This No Bake Maple Cheesecake with Roasted Pears is one of my favorite cheesecakes! It is so easy to make but feels super fancy. It is the perfect fall dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve! The maple and pear flavors were made for each other.

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Don’t you just love those days when you have every intention of getting dressed and looking like an actual human being, but instead you go on a cleaning rampage and after hours of work, including scrubbing the baseboards behind the couch (why? why??), you catch sight of yourself in the mirror and pray to all that is holy that no one knocks on the door?

Yeah. Sorry Jehovah’s Witnesses, I really would have loved to have heard your message about ending suffering, but I was afraid the grease in my hair would actually contaminate your pamphlets.

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Maple is the new pumpkin around here. Fall seems to be the time of year when I get into weird food obsessions. Two years ago when I started this blog, pumpkin was my thing, and I posted 6 pumpkin recipes in a one month period. That’s a lot of freaking pumpkin.

Don’t worry, I will spare you an entire month of maple recipes. This Maple Cheesecake and this Maple Cinnamon Quick Bread will do me for this year.

IMG_7348I’m so glad this cheesecake turned out awesome. I had tried another recipe a few weeks ago with disastrous results. (Read: cheesecake overflowing in my oven. It wasn’t pretty.) But good ol’ Martha, she’s so reliable when it comes to recipes. She may make you want to stick your middle finger up her nose sometimes, but you can’t deny that the woman’s got some good ideas. Like Maple Cheesecake with Roasted Pears on top.

I was dubious about the pears at first, I admit it. But they were ah-maze-ing. The star of the show. The maple flavor is just a hint, not overpowering. Also, this is a no-bake cheesecake, and you fold in whipped cream, so it’s not the cheesecake-iest of cheesecakes. It’s light and delicate and different. Also, I know it looks kind of intimidating, but I swear it was super easy. I put it together in like 15 minutes.

It didn’t last more than 6 hours in my house. Not kidding.

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Maple Cheesecake with Roasted Pears

5 from 4 votes
Prep: 16 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Cooling Time: 3 hours
Servings: 8 Servings
I was dubious about the pears on this maple cheesecake at first, I admit it. But they were ah-maze-ing. The maple flavor is just a hint, not overpowering.

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 46 vanilla wafers, about 6 ounces
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

  • 2 8-oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon maple extract, or up to 1 teaspoon
  • 1 cup cold heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 medium pears, such as Bosc or Bartlett, sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick

Instructions

  • Make the crust first. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse cookies until finely ground (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). Add sugar, salt, and butter and pulse until combined.
  • Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 1/2 inch springform pan. My new favorite trick is to use a measuring cup to press it into the corners, works great. Bake until crust is dry and set, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely. Stick it in the freezer or the fridge.
  • In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat cream cheese on high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup maple syrup and the 1/2 teaspoon maple extract; beat until smooth.
  • In a medium bowl, beat cream and powdered sugar on high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. With a rubber spatula, stir about one-third the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, then fold in remainder. Transfer to crust and refrigerate until firm, 3 hours (or up to 1 day).
  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, or use a silpat. Arrange pear slices in a single layer on sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Roast until pears are soft, about 20 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and turn on the broiler. Brush pears with 2 tablespoons maple syrup and broil until browned in spots, about 4 minutes, rotating sheet frequently. Keep an eye on it! Never walk away from your broiler! Let cool. To serve, arrange pear slices, overlapping slightly, on cheesecake.

Notes

I added 1/2 teaspoon maple extract, and might even add more next time ( I wouldn't go much over a teaspoon). I was going for a stronger maple flavor, and even with the added extract it wasn't over-the-top at all.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 289mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 670IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 458
Keyword: cheesecake, Maple Cheesecake, Pears, Roasted Pears
Did you make this? I'd love to see it!Mention @thefoodcharlatan or tag #thefoodcharlatan!

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Comments

  1. I made this for my family but since my mom is diabetic I cut all the added sugar and used a sugar free maple syrup. And it was still DELICIOUS. 

  2. 5 stars
    I love tis cheesecake! It is very easy to make. I just have one problem after making it six times, It doesn’t set the same way each time. the last time I made it, it sat on the side board for about two hours before the hostess served it and it was a very soft “mess”. tasty but a mess. How firm should it be?

    I keep making it because it is so good , but I’m baffled as to why each time the set is so different, from loose and runny to thick and creamy.

    Thank you!

    1. Hi Carla! This cheesecake is meant to be served chilled, I think that’s the trouble! If you leave it out for a couple hours it will soften too much and be a mess for serving. Also, how thick your final cheesecake turns out depends a lot on how firmly you whip your whipped cream. If it is pretty loose, then your cheesecake will be loose. If you beat until it is pretty stiff, your cheesecake will turn out stiffer. Hope this helps!! Thank you so much for coming back to review!!

  3. This is easy and impressive. I took a few liberties…but then don’t all cooks lol.
    I used ginger snap crumbs for the crust and garnished it with chopped candied bacon.
    I can’t wait to taste it after thanksgiving dinner!
    Thanks for the inspiration. I love your recipes, creative yet doable. I have tried many with a zero failure rate. Not always the way with great looking things.

    1. All cooks do take a few liberties, it’s true Stephanie! :) I’m so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake, gingersnaps is a great idea. And I love the bacon!! How fun! And thank you so much for the compliment, I’m so glad you are having success with the recipes. It’s nice you hear, thanks for commenting!

    1. Hi Hima! Yes, you could definitely use a 9 inch pan! You might want to make the edges of the crust a little higher so that the filling doesn’t go higher than the crust. Enjoy!

      1. Thank you! Also, I plan on making this for a new year’s eve party. I plan on making the cheesecake the night before, but should I wait until the day of for the pear topping? I assume the topping wouldn’t be as good if it sits in the fridge for 18+ hours before being eaten so I should make it a few hours before the party and then put it on.

        Thanks again!

      1. She’s not kidding, Nate, it was one of the best cheesecakes I ever ate, and I’ve had a lot of cheesecake! Remind me, I’ll make it at Christmas :)

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