Whatever pie you were thinking of baking for Thanksgiving—be it apple, pumpkin or pecan—your guests will see it coming from a mile away. Why not serve something that’s just as crowd-pleasing and celebratory, but less expected? Our top choice is cheesecake, since there are endless variations of the creamy, decadent, impressive dessert, and it’s basically impossible not to like—even for picky kids. Read on for 28 Thanksgiving cheesecake ideas that we swear by. (And if you can’t imagine Turkey Day without pie, check out numbers 11, 13 and 14, ASAP.)
28 Thanksgiving Cheesecake Recipes That Will End Your Holiday Dinner on a Sweet Note
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Published Nov 8, 2022
1. Chocolate Glazed Espresso Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 5 hours
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
It doesn’t get classier than this caffeinated confection, folks. Instant espresso powder in the filling complements the chocolate cookie crust and gooey glaze just right.
2. No-Bake Mini Mason Jar Spiced Cheesecakes
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: no bake, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
These teeny-tiny winter delights are complete with gingersnap cookie crumble and red currant jelly. Once they’re assembled, they only need to chill for about 30 minutes.
3. Gluten-Free Ricotta Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, <10 ingredients
Potato starch and eggs hold this cheesecake together without the help of all-purpose flour, so your wheat-sensitive relatives can dig in to their hearts’ content.
4. Vegan Golden Mylk Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, dairy free, gluten free
Turmeric, ginger and cinnamon make this plant-based treat just right for fall. (The almond-flax crust doesn’t hurt, either.)
6. No-Bake Cheesecake with Raspberry Compote
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, no bake, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
This assemble-and-chill cheesecake just might be the easiest of all time. Feel free to substitute cranberries for raspberries in the topping for a seasonal spin.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Graham crackers, cream cheese and Greek yogurt prove that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to pull off dessert for a crowd. (Oh, and that pretty pomegranate topper? *Chef’s kiss*.)
8. Cheesecake Bars with Melted Chocolate
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Take your pick between Greek yogurt and sour cream for the filling—both will impart the optimal dose of tanginess to every bite.
9. 3-Ingredient Japanese Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Just as rich and flavorful as New York-style cheesecake, but way airier and fluffier in texture. Believe it or not, you’ll only need white chocolate, cream cheese and eggs to prepare it.
10. Caramel Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 45 minutes (plus chilling)
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
Dulce de leche and toasted coconut chips are always invited to Thanksgiving dinner. You’ll need a water bath for this one, but the results will be well worth it, promise.
11. Brown Sugar Pecan Pie Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 8 hours (includes chilling)
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
Two Thanksgiving faves, one drool-worthy dessert. The two-ingredient brown sugar whipped cream on top really seals the ooey-gooey deal.
12. No-Bake Vegan Chai Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 7 hours (includes chilling)
- Why I Love It: no bake, vegan, gluten free, dairy free
You have soaked cashews to thank for the plant-based filling, but chai tea bags and spices are the key to the cheesecake’s soul-warming flavor, along with grated ginger and maple syrup.
13. Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
It starts with a Biscoff cookie-brown sugar crust—need we say more? (In case you need more convincing, the Insta-worthy marbling will totally win over your guests.)
14. Easy Warm Swedish Caramel Apple Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
Cottage cheese takes over for cream cheese in Swedish-style cheesecake. Double the caramel apple topping so you have extra to serve over vanilla ice cream.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Salted caramel and dry roasted peanuts on top and sour cream in the filling balance the cheesecake’s sweetness. You can easily substitute pecans, walnuts or macadamia nuts if you’d like.
16. Death by Chocolate Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Oreo cookie crust? Check. Bittersweet chocolate filling? Check. Chocolate ganache on top? You bet. At least there’s *one* dish the kids’ table will definitely wolf down.
17. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 6 hours
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
If you’re thinking a few macadamia nuts in the filling aren’t enough, don’t fret: They’re crushed and used in the gluten-free crust to boot.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Kick off citrus season with this mouth-puckering beauty that will blow your relatives away. Just look at that dreamy torched meringue.
- Time Commitment: 9 hours and 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Booze-infused desserts really make it a party. Might we suggest washing it down with slow cooker spiked cinnamon lattes?
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Store-bought dinner roll dough makes this dessert a cinch to put together, plus offers the bars some crunch. The cinnamon sugar topping is just a bonus.
21. Spiced Sweet Potato Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 5 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
There’s no better time to serve this treat than on Thanksgiving. It’s crowned with caramel. Nuts and whipped cream, but we wouldn’t blame you for going the toasted marshmallow route instead.
22. Classic Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Fresh Figs, Pistachios and Honey
- Time Commitment: 5 hours and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Don’t let its magazine-caliber appearance intimidate you: You can totally pull this stunner off at home. Be generous with the honey drizzle on top.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Finished pavlova-style with fresh whipped cream and mixed berry compote. You can also top it with chopped nuts, chocolate curls or a dusting of matcha powder instead.
24. Instant Pot Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
File this decadent pick under Reasons to Buy a Pressure Cooker. With the help of the handy Instant Pot, this cheesecake is ready to chill in just 50 minutes.
25. Walnut Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
- Time Commitment: 5 hours and 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Tangy crème fraîche makes the filling distinctly complex. It’s the ultimate match for sweet-tart cranberry puree and walnut-graham crust.
26. Vegan Dark Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake with Peanut Butter Pretzel Crust
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, dairy free
This one goes out to all the plant-based eaters with a serious sweet tooth (or anyone who likes sweet-and-salty confections). It turns out silken tofu is a solid replacement for cream cheese.
- Time Commitment: 15 hours and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
We love you, salted brown sugar cheesecake…but we’re really here for the buttery pecan pie topping, which we’d totally snack on solo.
28. Chocolate-Crusted Chèvre Cheesecake with Earl Grey Poached Pears and Pomegranate
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Don’t knock it ’til you try it: We’re alllll for goat cheese desserts. The vanilla-spiked poached pear topping is also revelatory, if you ask us.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
