Creative & Updated Classics with Healthy Twists! Embrace the process of transforming simple ingredients into something delicious. See all of the 25 Thanksgiving Scrumptious Desserts – something for everyone!
See ALL of my Thanksgiving Recipes Below
NEW ~ Apple Butter Mini Cheesecakes… made with cottage cheese!
Creamy Decadence – Lightened Up! Forget cream cheese and use blended cottage cheese for the perfect texture & flavor without the heaviness. Dollop apple butter in the center and swirl. My new special holiday dessert that is easy to prepare… gluten free too. You will love these apple butter cottage cheese cheesecakes!
A wonderful dessert to grace your holiday dessert buffet! (almost guilt free)
NEW ~ Moist Honey Apple Butter Cake with Dreamy Glaze – It’s Gluten Free
Fall Baking at its best! Yummy for Thanksgiving. A wonderful not too sweet cake that is simple to make with great texture. Homemade Apple Butter recipe included. The perfect Honey Apple Butter Cake for any celebration, or a simple weekday treat.
See my Recipe: Easy Silky Macoun and McIntosh Apple Butter
The BEST Key Lime Pie with a Fruity Deep Purple Swirl. Granola makes an easy & delicious crust!
This pie can be made ahead of time… freeze and defrost in the refrigerator
The Crust is made by pulsing Granola with a small amount of sugar and melted butter, then pressed into a pie pan. Add an EASY Key Lime Filling and add the Blackberry Swirl.. then bake
Something Apple:
An impressive freeform type of apple pie – sliced apples are placed on a round of flaky dough, edges get folded over then baked until golden… so delish! Perfect for Thanksgiving!
A Quick Sauce – Great for Drizzling over Desserts and Ice Cream. Use only real maple syrup – I have used barrel aged Vermont maple syrup.
Tastes like an apple crumb pie in a bar! Perfect for your Thanksgiving dessert buffet – not too sweet with a touch of warm spices. These can be made a few days ahead!
This easy to prepare fall dessert is bursting with harvest flavors: fruit is blanketed with a crisp cinnamon, pecan and oat layer. Vegan, gluten-free and irresistible! Add some coconut whipped cream on the side to dollop.
A spiced apple cake dotted with chunks of apples topped with a generous height of crunchy streusel. Go a step further and add caramelized apples and a dripping caramel sauce to each slice. A gluten-free option too!
An easy and delicious butter-moist cake is “sunken” as the apples are fanned and placed over the batter, which then rises up around them as the cake bakes. Top with my Maple Caramel Sauce for a little decadence!
A moist cake with warm spices topped with Caramelized Apple Slices and baked with Fine Almond Flour. I top it with a drizzle of Vanilla Bean Rum Glaze. A healthy new alternative recipe.
Something Nutty:
A Creamy Cheesecake made with Cottage Cheese – no cream cheese here!
Decadent and creamy – Make my recipe: Chocolate Peanut Biscotti for the crust and pile on some Honey Peanuts on top ~ see that recipe too!
A MUST! My family favorite The Ultimate Pick-Up Bar ~ Perfect for the Holidays!
A press-in shortbread crust with a pour-on-top filling enriched with a crunchy pecan topping. Delish!
I’m teaching this dessert at my upcoming Cooking Class: “The Best of Thanksgiving”
A Perfect Shortbread Crust is topped with a toffee flavored topping rich with Natural Coconut, Crystalized Ginger & Sliced Almonds.
Perfect for the Holidays, Entertaining and Gift Giving!
A delicious and moist Gluten Free Zucchini Quick Bread using Maple Syrup three ways ~ in the bread, glaze and glazed walnuts. Not too sweet with healthful ingredients. Easily made vegan.
Something Chocolate:
A Decadent Bittersweet Chocolate Indulgence with an Airy Easy Whipped Coconut Cream Topping with Crushed Raspberries Gluten Free, Dairy Free & Parve. A showstopper cake!
A cracked caramel-sugar top with a creamy chocolate dessert underneath.
Made entirely with milk, not a drop of heavy cream!
Lightened-Up: Creamy, decadent and delicious… decadent but not too rich!
Easy! These delectable, creamy truffles are truly all-natural with Fresh Mint from my garden. Coconut Milk swaps in for heavy cream for a lighter, vegan treat. Cacao nibs adds a little crunch. Can make well ahead! I Love these little bites – the perfect ending to a Holiday Meal!
A wonderful decedent but not-too-rich pie with a press-in crust with a chocolate base and caramel top layer. Finished with coconut whipped cream, honey-sugared peanuts and toasted coconut flakes. Love at first bite! Gluten Free too!
Everyone loves a good pie!
Something Fruity:
The perfect ending to a holiday meal (Thanksgiving!) Spiced, beautiful pears swimming in a ruby syrup with a creamy zabaglione custard.
An easy “press-in” dough recipe! Learn how to make homemade Plum Jam for the bars as well. Buttery, jam-filled bars based on the classic Viennese Linzer torte – dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Can use any good quality jam!
A lightened-up recipe with creamy deliciousness – a crackled sugar top is complemented with a fruity roasted sauce. These small sized Crème Brûlées are the perfect indulgent dessert with less fat than traditional recipes… and no heavy cream!
Ice Cream, Sherbet & Frozen Yogurt:
NEW Vegan: A creamy delicious ice cream with stirred in wet-walnuts! Flavored with real maple syrup for a natural flavor you will love.
A light and airy maple-walnut vegan ice cream with a hint of fresh banana.
PS: tastes like the real thing!
Vanilla Ice Cream does not have to take a supporting role next to your holiday desserts, this one is delicious on it’s own! Simple ingredients blend into a creamy, decadent dessert, infused with Ginger and Pumpkin Spices.
A flavor explosion with beautiful color and texture. This simple Sherbet has just the right sweetness and is so refreshing! Totally loving the white chocolate shavings mixed-into the sherbet.
A light and tasty frozen yogurt with a creamy texture and a fresh, zesty flavor.
Mingles well with many holiday desserts! Make yourself a heavenly frozen yogurt without colorings, artificial flavorings or corn syrup. Simple ingredients… simply delicious! Very refreshing.
Thanksgiving Round-Up… All my Best Recipes:
- Thanksgiving SIDES + NEW: Holiday Sweet Potato Casserole with Sautéed Pears and Coconut Crumble
- Karen’s Appetizers / Hors d’oeuvres & Soups for Thanksgiving
- Roast Thanksgiving Turkey Basted with Fruit Juices and Marsala Gravy
- Karen’s After Thanksgiving Recipes with your Leftovers
Enjoy this collection of my 24 Thanksgiving Scrumptious Desserts
Let me know what you think!
Karen (need any Thanksgiving coining advise?… drop me a line.)
Apple Butter Mini Cheesecakes… made with cottage cheese!
Ingredients
Oat Granola Type Crust:
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup natural sliced almonds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut, (can replace with extra nuts)
- 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar, or light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, (can use cinnamon)
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
"Cheesecake" Filling:
- 32 ounces cottage cheese, 4% milk fat – to be strained
- 2 large eggs, room temperature, I use pasture raised
- 1/3 cup greek yogurt , full fat – can use sour cream
- 1/2 cup pure cane sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, can use vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour, (can use regular flour)
- 1/2 cup apple butter , see my recipe (2 teaspoons for each cheesecake)
Instructions
Oat Granola Type Crust:
- Add all ingredients with melted butter to a small food processor and pulse until ingredients are finely ground.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper muffin cups into a standard muffin tin. Add two teaspoons of crust ingredients to the bottom of each. Press down firmly with your fingers. Bake until firm, 10 minutes. Remove from over, make the filling.
Strain the Cottage Cheese:
- Add the cottage cheese to a fine mesh strainer, set over a bowl to catch the drippings. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Will discard the milky drippings.)
"Cheesecake" Filling:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To the carafe of a blender add: strained cottage cheese, eggs, yogurt, sugar, vanilla bean paste and flour – adding the flour on the top. Blend from low to high speed until very smooth, one full minute.HINT: mixture will be thick, scrape down side with a rubber spatula if not blending… it will!
- Pour the filling evenly into the 12 crusts. Filling will be almost filled to the top.
- Add 2 teaspoon of apple butter into the center of each. Swirl in with a metal skewer or thin small knife (see photos.) Bake for 20 minutes. Cool fully then refrigerate until firm.
- Optional Topping:To each: Add lightly sweetened whipped cream or whipped coconut cream. Top with a piece of dried apple, and a small rosemary sprig.
For Perfect Fluted Edges:
- Place the cooled cheesecakes on a tray and freeze for one hour.Pull away the fluted paper liners for perfect fluted edges- will look gorgeous!
Notes
Slice Apples thinly with a mandoline (I use gala or honey crisp.) Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Cook at preheated 250 degree oven until dry and crisp, but not too brown – about 1 hour. Crispiness will depend on length in oven and how thinly sliced. Cool completely. Garnish with whipped cream or coconut whipped cream. Add a piece of dehydrated apple and a small rosemary sprig if you desire. Freezing: cheesecakes can be successfully frozen. Defrost in the refrigerator. For this recipe I used: Easy Silky Macoun and McIntosh Apple Butter This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
