Make this no-bake cheesecake for Thanksgiving this year!  Your guests will love the creamy brown sugar filling, and the gingersnap crust and spiced pear cranberry topping will steal the show!  Easy, make-ahead recipe.

2835squareHave you started thinking about Thanksgiving yet?  It will be here before we know it!

Today, I’m teaming up with a few of my blogger friends to bring you a whole Thanksgiving menu, right at your fingertips.  I brought dessert (duh!), but there’s a recipe for everything and everyone here, so stick around til the end of the post for tons of yummy inspiration!

All the recipes you need to plan your Thanksgiving menu!

So, are you hosting this year or what?  I have hosted so many Thanksgiving dinners over the last few years, I’ve seriously lost count.  I want to say I’ve done it every year for the last like 5 years but I could just be delirious from fatigue.  Our first year in this house, I thought it might be fun to use the bone china that was gifted to us by Mr. Allie’s grandmother.  Um, not fun.  Not fun at all actually.  Kind of the opposite of fun.  Turns out every piece needed to be hand washed (in addition to all the pots and pans and serving platters), and I was a nervous wreck the whole time thinking something would get broken and Grandmom would never forgive me.

As much as I love the cooking part, hosting Thanksgiving dinner can get a little overwhelming.  There’s a lot to put on the table all at one time.  There’s a lot of prep, and a lot of cleanup, so if you can take a shortcut (like disposable pans!) I highly recommend doing that.

Whether you’re hosting yourself, or just helping out by bringing dessert, I have a perfect recipe for you.

Perfect Thanksgiving dessert!  No-bake brown sugar cheesecake with gingersnap crust & spiced pear filling.  Easy as can be!

These are adorable, seasonal, and they whip up in a matter of moments.  You can make them ahead and stash them in the fridge.  Throw them on a tray with a handful of spoons, and let everybody have at ’em.  When the jars are empty, just pop them in the dishwasher.  That’s quite a few less bone china dessert plates to wash, and your heart will thank you for sparing it from repeated bouts of palpitations.

Perfect Thanksgiving dessert!  No-bake brown sugar cheesecake with gingersnap crust & spiced pear filling.  Easy as can be!

The topping is really the star of the show here, and it’s nothing more than a few pears cooked in butter with lemon and ginger.  And cranberries of course.  It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without cranberries 😉

Let that cool while you layer the jars with crushed gingersnaps and the luscious brown sugar cheesecake filling.

Perfect Thanksgiving dessert!  No-bake brown sugar cheesecake with gingersnap crust & spiced pear filling.  Easy as can be!

The topping is so full of bright and spicy flavor, and then the cool, creamy cheesecake just balances it all right out.  Make sure you get your spoon all the way to the bottom so you get a little of that crunchy gingersnap crust in every bite!

Perfect Thanksgiving dessert!  No-bake brown sugar cheesecake with gingersnap crust & spiced pear filling.  Easy as can be!

If you’ve got a big crowd to feed and you really want to cut down on the cleanup, this could also be served in one big bowl or trifle dish, parfait style.  Your guests will be all over it!

Sadly, one cannot live on dessert alone.  So be sure to check out the rest of this fabulous Thanksgiving menu!

Main Dishes
25+ Amazing Thanksgiving Recipes. So many great ideas for those holiday meals!

Maple – Glazed Turkey with Bacon and Sage | Five Heart Home
Turkey Tetrazzini w/ Mushrooms and Kale | The Fountain Ave Kitchen
Orange Balsamic Glazed Ham | Cherished Bliss
Turkey Soup | Carmel Moments
Cranberry Stuffed Turkey | Thoughts from Alice

Vegetables
25+ Amazing Thanksgiving Recipes. So many great ideas for those holiday meals!

Cauliflower Gratin | Love Grows Wild
Creamy Cheese Corn Casserole | Five Heart Home
Cranberry Citrus Salad with Goat Cheese and Pecans | Delightful E Made
Sautéed French Green Beans | Cherished Bliss

Potatoes
25+ Amazing Thanksgiving Recipes. So many great ideas for those holiday meals!

Potatoes Au Gratin | Yummy Healthy Eats
Mashed Sweet Potatoes | Live Laugh Rowe
Honey-Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes | Cooking with Ruthie
Cheesy Garlic & Herb Mashed Potatoes | Cherished Bliss

Sides & Breads
25+ Amazing Thanksgiving Recipes. So many great ideas for those holiday meals!

Harvest Grain Rolls | Heather’s French Press
Jello Salad | Your Homebased Mom
Herb and Cheese Monkey Bread | Five Heart Home
Brown Rice | Uncommon Designs

Pies
25+ Amazing Thanksgiving Recipes. So many great ideas for those holiday meals!

Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie | Cooking with Curls
Apple Pie Waffles | Club Narwhal
Raspberry Pie | Dessert Now Dinner Later
Triple Layer Chocolate Pie | I Should be Mopping the Floor
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pecan Pie | Lemon Tree Dwelling

Desserts
25+ Amazing Thanksgiving Recipes. So many great ideas for those holiday meals!

No Bake Brown Sugar Cheesecake w/ Spiced Pears | Baking a Moment
Nutella Kahlua Truffles | Kleinworth & Co
Pumpkin Cupcakes & Maple Cream Cheese Frosting | Cupcake Diaries
Cream Filled Coffee Cake | Tastes of Lizzy T
Cranberry Orange Mulled Wine | Wine and Glue
Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake | Maison De Pax

 I told you this’d be a one stop Thanksgiving shop!  Now I want to extend a very special thank you to Samantha of Five Heart Home and Ashley & Audra of Cherished Bliss, for putting this blog hop together and inviting me to be a part.

I hope you guys enjoy!

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5 stars (1 rating)

No-Bake Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Spiced Pears

Servings: 4 (doubles easily)
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Make this no-bake cheesecake for Thanksgiving this year! Your guests will love the creamy brown sugar filling, and the gingersnap crust and spiced pear cranberry topping will steal the show! Easy, make-ahead recipe.

Ingredients

For the Spiced Pear Topping

  • 2 fresh pears, (choose a firm variety such as Bartlett or D'Anjou)
  • 1 tablespoon (14.79 g) unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup (33.33 g) fresh cranberries
  • 3 tablespoons (44.36 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, (zest of half a lemon)

For the Brown Sugar Cheesecake

  • 3/4 cup (84.75 g) gingersnap crumbs, (about 9 cookies, ground in the food processor)
  • 6 ounces (170.1 g) cream cheese,, softened
  • 1/4 cup (55 g) brown sugar,, loosely packed
  • 1 cup (236.59 ml) heavy cream,, cold

Instructions
 

To Make the Spiced Pear Topping:

  • Peel and core the pears, and dice into 1/2-inch pieces.
  • Heat a small skillet with the butter, then add the pears, cranberries, sugar, ginger, and lemon zest, and cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the pears are softened slightly and the cranberries are just beginning to burst.
  • Cool completely.

To Make the Brown Sugar Cheesecake:

  • Divide the gingersnap crumbs equally between 4 small jars.
  • Place the cream cheese and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream together until fluffy.
  • Using the whip attachment, slowly drizzle the cold cream in while whipping on medium speed.
  • When all the cream has been added, turn the speed up to medium-high and whip until the mixture holds firm peaks.
  • Layer the mixture over the gingersnap crumbs, and top with the spiced pear topping.
Calories: 556kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 24g, Cholesterol: 136mg, Sodium: 270mg, Potassium: 195mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 1533IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 108mg, Iron: 2mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
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