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This Cherry Delight Recipe has a cool and creamy cheesecake filling, graham cracker crust and homemade cherry pie filling to top it off. It’s a no-bake dessert that’s a classic: the combination of cherries and cheesecake is a perfect match! If you’re looking for an easy dessert: this is IT!
What is a Cherry Delight Recipe?
It’s an amazing no bake dessert! It’s basically three layers: graham cracker crust, cheesecake filling, and cherry pie filling on top. It’s popular at potlucks because it holds well and can be made ahead.
Depending on where you’re from, you might call it a cherry delight salad since it’s basically the same thing as strawberry pretzel salad but made with cherries instead.
You’ll love this recipe because it uses homemade cherry pie filling and the best graham cracker crust. It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients Needed
- The Crust: Graham cracker crumbs, Brown sugar, and melted butter, just like my favorite no-bake graham cracker crust recipe.
- Softened cream cheese – make sure it’s softened to room temperature to avoid lumps.
- Powdered sugar – you can swap granulated sugar in an equal amount.
- Cool Whip – any kind, or substitute 2 cups freshly whipped cream.
- Cherry Pie Filling – I used my homemade cherry pie filling but you can use a can instead.
How to Make Cherry Delight
- For the filling, you only need four ingredients and it’s simple to make. Just combine the cream cheese with the powdered sugar. Mix in the vanilla. Then fold the Cool Whip into the mixture.
- Make the crust by stirring together all the ingredients and pressing in the bottom of a 9×9 or 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Top with the cheesecake.
- Top with the pie fillling. Chill to set.
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Tips
- You can use ANY pie filling (cherry, blueberry, apple…and this dessert is delish with any of them).
- If you can get your hands on fresh cherries or want to make a homemade cherry pie filling with frozen, you can. But homemade isn’t required: you can actually just use a can of pie filling if you prefer!
- Make sure to chill this to set – it’s great to make ahead because of that reason.
- Want to use fresh whipped cream instead of cool whip? Beat 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and then gently fold it into the cheesecake mixture.
Cherry Delight Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups (154g) graham cracker crumbs (about 9 sheets)
- 7 tablespoons (99g) unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
- Pinch Salt
Filling:
- 8 ounces (226g) Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar
- 8 ounces (226g) Cool Whip (1 container)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1 (20 ounce) can Cherry Pie Filling (or from scratch)
Instructions
- Stir graham cracker crumbs, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar and melted butter in small bowl with a fork until all cookies are moistened with butter. Press into the bottom of an 8×8-inch pan. Chill until filling is ready.
- Use a hand mixer to mix powdered sugar into cream cheese until combined. Mix in vanilla and fold in whipped topping.
- Spread filling on top of chilled crust. Top with cherry pie filling.
- Chill until set, at least one hour, before serving.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- You can make this in a pie pan as a pie if you prefer
- Use canned pie filling (any flavor!) or homemade
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, loosely covered.
I’m making this for the third time. I absolutely love it. I’ve been using blueberry pie filling instead of cherry the last couple times.
I’m so glad you have this recipe! I lost my Grandmother’s original recipe for Cherry Yum Yum. Your recipe is very close to hers. We have made yours several times already. Thank you so much for sharing!
I have found this one of the best desserts to take to potluck affairs. The dish always comes home empty. Also it makes life easier because you can make it hours ahead of time. Just keep in fridge until needed
Hi. My husband loves this! I make it once/week!
I missed the cinnamon portion you are adding in how much do I use ?
Also does it work if I use monk fruit powdered sweetener and no sugar ingredients ?
It should work just fine with sugar-free ingredients but I haven’t tried it. Cinnamon is optional for the crust.
Why is my crust so hard you can’t cut it?
Is it really cold? If it gets that way you can warm your knife, or dip the bottom of the pan in warm water for a minute
Definitely, it’ll work as a replacement for the sugar. What I do is as I’m making something that calls for sugar, I add in the sweetner little bit at a time. Once it’s sweet enough for me, I stop. I use allulose as my. Sweetner of choice.
Hello Jack,
I found how much cinnamon in her recipe she has for just the crust recipe if you want to use the cinnamon in it. It calls for 1/2 teaspoon for the 8×8 recipe and if you want to make it in a 9×13 inch pan, use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. I’ve made this recipe a few times already and the cinnamon really tastes awesome in it.
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