If you love to make tasty treats for your family, it can sometimes be hard to make a decision about what to bake. Additionally, if you have opinionated family members who like different things, it can be difficult to figure out who to please. That is where kitchen creativity can come in. Recipes like this …
Do you need a delicious, creamy, tropical tasting dessert for your next family dinner? This recipe for Pineapple Dream Cheesecake is all of the above. Featuring layers of cream cheese, whipped topping, and coconut all encased in a crunchy graham cracker crust, this dessert will have everyone asking for seconds. Everyone loves eating a homemade …
Cheesecake proves so popular as a dessert that restaurants around the world serve this delicious dairy treat. Many recipes use cream cheese plus other cheese or dairy ingredients to create a hearty, creamy cake that offers a decadent, rich taste bursting with strawberries. While some recipes for desserts consternate those with special diets but the …
Cheesecake is a popular dessert. Rich and sweet with countless variations, cheesecake is a dessert that is perfect for celebrations and special occasions. Some people are intimidated at the idea of making a cheesecake from scratch. Cheesecakes can be a bit fussy since the batter mixture is prone to cracking. Of course, cracked cheesecakes are …
I work in the tech industry in the Greater Seattle area, and there is a local trend happening for cheesecake biscuits by a company called the Ugly Duck Cheesecake Company. I love these biscuits, especially the coconut cheesecake biscuits, but I have yet to find an orange creamsicle cheesecake biscuit. Maybe I can bake my …
This dessert contains a crunchy Oreo cookie crust layer, then a creamy pink cheesecake layer, and finally, they are topped with a thick whipped cream layer. Add a few pink and red sprinkles, and you have a delicious sweetheart themed treat ready to go! What better way to celebrate the loves in your life? These …
Part of living in a family is learning to compromise. Sometimes you get your favorite dessert, while other times, other people have their turns to enjoy their favorites. This recipe, however, sets aside compromise for one evening. Every member of the family can enjoy their own favorite version of cheesecake when you make our recipe …
Many people believe that making a cheesecake from scratch is something that only expert bakers can accomplish. After all, you’re taking a runny, dairy-based batter and baking it into a thick, rich, and semi-solid dessert. Sometimes the cheesecake cracks and then your cheesecake doesn’t look all that great. To get a perfect cheesecake, you have …
While mint is a naturally growing plant that is native to the Middle East and Europe, it can currently be found in almost any place where plants grow. In fact, in many areas, mint is known as a weed because it spreads so easily. Before modern medicine created better treatments, the mint was used to …
Cheesecake likely has its origins with the ancient Greeks. Archeologists have found indications that cheese molds existed around 2000 years before the time of Christ on the Greek island of Samos. Even during the first Olympic games, athletes were given cheesecakes to eat. Their trainers figured that the cheesecakes would be a great source of …
Have you ever picked up a treat from your childhood, tasted it and then thought, I remembered that as tasting a lot better than it did? Perhaps the taste buds of adults change as they have matured, but it happens all the time. And yet, it’s still disappointing to find out that one of your …
Cheesecake is a beloved dessert for anyone who enjoys a chilly explosion of fats and sweets. It’s also one of the more accessible at-home dessert options, so it’s a great entry point for aspiring pastry chefs. Here is a list of fantastic cheesecake recipes in numerous varieties to get you started and spark your imagination.
Before you try to make your dream cheesecake, get the basics down first. It’s not difficult as far as baking goes, but it’s still dependent on ratios of ingredients with different purposes to achieve the desired result. As the ‘cheese’ in the name implies, this is not a dessert that’s friendly to lactose-intolerant stomachs.
One thing you’ll notice is that a mixer is an essential tool, and it won’t be long until you start sideyeing a stand mixer if you really get into making cheesecake. The amount of stirring is rough to do manually, if not impossible, and even holding the mixer for a few minutes can be hard with problems like arthritis.
The second kind of cheesecake is the no-bake variety. The “no bake” name is slightly misleading since you will have to bake the crust. The rest of the cheesecake will be set while resting in the fridge, so you don’t have to worry about hearing a timer unless you want to cut into the cheesecake the second it’s ready.
This particular version of the no-bake cheesecake uses a classically decadent duo of chocolate and peanut butter that triples down on the richness.
To create new cheesecake varieties, start with simple flavor alterations with minimal extra ingredients. This recipe uses peppermint candies and extracts to add a refreshing and mildly spicy kick to the cheesecake. Half a cup of crushed candy doesn’t change much about the baking, so it’s only a couple of extra steps to create it.
The mint helps calm the stomach, so that the second piece won’t hurt your family’s tummies as much. The sweet and minty flavors linger, which always makes me feel the same level of satisfaction with less cheesecake. It’s okay to indulge a bit extra from time to time, but minimizing the amount can fulfill cravings without the same diet impact.
Citric acid is a useful compound that helps your body complete several processes, including converting calories into a form that cells can use. That means this cheesecake recipe will not leave you feeling quite as lethargic after eating it.
Orange is also a more mellow flavor than high-intensity citrus fruits, and the creamy sweetness of the cheesecake balances well with it. Orange creamsicle pops were one of my favorite desserts as a child, especially in the summer, and the additional crunch of the graham cracker crust makes this even better.
Making too much food can be wasteful – or you end up eating far too much cheesecake for your own good. The cheesecake process can be downsized to smaller portions that are as cute as they are delicious. Since the smaller container will hold the cheesecake when served, you don’t have to bake the crust.
This recipe makes six servings, and they last long enough in the fridge that you can make a batch on Sunday to have a cheesecake with every meal the rest of the week.
Like a full-sized cheesecake, you can play with the ingredients for individual cheesecake recipes to create unique variations. If you’re willing to do multiple types of prep work, you can even create multiple types of cheesecakes in one session. This is fantastic if you are easily bored with flavor combinations or want to give everyone a truly personalized eating experience.
For this variety, a blend of peppermint and chocolate both amplifies the richness and soothes its impact on the stomach. It can be hard to stop eating it when both your tongue and your stomach are telling you that it’s okay to consume more.
Rainbow sprinkles are an easy way to send a kid’s birthday party into a cacophony of cheers. If your kids are looped into the dessert decision process, the colored candies will end up in everything. Luckily, everyone in my household (including the young ones) is on board with just an occasional dip into Funfetti festivities.
When you do make it, it’s a great time to invite a kid into the kitchen for a cooking lesson. Give them a simple task or two, like adding the sprinkles, and answer their questions as best as you can. Make sure you remind them about proper kitchen hygiene and safety, too!
Lemons have one of the highest concentrations of citric acid, which plays into how potent the flavor is when even a little bit of lemon juice is added. As with the orange creamsicle cheesecake, the spark of sweet lemon invigorates both the taste buds and the mitochondria.
Aside from swapping oranges for lemons, there are two key takeaways from this recipe. The first is the grated lemon zest, which you can also do with the orange for more of the fruit’s flavor without increasing the acid content as much. The second is the addition of food coloring, which is a way you can control the cheesecake’s appearance without overdoing an ingredient to hit the desired color.
The luscious hazelnut and chocolate spread is a hot commodity around our house. Although the hazelnut is the advertised ingredient, it’s more like chocolate syrup with the hazelnut as a strong note of flavor. That makes it a poor peanut butter replacement, but it’s amazing as a sweet chocolate replacement.
This recipe doubles up on the hazelnuts by including the Nutella in the cheesecake mixture and adding chopped hazelnuts on top. The extra crunch from the nuts helps diversify the texture throughout each bite.
While some people have an aversion to sour, others are desperate for that kick of tartness. Key lime pie is an old favorite of mine for its potent sourness, and the fruit works much like lemons do in a cheesecake recipe. You can still use regular limes, but I cannot overstate how much the small difference in flavor profiles between the two can modify the cheesecake.
While the base of the cheesecake is simple, the arrangement of this recipe’s toppings really jazz up the presentation. Having the extra limes to adjust the tartness upwards is a plus, though I wouldn’t miss the raspberries and mint leaves.
In the origins of cheesecake, it was a savory dish. Most modern cheesecakes are served as sweet desserts, but you can create something akin to an open-faced bacon wonton. The gruyère cheese and green onions meld with the bacon, loading the cheesecake with deliciousness. Instead of a cracker or cookie crust, you get bread crumbs mixed with butter and Parmesan cheese.
Aside from being decadently full of fats and salts, it’s also the fastest way to enjoy a cheesecake. It can be served while warm, though it tastes just as good when colder. If you prefer them warm, you can store some in the fridge and reheat them later, though you might get some cracking in the cheesecake with too many temperature shifts.
Whether a latte or a frappe, caramel macchiato is one of my go-to options for a sweet coffee drink with a salty undertone that makes the sweetness that much sweeter. Lacing the cheesecake with espresso gives eaters some extra pep in their steps, so it’s better served earlier on a hot day or when you expect a long night.
To really make it a ‘macchiato’, you need to mark the surface with caramel. Otherwise, it’s just a caramel cheesecake – which is tasty, but not quite the same. If anyone argues with you about it, though, they can go find their own “real” caramel macchiato cheesecake.
Pistachios are a seed, not a nut, but they have the same rich and nutty taste profile when prepared. They are also substantially more expensive than peanuts or hazelnuts, so it’s not often that we splurge heavily on them. For this cheesecake, the cost is worth every penny.
Like the recipe suggests, look for a premade pistachio paste. You can do it at home with a food processor, but that’s more effort and dirty dishes while not saving much money.
The tang of liquor is frequently paired with sweets, whether in cocktails or desserts. Spiced rum is a common addition to desserts like rum cake, and it’s the starting point for this recipe. Candying pecans in the spiced rum topping combine more crunch. Whiskey and dark specialty liquors can serve the same role if you want to tweak the flavors.
Note that baking does remove some of the alcohol content, but it won’t be completely removed. Keep this cheesecake away from anyone who you wouldn’t let drink, even if the alcohol content is not particularly high at a cup plus two teaspoons for the whole cake.
Crab wontons are easily one of my favorite appetizers, each one a crunchy bite of pastry that melts into cream cheese and crab meat. You can create a similar dish with this recipe. The author recommends chilling the cheesecake for 2 hours before serving, suggesting a cooler if not quite chilled temperature. I won’t make it the full time for mine, but the texture difference is notable if you can endure the wait better than me.
While the Italian breadcrumbs and parmesan make an excellent crust, I’d suggest experimenting with alternatives. Panko breadcrumbs are light and flaky. They’re typically unseasoned, so you can skip the Italian blend for something like a five-spice blend.
Fruits from warmer climates tend to be juicy and rich in both sweetness and flavor. Mangos are a constant in the fruit selection at our house, and coconut is an excellent source of fiber and flavor in a number of both sweet and savory dishes. Kiwis are another great choice, though my household would be upset at the lack of pineapple.
The quantity and quality of tropical fruits will change with your location, but there should be enough that you can mix and match for a new tropical fruit blend. Don’t be shy about sticking some subtropical fruit in the mix if it feels right, either.
I will be the first to admit that I would scoff at anyone who suggested that I try a healthy cheesecake when it is supposed to be an indulgent treat that sends shivers down your spine. Still, having a healthier version of something you love can make it easier to have a substantial piece without blowing your calorie and fat intake sky high.
Like other cheesecakes, you can toy with this recipe’s healthy design to make new flavor combinations. That might be helpful when looking to disguise a notably different taste from a low-calorie sweetener. Unsweetened fruit toppings do up the calories a little, but they at least contain nutrients.
Making a cheesecake is already fun, and adding fire to the mix adds to the excitement. The general recipe is similar to any other cheesecake, but you add a layer of sugar at the end and light it up with a torch. The quick sizzle caramelizes the sugar, creating a sticky, sweet, and vaguely salty flavor. Try not to overdo any one area, or you’ll end up with a burnt topping that’s inedible.
If you don’t have a kitchen torch, I recommend that you get one. They’re fairly inexpensive, and they take up less space than many other kitchen gadgets despite being generally useful.
A true German black forest cake is a marvel of pastry design. This cheesecake variation sticks true to the traditional recipe and includes kirschwasser, a German cherry liquor that is a bit stronger than cherry brandy. The baking cooks off most of that small amount, but it should still be noted to anyone avoiding alcohol.
You can also click here for another variation.
This one doesn’t have the kirschwasser, but I love the full commitment to chocolate plus the addition of whipped cream flowers and chocolate curls. The overall recipe is a little easier, despite recommending that you make your own whipped cream. It’s not a problem if you have a stand mixer, but it does add more work than buying a can from the store.
Swapping the canned cherry pie filling for the earlier recipe’s kirsch cherry topping is a quick adjustment to mix the two together.
Cheesecake and apple pie. Both are iconic desserts in American cuisine, and they are both worthy of that adoration. Pay homage to their legacy with a fused apple pie cheesecake. Instead of just layering some apple pie filling onto the end product, this recipe has you turning the cheesecake into the apple pie’s crust.
It’s not quite a warm apple pie, but it hits the same mark in cheesecake form. With a careful touch, you can use a torch to put a little heat on the apple and crust without melting the cheesecake itself.
Each slice of this cheesecake is a portion of the best Girl Scout cookie you’ll ever have. On the baking side, the core of the cheesecake is a simple chocolate crust with vanilla filling. The real technical work is in the toppings. A layer of caramel is topped with baked coconut before being drizzled with strands of chocolate and even more caramel.
The final design should be instantly recognizable and an instant hit at any gathering.