This simple baked Thanksgiving-style dessert turns basic flour tortillas into a warm, sweet casserole with very little effort. It has the comfort of a holiday bread pudding or dumpling bake, but uses pantry ingredients and a roasting pan to create crisp edges, tender centers, and plenty of cinnamon-sugar flavor. It is especially handy when you want an easy dessert for a gathering without making pie crust from scratch.
Serve this dessert warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of lightly sweetened whipped cream. For a holiday table, it pairs nicely with hot coffee, chai, or spiced cider, and if you want to lean into the Thanksgiving theme, a side of cranberry compote or caramel sauce makes a nice contrast to the buttery cinnamon topping.
6-Ingredient Oven Baked Thanksgiving Tortilla Dessert
Servings: 8
Ingredients
6 raw uncooked flour tortillas
3 medium apples, peeled and diced
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly butter or grease a large oven-safe metal roasting pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined.
3. Place 2 tortillas in the bottom of the roasting pan, overlapping slightly to cover most of the base. Brush with some of the melted butter, then sprinkle with some of the cinnamon sugar, a layer of diced apples, and a handful of chopped pecans.
4. Repeat the layers twice more with the remaining tortillas, butter, cinnamon sugar, apples, and pecans. Press down gently so the layers settle into the pan.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the apples are tender, the top is golden brown, and the edges of the tortillas are crisp.
6. Let the dessert rest for 10 minutes before scooping or cutting into portions for serving.
Variations & Tips
Add dried fruit: A small handful of raisins or dried cranberries layered in with the apples gives the dessert a more traditional holiday flavor and a bit of chew.
Use pears instead of apples: Firm ripe pears work well here and bake into a softer, more delicate filling. Keep the pecans for texture so the dessert does not feel too soft.
Toast the pecans first: If you have a few extra minutes, toasting the pecans before adding them to the layers deepens their flavor and makes the finished dessert taste richer.
Keep the top from overbrowning: If the top browns before the apples are fully tender, loosely cover the pan with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Serve warm for best texture: This dessert is best shortly after baking, when the tortilla edges stay crisp and the inside remains soft and buttery.