No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake is a square cheesecake made in an 8×8 dish with no oven and no eggs: a buttery graham cracker crust, a smooth filling of cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and Cool Whip, and a can of cherry pie filling spooned over the top right before serving. Hands-on time is about 18 minutes. The rest is chilling, 4 to 6 hours or overnight, and it cuts into 9 squares.
How to make it: Line the dish with parchment, press a mix of graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter into the bottom, and chill it. Beat the softened cream cheese until soft, mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon juice, then fold in the Cool Whip. Spread the filling over the crust, cover and chill, and top with the cherry pie filling when you’re ready to serve.
Why You’ll Love It
- No oven: nothing is baked, so there’s no water bath, no cracked top and no guessing about doneness.
- No eggs: the filling sets in the refrigerator.
- Short hands-on time: about 18 minutes of work, then the refrigerator does the rest.
- Easy to serve: the parchment lining lets you lift the whole cheesecake out of the dish.
- Make it the day before: an overnight chill works perfectly.
Ingredient Notes
Graham crackers: 9 full crackers, which is one sleeve. Pulse them into small crumbles.
Sugar, salt and butter for the crust: 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter, melted.
Cream cheese: 16 ounces, which is 2 blocks, softened so it beats smooth without lumps. Full-fat brick cream cheese is the usual choice for cheesecake.
Confectioner’s sugar: 1 cup. Powdered sugar dissolves into the cream cheese, so the filling stays smooth.
Cool Whip: one 8-ounce container, folded in at the end.
Vanilla and lemon juice: 1 teaspoon of each. Use fresh lemon juice if you have it.
Cherry pie filling: one 21-ounce can, added on top before serving.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 9 graham crackers (1 sleeve)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
For the filling and topping
- 16 ounces cream cheese (2 blocks), softened
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 8 ounces Cool Whip (1 container)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 21 ounces cherry pie filling (1 can)
How to Make No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake
1. Line the dish. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, letting the parchment fold over two sides of the dish so you can pull the cheesecake out later.
2. Crush the crackers. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are small crumbles. Without a food processor, put the crackers in a zip-top bag and crush them with a mallet or another kitchen object.
3. Mix the crust. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 8 tablespoons melted butter.
4. Press and chill the crust. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the baking dish. Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
5. Beat the filling. With an electric mixer, beat the 16 ounces softened cream cheese until soft. Mix in the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and lemon juice, then stir until smooth.
6. Fold in the Cool Whip. Fold in the 8 ounces of Cool Whip until the filling is combined and smooth.
7. Fill and chill. Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
8. Top and serve. Top with the cherry pie filling before serving.
Can You Put Cherry Pie Filling on a Cheesecake?
Yes, and that’s exactly what this recipe does. A 21-ounce can of cherry pie filling covers an 8×8 cheesecake in a thick, glossy layer, and it needs no cooking. Canned pie filling is the quickest topping, but it’s not the only one. Here are the options, from easiest to most work:
- Canned cherry pie filling: open the can and spoon it over the chilled cheesecake. Nothing else to do.
- Black cherry spread: a 10-ounce jar of black cherry spread or conserve can be spread over the top at serving time instead. When cherries are in season, a couple of handfuls of fresh cherries scattered on top also work.
- A quick cooked cherry topping: made from fresh or frozen cherries with sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. The method is below.
How to Make a Homemade Cherry Topping
If you’d rather skip the can, a stovetop topping takes about 10 minutes plus cooling. This amount comes from a recipe written for a larger, 12-serving cheesecake, so it makes a thinner layer on an 8×8 dish; spread what you like and keep the rest for ice cream.
- Ingredients: 1/2 lb of fresh black cherries, pitted; 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar; the juice of 1 large lemon; and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch.
- Cook the cherries: put the cherries, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cherries soften slightly.
- Thicken: add the cornstarch and stir constantly for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens and turns glossy. You can also mix the cornstarch with a tiny bit of water first and stir in that slurry.
- Cool completely: pour it into a heat-safe jar or bowl and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it until the cheesecake is ready. Spread it on only once both the topping and the cheesecake are cold.
Which cherries? Sweet black cherries are the usual choice. Frozen cherries work too, and they’re already pitted. Sour cherries make a much tarter topping, so use them only if that’s what you want.
Making a big batch? For a larger cheesecake, a bigger batch uses 32 ounces of pitted cherries, 8 ounces of sugar, 8 ounces of water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, brought to a simmer, then thickened with a slurry of 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 2 ounces of cool water, cooked for 1 minute while stirring. Let it cool before spreading it in an even layer.
When to Add the Cherries
Add the topping just before serving. The cheesecake should be fully chilled first, and a homemade topping should be completely cool. If the dessert has to wait after topping, keep it in the refrigerator until you slice it.
Tips for a Smooth, Firm No-Bake Cheesecake
People often ask for the secret to a good cheesecake. For this no-bake one, it comes down to the few steps in the recipe:
- Soften the cream cheese. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps. Let the blocks sit out until soft, then beat them before adding anything else.
- Beat, then fold. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth, but fold the Cool Whip in gently at the end.
- Press the crust firmly. Pack the crumbs down well and chill the crust while you make the filling.
- Chill long enough. Give it at least 4 hours, or leave it overnight.
- Use the parchment. The paper folded over two sides lets you lift the cheesecake out of the dish in one piece.
Variations
- Different crust: use spiced cookie crumbs in place of some or all of the graham crackers.
- Homemade topping: swap the can for the cooked cherry topping above.
- Black cherry spread: spread a 10-ounce jar over the top at serving time.
- Fresh cherries: in season, scatter fresh cherries on top.
Storage & Make Ahead
Make ahead: Make the cheesecake the day before and chill it overnight, then add the cherries just before serving.
Keep it cold: This is a cream cheese dessert, so serve it cold and put it back in the refrigerator within 2 hours (within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F). Keep it at 40°F or below.
Leftovers: Cover or wrap the leftovers well and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
What to Serve With It
This cheesecake is rich, so serve it after a simple meal, or put it on a dessert table next to other sweets. For another no-bake cheesecake, try the no-bake strawberry crunch cheesecake or the no-bake mini egg cheesecake. Have an extra can of pie filling? Make Christmas cherry bars. And if you’d like to turn the oven on, bake a lemon meringue cheesecake, a caramel brownie cheesecake or a carrot cake cheesecake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put cherry pie filling on a cheesecake?
Yes. Spoon a 21-ounce can of cherry pie filling over the chilled cheesecake right before serving.
What is the secret to making a good no-bake cheesecake?
Beat softened cream cheese until smooth, fold the Cool Whip in gently, press the crust firmly, and chill the cheesecake for 4 to 6 hours or overnight before adding the topping.
How long does no-bake cherry cheesecake need to chill?
At least 4 hours, and up to 6 hours or overnight.
Can I use fresh or frozen cherries?
Yes. Cook them into a quick topping with sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch, cool it completely, then spread it on the cold cheesecake.
How long does it keep?
Covered in the refrigerator, eat it within 3 to 4 days.
Final Notes
Make the cheesecake the night before, open the can of cherries when it’s time for dessert, and it’s on the table in minutes. If you try the homemade topping, tell me in the comments which cherries you used.
No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake
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Ingredients
- 9 graham crackers 1 sleeve, pulsed to small crumbles
- 2 tablespoons sugar for the crust
- 1/4 teaspoon salt for the crust
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick, melted
- 16 ounces cream cheese 2 blocks, softened
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 8 ounces Cool Whip 1 container
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice fresh
- 21 ounces cherry pie filling 1 can
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper, letting the parchment fold over two sides of the dish so you can pull the cheesecake out later.
- Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are small crumbles. Without a food processor, put the crackers in a zip-top bag and crush them with a mallet or another kitchen object.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 8 tablespoons melted butter.
- Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the baking dish. Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
- With an electric mixer, beat the 16 ounces softened cream cheese until soft. Mix in the confectioner's sugar, vanilla and lemon juice, then stir until smooth.
- Fold in the 8 ounces of Cool Whip until the filling is combined and smooth.
- Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
- Top with the cherry pie filling before serving.
