12 Boozy Thanksgiving Desserts Adults Will Love

Thanksgiving hits different when you’re not the kid stuck with pumpkin pie crust crumbs. You want dessert that winks at you from the table—rich, tipsy, and zero apologies. These 12 boozy Thanksgiving desserts deliver exactly that. We’re talking bourbon-spiked pecan bars, rum-drenched trifles, and a tiramisu that’ll have Uncle Bob loosening his belt before the turkey coma sets in. Grab your apron (or don’t—spills happen), because these recipes come together faster than your cousin’s political hot takes.

1. Bourbon Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Drizzle

Bread pudding sounds like your grandma’s leftover project, but spike it with bourbon and top with salted caramel? Instant adulting upgrade. This one bakes in under an hour and smells like fall had a party.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf stale challah, cubed
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup bourbon (Maker’s Mark works, FYI)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup salted caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Whisk eggs, cream, milk, sugar, bourbon, pumpkin, spices, and salt in a big bowl.
3. Toss in bread cubes. Let them soak 10 minutes—push the stubborn ones under.
4. Pour into the dish. Bake 45 minutes until golden and jiggly in the center.
5. Warm caramel sauce. Drizzle over the top like you mean it.

Why You’ll Love It

The bourbon cuts through the pumpkin sweetness without screaming “I’M DRUNK!” (Though it kinda is.) I once served this at 2 p.m.—by 4 p.m., the pan was scraped clean and my sister-in-law asked for the recipe in voice text. Victory.

2. Spiked Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

Eggnog in a glass? Cute. Eggnog baked into creamy cheesecake bars with a rum kick? Dangerous. Cut these small—people will circle back.

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup melted butter
• 24 oz cream cheese, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup eggnog
• ¼ cup dark rum
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• Whipped cream for topping

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix crumbs and butter. Press into a lined 9×13 pan. Bake 10 minutes at 325°F.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time.
3. Stir in eggnog, rum, and nutmeg. Pour over crust.
4. Bake 35–40 minutes. Cool completely, then chill 3 hours.
5. Slice into squares. Top with whipped cream and a nutmeg sprinkle.

Why You’ll Love It

These bars stay creamy even after a day in the fridge—perfect for Thursday leftovers on Friday. Pro tip: hide a row in the back before the kids discover they’re “just cheesecake.”

3. Drunken Cranberry Apple Crisp

Cranberries + apples + fireball whiskey = the crisp that stole Thanksgiving 2023 at my house. The cinnamon whiskey makes the fruit topping pop.

Ingredients

• 4 apples, peeled and sliced
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup Fireball whiskey
• 1 cup oats
• ¾ cup flour
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup cold butter, cubed
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Toss apples, cranberries, sugar, and Fireball in a bowl. Dump into a greased 8×8 dish.
2. Mix oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly.
3. Sprinkle topping over fruit. Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes.
4. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream that melts into the boozy juices.

Why You’ll Love It

The cranberries keep it tart, the Fireball keeps it spicy, and the whole thing disappears before the dishes are done. Who needs pie?

4. Kahlúa Chocolate Truffle Tart

Silky chocolate ganache + Kahlúa in a chocolate cookie crust. This tart looks fancy but takes 20 minutes active time. Your secret’s safe.

Ingredients

• 2 cups crushed Oreos
• 6 tbsp melted butter
• 12 oz dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ⅓ cup Kahlúa
• Sea salt for sprinkling

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix Oreos and butter. Press into a 9-inch tart pan. Chill 15 minutes.
2. Heat cream until steaming. Pour over chocolate. Wait 2 minutes, then stir smooth.
3. Whisk in Kahlúa. Pour into crust.
4. Chill 2 hours. Sprinkle sea salt right before serving.

Why You’ll Love It

One bite and your brain goes “coffee + chocolate + buzz = yes.” I brought this to a potluck; someone licked the platter. True story.

5. Rum Raisin Bread Pudding Bites

Mini muffin tin = portion control (LOL). Soak raisins in dark rum overnight for max flavor punch.

Ingredients

• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup dark rum
• 4 cups cubed brioche
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Soak raisins in rum overnight (or microwave 1 minute if impatient).
2. Whisk eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and leftover rum. Add bread and raisins.
3. Scoop into greased mini muffin tins. Bake 20 minutes at 350°F.
4. Pop out and dust with powdered sugar.

Why You’ll Love It

Two-bite desserts mean you can sample all 12 recipes without judgment. These reheat beautifully in the air fryer—crisp edges, custardy center.

6. Baileys Pumpkin Spice Tiramisu

Tiramisu, but make it Thanksgiving. Swap espresso for pumpkin spice coffee and mascarpone gets a Baileys boost.

Ingredients

• 24 ladyfingers
• 1 cup brewed pumpkin spice coffee, cooled
• ⅓ cup Baileys Pumpkin Spice
• 8 oz mascarpone
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• Cocoa for dusting

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix coffee and Baileys in a shallow dish.
2. Whip mascarpone, cream, sugar, and pumpkin until thick.
3. Dip ladyfingers quickly in coffee mix. Layer in an 8×8 dish.
4. Spread half the cream, repeat layers. Chill 4 hours.
5. Dust with cocoa before serving.

Why You’ll Love It

No-bake, make-ahead, and tastes like pumpkin spice latte had a love child with dessert. My roommate stole the corner piece—war was almost declared.

7. Whiskey Maple Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie is great. Pecan pie bars soaked in whiskey maple syrup? Greater. The crust is press-in, not roll-out—bless.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup sugar
• ¾ cup cold butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup whiskey maple syrup (or 1 cup maple + 2 tbsp bourbon)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 cups pecans

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix flour and sugar. Cut in butter. Press into a 9×13 pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350°F.
2. Whisk eggs, syrup, brown sugar. Stir in pecans.
3. Pour over hot crust. Bake 25 minutes.
4. Cool completely before cutting—patience, grasshopper.

Why You’ll Love It

Portable pecan pie means you can sneak one while “checking the turkey.” The whiskey mellows the sweetness without making it boozy soup.

8. Prosecco Poached Pears with Mascarpone Whip

Light, elegant, and secretly easy. Poach pears in Prosecco until blush-pink, then serve with boozy cream.

Ingredients

• 4 firm pears, peeled
• 1 bottle Prosecco
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 8 oz mascarpone
• 2 tbsp Prosecco (from the bottle)
• 2 tbsp honey

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Simmer Prosecco, sugar, and cinnamon. Add pears. Poach 20 minutes.
2. Remove pears. Reduce syrup to 1 cup.
3. Whip mascarpone, Prosecco, and honey.
4. Slice pears, drizzle syrup, dollop cream.

Why You’ll Love It

After turkey overload, this feels like a palate cleanser that still gets you tipsy. Also: Instagram gold.

9. Amaretto Sweet Potato Casserole Crumble

Sweet potato casserole walked into a bar and ordered an amaretto. The almond liqueur plays perfectly with marshmallows.

Ingredients

• 4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• ½ cup amaretto
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 cup crushed amaretti cookies
• ¼ cup melted butter

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix potatoes, amaretto, sugar, eggs. Spread in a greased 9×9 dish.
2. Top with marshmallows, then cookie crumbs. Drizzle butter.
3. Bake 25 minutes at 350°F until golden.

Why You’ll Love It

Thanksgiving side dish? Dessert? Both. The amaretto keeps it from cloying, and the cookie topping adds crunch.

10. Champagne Jello Shots with Gold Sprinkles

Because sometimes you need dessert you can eat with one hand while holding wine in the other.

Ingredients

• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups brut Champagne
• Gold edible glitter

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Bloom gelatin in ½ cup cold water 5 minutes.
2. Heat remaining water and sugar until dissolved. Stir in gelatin.
3. Cool slightly, add Champagne. Pour into silicone molds.
4. Chill 3 hours. Pop out, sprinkle glitter.

Why You’ll Love It

Classy AF and zero utensils required. Hide these from the teenagers.

11. Red Wine Chocolate Brownies

Brownies made with cabernet reduction = fudgy, fruity, slightly dangerous. Box mix? We don’t know her.

Ingredients

• 1 cup red wine
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 ⅓ cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Reduce wine to ⅓ cup over medium heat.
2. Melt butter and cocoa. Stir in sugar, then eggs.
3. Fold in flour, salt, reduced wine, chips.
4. Bake in a 9×13 pan at 350°F for 28 minutes.

Why You’ll Love It

The wine adds depth without tasting like sangria gone wrong. Frosting optional—powdered sugar dusting keeps it simple.

12. Grand Marnier Cranberry Orange Bread

Breakfast? Dessert? Midnight snack? This quick bread blurs lines with Grand Marnier glaze.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup cranberries
• Zest of 1 orange
• ¾ cup orange juice
• ⅓ cup Grand Marnier
• ½ cup oil
• 1 egg

Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar + 2 tbsp Grand Marnier

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Whisk dry ingredients. Stir in cranberries and zest.
2. Mix wet ingredients. Combine gently.
3. Pour into loaf pan. Bake 60 minutes at 350°F.
4. Poke holes, pour half glaze while warm. Cool, add rest.

Why You’ll Love It

Slices beautifully the next day with coffee—or straight from the fridge at 2 a.m. The orange liqueur keeps it moist for days.