No Bake Cherry Cheesecake Dessert

A scoop of cherry cheesecake dessert on a square plate.

No Bake Cherry Cheesecake Dessert

Enjoy a delicious No Bake Cherry Cheesecake Dessert with layers of graham crackers, creamy filling, and homemade cherry topping. Easy, refreshing, and perfect year-round!

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8 29

Dessert

American

531 kcal

Equipment

Saucepan
handheld electric mixer, or stand mixer

Ingredients

For the Cherry Filling

7 cups frozen cherries
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

For the Cheesecake Filling

16 oz cream cheese, softened ^{(see notes)} (regular, light or a combo)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups heavy whipping cream, cold ^{(see notes)}
10-12 graham crackers, or more, depending on the shape/size of your serving dish

Instructions

Prepare the cherry filling ^{(see notes)}: In a small saucepan, combine the cherries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cherries release their juices and start to soften, about 5-7 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the cherry mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let the topping cool to room temperature. (Make sure the cherries are completely cooled before assembling the dessert; transfer to a shallow dish and quick cool in the fridge or freezer, if needed.)
Prepare the cheesecake filling: In the bowl of stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract on medium-high until smooth. Add the heavy whipping cream and beat again until stiff peaks form. (This entire step should take about 3 to 4 minutes.)
Assemble the dessert: Arrange a single layer of graham crackers across the bottom of a 10-cup baking/serving dish ^{(see notes)}. Spread one-half of the cheesecake filling across the graham crackers all the way to the edges (use an offset spatula or piping bag), then top with the cherry filling. Add one more layer of graham crackers then finish with a layer of cheesecake filling.
Refrigerate the dessert overnight (or at least 8 hours). Serve directly from the dish.

Notes

To soften cream cheese, leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or microwave it for few seconds (use your microwave’s presets for softening such things, if it has that feature). Softened cream cheese = smooth, no lumpy, filling.
Leave the heavy cream in the fridge until it's time to use for best results.
If the cherries are really juicy, there may be a lot of syrup after cooking them down. You can choose to use all of it when you assemble the dessert, or reserve the excess for decorating the top.
For the serving dish, the following sizes should work: 9x2-inch square, 9x2.5-inch round, or a 11x7x 2-inch rectangle. For odd sizes, you can do some math or use a measuring cup to fill it with water…be sure to count the cups as you go!

Nutrition

make ahead

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