The Most-Loved Thanksgiving Desserts in Every State

Rachel Schneider is a staff writer at Cheapism covering recipes, internet culture, and how families (especially bigger families) can live sustainably and frugally. She lives on a farm in Michigan with her husband, four kids, and many, many animals.

illustration of people at a table with thanksgiving desserts

Cheapism / Bing Image Creator

Cheapism is editorially independent. We may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site.
illustration of people at a table with thanksgiving desserts
Cheapism / Bing Image Creator

Leave Room for Dessert

After lots of moaning and groaning and laying on the couch letting your turkey and mashed potatoes digest, we know most of you still say, "I am" and raise your hand in shame when the host of Thanksgiving dinner asks, "Who's ready for dessert?" 


In fact, OnlineCasinos.com surveyed 3,000 Americans, noting which state they live in, to find out their favorite desserts on Turkey Day and a hefty 96.68% of respondents said they make sure dessert is part of their palate on the holiday. 


Here's how the rest of the dessert data shook out.

Festive Homemade Pumpkin Pie
bhofack2/istockphoto

1. Pumpkin Pie

The reigning champ of Thanksgiving dessert is bar-none pumpkin pie, with a whopping 41 states choosing it as the best on the table. Here are the states where pumpkin pie is the fan-favorite:


  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California 
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tenessee (tied with Pecan Pie)
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington 
  • West Virginia 
  • Wisconsin

Homemade Organic Apple Pie Dessert
bhofack2/istockphoto

2. Apple Pie

Despite its reputation as an "All-American" dessert, apple pie only pops up as the favorite Thanksgiving dessert in these four states:


  • Alaska
  • Delaware
  • Iowa
  • New Hampshire

A fresh baked pecan pie on a rustic wood table with copy space.
Scukrov/istockphoto

3. Pecan Pie

It blows our mind that there are only four states who roll with pecan pie on Thanksgiving. Are they not eating it with vanilla ice cream? Did their grandma not make it for them when they were growing up? America, you are sleeping on this stuff if you live anywhere except these states:


  • District of Columbia (we know it's not a state, but it's in the survey, so pipe down)
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Tennessee (tied with Pumpkin Pie)


For more food trivia and recipes, sign up for our free newsletters.

Peach Cobbler On A Plate
DebbiSmirnoff/istockphoto
Banoffee cake with banana and caramel sauce filling sprinkled with grated dark chocolate on the black concrete background. English traditional pie
Oleksandr Sytnyk/istockphoto

5. Least-Favorite Thanksgiving Desserts

OnlineCasinos.com also included a break-down of some of the desserts that got the least love from survey respondents including:


  • Cranberry Cake
  • Buttermilk Pie
  • Rhubarb Pie 
  • Cheese Board
  • Banoffee Pie

We're not sure why "cheese board" even counts as an option and rhubarb deserves a rematch when it's actually in season, if you ask us.