Have you ever been to an Asian American Thanksgiving? If you’re a part of the Asian community, then you know that Thanksgiving for us is NEVER the turkey and side dish spread you see in vintage ads. Thanksgiving for Asians is a mish mash of traditional and home cooked Asian comfort food. The chow mein sits next to the mashed potatoes; the lumpia by the dinner rolls. It’s a glorious fusion that represents the best of Asian American life. If you’re looking to mix up your Thanksgiving menu with some Asian recipes, I’ve got a round up of unique Asian American desserts for you.
1. Chocolate Haupia Pie
Need an alternative to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving? Chocolate haupia pie is a decadent dessert from Hawaii. It’s got chocolate and coconut, and in my recipe, you don’t even need have to bake it!
Super Easy Chocolate Haupia Pie
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 pinch salt
Filling
- 2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk
- 6 tbsp sugar divided in half
- 6 tbsp cornstarch divided in half
- 1/2 cup water divided in half
- 4 oz chocolate, chopped (any kind)
Optional Whipped Cream Topping
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
2. Creamy Yuzu Pie
Another Asian pie recipe that my family loves is this tart yuzu pie. Yuzu is a Asian citrus fruit that really packs a punch of flavor. This yuzu pie is modeled after key lime pie, but with extra zingy yuzu juice. Another super easy dessert for Asian Thanksgiving!
Creamy Yuzu Pie
Crust
- 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tbsp salted butter melted
Filling
- 2/3 cup yuzu juice
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 large egg yolks
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp sugar
3. Yuzu Pie Bars
While we’re on the subject of yuzu pie, you might be interested in trying these yuzu pie bars. Pie bars are super easy to make in large quantities (think 9×13″ baking dishes), which make them perfect for large Thanksgiving feasts. This recipe is essentially the same as the creamy yuzu pie above, but even EASIER because you bake it in a casserole dish and then slice into squares for serving.
Easy Creamy Yuzu Pie Bars (Japanese Citrus Pie)
- 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup yuzu juice
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
4. Okinawan Sweet Potato Haupia Pie Bars
I can’t talk about pie bars without mentioning these Okinawan sweet potato haupia pie squares. This is another Hawaiian-Asian fusion dessert. The star of the show is Okinawan sweet potato, which is a Japanese sweet potato with a gorgeous purple color all the way through. Topped with a layer of haupia, a classic Hawaiian coconut dessert, these pie bars are super refreshing after a heavy meal.
Okinawan Purple Sweet Potato Haupia Pie Bars
For Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tbsp melted butter
- 1 pinch salt
For Sweet Potato Filling
- 1 cup purple sweet potato puree 180g, from about 1-2 sweet potatoes
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1 pinch cardamom optional
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Haupia
- 1 12 oz can coconut milk
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
5. Pumpkin Butter Mochi
Last but not least, how could I talk about Asian desserts for Thanksgiving without mentioning this pumpkin mochi? This is what you get if pumpkin pie and butter mochi had a baby. It’s chewy and easy to make, just like the classic Hawaiian butter mochi dessert. The addition of pumpkin makes it extra creamy and perfect for Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin Butter Mochi
- 1 16 oz. box mochiko
- 1 1/2 cups sugar see note
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 15 oz. cans pumpkin puree
- 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk see note
- 1 cup butter (two sticks) melted
- 2 tsp vanilla
I hope you give one of these desserts a try! If you make it, be sure to leave a review and tag me on Instagram!
Do you have any fusion-y foods that you eat on Thanksgiving? Feel free to add suggestions to my list in the comments below 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!