This Easy No Bake Cheesecake Recipe is the perfect dessert! No bake cheesecake filling in a graham cracker crust that comes together quickly!
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There are few things better than easy no-bake desserts!
I love that you can prepare them the night before and have them ready and chilling in the fridge so that you aren't rushed on the day of your gathering or event.
Make-ahead desserts make life so much easier and this Easy No Bake Cheesecake is without question one of my favorite no bake desserts!
Making no bake cheesecake is SO much easier than a traditional cheesecake. You probably have everything you need on hand to make this simple recipe!
Why we love No Bake Cherry Cheesecake
- Delicious: Some of the best recipes are simple and still have a ton of flavor. Even though this recipe is made with only a few ingredients it’s loaded with creamy cheesecake and a tart cherry flavor.
- Cheap: With grocery store costs on the rise, this is a delicious, budget-friendly dessert!
- Total Comfort Food: When you need something comforting, this is the ultimate recipe! Cherries included!
No Bake Cherry Cheesecake ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust you'll need:
For the Cheesecake filling you'll need:
- Cream cheese
- Cool whip
- Sour cream
- Fresh lemon juice
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cherry pie filling
How to make No Bake Cheesecake with Cool Whip
- Stir together crust ingredients and firmly press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Cool crust until firm.
- Whip cream cheese, whipped topping, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla together.
- Beat until you can’t see any more cream cheese lumps.
- Pour into cooled graham cracker crust and smooth the top. Top with cherry pie filling.
- Chill for several hours or overnight.
How to store Cool Whip Cherry Cheesecake
Storing: Store your no-bake cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 7 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: This cheesecake can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 1 month to preserve quality and flavor.
How to serve No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake
You can serve this cherry cheesecake in any way you like, but it should be served chilled. It is especially good topped with whipped cream!
Cherry Cheesecake Recipe No Bake Substitutions
Salted Butter: Butter is essential to this recipe. We haven't tried it with dairy free butter but it might work!
Brown Sugar: We don't recommend substituting brown sugar unless you have to, but granulated White sugar can be used interchangeably with brown sugar. You can add 1 teaspoon of molasses to white sugar to make brown sugar. Check out this post on Sugar Substitutes for Baking for other ideas.
Vanilla Extract: Helps to add flavor, we don't recommend substituting.
Graham Cracker Crust: Other cookie/cracker options include Gingersnaps, Vanilla Wafers, or even Oreo Cookies. For the classic cheesecake flavor, stick with a Graham Cracker Crust.
Ground Cinnamon: Lovely flavor enhancer to your crust to elevate it above the rest!
Cream Cheese: The star of the show, we do not recommend substituting out the cream cheese.
Cool Whipped Cream: A thawed container of whipped cream.
Sour Cream: Another essential ingredient in cheesecake. Gives that tangy bite we all love in a cheesecake.
Fresh Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is essential in brightening up those flavors.
Cherry Pie Filling: Store-bought or homemade cherry pie filling will work well.
Cherry Cheesecake Pie No Bake Tips
- Blueberry Pie Filling: Cherry pie filling is lovely, and so is this Blueberry Pie Filling or Homemade Fresh Peach Pie Filling!
- Make it a Fall Cheesecake: Want a spin on a thanksgiving pie? Top this cheesecake with Homemade Apple Pie Filling!
- Even More Flavor! Add some lemon zest to the cherry pie filling to brighten up that flavor even more.
No Bake Cherry Cheesecake Pie FAQs
We all want to make our cheesecake and eat it too! Patience is key with cheesecake, even ones we don't bake. Cheesecake needs to be refrigerated for 6-8 hours, ideally overnight to set well.
Cheesecake needs to be refrigerated for 6-8 hours, ideally overnight to set well. In addition to chilling, make sure to not overmix the whipped topping into your cheesecake filling. Most of the wet ingredients in cheesecake can melt quickly. Mixing and chilling quickly is ideal for ensuring a set cheesecake.
No bake cheesecake will last in the fridge for up to 7 days. It's best enjoyed in 3-4 days.
No bake cheesecake shouldn't need to be thickened. If you do need to thicken it, you can try adding more cream cheese, but it might alter the texture of the cheesecake.
Other Cheesecake Recipes you'll love:
- Chocolate covered strawberry cheesecake
- Instant pot white chocolate raspberry cheesecake
- Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake
- No Bake Oreo Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Lemon Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Oreo Cheesecake
Cherry Cheesecake Pie No Bake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cups brown sugar lightly packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup salted butter melted
Cheese Cake
- 32 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 2 cups cool whip 8 oz container
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice about ½ lemon
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 21 oz can cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Stir together crust ingredients and firmly press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (you can also use a 10-inch springform pan if needed). I used a cup measurer to press the crust together, but you can also use a glass with a flat bottom. The crust should not be crumbly, or it will fall apart when cut in to.
- Cool crust until firm (about 20 minutes at room temperature).
- Whip cream cheese, whipped topping, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla together.
- Beat until you can’t see any more cream cheese lumps, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour into cooled graham cracker crust and smooth the top.
Top with cherry pie filling. - Chill for several hours or overnight (8-12 hours is ideal).
Notes
- Can I use other toppings besides cherry pie filling? You can substitute a variety of toppings if you don’t love a cherry topping. Different canned combinations include: blueberry, apple, strawberry, and fruit medley. All these flavors will work on this no bake cheesecake. If you have a homemade pie filling recipe, you can always choose to use this as well (Blogger: feel free to link any recipes that you have here) If you prefer not to have a canned topping you can leave this cheese cake plain, add on fresh berries, lemon curd, or a caramel topping.
- What if the cheesecake does not set? This cheesecake is naturally thick and creamy so if it did not set when you took off the sides of your springform pan, then it might mean that it has not been chilled for long enough. It is best to chill your cheesecake between 8 to 12 hours, but overnight is ideal. This no bake cheesecake is easy to assemble and a great make ahead dessert!
Annette Young
What do you do with the sour cream
lifebeginswithdessert
Hello! Sorry! You whip it together with the whipped topping and cream cheese 🙂 Adding it in now.
Anne
Just a quick question is there 805 calories in one slice?
Liz @ Tasty Treats & Eats
That was a typo! I just fixed it - it's 530 calories per slice.