Thanksgiving recipes: Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups, Nutter Butter Turkeys and more

Ready to make your Thanksgiving feast unforgettable? Get inspired by this playful collection of easy-to-make recipes and creative hosting ideas.

Renee Patrone Rhinehart with Party Host Helpers shares Thanksgiving recipe ideas featuring everything from adorable desserts to impressive appetizers.

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups

Supplies

9 cinnamon flavored graham crackers, 4 tbsp unsalted butter (melted), 2 tbsp light brown sugar, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree, 1 (8oz) package cream cheese (room temp), 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 (3.4 oz) package cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix, 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 (8oz) tub whipped topping, graham cracker crumbs.

Instructions

1. Toss the graham crackers into a food processor or blender and pulse until they're fine crumbs. Add melted butter, sugars, and cinnamon. Give it a few more pulses until everything is combined.
2. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the crust mixture into each jar or cup. Press it down gently. You can set a little aside if you want to sprinkle some on top later.
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, pudding mix, and condensed milk. Mix until smooth and creamy.
4. Use a spatula to gently fold in the whipped topping until just combined. Don't overmix.
5. Divide the filling evenly between your jars on top of the crust. Serve and Enjoy!

Fudge Striped Turkeys

Supplies: Fudge stripe cookies, Reese's minis, malted milk balls, baking m&m's, cinnamon bears, candy eyes, dark chocolate melting wafers (to use as candy glue).

Instructions:

Take 1 cookie and with a knife cut the bottom off the cookie, just enough to lay flat when the cookie is placed on the table.

Take 1 malted milk ball and cut with a knife a small piece of the ball, again just enough to lay flat on the table.

Unwrap a peanut butter cup and slice the very top and the bottom of the cup, again just enough to be a flat surface on each end.

Take a Cinnamon bear and cut a thin slice off each of the arm sides of the bear body and cut it in half to make the waddle, shape waddle more if desired.

Separate out of the package of baking M&M's the yellow and orange candies and cut in half for the beak and feet. Cut as many as needed.

Melt wafers in a glass measuring cup in the microwave on 30 second increments, stirring until melted.

Use the melted wafers to attach all of the candies to the cookies.

Take the two cookies, one with the bottom cut off and a whole cookie, with the whole cookie (the base) stripped side facing down. Place melted candy to the bottom of the cut side of the cookie and set/place it next to the hole in the cookie, making sure that the strips on the cookie go vertical.

Now add melted candy to the cut Reese's cup on both cut ends and place in front and in the center of the feather cookie. Add malt ball head cut side down.

Now, candy glue on beak, eyes, waddle, and feet.

Nutter Butter Turkeys

Supplies

24 regular peanut-shaped Nutter Butter cookies, 12 large round Nutter Butter cookies, ½ cup white candy melts (more if needed), 120 candy corn pieces, 48 candy eyeballs, Orange Reese's Pieces (cut in half), Red cookie icing.

Instructions

1. Start by melting your white candy wafers. Use the low or defrost setting on your microwave, heating in 30-second bursts and stirring in between until the candy is smooth and melted. Let it cool slightly before you start working with it.
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Separate your round Nutter Butter cookies—feel free to keep or discard the peanut butter filling, depending on your preference.
3. Spread a bit of the melted candy on the round cookie, then place a peanut-shaped Nutter Butter on the lower half. You’ll want to work quickly here before the candy sets.
4. Grab five candy corn pieces and place them on top of the peanut-shaped cookie, close together like turkey feathers. The round cookie in the back will help support the candy corn, making sure everything stays upright.
5. Dip the end of a skewer (or a chopstick) into the melted candy, then dab a little onto the top part of the Nutter Butter. Pop on two candy eyeballs and gently press them down to secure.
6. Dab a bit more candy melt just under the eyes and press on a halved Reese’s Piece for the beak. Give it a gentle press to ensure it sticks.
7. Use the red cookie icing to pipe a little wattle (that dangly thing turkeys have!) on one side of the beak.
8. Allow your turkeys to set completely before serving. You can leave them at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

Donut Hole Acorns

Supplies

Store bought donut holes, Chocolate chips, Fall or chocolate sprinkles, Pretzel sticks (broken in half).

Instructions

1. In the microwave, melt ¼ cup of chocolate chips in a glass bowl for 30 seconds. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and completely melted. Microwave for an additional 15 second intervals if needed.
2. Dip the top part of the donut hole in the melted chocolate and then immediately dip into the bowl of sprinkles.
3. Push ½ of a pretzel stick into the top of the donut hole, leaving some of the pretzel sticking out to look like a stem. Place your finished acorn donut hole on parchment paper or a cooling rack and refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.
4. Enjoy immediately or store in an air tight container for up to 2 days.

Thanksgiving Cheese Ball (Looks Like a Turkey!)

Supplies

8 oz cream cheese softened, 8 oz whipped cream cheese - plain or with chives, 2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese, 0.6 oz one envelope dry Italian dressing mix, ½ cup pecans chopped (optional), Pretzel rods or sticks as desired, Googly or candy eyes, Mini bell pepper.

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the whipped cream cheese and beat to incorporate.
2. Add the dry Italian dressing and mix well.
3. With a spatula or large spoon, mix in the shredded cheese.
4. Cover bowl and refrigerate for an hour or until firm.
5. When the cheese ball is firm, remove from bowl and gently shape into a ball. Roll immediately in chopped nuts. Place on serving plate.
6. Decorate as desired with pretzel sticks/rods for the tail and one pretzel rod for a neck. With a small dab of cream cheese attach eyes and a small piece of bell pepper to form a beak.

Pumpkin Pie Cheese and Crackers

Supplies

Triscuit Thin Crisps, Chicken in a Biskit, light cream cheese, block(s) of cheddar cheese, disposable decorating bag, size 21 decorating tip.

Instructions

1. Put the decorating tip in the decorating bag and snip the top. Fill with cream cheese and close tightly with a rubber band.
2. Cut triangles from the block of cheese to fit on a Triscuit thin crisp. Each triangle ended up being a little over 1 ½ inches on each side and ½-inch high.
3. Use the cream cheese in the decorating bag to dab a bit of cream cheese on a Triscuit and place the cheddar triangle on top. Dab a little bit on the bottom half of a Chicken in a Biskit cracker and attach to one end. It doesn’t take very much cream cheese to adhere the crackers.
4. Pipe a dollop of cream cheese on top for "whipped cream."