My Family Fights Over 29 Thanksgiving Baking Recipes Every Year

Every Thanksgiving, the table isn’t the only thing that gets crowded; so do the arguments. With 29 Thanksgiving baking recipes on rotation, everyone claims theirs is the one that “makes the holiday.” Aunt Linda insists on hers, Uncle Joe refuses to budge, and the kids act like judges on a game show.

Basque Cheesecake

Family gatherings always get loud when dessert arrives at the table, complete with a burnt top and a creamy middle. Basque Cheesecake usually disappears while everyone argues over who gets the last piece. Leftovers only last until breakfast the next morning. People still fight over who nabbed the first slice.
Get the Recipe: Basque Cheesecake

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars

No dessert tray ever seems safe when big squares show up with sweet layers for grabbing. Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars spark a quick rush to the dessert side before dinner is even finished. Arguments break out over dividing the last few pieces. Someone always asks if another batch can be made next time.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars

Sourdough Bagels

Smells from the kitchen always start debates about who will get the first warm slice at brunch. Sourdough Bagels bring out family stories about old breakfasts with better crusts and chewy middles. Everyone lines up for one topped with their favorite spread. Even the leftovers usually get packed away for snacks.
Get the Recipe: Sourdough Bagels

German Chocolate Cake

Table noise grows louder once people spot layered slices with frosting at family celebrations. German Chocolate Cake never makes it past the first round of desserts because everyone asks for a second piece. Someone hides a slice for later every holiday. Friends mention it again when planning parties.
Get the Recipe: German Chocolate Cake

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Slicing fresh bread always brings at least two people running to the counter for a warm piece. Cinnamon Swirl Bread looks simple but causes fights over the end pieces with more filling. Kids sneak extra slices before others notice. Loaf pans empty too soon when this shows up.
Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans

Dessert trays fill up but these soft cookies are always the first to go, with plenty of back-and-forth about who took more. Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans leave crumbs for only a few minutes. Some try to stash a few for later. Nobody comes away with just one cookie.
Get the Recipe: Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Pecans

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Frosted spirals make kids race to the kitchen as soon as the tray lands on the table. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls turn breakfast into a contest to grab the gooey center first. Everyone wants the biggest roll. Family always begs for another batch before the day ends.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Salted Honey Cookies

Cookie plates cause more fuss than the main dish when these chewy rounds hit the table. Salted Honey Cookies go faster than usual because everyone grabs two, thinking no one will notice. Friends mention their soft bite long after dinner. Some even try hiding the last few for later.
Get the Recipe: Salted Honey Cookies

Blueberry Muffins

Muffin baskets clear out twice as quickly as any other baked good during family breakfasts. Blueberry Muffins look simple, but pull everyone to the counter for more. Leftovers rarely last past the afternoon. People always argue about who snuck the most.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Muffins

Chocolate Cream Pie

Only one dessert sparks more family arguments about getting the biggest slice every time it comes out. Chocolate Cream Pie vanishes as soon as it lands on the table during any dinner. Plates are scraped clean with no regrets. Most hope there’s one extra piece left in the fridge.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cream Pie

Buckeye Brownies

Cutting squares turns into a battle over who gets the corners with more crust or the center with extra filling. Buckeye Brownies bring out the biggest smiles and even bigger voices at dessert. Plates always come back empty. Someone always tucks one away for later.
Get the Recipe: Buckeye Brownies

Copycat Crumbl Caramel Pumpkin Cookies

Cookie jars never stay full when these bakery copycats make it into the kitchen. Copycat Crumbl Caramel Pumpkin Cookies become conversation starters about who took the biggest one. Friends ask for another round before dinner is cleared. Everyone wants a few for their snack bag on the way out.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Crumbl Caramel Pumpkin Cookies

Dinner Rolls

Simple rolls still start the loudest debates at the table when hands reach out for the last one. Dinner Rolls land first but never last through the meal because everyone wants another. People stack them on plates while sharing stories. Any extras end up tucked away for midnight snacks.
Get the Recipe: Dinner Rolls

Fudgy Chocolate Pumpkin Patch Brownie Cake

Rich chocolate gets split into small slices to keep things fair between siblings and cousins. Fudgy Chocolate Pumpkin Patch Brownie Cake causes disputes even before the knife can make the next cut. Some try to trade for a bigger piece when backs are turned. Party guests ask for the recipe on their way out.
Get the Recipe: Fudgy Chocolate Pumpkin Patch Brownie Cake

Decadent Biscoff Brownies

Dessert fights get serious when deep brown squares stack up high on the end of the table. Decadent Biscoff Brownies attract attention with every batch, mostly because nobody wants to share. Kids steal extras for breakfast treats. Adults wrap one up for secret stashes later.
Get the Recipe: Decadent Biscoff Brownies

Best Chocolate Cake

Name says it all when family members push in line to get the first forkful every holiday. Best Chocolate Cake always gets more compliments than any pie on the counter. People ask if it was bought at a bakery. Slices rarely make it back for seconds because everything gets eaten right away.
Get the Recipe: Best Chocolate Cake

Homemade Bread Pudding

Dinner plates might stay half-full when dessert brings out a sweet and sticky serving everyone wants. Homemade Bread Pudding makes for instant arguments about how big to slice each square. Someone usually spoons out extra sauce before anyone else tries. Leftover bites are hunted in the fridge late at night.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Bread Pudding

Coffee Cake

Soft crumbs get left on plates as people sneak slices before breakfast even starts. Coffee Cake warms up the kitchen and gets finished off before other desserts. The best piece always seems to disappear the fastest. Family mentions it every year as the main thing they want again.
Get the Recipe: Coffee Cake

Fried Banana

Sweet snacks disappear fast when crunchy bites show up as breakfast or dessert. Fried Banana gets everyone talking about street food trips or favorite treats from fairs. Seconds are expected every time this lands at a party. Some try making it the next morning for late breakfast too.
Get the Recipe: Fried Banana

Fluffy Pumpkin Caramel Cake

Layers and frosting draw entire families to the dessert table right after the main course ends. Fluffy Pumpkin Caramel Cake becomes the center of every photo for group chats and cousin texts. Friends argue about who got the best slice filled with the most caramel. Leftovers always vanish first.
Get the Recipe: Fluffy Pumpkin Caramel Cake

Banana Cream Pie

Forks hit plates at the same time when a classic pie with cool filling shows up for dessert. Banana Cream Pie leads to quiet fights over who got the thickest slice or the last of the whipped topping. Extra pieces sometimes get hidden away behind the milk carton. Not a crumb stays behind on the table.
Get the Recipe: Banana Cream Pie

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese

Dessert pans get sectioned off quickly when sweet bars mix tangy filling with cake. Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese end up in more lunchboxes than any other treat that week. People ask if it’s okay to have a second or third piece. Family promises to bring more every single year.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese

Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie

Loud laughter gets drowned out by the forks clinking plates whenever a mix of chocolate and peanut butter comes out. Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie always triggers questions about how it’s made. Most at the table want the first big slice. Everyone talks about leftovers for days.
Get the Recipe: Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie

Marry Me Cookies

Cookie tins empty with little warning when big chewy rounds arrive for dessert. Marry Me Cookies recruits even the most loyal pie fans at the table. Family asks if there’s a secret behind the soft centers. People always want a few for the road.
Get the Recipe: Marry Me Cookies

Apple Cobbler

Oven trays go from hot to empty in minutes when warm fruit desserts are served out after the meal. Apple Cobbler leaves only sticky spoons and big smiles during family gatherings. Every time it shows up, arguments start over who took the first scoop. Even leftovers are divided up before clean-up finishes.
Get the Recipe: Apple Cobbler

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Slicing dessert leaves fewer choices when creamy layers vanish from the table. Pumpkin Cheesecake becomes a holiday must-have because everyone claims it’s the best treat the day. Friends go back for seconds before anyone else even tries a bite. Even crumbs don’t last long.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake

Copycat Crumbl Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie

Cookie boxes spark full-on debates about which round is the biggest or most filled. Copycat Crumbl Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie makes most people race for the first pick when dessert time arrives. Friends pack extras for long drives home. Some remember it for the next birthday party too.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Crumbl Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie

Fruit Cake

Warnings not to judge by looks never keep hands away when slices stack up at family events. Fruit Cake only gets harder to grab as cousins race to finish the last piece first. Even those who claimed not to like it sneak extra bites. Secret leftovers show up in lunchboxes the next day.
Get the Recipe: Fruit Cake

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Quiet moments never last long when creamy slices meet a sweet topping in the center of the table. Salted Caramel Cheesecake often makes people pass up other desserts just for another slice. Someone asks if it was bought from a fancy shop. Slices run out before coffee is even poured.
Get the Recipe: Salted Caramel Cheesecake