No Bake Cherry Cheesecake is the easiest summertime dessert! It’s made with only 6 ingredients and the prep time is under 20 minutes, making this a great dessert to make and bring to your next family gathering.
This cheesecake combines two things I love: no bake desserts and cherries.
Kind of like if you were to combine my vegan cheesecake and my cherry crumb bars, except this recipe is definitely not vegan (sorry!).
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
My mom made (and still makes) a very similar recipe many times throughout my childhood. In fact, it’s one of my stepdad’s favorite desserts! Here’s why:
Creamy: It has a creamy cheesecake filling made with cream cheese and homemade whipped cream.
Simple: Made using 6 simple ingredients, so it’s truly a no-fuss dessert recipe (that also happens to require zero baking!).
Light: Though this is a cheesecake, it’s surprisingly light compared to traditional cheesecake.
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust – Homemade or store-bought, just make sure if you use store-bought that it’s a 9 inch crust.
Cream cheese – Full fat cream cheese is the way to go, and soften it to room temperature before incorporating it.
Powdered sugar – I originally tested this using cane sugar but ended up preferring the powdered sugar because I think it helps hold the pie together better.
Vanilla extract – Gives the pie filling more flavor!
Heavy whipping cream – No substitution; I haven’t tested this with half and half or coconut milk or anything other than heavy cream.
Cherry pie filling – Make sure the cherry filling has actual whole cherries in it! Some of them are more like cherry jam, which we don’t want.
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the crust. If you’re using a store-bought crust, skip this step. Otherwise, follow the steps in my vegan key lime pie recipe for how to make a homemade graham cracker crust.
Step 2: Make the cream cheese filling. Next, cream the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla together until smooth.
Step 3: Whip the cream. In a separate bowl, add the heavy cream. Mix with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) on low speed for 1-2 minutes, then medium speed for 1-2 minutes and lastly, on high speed for 1 minute until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the bowl with the cream cheese mixture until combined.
Step 4: Refrigerate. Scoop the filling out into the pie crust, then place the pie in the refrigerator. Chill for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Step 5: Prepare and serve. Before serving, scoop the cherry filling out on top of the pie. Slice and enjoy!
Tips & FAQs
- To make a homemade graham cracker crust: Blend whole graham crackers and melted butter together until the mixture can easily be pinched between your fingers. You don’t want it to be too wet, but you do want it to hold together.
- Do NOT mix the cream cheese and whipped cream together with an electric mixer. Otherwise, the filling won’t solidify in the fridge. Instead, gently fold them together with a rubber spatula or large spoon.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
Quickly soften the cream cheese by unwrapping it, then placing it on a microwave-safe dish and microwaving for 12-15 seconds.
No, you can definitely use fresh cherries if you prefer (both taste delicious!). However, if you want the cherry topping to be juicy, you’ll want to cook down the cherries a bit rather than just putting fresh cherries on top. To do so, add fresh cherries to a saucepan, along with a little sugar and water, and cook until the cherries begin to soften.
Sure! Fresh strawberries, peaches or even blueberries would all be delicious.
Storage
Refrigerator: Keep cheesecake in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 4 days. It probably keeps for longer, but it’s never lasted more than 4 days in our house 🙂
Freezer: You’ll want to make sure the cheesecake has already set before freezing it. But, once it’s set, wrap the entire dish in plastic wrap, and then again in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
More no bake dessert recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
-
Start by making the crust. If you’re using a store-bought crust, skip this step. Otherwise, follow the steps in this post for how to make a homemade crust, making sure to use a 9″ pie pan.
-
Next, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla to a medium bowl and whisk with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth; set aside.
-
In a large bowl, add the heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. To do this, I like to start on low speed and slowly increase until I’m whipping on high speed for the final minute.
-
Add the whipped cream to the bowl with the cream cheese and gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Then, transfer the mixture to the prepared pie crust and smooth out the top. Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to set.
-
Top the pie with the cherry pie filling, then slice and enjoy!
*Make sure to fold the cream cheese mixture and whipped cream together; do not over-mix or else the filling won’t set properly
Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 161g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 68g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 38g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 1012mg | Potassium: 361mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 973IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 5mg
