Exquisitely light and heavenly no-bake cherry cheesecake filling nestled in a crisp graham cracker crust and topped with a homemade sweet cherry topping!
With cherry season being as short as it is, every year I’m always trying to squeeze in as many cherry desserts as I can before it ends. Last week I made the most AMAZING Cherry Garcia Ice Cream that both Ben AND Jerry would bow down to. Not to toot my own huge a** horn or anything…
So this week, I decided to incorporate more of that fresh cherry flavor into another delectable dessert…NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE.
Why You’ll Love This No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake
Pure Cherry Flavor: This cheesecake is flavored with REAL cherries. None of that canned cherry pie filling that’s mostly made up of artificial red gel. Not only is the filling infused with cherries, but the topping is made up of sweet and juicy cherries.
Lighter Than Baked Cheesecakes: No-bake cheesecakes are perfect during the summer since they’re much lighter and not as dense or heavy as baked cheesecakes. This cheesecake is exquisitely smooth, creamy, and almost mousse-like–soooo heavenly…
A Real Crowd Pleaser: Every time I make a no-bake cheesecake, there’s never a crumb left on the platter. This No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake is absolutely stunning in both flavor and appearance.
No-Bake Means No-Fuss: Standard baked cheesecakes require an hour plus in the oven, pesky water baths, and tons of cooling time. This cheesecake, however, doesn’t require any of that. Although the crust does bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, that step is totally optional. It’s also a fantastic make-ahead dessert since it requires at least 8 hours to chill and firm up.
Tried and True Tips
Chill Crust Before Baking: I highly recommend chilling the graham cracker crust in the freezer for about 15 minutes BEFORE baking it. This helps to solidify the butter, allowing the crust to hold its shape better in the hot oven. When the butter is cold, the graham crumbs are less likely to slump or slide down the sides of the springform pan. I usually make the crust up, pop it in the freezer, then start preheating the oven. The time it takes the oven to preheat is usually around 15 minutes.
Room Temperature Cream Cheese: Starting with room temperature cream cheese allows the ingredients to blend properly and results in a smoother filling. If you start with cold cream cheese, you end up with lumps or white specks of cream cheese all throughout the filling. I also highly recommend beating the cream cheese for a good 40-50 seconds on its own, since it loosens it up and makes it easier to incorporate with the rest of the ingredients.
Smash the Cherries *Just* Enough: Unlike berries, cherries have a skin which makes it more difficult for their juices to release when cooking them. To help them out, I like to use a potato masher (or a fork) to gently smash the cherries once they’ve softened a little. Now, the goal is to release the juices, not to smash the cherries into smithereens. You still want most of the cherries to be whole, so that you can see them throughout the topping.
Strain SOME of the Cherry Topping: In order to infuse the cheesecake filling with cherry flavor, a 1/2 cup of the cherry topping is incorporated into it. To keep the filling nice and smooth, you’ll need to puree the 1/2 cup cherry topping in either a food processor or a blender. Once it’s completely smooth, strain the pureed cherry topping through a fine mesh sieve to remove any cherry solids. The strained cherry liquid then goes into the filling.
Can I use frozen cherries?
Yes, but I would leave out the 3 Tablespoons of water since frozen cherries already contain additional water due to the freezing process.
Is it necessary to bake the crust?
The short answer is no. However, I prefer to bake my graham cracker crusts because it crisps it up and caramelizes it ever so slightly, giving it more flavor. Baking also prevents the crust from getting soggy over time since it provides a sort of barrier between the crust and the filling. Either way, the cheesecake will taste great no matter what.
Cherry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 7 Tablespoons butter, melted
Cherry Topping:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 18 ounces fresh sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted
- 3 Tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Cherry Cheesecake:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 24 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
To Decorate:
- Freshly-Whipped Cream
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Remove the crust from the freezer and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Make the Topping:
- In a small bowl, stir the sugar, cornstarch and salt together until combined. Add this mixture to a medium saucepan, along with the cherries and water.
- Cook mixture over medium-low heat. As the cherries heat up and begin to soften, use a potato masher or fork to smash the cherries, releasing their juices. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the sauce is thick and a deep red color, remove it from the heat and stir in vanilla and almond extract. Pour into a shallow dish for quicker cooling.
- Transfer 1/2 cup of the cherry topping to a food processor or blender, and pulse until smooth. Pour cherry puree through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl to remove any cherry solids. Set aside to cool completely.
Make the Cheesecake:
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl and keep in the refrigerator.
- Switch whisk attachment out for the paddle attachment. Beat the cream cheese on high until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, vanilla, almond extract and salt, and continue beating until completely incorporated. Add the pureed/strained cherry topping, beating until combined. Fold in the whipped cream until just combined.
- Pour filling into the crust, smoothing the surface with an offset spatula or a butterknife. Pour cooled cherry topping on top of the cheesecake, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges for whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- On the day of serving, pipe a border of freshly-whipped cream along the border of the cheesecake. Slice, serve, and enjoy!