Our top Thanksgiving desserts, starring pumpkin, apple and cranberries

Whether you want a classic pie or an unexpected cake, these sweets are just the thing to cap off a holiday meal.

5 min
Cranberry Orange Apple Pie. (Scott Suchman for The Washington Post/food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post)
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“Save room for dessert” is always a mantra worth living by, but it’s especially true at Thanksgiving. At what other time do the sweets take such a starring role in a meal that many of us look forward to once a year?

I know that’s how I feel anyway. Few among us can churn out pumpkin or apple pies and eye-catching tarts on a regular basis. On this holiday, during this season, when we lean into treating ourselves and each other, dessert feels like an occasion.