If you’re looking for a simple and flavorful dessert, I have just the recipe for you. It’s my Easy No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake Dessert and I can almost be sure you’ll want to devour the whole thing!
I like the recipe for many reasons. First and foremost, it reminds me of my Grandma Metzger. This was her go-to recipe when she needed to make a last-minute dessert. Made with simple ingredients and ready in a jiffy? Of course, she loved it!
She brought it to family gatherings, saddle club meetings and church suppers. When her name was on the dessert list, everyone was thrilled.
I’m no different. I was always delighted (okay, ecstatic!) to see one sitting in the refrigerator, and now it’s one of my go-to recipes, too! It’s also my daughter Kylie’s number one dessert request (she’s known to eat leftovers of this for breakfast!).
Since it’s a great year-round recipe, this No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake even makes its way into our holiday meal lineup. Sometime’s we have a decadent pie AND this cherry cheesecake… no one complains!
I must say, even though I welcome this recipe when the weather is cold, nothing beats eating it under the summer sun. When backyard barbecues are in full swing, this dessert is the perfect after-meal treat! Who doesn’t love a NO BAKE recipe? Am I right?
No Bake Cherry Cheesecake
I love this Easy No Bake Cherry Cheesecake Dessert for many reasons!
Ingredients
- *Crust (Or use the Keebler graham crust with 2 extra servings)
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs*
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup white sugar
Filling
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 can Cherry pie filling
Instructions
- To prepare the crust, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and white sugar together and press it into an 11” x 7” pan or pie dish.
- I prefer to leave the crust unbaked. chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before filling. If you want to bake the crust for a richer taste, bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. Let completely cool before filling.
- To prepare the filling, whip the heavy cream until it thickens and until small peaks form. (Don’t over-beat, or it will start to turn to butter!)
- In a separate bowl, cream the cream cheese and sugar. Fold in the heavy cream by hand.
- When fully incorporated, fold the mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust. Spread evenly and then top the pie with a can of cherry pie filling.
- Refrigerate overnight. (The longer you can refrigerate the pie before serving, the better it will taste!)
Notes
*You can also use a store bought graham cracker crust. I like the Keebler one that says it has 2 extra servings.
How To Double This Recipe
While I’ve always taken the easy way out when making this dessert for our family by using a premade graham cracker crust, preparing that way doesn’t always make it easy to double this recipe.
And I’ve learned that doubling this recipe isn’t a straight double up on all ingredients.
Here are my suggestions:
- Double the 8 oz. cream cheese to a total of 16 oz.
- For the whipped cream, use 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, then whip
- Use 2 cups of powdered sugar
- 2 cans cherry pie filling
This ratio has resulted in perfection whenever I’ve needed to double this for entertaining.
You’ll want to use a 13×9 dish when doubling the recipe. I use a 13×9 pyrex dish. And you’ll need to make a graham cracker crust. It’s really easy (which I’m always reminded of when I do double this and then I wonder why I’m so hooked on the premade crust! Habits are hard to break! )
For a graham cracker crust for the 13×9 pan, I use 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs mixed with 1/3 cup of sugar. Then add a melted 8 TBSP stick of butter. Make sure the crumbs are coated well in the butter, the crumb mixture should look like wet sand. Press it evenly in your dish and tap it down with the back of a drinking glass or a metal measuring cup. You want it to be firm, just not overly solid and packed. Put this in the refrigerator for a bit before adding the cream cheese part of the recipe.
Cherry….or BERRY?
The fun thing about this cherry cheesecake dessert is that you can use a different type of pie filling if you prefer. Strawberry would be yummy (even fresh berries instead of pie filling would be light and delicious!
Click HERE to see another one of my favorite variations.
I love sharing my grandmother’s family recipes with you. She’d be so tickled that simple and easy meals and desserts are helping you celebrate with your family the way she loved to celebrate with hers.
From my kitchen to yours,
Jill
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