19 Decadent Fall Cheesecakes for Your Thanksgiving Table

There’s no better way to conclude your feast than with one of these creamy, dreamy confections.

September 15, 2022

By: Food Network Kitchen

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Photo By: Kana Okada

Photo By: Renee Comet

Photo By: Armando Rafael

The Perfect Slice

Is there anything more impressive (or loved by all) than a gorgeous cheesecake? Whether you serve up something simple like the best New York-Style cheesecake, swirl it with chocolate or top it off with a layer of fruit compote, there’s no beating a rich, creamy slice of cheesecake — even on Turkey Day! So, no matter what you’re planning to include in your Thanksgiving dessert spread, we recommend letting a cheesecake take center stage — particularly one of these versions that features special add-ins and plenty of fall flavors. You can’t go wrong with anything in this roundup but this dessert, topped with a gooey pecan topping is a must. It’s reminiscent of another Thanksgiving favorite: pecan pie. Best of all, you can make it in advance. Bake the cheesecake, wrap it and refrigerate it for up to two days. Do the same with the caramel sauce. When you’re ready to top the cake, reheat the sauce and let gravity do its thing: Mound the sauce in the center, then let it naturally ooze to the edge.

Get the Recipe: Pecan-Pie Cheesecake

Pumpkin-Cranberry Cheesecake

Cranberries deserve a place on the Thanksgiving dessert table too. A combination of ricotta, mascarpone and pumpkin creates a lighter cheesecake and an ideal landing place for the tart fruit.

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin-Ricotta Cheesecake with Cranberries

Classic Pumpkin Cheesecake

A classic pumpkin cheesecake should be creamy, perfectly spiced and totally smooth on top. While baking a cheesecake in a water bath may seem like a pesky extra step, it keeps the cheesecake luscious and crack-free.

Get the Recipe: Classic Pumpkin Cheesecake

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Bobby Flay tops cheesecake with sauteed apples, homemade apple-caramel sauce and a sprinkling of walnuts.

Get the Recipe: Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Cheddar Cheesecake with Apple Butter Caramel

Cheese lovers rejoice, we have created the cheesecake of your dreams by adding nutty and tangy cheddar cheese to the batter (and crust!!) making this dessert super creamy and luscious. The crust is salty-sweet made from butter crackers and spiked with sugar that bakes up and forms a super crisp plate to hold the decadent cake on top. It’s garnished with a caramel sauce jazzed up with store-bought apple butter. We use brown sugar to make the caramel which speeds up the process and eliminates the need to cook the sugar until golden brown.

Get the Recipe: Cheddar Cheesecake with Apple Butter Caramel

Mini No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Gingersnaps fit perfectly into the bottom of muffin cups so they make a great mini pie crust for these tiny treats. A little bit of gelatin helps the pumpkin-cream cheese filling set without making it hard or rubbery.

Get the Recipe: Mini No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Ricotta-Orange Cheesecake

Oranges are readily available year-round which makes them the perfect flavor to feature in this decadent cheesecake. Paired with mild ricotta and rich dark chocolate, they make for an unforgettable holiday dessert.

Get the Recipe: Ricotta-Orange Cheesecake

Creamy Cheesecake with Cranberry Compote

This cheesecake is a great make-ahead dessert. You can prepare the cranberry compote the night before and let it chill along with the cheesecake. The tartness of the cranberries is the perfect complement to the creamy richness of the cake.

Get the Recipe: Creamy Cheesecake with Cranberry Compote

Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Spiced Wafer Crust

Anne Burrell flavors the vanilla wafer crust with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, then fills it with a tart and smooth combination of goat cheese and cream cheese.

Get the Recipe: Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Spiced Wafer Crust

Almost-Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake

Food Network Magazine couldn't get the secret recipe for The Cheesecake Factory's famous slice, so they made their own creamy, decadent version. We can't tell the difference!

Get the Recipe: Almost-Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake

Orange Ricotta Cheesecake

Because there is no crust to contend with, this rustic Italian-style orange-scented cheesecake is incredibly simple to whip together. More delicate in texture than its iconic diner-display-case relative, it has a fine dusting of pistachios and confectioners' sugar that gives it a pretty finish.

Get the Recipe: Orange Ricotta Cheesecake

S'mores Sweet Potato Cheesecake

This dessert combines two of our favorite desserts: a sweet potato cheesecake and a gooey, melted s'more. All of the flavors and textures are there, from the crispy chocolate graham-cracker crust to the toasted marshmallows and the rich chocolate sauce that's drizzled over every slice.

Get the Recipe: S'mores Sweet Potato Cheesecake

White Chocolate-Cranberry Cheesecake

This festive cheesecake gets an extra dose of sweetness with the help of white chocolate in the filling. Up the ante by reserving some of the white chocolate shavings to decorate the top.

Get the Recipe: White Chocolate-Cranberry Cheesecake

Sour Cream Cheesecake

When it comes to the classic graham cracker crust, Alton Brown prefers a coarse crumb over a fine one. The best way to achieve this? Crushing them by hand. "Sure, you can do it in the food processor," he said. "But it would be too even. You want to end up with a lot of big pieces integrated with a lot of little crumbs."

Get the Recipe: Sour Cream Cheesecake

Individual Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Use whole vanilla wafer cookies as the crust for these little cheesecakes topped with crystallized ginger and you'll have a Thanksgivng-worthy dessert that's ready with almost no work at all.

Get the Recipe: Individual Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Nutmeg Cheesecake

The trio of nutmeg, vanilla and almond extract makes this cheesecake rich with fall flavors.

Get the Recipe: Nutmeg Cheesecake

The Ultimate Cheesecake

Tyler Florence's creamy cheesecake has a classic graham cracker crust and a filling made with cream cheese, sour cream and lemon zest.

Get the Recipe: The Ultimate Cheesecake

Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Cooking tangy pumpkin cheesecake in your slow cooker makes the filling unbelievably smooth and velvety. For the best results, place a sheet of paper towel over the springform pan to keep condensation out while the cheesecake is cooking.

Get the Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Ricotta Cheesecake with Warm Cherries

We love the simplicity of baking this cheesecake in a loaf pan, without sacrificing its silky texture. Use good-quality, whole-milk ricotta for best results.

Get the Recipe: Ricotta Cheesecake with Warmed Cherries

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