15 Thanksgiving Chocolate Desserts So Decadent, You’ll Forget the Turkey Ever Existed

Thanksgiving is basically an excuse to eat pie for breakfast, right? Wrong. This year, we’re ditching the predictable pumpkin spice parade and going full chocolate mode. Because nothing says “I’m thankful” like a fork diving into fudgy, melty, cocoa-drenched bliss. I’ve rounded up 15 Thanksgiving chocolate desserts that’ll make your guests ditch the bird, skip the sides, and head straight for the good stuff. These aren’t your average brownies—these are legendary. Grab a spatula and let’s get filthy with chocolate.

1. Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie (Because Pecans Needed a Glow-Up)

Classic pecan pie walks into a bar, meets bourbon and dark chocolate, and never looks back.

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch pie crust (pre-baked)
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 4 oz dark chocolate, melted
• 1 1/2 cups pecans

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Whisk syrup, sugar, eggs, and bourbon until smooth.
2. Stir in melted chocolate—don’t skip the glossy swirl.
3. Fold in pecans. Pour into crust.
4. Bake at 350°F for 50–55 minutes.
5. Cool 2 hours. Slice with a hot knife.

Why You’ll Love It

The bourbon cuts the sweetness, the chocolate adds depth, and the pecans crunch like gossip. One bite and your aunt will whisper, “This is better than sex.” (She’s not wrong.)

2. Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Bread (Yes, Pumpkin and Chocolate)

Pumpkin spice called—it wants its chocolate back.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup each dark, milk, white chocolate chips

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients. Whisk wet separately.
2. Combine gently—lumps are fine.
3. Fold in all three chocolates like a boss.
4. Bake in a loaf pan at 350°F for 60 minutes.
5. Cool 10 minutes, then devour warm.

Why You’ll Love It

Moist, studded with melty pockets, and smells like fall had a threesome with a candy bar. Slice thick—people fight over the middle.

3. Chocolate Gravy Over Biscuits (Southern Secret Weapon)

Not a typo. Chocolate gravy is a hillbilly hug in liquid form.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Warm biscuits

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Whisk sugar, cocoa, and flour in a saucepan.
2. Gradually add milk. Cook over medium, stirring constantly.
3. Simmer 5 minutes until thick like ganache.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.
5. Pour over split biscuits like you mean it.

Why You’ll Love It

Sweet, salty, and stupidly easy. Your Yankee cousins will think you’re a wizard. Serve with coffee—breakfast dessert FTW.

4. Chocolate Cranberry Bark with Toasted Almonds

Five minutes. Zero baking. Maximum “I made this?” flex.

Ingredients

• 12 oz dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
• Sea salt

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Melt chocolate in 20-second microwave bursts.
2. Spread thin on parchment.
3. Sprinkle cranberries, almonds, and a pinch of salt.
4. Chill 15 minutes. Break into jagged pieces.

Why You’ll Love It

Looks fancy, tastes like holiday crack. Bag it up for favors—guests will fight over the salty corners.

5. Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board (Yes, a Board of Cocoa)

Because why drink your chocolate when you can build it?

Ingredients

• 3 kinds hot chocolate (dark, white, spiced)
• Marshmallows, peppermint sticks, chocolate spoons
• Whipped cream, caramel sauce, crushed candy canes

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Brew hot chocolates in small pitchers.
2. Arrange mugs, toppings, and dippers on a board.
3. Let guests DIY their dream mug.

Why You’ll Love It

Interactive, cozy, and zero dishes. The spiced cocoa with peppermint? Chef’s kiss. Kids go feral, adults get tipsy on nostalgia.

6. Chocolate Sweet Potato Casserole 2.0

Sweet potato casserole grew up, put on heels, and married chocolate.

Ingredients

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• Mini marshmallows + pecans

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix everything but toppings until smooth.
2. Spread in a baking dish.
3. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
4. Top with marshmallows and pecans. Broil 2 minutes.

Why You’ll Love It

Velvety, rich, and the marshmallow torch is pure theater. Your grandma will raise an eyebrow—then ask for seconds.

7. Chocolate-Dipped Stuffing Balls (Leftover Hack Level 100)

Stuffing + chocolate = the glitch in the matrix nobody saw coming.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cold stuffing
• 8 oz milk chocolate
• Crushed pretzels for coating

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Roll stuffing into 1-inch balls. Chill 30 minutes.
2. Melt chocolate. Dip balls halfway.
3. Roll in pretzels. Chill until set.

Why You’ll Love It

Sweet-salty heresy that works. The herbs cut the richness—perfect for late-night fridge raids.

8. Molten Chocolate Pumpkin Lava Cakes

Cut into these and watch the chocolate lava ooze like a horror movie—but delicious.

Ingredients

• 4 oz dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs + 2 yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Melt chocolate and butter. Cool slightly.
2. Whisk eggs, yolks, and sugar until pale.
3. Fold in chocolate, flour, and pumpkin.
4. Pour into greased ramekins. Bake at 425°F for 12 minutes.
5. Invert onto plates. Pray.

Why You’ll Love It

The center stays liquid gold. Serve with vanilla ice cream—your guests will propose.

9. Chocolate Turkey Cupcakes (Cuteness Overload)

Cupcakes disguised as turkeys. The kids will name them before eating.

Ingredients

• Chocolate cupcakes (box mix is fine, fight me)
• Chocolate frosting
• Candy corn, candy eyes, red icing

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Frost cupcakes in a dome.
2. Fan candy corn for feathers.
3. Add eyes and a red icing wattle.

Why You’ll Love It

Zero skill, maximum squeals. The candy corn “beak” is the cutest betrayal ever.

10. Spiked Chocolate Eggnog Truffles

Boozy eggnog truffles that taste like Christmas snuck into Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup eggnog
• 2 tbsp rum
• 12 oz white chocolate
• Nutmeg

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggnog, and rum.
2. Chill 1 hour. Roll into balls.
3. Dip in melted white chocolate. Dust with nutmeg.

Why You’ll Love It

One-bite buzz. Hide them from the kids—or don’t. Your call.

11. Chocolate Acorn Kisses

Chocolate-dipped Nilla wafers + Hershey’s Kisses = edible acorns.

Ingredients

• Mini Nilla wafers
• Hershey’s Kisses
• Peanut butter
• Chocolate sprinkles

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Dab peanut butter on wafer. Stick Kiss on top.
2. Dip Kiss bottom in melted chocolate.
3. Add sprinkles for “cap.” Chill.

Why You’ll Love It

Five minutes, zero baking, 100% adorable. Scatter on the kids’ table—they’ll think you’re a craft god.

12. Chocolate Mashed Potato Fudge (Don’t Knock It)

Mashed potatoes make fudge creamier. Fight me in the comments.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mashed potatoes (plain)
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix potatoes with sugar and cocoa.
2. Stir in vanilla and melted chips.
3. Press into a lined pan. Chill 2 hours.
4. Cut into squares.

Why You’ll Love It

Silky, weird, and uses leftovers like a champ. The potato vanishes—only fudge remains.

13. Chocolate Cranberry Bread Pudding

Bread pudding but make it tart, gooey, and chocolate-drenched.

Ingredients

• 6 cups stale bread, cubed
• 2 cups milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup cranberries

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Whisk milk, eggs, and sugar.
2. Toss bread, chips, and cranberries in a baking dish.
3. Pour custard over. Soak 20 minutes.
4. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

Why You’ll Love It

Crispy edges, custardy middle, tart pops of cranberry. Serve with bourbon sauce—you’re welcome.

14. Chocolate-Dipped Frozen Banana Turkeys

Healthy-ish dessert that looks like a craft project.

Ingredients

• Bananas, halved
• Chocolate melts
• Candy eyes, candy corn, pretzel sticks

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Freeze banana halves 1 hour.
2. Dip in chocolate. Add eyes, candy corn beak, pretzel “legs.”
3. Freeze 10 minutes.

Why You’ll Love It

Cold, creamy, and the kids think they’re eating candy. Sneaky parent win.

15. S’mores Dip with Pumpkin Grahams

One skillet. Zero cleanup. All the campfire vibes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 cups marshmallows
• Pumpkin-spiced graham crackers

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Layer chips in a cast-iron skillet.
2. Top with marshmallows.
3. Broil 2–3 minutes until golden.
4. Dive in with grahams.

Why You’ll Love It

Gooey, shareable, and the pumpkin grahams seal the deal. Last one to the skillet loses.

There you have it—15 Thanksgiving chocolate desserts that’ll make your spread the stuff of sugar-coated dreams. From boozy pies to skillet dips, these aren’t just treats—they’re experiences. Pick three, delegate one to your control-freak sister-in-law, and watch the table go silent except for the sound of forks scraping plates. This Thanksgiving, forget the turkey. Chocolate is the main event. Now go forth and cocoa like you mean it.