12 Last-Minute Thanksgiving Apps and Desserts

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and you and your family are gearing up to have a great holiday. Everything is falling into place as you get ready for the big day — at this point, you’ve checked off many items on your to-do list!

You’ve picked the perfect turkey recipe (perhaps a vegetarian option, too!), the linens are washed and you’ve carved out a little spot in the fridge to chill beverages. All you need to dot the i’s and cross the t’s are a few finishing touches to either kick off the festivities or to end the Thanksgiving meal on a sweet note. Or, maybe you need a few tricks up your sleeve for when neighbors drop by or unexpected guests come over.

These situations call for easy, last-minute dishes that require little — if any! — cooking. When you Holiday the Food Lion Way, it’s a cinch to put together easy Thanksgiving dessert recipes, as well as delicious apps, that round out the feast without taking up precious space in the oven or on the stovetop.

Applause-Worthy Apps

Spreads are perhaps the easiest no-bake, no-cook appetizers to prepare. These dippable delights usually require only a handful of ingredients mixed together, either stirred by hand in a bowl or combined in a food processor. Whatever raw vegetables, chips, crackers or breads you have on hand can be spread attractively around the dip, and in just a few minutes you’ve got a colorful snack for everyone to enjoy!

Cheesy and deeply savory, Easy Pub Cheese Spread Dip recalls happy hour at your favorite bar and classic party spreads. Two kinds of cheese, a few pantry staples like ketchup, onion powder and mustard, plus real beer come together in just 10 minutes for a crave-worthy app. Serve with pretzels for a true pub feel.

Five ingredients + 15 minutes = 1 batch of Million Dollar Dip. That’s some math we can get behind! This yummy dip, punched up with bacon and scallions, is a reminder that sometimes, less is more. Use pre-cooked bacon or bacon bits as an extra shortcut, and serve with potato chips, saltine crackers or butter crackers, and your favorite veggie.

Creamy, spicy, sweet and tart: this Cream Cheese Cranberry Jalapeño Dip has it all! Arrange it on a platter with pita chips, sliced bell peppers and cucumbers, and serve it with a pitcher of Spicy Grapefruit Margaritas or Mockaritas for an instant party!

This clever technique for Mediterranean Layered Dip with Hummus takes prepared hummus and punches it up with pops of color and flavor. Ribbons of fresh spinach, slices of briny olives, flavorful feta and zesty red onions add a homemade touch.

Buying pre-boiled eggs is the time-saving hack that makes preparing Thanksgiving Deviled Eggs such a breeze. Skipping having to boil and peel the eggs means that all you have to do is mash the yolks with a touch of mayonnaise, mustard and hot sauce, fill the eggs and top with a sprinkle of bacon. In under 10 minutes, you can have these tasty finger foods ready to go!

Delightful No-Bake Desserts

No-bake recipes really shine at dessert! Give the oven a rest and use these time-saving methods to deliver stunning sweets to the table. Bypassing baking time doesn’t mean you’re stuck with boring treats! In fact, you can make these easy Thanksgiving dessert recipes (which still look impressive!) using the fridge or freezer.

A perfect example: this No-Bake Maple Pecan Cream Pie is decadent and delicious, but only takes 15 minutes. A graham cracker crust holds an oh-so-creamy cheesecake-inspired filling dotted with toasty pecans. It only needs an hour or so to firm up in the fridge, or you can make it the night before.

No-Bake Apple Caramel Cheesecake Dip is a fun, dippable fall-inspired dessert that comes together in just 10 minutes. Try serving it with a variety of apples, like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji and Pink Lady for a pretty presentation.

These Easy Acorn Truffles are so seasonal and festive! Your family won’t be able to stop snacking on these adorable truffles, which really do look like acorns and are filled with chocolate creme cookies and a luscious chocolate-peanut butter mixture. Using pretzel sticks as the acorn stems is a fun, crafty detail.

Traditional homemade fudge takes hours on the stove, but Microwave Salted Caramel Fudge cuts that time to under 10 minutes! Sweetened condensed milk is the secret ingredient that brings the white chocolate fudge together so quickly. Just be sure to leave enough time for it to set in the fridge.

Icebox cakes are the perfect way to add an impressive centerpiece to the dessert table without requiring the oven! Basically, pillowy whipped cream and wafer cookies are layered together and then chilled overnight. Once firmed up, the texture and taste are heavenly. You can flavor icebox cakes all kinds of ways, from simple chocolate and cream to bright, citrusy Key Lime.

Even though this recipe for Thanksgiving Turkey Sugar Cookies isn’t technically a no-bake recipe, it only requires a few minutes in the oven, and the result is so charming that we just had to include it! Decorating the cooled cookies is a great way to get the kids involved and use up candy corn left over from Halloween.

Hosting Thanksgiving is a big job, but with Food Lion on your side, you’re ready to make it happen! From cranberry sauce to after-dinner coffee, your neighborhood Food Lion has everything you need to make wonderful holiday memories with friends and family.