The Ultimate Cheesecake Toppings Bar & Dessert Board
Oct 06, 2023 Updated Jul 08, 2026
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Table of Contents
- My Personal Favorite Toppings to Put on Cheesecake
- How I Put It All Together
- 31+ Best Cheesecake Toppings Ideas
- The Best Store-Bought Cheesecakes for a Toppings Bar
- How to Make Cheesecake
- My No-Fail Cheesecake Toppings Formula
- My Favorite Cheesecake Topping Flavor Combinations
- FAQs
- Show Me Your Cheesecake Toppings
- Cheesecake Toppings Board Recipe
- Shop This Post
New York Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts, especially when it comes with delicious toppings! I put together this build-your-own-style toppings board so that guests can customize every slice. That makes this cheesecake charcuterie board the perfect sweet treat for hosting holiday feasts, baby showers, and birthday parties.
I like to serve a classic “plain” cheesecake on a platter so that I can include a wider range of cheesecake toppings for guests on a board, but you can easily swap in your favorite kind of flavored cheesecake(s) too, including pumpkin, chocolate, Oreo, raspberry-swirled, peanut butter, and so many more.
No matter what you serve, this board lets you turn a simple store-bought cheesecake into the centerpiece of your dessert table. You can’t go wrong!
Still craving something sweet? Check out all of my Dessert Recipes, like my Whipped Cream Cheese Dip, S’mores Dip Recipe, Chocolate-Caramel Fondue Recipe & Dippers, and Ice Cream Sundae Board.
My Personal Favorite Toppings to Put on Cheesecake
- 1 cheesecake, store-bought or homemade (see more below)
- Pecan halves
- Strawberries, halved
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Cherry compote
- Blueberry jam
- Strawberry jam
- Mini Oreos
- Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- Whipped cream
- Caramel sauce
- Chocolate sauce
- Graham crackers, quartered
How I Put It All Together
- Place the whipped cream, cherry compote, blueberry jam, and strawberry jam in separate small bowls or ramekins, then add to the center of the board.
- Add the caramel and chocolate sauces to separate small bowls or ramekins and place on opposite corners of the board. Place the Oreos and peanut butter in the other opposing corners.
- Arrange the blackberries around the caramel sauce and the raspberries around the chocolate sauce. Arrange the strawberries and blueberries on either side of the ramekins in the center of the board.
- Fill in the empty spaces with the graham crackers and pecans.
31+ Best Cheesecake Toppings Ideas
Plain cheesecake is like a blank canvas–it pairs beautifully with so many different flavors because it hits both savory and sweet notes. You can choose toppings to bring out either of those flavors, but I personally like to pair it with bright acids to complement the rich, creaminess. You can also double down on the creaminess! The world is your…cheesecake.
Fruity & Acidic Cheesecake Toppings
- Lemon curd
- Peaches
- Pineapple
- Cranberry compote
- Key lime curd
- Passionfruit coulis
- Blueberry compote
- Raspberry coulis
- Cherry pie filling
- Peach topping
- Pineapple topping
- Apple pie filling
Creamy Cheesecake Toppings
- Classic sour cream topping (try this recipe!)
- Chocolate mousse
- Chocolate ganache
- Pistachio mousse
- Pumpkin mousse
- Whipped cream
- Nutella
- Marshmallow fluff
Rich Cheesecake Sauces
- Chocolate ganache
- Hot fudge sauce
- Salted caramel sauce
- Butterscotch sauce
- Dulce de leche
- Blackberry sauce
- Strawberry sauce
Crunchy Cheesecake Toppings
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Candied nuts
- Biscoff and other cookie crumbles
- Pretzels
- Chocolate shavings
- Shredded coconut
Candy & Dessert Toppings for Cheesecake
- Reese’s Pieces
- Snickers pieces
- Heath Bar pieces
- Butterfinger pieces
- Andes Mints
- M&Ms
- Crushed Oreos
- Cookie dough bites
- Brownie chunks
- Sprinkles
The Best Store-Bought Cheesecakes for a Toppings Bar
You can always go the extra mile and make a homemade cheesecake, but I have to admit that I am not a baker! I prefer to buy the cheesecake, which also makes this board super low lift. These are my favorites:
- Local grocery store bakery cheesecake (especially Costco!)
- Local bakery cheesecake
Frozen options:
- The Cheesecake Factory Original Cheesecake
- Junior’s New York Cheesecake
- Sara Lee Classic Cheesecake
- Philadelphia Original Cheesecake
- Daiya Dairy-Free New York Cheesecake (gluten-free)
- Chuckanut Bakers Gourmet Cheesecake (they make a gluten-free option!)
How to Make Cheesecake
If you want to go the homemade route, more power to you! Cheesecake is actually surprisingly easy to make and pretty hard to mess up. Here are some stellar recipes to try:
- Easy Cheesecake from King Arthur Baking Company
- Our Best Cheesecake from AllRecipes
- BA’s Best Cheesecake from Bon Appetit
- The Best Cheesecake Recipe from Sugar Spun Run
- Classic New York Cheesecake from Once Upon a Chef
- Philadelphia Classic Cheesecake from Philadelphia
My No-Fail Cheesecake Toppings Formula
For each slice of cheesecake, I always include:
- 1 creamy topping
- 1 fruit
- 1 sauce
- 1 crunchy topping
My Favorite Cheesecake Topping Flavor Combinations
The whole point of this board is for guests to be able to customize every slice to their liking, but I wanted to share some of my favorite cheesecake toppings flavor combos for even more inspo:
Classic New York Cheesecake
- Strawberries
- Strawberry sauce
- Whipped cream
- Graham cracker crumbles
Chocolate Lover’s Cheesecake
- Chocolate ganache
- Brownie chunks
- Chocolate shavings
- Strawberries
Summer Cheesecake
- Peaches
- Blueberries
- Honey
- Mint
- Graham cracker crumbles
Tropical Cheesecake
- Passionfruit coulis
- Coconut shavings
- Whipped cream
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- Caramel sauce
- Candied pecans
- Crushed pretzels
- Whipped cream
Thanksgiving Cheesecake
- Cranberry compote
- Orange zest
- Candied walnuts
Christmas Cheesecake
- Pistachio mousse
- White chocolate shavings
- Candied pecans
New Year’s Eve
- Chocolate ganache
- Gold sprinkles
- Raspberries
- Whipped cream
FAQs
According to The Cheesecake Factory, a 10-inch cheesecake serves 12 to 15 people. Pro-tip: cut the slices small so guests can enjoy multiple pieces with different flavor combos!
There’s no right or wrong answer here, but more is more when it comes to toppings! I try to have 10 to 15 different toppings, but the most important thing is variety! Make sure you have different flavors and textures.
Yes, this is one of the easiest boards to make ahead because a lot of the ingredients are shelf-stable! Just be mindful of how long the cheesecake will take to make or defrost, and try to avoid cutting any fruit more than a couple of hours ahead of time.
Strawberries are the most popular and the most classic!
Avoid anything super juicy, like melon, because it will make other toppings soggy and might give the cheesecake a weird, wet texture.
I would avoid using frozen fruit unless you’re using it to make a compote or sauce!
The best part of this board is that the toppings are all on the side! That means that the fruits I’ve suggested won’t have time to make anything soggy before it makes it to your mouth.
This board shouldn’t be left out for more than 2 hours because of the dairy and eggs. The fruit will also get yucky, especially if it’s cut!
Yes! This is the best way to serve a warm sauce because the colder temperature of the cheesecake will help it hold up better to the warmth of the sauce. Be warned: Depending on how cold the cheesecake is, the sauce may not stay warm for long!
Show Me Your Cheesecake Toppings
I hope this post inspires you to make this cheesecake toppings board. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the sweet spreads you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share!
And, if you liked this recipe, please rate and review.
Cheesecake Toppings Board
Ingredients
- 1 cheesecake store-bought or homemade
- Pecan halves
- Strawberries halves
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Cherry compote
- Blueberry jam
- Strawberry jam
- Mini Oreos
- Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- Whipped cream
- Caramel sauce
- Chocolate sauce
- Graham crackers quartered
Instructions
- Place the whipped cream, cherry compote, blueberry jam, and strawberry jam in separate small bowls or ramekins, then add to the center of the board.
- Add the caramel and chocolate sauces to separate small bowls or ramekins and place on opposite corners of the board. Place the Oreos and peanut butter in the other opposing corners.
- Arrange the blackberries around the caramel sauce and the raspberries around the chocolate sauce. Arrange the strawberries and blueberries on either sides of the ramekins in the center of the board.
- Fill in the empty spaces with the graham crackers and pecans.
Video
Photos by Haley Hunt Davis of Salt Worth Creative. Food styling with Ryan Norton.
Love this idea! Also think you daughter is adorable
This is such a fabulous idea! I find it inspiring, and it would be a great addition to any holiday gathering! I’m definitely doing this! Thank you, Meg!! 😀
This is a great idea! My family loves cheesecakes so this is kind of like a sundae bar, but with cheesecakes. Genius!