll Love It

The edges get chewy, the middle stays saucy, and it smells like your grandma’s house (minus the dairy). Pair with coconut vanilla ice cream and watch jaws drop.

4. Pecan Pie Bars with Date Crust

Pecan pie without the corn syrup coma? These bars use dates for sticky sweetness and a nutty crust that slaps.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups pitted dates
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup oats

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 3 flax eggs (3 tbsp flax + 9 tbsp water)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Blend crust ingredients until sticky. Press into a lined 8×8 pan.
2. Blend filling dates with maple, flax eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Stir in chopped pecans. Pour over crust.
4. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
5. Cool completely, then slice. Warning: they’re addictive.

Why You’ll Love It

Portable pie? Yes please. The crust is chewy, the filling gooey, and nobody guesses it’s refined-sugar-free. I cut them tiny—people hoard three at a time.

5. No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

“Cheesecake” without cream cheese? Cashews soak up the slack and deliver.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked 4 hours
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1 cup crushed graham crackers (vegan)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil for crust

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix crushed crackers with melted coconut oil. Press into mini muffin tins.
2. Drain cashews. Blend with pumpkin, oil, maple, and spice until silky.
3. Spoon filling over crusts. Freeze 2 hours.
4. Pop out and dust with cinnamon.

Why You’ll Love It

Bite-sized bliss that screams fancy but takes zero oven space. The cashew “cheese” fools everyone—my dairy-loving brother inhaled six.

6. Cranberry Orange Almond Cake

This cake stays moist with almond milk and orange zest—bright, nutty, and stupidly easy.

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 1 cup fresh cranberries

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Whisk dry ingredients. Stir in wet until just combined.
2. Fold in cranberries gently—they pop in the oven.
3. Pour into a greased 8-inch pan.
4. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes.
5. Cool and glaze with orange juice + powdered sugar (vegan).

Why You’ll Love It

Tart cranberries cut the sweetness, and the almond flavor sings. Slice thin—people circle back for “just one more sliver.”

7. Sweet Potato Brownies (Fudgy AF)

Sweet potato keeps these brownies dense and fudgy without a drop of butter.

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed sweet potato
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix everything except chips until smooth.
2. Fold in half the chips.
3. Spread in a lined 8×8 pan. Top with remaining chips.
4. Bake at 350°F for 20–22 minutes.
5. Cool 15 minutes—they firm up like magic.

Why You’ll Love It

Zero flour, zero guilt, maximum chocolate. The sweet potato disappears into fudgy heaven. IMO, best eaten warm with a fork.

8. Maple Cinnamon Roasted Pears

Sometimes the simplest desserts steal the show. These pears roast until caramelized and juicy.

Ingredients

• 4 pears, halved and cored
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Place pears cut-side up in a baking dish.
2. Drizzle with maple, sprinkle cinnamon and walnuts.
3. Roast at 375°F for 25 minutes.
4. Baste with juices halfway.
5. Serve warm—maybe with a scoop of coconut ice cream.

Why You’ll Love It

Elegant but zero effort. The pears turn buttery (without butter—mind blown). Perfect for when you’re stuffed but need “just a bite.”

9. Gingerbread Chia Pudding

Chia seeds puff up overnight into a festive, spiced pudding that tastes like cookie dough.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Whisk everything in a jar.
2. Stir again after 5 minutes to avoid clumps.
3. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Top with coconut yogurt and gingersnap crumbs (vegan).

Why You’ll Love It

Breakfast? Dessert? Both. The molasses gives that deep gingerbread flavor, and it’s ready when you wake up. Holiday mornings = sorted.

10. Chocolate-Dipped Clementines with Sea Salt

Five ingredients, zero baking, maximum wow. The salt makes it gourmet.

Ingredients

• 6 clementines, peeled and segmented
• 1 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• Sea salt
• Optional: crushed pistachios

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Melt chocolate with coconut oil in 20-second microwave bursts.
2. Dip clementine segments halfway.
3. Sprinkle salt (and nuts if using) immediately.
4. Chill on parchment 10 minutes.

Why You’ll Love It

Fresh, chocolatey, and salty—basically adult candy. Kids fight over them, adults pretend they’re “light.” Make double; they disappear.

There you go—10 dairy-free Thanksgiving desserts that shut down the “but where’s the whipped cream?” whining. From fudgy brownies to elegant roasted pears, every bite screams celebration without the stomach ache. Pick three, delegate two to cousins, and watch the table go quiet (except for the “mmms”). Happy Thanksgiving, foodie. You’ve got this.