No-Bake Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Spiced Pears
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.
Have 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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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
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 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
Harvest Grain Rolls | Heather’s French Press
Jello Salad | Your Homebased Mom
Herb and Cheese Monkey Bread | Five Heart Home
Brown Rice | Uncommon Designs
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
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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No-Bake Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Spiced Pears
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.
So lovely! And what fun to see all these other “new to me” blogs. Off to explore!
Yay! I went through all the posts last night, such great recipes and great blogs! Hope you enjoy Amanda! xoxo
Wow. It’s great that these are no bake with all of the holiday parties coming up. These cheesecakes look delicious and the spice pears add an extra twist.
That’s just what I was thinking too, Chineka! Sometimes you just need something easy yo. So happy you enjoyed, thank you for commenting!
This looks plain delicious Allie! Love!
Thank you so much Jocelyn!! xoxo
First off, I love that these are make-ahead. Secondly, all of the different textures going on here? Fabulous. And last but not least, how gorgeous are those colors and how cute are those jars? I adore everything about this dessert, Allie…thanks so much for sharing it at our Thanksgiving Menu Blog Hop!
Thank you so much for inviting me to be a part, Samantha! You did a tremendous job putting it all together. I had a blast! So happy you liked this recipe; thanks for the sweet comment! xoxo
Allie, these look so great! I always find that the Thanksgiving table is always a bit too bogged down with super thick baked pies and cakes and never anything light. (Because a boy like me totally needs variety. Seriously, the dessert table is just as important as the main spread, so why don’t we make it more varied too?!)
That said, these look so delicious! No-bake cheesecake that isn’t that gross instant stuff? Adore it!
Um, just as important? Who are we kidding, it’s ALL ABOUT the dessert table Graham. Let’s just be real ok? 😉 So glad you like the recipe and yes, just say no to the gross instant stuff. So uncalled for.
You never cease to amaze me with your seriously creative (and delicious!) ideas! Love the blog hop idea, and those teeny jars are just the cutest!
Thank you so much Alessandra! I’m in love with those little Weck jars too, lol… So happy you enjoyed the post; thank you so much for the sweet comment my dear! xoxo
Eeks I am always a wreck whenever it comes to hosting so bringing the dessert sounds perfect to me 🙂 Love these dessert jars! They look so so pretty! The spiced pear and cranberry topping sound incredible and I love that they are no-bake and you can make them ahead of time 🙂
Thanks Kelly! I know- I’m SO happy I’m not hosting this year! Beyond ready to let someone else cook for me for a change! Hope you have a great holiday, my dear, but I’m sure I’ll be talking to you before then 😉 Hugs!
Nice idea!
Haha! Glad to know I’ve got the “Brown Sugar Mama” seal of approval! Thanks Nicole! 😀 😀 😀
These look delicious (and so easy–just what I need in the midst of the rest of the holiday cooking/baking). I don’t cook with pears nearly as much as I should, which you clearly demonstrate with these cute cheesecakes 🙂
How ’bout it, right? Gah the holidays can be so crazy, especially Thanksgiving. So. much. food! I think an easy dessert is 100% necessary. So glad you liked!
I love these small dessert jars.. these cheesecake looks so decadent.. the pictures are gorgeous.. 🙂
Thanks Arpita! I got lucky with some nice light the day these were shot. And the pinkish pear topping is pretty photogenic in its own right! Thanks for the sweet comment, hon!
Love love love it!! Beautiful jars!!!
The look totally lovely and no bake cheesecake definitely steal my heart. I’m sure my niece & nephew will be happy if I involve them in making these. 🙂
such a gorgeous presentation!
Thank you so much Heather! I’m always a sucker for dessert in a jar 😉
Goodness gracious!! These are just so adorable and the flavors are amazing. A winter perfect bite!
Thank you so much sweetie! I loved the ginger in the topping 😉
So pretty, Allie! I love the combination of flavors and the pear topping. And look at all of those other recipes.
Aren’t they amazing? I know I want every single one! Hope you have a great day Ashley!
Mmmmm, my mouth is watering! Gotta hop over and pin a lot of these recipes. I love Thanksgiving so much! I’m hosting my husband’s parents and our neighbors this year and I think I’m going to try making your apple pie! Wish me luck 🙂 Gotta try these no bake cheesecakes too. Great flavor combination and where did you find the cute little jars? Those would come in handy…
Aren’t they the cutest? They’re from Weck. I just love them for desserts. Good luck with the Apple Pie- I hope you enjoy it! Thanks sweetie!