Survivable Deserts

Cactus-stained Planks
A way to get planks in the desert. Crafted with 4 Nailed boards. Check JEI for the recipe.
When placed adjacent to water, it will be washed into oak planks.

Not-so-Prickly Pear
A new food source in the desert. Drops from cacti.
Despite the name, it will hurt you upon consumption. Decent otherwise.
Can be crafted together with a bottle of water to create Not-so-Prickly Jam, a much better food item.

Glove
Crafted with 5 rabbit hides, allows you to throw cactus needles as a makeshift weapon.
Right clicking a cactus while holding this will destroy the cactus, leaving behind a Not-so-Prickly Pear.

Compressed Sand
A simple block scattered along desert surfaces. Can be dug up with a wooden shovel or better.
Can be converted into 9 sand. Great for making sandstone.

Fertilizer
Crafted with various different items (check JEI), allows you to convert dirt into grass.

Jammer
A complicated recipe (again, JEI), but this block will allow you to double the output of Not-so-Prickly Jam.

Zombie Farmer
A new mob which will occasionally spawn in the overworld.
Upon being killed, it will drop an assortment of seeds and food items.

Oases
Oases will rarely spawn on the desert surface, with both a small and large variant.
Home to a few animals and some palm trees.

Palm Trees
A brand new tree with a brand new wood type. It's palette is made to match sand and sandstone.
The leaves have a chance to drop coconuts, which when thrown will split open, letting you eat it.

Miscellaneous
Using bone meal on sand will spawn some dead bushes.
Broken down houses will occasionally spawn in the desert, with some cactus-stained planks in the flooring.

None! For now..