Get Happy With Our Sugar Cookie Funfetti Birthday Cake

Fudgy Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake

Chocolate lovers won't be able to get enough of this delicious ice cream cake. It balances salty and sweet *perfectly* and on top of the fact that it tastes great, it looks just as amazing. (via Half Baked Harvest for Brit + Co)

Oreo Turkey Pops

This is a great easy Thanksgiving dessert to get your guests involved in. Simply set up an activity station to kick off the festivities, and by the end of the night, their Oreo turkeys will be ready to shake their tail feathers. (via Brit + Co)

Pumpkin Ice Cream Tart with Speculoos Crust

We totally recommend that you keep a few of these tarts in your freezer at all times. Simply pop them out of their molds and top with a spoonful of whipped cream and sprinkle of pecans as needed. (via Brit + Co)

White Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse

Ease your day-of Thanksgiving dessert prep with this delish prepared-ahead mousse. (via Brit + Co)

Coconut-Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

The contrasting textures offered by a chewy coconut crust, silky pumpkin filling, and fluffy whipped cream topping make for one decadent pie. (via Spicy Southern Kitchen)

Pumpkin Mousse Ice Box Cake

It’s almost hard to believe that this gorgeous layered creation requires no baking at all. (via Diethood)

4-Ingredient Scotcheroo Bites

The only thing you'll need to fire up for this easy Thanksgiving dessert is your stovetop, to make the melty chocolate topping. Otherwise, this recipe is super painless and oh-so tasty. (via The Real Food Dietitians)

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Trifle

You'll need to pull out your skillet for this (mostly no-bake) easy Thanksgiving dessert recipe. Trust that the sautéed cinnamon-sugar apples that result will be totally worth it. (via Shared Appetite)

Bailey's & Coffee No-Bake Pots de Crème

With only five ingredients, these spiked custard cups can be thrown together in a jiffy. (via Slim Pickin's Kitchen)

Fluffy Cranberry Pie

The pretty pink hue of this pie is bound to elicit a few oohs and aahs from Thanksgiving party-goers. Thankfully, the flavor lives up to the hype! (via White on Rice Couple)

Vegan No-Bake Cookies

Packed with oats, nut butter, shredded coconut, and sunflower seeds, these no-bake cookies are a great healthy option for your easy Thanksgiving desserts. (via The Edgy Veg)

No-Bake Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecakes

Five minutes of prep, four flavor-packed ingredients. We're sold. (via Life With the Crust Cut Off)

Caramel Apple Trifles

Fans of cinnamon and caramel — and let’s face it, everyone else for that matter — will swoon over these eight-layer trifles. This is already one beautiful dish, but the fact it's a no-bake Thanksgiving dessert makes us love it even more. (via Life, Love and Sugar)

Vegan Cranberry Pear Tart

An abundance of fruit and nuts goes into making this beautiful, just-sweet-enough fall tart. (via Forks Over Knives)

Caramel Apple Cookie Dough Bars

Cookie dough fanatics will go wild for these bars flecked with fresh apple chunks and cinnamon chips. (via Belle Vie)

No-Bake Edible Cookie Dough Bites

With a total of 7 ingredients and 10 minutes to make 'em, these bite-sized cookie dough balls make the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert that everyone will be reaching for over and over again. (via Earthly Provisions)

Caramel Apple-Golden Oreo Icebox Cake

What’s not to love about cream-filled cookies, cheesecake, and caramel apple goodness coming together in one easy make-ahead dessert? (via The Recipe Rebel)

Easy Pumpkin Tiramisu

For something that sounds and looks so fancy, tiramisu is actually a snap to prepare. We’re talking only fifteen minutes of prep (plus a few hours to chill). (via Dessert for Two)

Chai Latte No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes

Not only are these chai-spiced treats no-bake, but lining your muffin tin makes them also practically cleanup-free. (via Sweet + Savory)

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

This easy Thanksgiving dessert looks so stunning, it'll fool everyone into thinking you spent way more time on it than you actually did. (via Vanilla and Bean)

The Best Recipes From The Friends Thanksgiving Episodes

Sweet Donut Grilled Cheese Recipe

After Monica and Rachel get locked out of their apartment (while the turkey is in the oven. Classic.), the gang has to swap good old Thanksgiving food for grilled cheese. Take this childhood fave to the next level by indulging in brie & donut deliciousness. Don't forget the chocolate and strawberries! (via Brit + Co)

Sweet Potato Stuffed Pumpkins

Who could forget the episode where Rachel invites her co-worker Tag over for Thanksgiving dinner? Monica goes all-out making an extra sweet potato-stuffed pumpkin for him. You can go just as fancy with this creation inspired specifically by the show. (via Feast of Starlight)

Fall Harvest Cider Roasted Chicken With Walnut Goat Cheese and Grapes

Chandler’s refusal to eat turkey on Thanksgiving made having some chicken on hand imperative. If any of your group doesn’t like turkey, this delectable roasted chicken should be a great substitute. You’re going to roast the grapes along with the chicken, giving it an amazingly sweet and fall-like flavor. (via Half-Baked Harvest)

Mixed Berry Angel Food Trifle

Remember the one where Rachel decided to make a traditional English trifle for Thanksgiving… and it was a huge mess due to a recipe mix-up? This one isn’t quite as “traditional” as Rachel’s (thank goodness, because Ross said it tasted like feet), but it’s close enough. And, thanks to the angel food cake and cornucopia of delicious berries, it’s also completely delish, so you won’t mess it up the way she did. (via Natasha’s Kitchen)

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Acorn Squash

In “The One With the Late Thanksgiving,” despite all the confusion over whether or not Thanksgiving will take place at all and WHAT TIME everyone should show up (seriously, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, and Joey!), we spot some Brussels sprouts on the Thanksgiving table. We think Monica would totally approve of this rendition, which also features acorn squash, dates, and walnuts. (via The Healthy Foodie)

Homemade Tater Tots

If you don’t know why we’ve included tater tots on our list, you need to go back and re-watch season one. Joey insists on having some tater tots, and we bet Monica would prefer to serve them homemade style. (via Damn Delicious)

Citrus and Herb Butter Roasted Turkey

Of course, the friends didn’t just enjoy random novelty items. In most of the Friends Thanksgiving episodes, they also had a big, juicy turkey on the table. This super yummy recipe brings out the flavors of your bird with citrus and rich herb butter (we’re talking sage, rosemary, and thyme). (via The Suburban Soapbox)

Best Mashed Potatoes

What would a proper Friendsgiving be without mashed potatoes?! Pretty much just another dinner, if you ask us. Pro tip: Make sure to bring any add-ins (such as cream cheese, butter, cheese, etc.) to room temperature before adding them in. (via A Spicy Perspective)

Low Sugar Low Carb Chocolate Pecan Pie

In “The One With The List,” Monica is determined to make mockolate work. While mockolate (that’s mock chocolate) may not be a real thing, you can in fact sub out traditional ingredients for low-sugar alternatives. Case in point: this low-sugar, low-carb chocolate creation. (via Sugar Free Mom)

Super Speedy Double Chocolate Pie

Chocolate pie was supposed to grace the friends’ Thanksgiving table in season 10, but Phoebe and Rachel forget to pick it up. You can whip it up for your own Thanksgiving celebration in a matter of seconds. Almost literally… the base is made from instant pudding. (via Lauren’s Latest)

Southern Candied Yams

Yams are featured in almost every Friends Thanksgiving episode, and we think Monica would totally approve of this super yummy and seasonally fresh dish. Hearty yams are topped with a nut crumble and baked in the oven. Start with canned yams if you want to speed up the cooking process. (via Pink Owl Kitchen)

Roasted Turkey Legs

You may have missed the food in “The One With the Football,” but Monica serves up turkey legs at season three’s Thanksgiving feast. You’ll be brining these bad boys for a good six to eight hours before cooking them for almost two. They’re insanely delicious and totally worth the wait. (via Vodka and Biscuits)

Apple Pie

Let’s be real — everyone loves apple pie, even the notoriously picky friends. This classic American dessert is a must-have in our book, and Monica has served it in a number of Friends Thanksgiving episodes. (via Audrey’s Apron)

BONUS: Monica’s Leftover Thanksgiving Sandwich

Leftover Thanksgiving Sandwich With Moist Maker

Surprise! Ross would be psyched to know that you too can whip up Monica’s famous leftover Thanksgiving sandwich at home. It even includes the moist maker — an extra slice of bread in the middle that’s soaked in gravy, adding moisture and flavor to the entire creation. Happy Friendsgiving! (via Nutmeg Nanny)

​In which episode does JJ die?

JJ dies at the end of Outer Banks season 4 episode 10, "The Blue Crown" after rescuing Kiara from his father Chandler Groff. "I feel mad, betrayed, disappointed and heartbroken to say the least," Bruder adds. "JJ went through a lot of crap through the show and he was the one character who deserved his happy ending the most. When the series first came out, people fell in love with JJ and [Kiara]."

While the cast obviously found out about the ending while filming, fans are frustrated with how they chose to promote the show. "Obviously the cast can’t spoil a character death, but to blatantly lie and mislead fans by saying that Jiara was 'evergrowing' and fans would be happy with how the season plays out?" Bruder says. "Jiara fans deserved so much better than what we got, ESPECIALLY when they knew they were killing JJ off."

Why are Outer Banks fans so upset?

The show is the kind of phenomenon that made instant stars out of its cast, but it also made waves because of how the first season portrayed issues like classism, substance abuse, and domestic abuse. "As someone who has been around domestic abuse, I think the handling of the character JJ was detrimental culturally," another fan (who would like to remain anonymous) says. "The character suffered abuse at the hands of a man who was not even his biological father, and the writers almost framed it as if that was okay because in the beginning, his father loved him. Instead of telling a story to victims of abuse about hope and making it through trials, the writers went the opposite way. I also find it interesting that they stated this was a planned death. I think writing a character who is suffering from anxiety and clear mental health issues as well as abuse who is very young like JJ only to let him fall in love and kill him right when he starts to feel happiness doesn’t necessarily make a lot of sense narratively."

Another viewer adds that ending JJ's story that way felt "disrespectful...especially when in an interview following the episode, one of the creators literally referred to his death as pointless." She even says "it feels almost like the show died along with him."

Actress Madelyn Cline (Sarah Cameron) called JJ the "heart of Outer Banks"and for a lot of fans, JJ also became a beacon of hope, a reminder that you can endure, persevere, and come out stronger on the other side. Since the first season of the show dropped during April 2020, it's been one consistent, fun thing for TV fans since the COVID-19 pandemic began, which makes the loss feel even greater.

"Seeing him die at the hands of another abusive father was honestly kind of sickening," the viewer adds. "It’s also unfortunate that his death didn’t seem to mean anything. A character death like this would be one thing if it meant something. If he had died protecting his friends or actively protecting Kiara, rather than having already saved her and then getting killed afterward, it might’ve be easier to get past."

"It’s like a connection to something good and steady was just broken," X user @onlykiep4l says. "Killing a character that has literally gone trough so much trauma and was finally happy just doesn’t make sense. It’s not just the character that’s gone — it feels like a part of the show has ended too."

Why does JJ get killed off?

Rumors have been circulating for years about behind-the-scenes drama between actors Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey, which has fans believing Rudy asked to be written off the show(for the record, Outer Banks creators Josh & Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke have said it was the plan from the beginning). With Rudy's exit, the writers had a difficult choice in front of them. JJ isn't the kind of guy to abandon his friends, meaning the writers obviously felt like killing him was the only option. But according to an additional viewer, "Outer Banks hasn't been that type of show."

"To attempt to turn this fun, summer, boat show into some dark, depressing story where the heart of the show is gone destroys everything that the show started out as," she says.

Another anonymous fan calls the choice "a character assassination," adding other moments from the season that feel like a different character than the one fans have come to love: barely reacting to John B. and Sarah's pregnancy announcement, or to the fact Rafe had come to talk to Kiara — especially after his reaction to Rafe catcalling Kie in the first season is a moment that led fans to ship them in the first place.

The fan continues by calling JJ's treatment a "lack of respect" toward the character. "The fact that the writers tried to make us dislike him, to soften the blow of him dying. It didn’t work. It has everyone distraught because many people’s favorite character ended up dying after 'finding happiness' for about 10 minutes in Episode 10."

​Does Sarah get pregnant in Outer Banks season 4?

But JJ's death isn't the only moment that has fans reeling. In addition to the fact viewers are saying the Pogues barely reacted to the death of their lifelong best friend, Pope is now a murderer and Kiara makes an absolutely chilling vow to get revenge on Groff — a far cry from the characters we fell in love with in season 1.

"Outside of the JJ of it all, a lot of plot lines/dynamics in part 2 felt off," one of our anonymous fans continues. "Sarah’s pregnancy plot line, especially when coupled with the quote from a creator about ‘giving her a baby specifically because she wasn’t ready’ feels incredibly tone deaf given the current state of things here in the US. The fact that there wasn’t even a conversation of if she wanted to continue with the pregnancy felt very icky. Overall, episodes 1-4 of this season did feel like Outer Banks, but everything after that felt like it was from an entirely different piece of media."

However, some fans are excited to see where the show goes from here. "JJ was such a strong character and his presence will obviously be missed, [but] I am excited to see how the Pogues react and what they do to get revenge on Groff," Virginia McGrew says in an email. "I also think that the scene of JJ dying with Kiara was extremely well done and emotional, making his passing even sadder. I ultimately believe that JJ’s passing serves as a reminder of the themes the show."

"JJ made the group even more aware of friendship, the importance of chosen family, and loyalty, which was seen throughout the season and especially in the finale," she continues. "Now that he is gone, the other Pogues will have to step up even more, creating a shift in their dynamic. While many believe that Outer Banks might not be worth watching after this finale, I truly think that it is only going to get even deeper and more interesting."