For Thanksgiving and Christmas desserts, plan one serving per person plus about 10 percent extra, or cut smaller slices when setting out two to three desserts. A 9-inch pie serves 8, and make-ahead options like cheesecake, frozen cookie dough, and unfrosted cakes let you finish most of the work before guests arrive, while our bakery and shelves have ready-to-serve desserts and staples for quick holiday prep.
This guide groups our tested recipes by dish, with total time and servings, and what to pick up on our shelves for each.
Quick reference
| Servings per guest | 1 serving per person plus about 10% extra, or smaller slices with 2 to 3 desserts |
|---|---|
| Standard pie yield | A 9-inch pie serves 8 |
| Cheesecake make-ahead timing | Make cheesecake a day ahead so it sets best |
| Cold pie and cake storage | Refrigerate pumpkin pie, other custard pies, and cheesecake once cool |
| Fruit pie storage | Keep fruit pies at room temperature for a couple of days |
| Freezer make-ahead window | Freeze cookie dough and unfrosted cakes for up to a month |
| Baked cookie storage | Keep cookies in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days |
| Oven temperatures | Most of our cookies, brownies, crisps and cakes bake at 350°F; our pies start between 375°F and 425°F |
Holiday Pies
If you are baking from scratch, Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream (315 minutes total, 8 servings) blends Libby's pure pumpkin with heavy cream. For a twist on a Thanksgiving classic, Cranberry Pecan Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream (370 minutes total, 8 servings) combines pecans, dried cranberries, and maple syrup. Fruit fans can pair Fuji apples with white cheddar in our Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust & Vanilla Ice Cream (220 minutes, 8 servings), or serve a larger crowd with Cranberry-Raspberry “Linzertorte” Crumble Tart (185 minutes, 12 servings), made with cranberries, raspberry jam, and hazelnuts.
For shorter prep, Sweet Potato Galette with Cream Cheese Pastry & Butter Pecan Ice Cream (120 minutes, 8 servings) wraps spiced sweet potatoes in a rich cream cheese pastry. When oven space is tight, Chocolate Pie by Shamrock Farms® (90 minutes, 10 servings) needs the oven only for its 10-minute wheat germ crust before you fill it with instant chocolate pudding, and Mint Chip Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Crust & Candy Cane Crumble (80 minutes, 8 servings) sets in the freezer. To save prep time, pick up Pillsbury pie crusts or a Marie Callender's frozen pumpkin pie in our refrigerated and freezer aisles.
Ingredients PUMPKIN.
Ingredients Enriched Flour Bleached (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Lard and Hydrogenated Lard with BHA and BHT Added to Protect Flavor, Water, Wheat Starch, Corn Starch. Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Rice Flour, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Propionate and Potassium Sorbate (Preservatives), Citric Acid, Annatto Extract (for Color).
Ingredients Bleached Wheat Flour Enriched (Bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Palm Shortening, Water, Sugar, Salt, Mono- and Diglycerides (Water, Monoglycerides and 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Preservatives, Propionic Acid, Phosphoric Acid), Yeast, Corn Syrup, Sodium Bicarbonate.
Ingredients MILK, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, CARRAGEENAN, DEXTROSE, VITAMIN D3.
Ingredients Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Allspice, and Sulfiting Agents.
Ingredients Heavy Cream, Water, Sugar, Nonfat Milk, Maltodextrin, Contains Less than 2% of Cellulose Gel, Mono and Diglycerides, Carrageenan, Natural Flavoring, Cellulose Gum.
Ingredients Filling: Pumpkin, Sugar, Water, Nonfat Dry Milk, Eggs, Modified Corn Starch, Spice, Soybean Oil, Salt, Crust: Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Soybean Oil and Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Water, Dextrose, Salt, Dough Conditioner (Sodium Metabisulfite).
No-Bake and Assemble-Ahead Desserts
Layered trifles are easy to assemble ahead for a crowd. Holiday Cranberry Orange Trifle by Nabisco (330 minutes, 16 servings) layers fresh cranberries, vanilla wafers, and pudding, while Apple Butterscotch Trifle with Pound Cake & Whipped Topping (135 minutes, 12 servings) pairs cubed Sara Lee pound cake with apple pie filling. For chocolate lovers, Cherry Chocolate Brownie Trifle with Vanilla Pudding & Whipped Cream (100 minutes, 10 servings) stacks baked brownies with cherry pie filling. Need a bite-sized treat for a party tray? Holiday OREO® Cookie Balls by Nabisco (100 minutes, 48 servings) mix crushed cookies with Philadelphia cream cheese and white chocolate.
For a colorful make-ahead dish, chill our Raspberry-Lime Layered Gelatin Dessert with Whipped Topping (490 minutes total, 6 servings) finished with Cool Whip. For something quicker, Pumpkin Pie Pudding Cups with Whipped Cream & Pecans take 30 minutes for 6 servings, and a Mini Raspberry Truffle Tart with OREO Cookie Crust & Whipped Cream makes two in 30 minutes.
Ingredients SUGAR, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SODIUM PHOSPHATE, TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE, SALT, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6.
Ingredients WATER, CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND PALM KERNEL OILS), SKIM MILK, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF LIGHT CREAM, SODIUM CASEINATE (FROM MILK), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, XANTHAN AND GUAR GUMS, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, POLYSORBATE 60, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, SODIUM POLYPHOSPHATE, BETA CAROTENE (COLOR).
Ingredients ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, EGGS, BUTTER, WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS: SALT, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, GUAR GUM, XANTHAN GUM, NATURAL FLAVOR, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, ANNATTO, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, WHEAT STARCH, SOY LECITHIN.
Ingredients INGREDIENTS: UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, PALM OIL, SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA AND/OR CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, SOY LECITHIN, CHOCOLATE, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR. CONTAINS: WHEAT, SOY.
Ingredients PASTEURIZED MILK AND CREAM, SALT, CAROB BEAN GUM, CHEESE CULTURE
Ingredients SUGAR, GELATIN, ADIPIC ACID, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SODIUM CITRATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, RED 40, FUMARIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.
Cookies, Bars and Bark
Building a holiday cookie tray? Start with big-batch favorites like Classic Ginger Snap Cookies (60 minutes, 48 servings) made with Grandma's molasses, ginger, and cloves, or almond-flavored Easy Cut-Out Sugar Cookies by Land O Lakes® (70 minutes, 32 servings). If you are short on time, you can also bake Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookies. Round out the platter with Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (60 minutes, 28 servings) with cocoa and crushed candy canes, plus Pumpkin Spice-Scented Snickerdoodles (95 minutes, 24 servings) made with Lucerne unsalted butter.
If you want a no-bake bite with heat, roll cookie crumbs and cream cheese into Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookie Balls with Cinnamon & Cayenne Pepper (55 minutes, 24 servings). For rich dessert bars, bake Decadent Dark Chocolate Brownies (60 minutes, 12 servings) with butter and unsweetened and dark chocolate, or make sweet-and-salty Rocky Road Squares with Dark Chocolate, Marshmallows & Salted Pretzels (75 minutes, 16 servings). When you only need a quick treat for two, Dark Chocolate Bark with Pistachios, Dried Cranberries & Apricots comes together in 15 minutes (2 servings).
Ingredients Cream, Natural Flavor.
Ingredients Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavors.
Ingredients Sugar, Enriched Flour Bleached (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Palm Oil, Water, Canola Oil, Contains 2% or Less of: Eggs, Baking Powder (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate), Salt, Artificial Flavor.
Ingredients Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Palm, Palm Kernel), Cornstarch, Less than 2% of Dextrin, Confectioner's Glaze, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Soy Lecithin, Yellow 5 Lake, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Carnauba Wax, Gum Acacia, Vegetable Juice Color Maltodextrin, Citric Acid.
Ingredients Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla Extract.
Ingredients Molasses.
Ingredients Sugar.
Warm Fruit Desserts and Puddings
For a warm fruit bake that comes together quickly, Ginger-Pear Crumble with Caramel Swirl Ice Cream (45 minutes, 6 servings) tops canned pears and candied ginger with crushed ginger snaps and Signature SELECT quick oats. Dutch Style Pumpkin Spice-Apple Crisp with Whipped Cream (75 minutes, 6 servings) bakes diced Gala apples under a spiced pumpkin purée batter, while Baked Apples with Cinnamon-Pecan Topping (45 minutes, 6 servings) roasts Gala apples under a pecan and brown sugar topping.
When you want an overnight dish ready for the oven the next day, prep our Eggnog Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding with Sugar Glaze (850 minutes total, 6 servings). Dried cubes of Pepperidge Farm raisin cinnamon swirl bread soak in Lucerne holiday eggnog and eggs before baking and finishing with a powdered sugar glaze.
Ingredients Apple Slices, Sugar, Water, Modified Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Spices.
Ingredients Whole Grain Rolled Oats.
Ingredients Milk, Cream, Sugar, Vegetable Gum (Tara), Natural Flavor.
Ingredients Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Nonfat Milk, Contains 2% or Less of: Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Sugar, Natural Flavors (with Barley), Caramel Color, Sodium Alginate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phosphate, Cream Solids (from Milk), Vanillin (Artificial Flavor), Soy Lecithin, Yellow 6, Red 40.
Cakes and Cheesecake
For a make-ahead centerpiece, bake our Pumpkin Cheesecake with Oatmeal-Pecan Crust & Vanilla Mascarpone Whipped Cream (930 minutes total, 12 servings) with pumpkin purée and Philadelphia cream cheese. If you want a Bundt cake that slices cleanly for a crowd, Daisy Brand Orange Cranberry Pound Cake (150 minutes, 12 servings) folds fresh cranberries and orange peel into a rich Daisy sour cream batter.
Want warm holiday spice in two hours? Gingerbread Cake with Orange-Scented Cream Cheese Frosting (9 servings) blends honey and molasses under a tangy zested frosting, while Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (12 servings) bake pumpkin purée and dark chocolate chips into individual portions. For a quick shortcut, pick up Duncan Hines spice cake mix in our baking aisle.
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Ingredients PASTEURIZED MILK AND CREAM, SALT, CAROB BEAN GUM, CHEESE CULTURE
Ingredients ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID), PALM AND PALM KERNEL OIL WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS, SUGAR, GRAHAM FLOUR, CORN SYRUP, MOLASSES, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF SALT, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), MALT EXTRACT, SOY LECITHIN.
Ingredients Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Wheat Starch, Less than 2% of: Canola Oil, Spice, Salt, Propylene Glycol Mono- and Diesters, Mono- And Diglycerides, Caramel Color, Palm Oil, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbic Acid, Natural Flavor. Contains: Wheat
Ingredients Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Palm Oil, Corn Starch, Water, Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Monoglycerides, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Natural Flavor, Citric Acid, Yellows 5 & 6. Freshness Preserved by Potassium Sorbate.
Ingredients Cultured Cream.
What to Bake When
Up to a month ahead, freeze raw cookie dough and unfrosted cakes. Three to five days ahead, bake cookies and pack them in an airtight container once cool. Two days ahead, bake fruit pies, which keep at room temperature.
The day before, bake pumpkin pie, other custard pies and cheesecake so they can cool and chill in the fridge, and assemble chilled trifles or the overnight Eggnog Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding with Sugar Glaze. Save quick 15 to 45 minute recipes, like chocolate bark, pudding cups or a warm pear crumble, for the day itself.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
How much dessert per person should I plan for the holidays?
Plan one serving per person plus about 10 percent extra. When you set out two to three desserts, cut smaller slices so guests can try more than one. A standard 9-inch pie serves 8.
Which make ahead desserts work best for holiday hosting?
Cookie dough and unfrosted cakes freeze well for up to a month, and baked cookies keep for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container. Cheesecake sets best made a day ahead, and fruit pies can sit at room temperature for a couple of days. Chilled recipes like Holiday Cranberry Orange Trifle by Nabisco (330 minutes, 16 servings) and Raspberry-Lime Layered Gelatin Dessert with Whipped Topping (490 minutes, 6 servings) are also built for the fridge.
What are some easy holiday desserts I can make quickly?
Dark Chocolate Bark with Pistachios, Dried Cranberries & Apricots takes 15 minutes total for 2 servings, and Pumpkin Pie Pudding Cups with Whipped Cream & Pecans take 30 minutes for 6 servings. For a group, Ginger-Pear Crumble with Caramel Swirl Ice Cream takes 45 minutes for 6 servings, and Mint Chip Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Crust & Candy Cane Crumble takes 80 minutes for 8 servings. You can also pick up refrigerated sugar cookie dough, spice cake mix, or a frozen pie on our shelves.
What Thanksgiving desserts and pies should I put on the table?
Traditional favorites from our recipes include Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream (315 minutes, 8 servings), Cranberry Pecan Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream (370 minutes, 8 servings), and Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust & Vanilla Ice Cream (220 minutes, 8 servings). For a non-pie option with autumn flavor, try Pumpkin Cheesecake with Oatmeal-Pecan Crust & Vanilla Mascarpone Whipped Cream (930 minutes, 12 servings) or Dutch Style Pumpkin Spice-Apple Crisp with Whipped Cream (75 minutes, 6 servings).
What are the best Christmas desserts for a crowd or cookie tray?
Classic Ginger Snap Cookies (60 minutes, 48 servings), Easy Cut-Out Sugar Cookies by Land O Lakes® (70 minutes, 32 servings), and Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (60 minutes, 28 servings) fill out a large cookie platter. For a single recipe that feeds a crowd, Holiday OREO® Cookie Balls by Nabisco makes 48 servings in 100 minutes, and Cranberry-Raspberry “Linzertorte” Crumble Tart serves 12 in 185 minutes.
How should I store holiday desserts and pies after baking?
Pumpkin pie, other custard pies, and cheesecake need to be stored in the fridge once cool. Fruit pies can stay at room temperature for a couple of days, and cookies keep for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container. Unfrosted cakes and cookie dough can stay in the freezer for up to a month.