Thanksgiving is a time for catching up with loved ones, watching football games, paying homage to our country’s history and, most importantly, eating. What would Thanksgiving be without bountiful amounts of food? I’m not just talking about the turkey, stuffing and casseroles. Thanksgiving just would not be complete without dessert.

After hunting around town for the most unique and mouth-watering dessert recipes, I found some bakers that were happy to share their love for desserts with everyone on this food-filled holiday.

Here’s some Thanksgiving dessert recipes to try and share with your friends and family:

This first dessert is as simple and easy to make as it is delicious. Courtesy of Claire Tillett, owner of Claire’s Cakes, this recipe is sure to be a fan favorite:

Buckeyes (Peanut Butter Balls)

Yield: about 40

Ingredients:

1. 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
2. ½ cup butter, softened
3. 1 tsp. vanilla
4. 4 cups powdered sugar
5. 2 cups milk chocolate chips
6. 2 tbsp. coconut oil

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix together peanut butter and butter.
2. Stir in vanilla.
3. Ass powdered sugar and beat on low speed until smooth.
4. Roll in 1-inch balls and place in freezer for at least 1 hour.
5. Place chocolate and coconut oil in a microwavable bowl and microwave at 30-sec. intervals until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
6. Dip the chilled peanut butter balls ¾ of the way into the melted chocolate and place on wax paper lined cookie sheet until the chocolate is set and firm.
7. Store in the fridge or freezer.

This second dessert is also from Tillett. This one requires a little more time and more ingredients, but is sure to leave your guests with full stomachs and happy hearts.

Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Tart

Ingredients:

Chocolate Dough

1. 1 ¼ cups flour
2. ¼ cup cocoa
3. ¼ tsp. salt
4. 1/3 cup sugar
5. 1 stick butter
6. 1 egg
7. 1 tsp. vanilla
8. 2 tsp. cold water

Caramel Sauce

1. 2 cups of sugar
2. ½ cup water
3. ½ cup light corn syrup
4. ½ cup butter
5. 1 cup heavy cream
6. 1 tsp. salt

Chocolate Ganache

1. 12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
2. 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Make dough in food processor by combining flour through sugar ingredients (as listed).
2. Add butter, eggs, and water until mixture is firm.
3. Let dough sit in fridge for 30 minutes. blind bake with beans at 350 for 15 minutes, return to oven without beans for 10-15 min then let cool.
4. Add ingredients for caramel sauce in a pot on medium high heat (sugar-light corn syrup), let boil until a dark honey color is formed.
5. Remove from heat add butter and heavy cream stirring constantly and then add a pinch of salt if desired.
6. Pour caramel sauce cool in pie shell and let sit in fridge for about 1 hour until firm and set then pour chocolate ganache over top let set and sprinkle with sea salt.
7. Keep tart in fridge and garnish with whip cream if you’d like!

Johanna Lachine, owner of Johanna’s Café Lachine in Wanchese, offered one of her best kept secret recipes for readers to enjoy this Thanksgiving. This first one even has an added bonus: it’s gluten free!

Italian Macarons (Gluten-free)

Yield: 2.5-3 dozen

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb. of sugar
2. 2 oz. corn syrup
3. 8 oz. of egg whites
4. 1 lb. 4 oz. of unsweet coconut
5. 1 oz. rice flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line sheet tray with parchment.
2. Over large double broiler, heat sugar, corn syrup, and whites to 140 degrees, or until all the sugar has dissolved.
3. In a large bowl, combine coconut and flour.
4. Mix coconut and flour to sugar mixture and return to 140 degrees.
5. Dip 1 oz. scoop into simmering water and scoop out mixture onto sheet tray.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating halfway through.
7. Remove from oven and cool.
8. Once cooled, dip bottoms of macaroons into melted dark chocolate.

This last recipe from Lachine can be made as a Thanksgiving dessert or a take-home gift that your guests can heat up the next morning.

Blueberry Muffins

Yields: 1 dozen jumbo or 10 dozen mini muffins

Ingredients:

1. 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 tsp. salt
3. 1 tsp. baking soda
4. 1 tbsp. + 2 tsp.
5. 3 eggs
6. 1 cup vegetable oil
7. 1 cup light brown sugar
8. 1 cup sugar
9. 1 tbsp. vanilla
10. 2 cups applesauce
11. 1 pt. blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients and whist together.
3. Combine wet ingredients and whisk together.
4. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and add wet ingredients.
5. Fold and stop before completely combined.
6. Add blueberries and fold until just combined.
7. For jumbo muffins, bake for 30 minutes. For mini muffins, bake for 10 minutes.

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