This Cherry Delight Dessert will win over any crowd! The no-bake dessert is made with a sweet buttery Graham cracker crust, indulgent cream cheese filling, and flavorful cherry pie topping - perfect as a summertime family dessert or to make ahead for potlucks, the holidays, or celebrations!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- This dessert is great to freeze and can even be served without first thawing! Perfect as a chilled summer dessert.
- Cherry delight dessert is creamy and crunchy, sweet and tart - an irresistible combination of textures and flavors.
- This dessert is incredibly easy, with just three simple layers that don’t need to be baked!
Cherry Delight Dessert is a fail-proof make-ahead dessert that’s not overly sweet or heavy, calling for pantry-staple ingredients!
🛒 Ingredients
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Note: The full list of this recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are listed in the recipe card below.
- graham cracker crumbs
- butter
- granulated sugar
- cream cheese
- Cool Whip
- fresh lemon juice
- pure vanilla extract
- cherry pie filling
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Add the butter, sugar, and Graham cracker crumb mixture to a mixing bowl and combine well.
- Add the cracker crust mixture to the bottom of a sprayed 9x9-inch baking dish and pat down. Set aside.
- Add softened cream cheese to a large bowl and whip with a stand or hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice to the whipped cream cheese.
- Stir in the Cool Whip until well combined and smooth without overmixing.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the Graham cracker crust evenly using a spoon or spatula.
- Spoon the cherry pie filling over the cream cheese mixture.
- Refrigerate the fully assembled dessert until firm (for 2 hours or leave overnight).
🔪 Equipment
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- electric hand mixer
- mixing bowls
- spatula
- dry measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 9X9-inch glass casserole
🤔 FAQs
These are the questions we are most frequently asked about making Easy No-Bake Cherry Delight recipe.
Cherry delight dessert is a no-bake cheesecake that starts with a Graham cracker crust topped with a cream cheese mixture, followed by cherry pie filling topping. The dessert is stored in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Yes! If you intend to make this dessert ahead of time, I recommend freezing the crust and the cream cheese filling but leaving the cherry pie filling topping off until the frozen dessert is thawed.
Use Dream Whip in this dessert exactly as you would use Cool Whip. It’s a great substitute!
This dessert is made with three simple layers: a Graham cracker crust, cream cheese filling, and cherry pie filling topping. The non-bake cherry delight pie is then chilled to set before serving.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- It’s important to allow the cream cheese to soften before whipping it so it becomes light and fluffy. Leaving the block of cream cheese out at room temperature for about 30 minutes should do the trick but resist heating the cream in the microwave or placing it in hot water - this will only prevent it from whipping well.
- Make sure that the frozen whipped topping is also softened at room temperature before mixing it into the cream cheese mixture.
- You can buy Graham cracker crumbs from the baking aisle of your local store or crush them yourself using about 2 sleeves of Graham cracker sheets. Crush the crackers in a sturdy Zip loc bag using a rolling pin, or create the crumb mixture in a food processor.
- This recipe is entirely a no-bake dessert, but you could bake the crust before assembling the rest of the dessert, resulting in a sturdier crust. The crust will only need to be baked for 7-10 minutes at 375F. Allow the crust to cool completely before adding the cream cheese filling.
- This dessert can be made ahead of time. I suggest refrigerating the dessert for up to 2 days in advance, leaving the cherry pie topping off until just before serving. You can also make and store the crust 2 days in advance.
📚 Variations
- Instead of Graham cracker crust, use vanilla wafers or shortbread cookie crumbs for the crust of this dessert.
- Bake the crust before adding the cream cheese filling. This will provide a sturdier base and a toasted flavor but make sure that the baked crust is completely cool before adding the cream cheese filling.
- While I’ve used Cool Whip as an ingredient, you can also use Dream Whip, homemade whipped cream, or frozen whipped cream (softened). Anything fluffy and creamy will work well in this dessert.
- A different fruit pie filling is easy to vary this dessert. Instead of cherry pie filling, top your dessert with blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, or mixed berry pie filling.
🥫 Storage
Store leftover cherry delight dessert in the baking dish, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap in the fridge. It will last for five days.
You can also freeze this dessert for up to 3 months. Make sure to wrap it tightly with plastic.
📗 Related Recipes
I love easy desserts that require little to no baking time, especially during those hot summer months. I know you'll love this Key Lime Pie and Coconut Pineapple Delight. They're always a crowd favorite.
🍽 Serve with
While this cherry delight dessert is truly delicious when served as is, you could add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
This cherry delight dessert is my go-to recipe whenever I need an easy dessert that doesn’t require baking. I’ve certainly made variations of this recipe over the years, but the balance of sweet and tart from the cherry pie filling topping with a buttery cracker crust is hard to beat!
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
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📝 Recipe Card
Cherry Delight Dessert is a no-bake creamy, sweet, and tart treat made with three simple layers of Graham cracker crust, cream cheese filling, and cherry pie filling topping.
This refrigerated dessert is ideal for summer or whenever you want the convenience of a no-bake dessert.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Easy No-Bake Cherry Delight
Equipment Needed
- Square pan 9X9 inch may use 9-inch pie pan
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs about 10 full graham cracker sheets
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
For the filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed 1 container
- ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 21 ounce can cherry pie filling
Instructions
Crust:
- Add the butter to a medium bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds or until melted. Add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar and mix well to combine. Pat the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of a sprayed 9 x 9 baking dish. Set aside.
For the filling:
- In a large bowl, using a stand or hand-mixer, whip the softened cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix well.
- Stir in the Cool Whip until combined and smooth but don't overmix.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the graham cracker crust using a spoon or offset spatula.
- Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the cream mixture.
- Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hour. I like to leave mine in overnight.
- Store in refrigerator or freeze.
Notes
- It’s important to allow the cream cheese to soften before whipping it so it becomes light and fluffy. Leaving the block of cream cheese out at room temperature for about 30 minutes should do the trick but resist heating the cream in the microwave or placing it in hot water - this will only prevent it from whipping well.
- Make sure that the frozen whipped topping is also softened at room temperature before mixing it into the cream cheese mixture.
- You can buy Graham cracker crumbs from the baking aisle of your local store or crush them yourself using about 2 sleeves of Graham cracker sheets. Crush the crackers in a sturdy Zip loc bag using a rolling pin, or create the crumb mixture in a food processor.
- This recipe is entirely a no-bake dessert, but you could bake the crust before assembling the rest of the dessert, resulting in a sturdier crust. The crust will only need to be baked for 7-10 minutes at 375F. Allow the crust to cool completely before adding the cream cheese filling.
- This dessert can be made ahead of time. I suggest refrigerating the dessert for up to 2 days in advance, leaving the cherry pie topping off until just before serving. You can also make and store the crust 2 days in advance.
