Cherry Dessert

This Cherry Dessert is the perfect no-bake recipe. With just a few simple ingredients you’ll have a sumptuous creamy dessert ready to go without even turning the oven on. That’s the best part in my opinion. Especially on those warm, humid summer days when you crave something decadent but dare not turn on the oven to bake dessert. Of course, it also makes a stunning holiday dessert any time of the year!

Cool Whip topping and condensed milk come together for the ultimate smooth and fluff creamy center sitting on top of a graham cracker crust all topped with tart cherry pie filling.  Are your taste buds tingling yet? This cherry dessert is honestly so easy to make yet makes a scrumptious treat.

I absolutely love the rich taste of this cherry dessert, very cheesecake-like yet without the cheese. It really is the perfect summer dessert, so cooling but it is ideal any time of the year really, great for holidays, family dinners, and perfect for potlucks. I think it would also be great for Valentine’s Day if you are looking for a red-themed treat. One of the best cherry dessert recipes. You could add a touch of pink food coloring to the creamy center to enhance the overall Valentine’s look.

Using a rectangular baking dish turns this great dessert into cherry pie bars which are perfect for feeding a big crowd.  

You can easily make this delicious dessert ahead of time as it keeps well in the fridge for up to one week. Leftovers can be stored in the freezer for 3 months. 

Looking for more cherry recipes? Try these: Cherry Wink Cookies, Cherry Filled Coffee Cake, or these White Chocolate Cherry Cookies.   

Ingredients Needed To Make This Cherry Dessert Recipe

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

Graham cracker crumbs – You’ll need 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs. You can buy them premade or place graham crackers in the food processor and make your own crumbs. 

Butter – I used half a stick or 1/4 cup of butter, melted.

Sugar – White granulated sugar works well in this recipe. 

For the Creamy Center:

Sweetened condensed milk – I used one can of sweetened condensed milk.

Lemon juice – I used ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. 

Cool Whip – You’ll need 8 ounces of Cool Whip, low-fat works well too. 

Cherry Topping:

Cherry pie filling – two 20-ounce cans are needed for this dessert. You can use fresh cherries or even frozen cherries to make a cherry topping but it’s way easier and quicker to pick up a few cans of premade pie filling. 

 

How To Make This Cherry Delight Dessert

First: Combine crust ingredients in a large bowl until all of the crumbs are moistened. Press into the bottom of a 9 x13 baking dish.

Second: Combine sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice using an electric mixer for about 1 minute. It will thicken up a little bit. 

Third: Fold in Cool Whip.

Fourth: Spread the filling evenly over the graham cracker crust.  Then top with cherry pie filling, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before slicing and serving. This is the hardest part, but do wait until the dessert has time to set. 

*many times I make this the night before, then I am sure it has had time to set up perfectly.

 

You can serve the pie straight from the fridge or let it come to room temperature. 

Note: this can be made with low-fat or fat-free Cool Whip and works to use fat-free sweetened condensed milk, too!

 

Love it? Pin it!

If you love this classic cherry delight recipe sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

 

FAQs

What cherries are used in desserts? It can be confusing when it comes to choosing the right cherry to add to your best cherry desserts; tart cherries, sour cherries, maraschino cherries, bing cherries… how to decide? 

Research tells us that bing cherries are the most popular which must be what’s readily available at your local grocery store. My suggestion to you if you are making cherry clafoutis, mini cherry cheesecake, cherry bars, or chocolate cherry cookies is to test the different varieties and see which one you like best.

 

Substitutions

Instead of using a can of cherry pie filling top with fresh fruit like stone fruit or any other fruit pie filling. You can also top this delicious dessert with sweet cherries you picked up at your local farmers market during cherry season.

You can make the creamy filling by using two blocks of cream cheese instead of the Cool Whip.

Tips and Tricks

• Add a touch of vanilla or almond extract to the cream center. 
• For an even richer flavor top this easy dessert with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream like vanilla ice cream.
• Make mini desserts and prepare this great dessert in a muffin tray.

More Cherry Recipes to Love

• Cherry Butter (pictured above)
• Cherry Limeade Sweet Rolls
• Chocolate Cherry Brownies
• Cherry Cheese Bread
• Cherry Pie Jell-O Salad
• Cherry Fluff Recipe

This Cherry Dessert is so easy to put together.  This recipe came from my Grandma Czaplewski.  I am sure it probably came from a church cookbook at one time or another, I only wish she were still here so I could ask her!  She was such a dynamic woman, and I used to talk to her on the phone almost every day.  She has been gone since 1994, and I still miss her every day.

My mom, her twin sister and I still make it today. So, make one up for your family… who knows maybe your grandkids will be making this 40 years from now!?

 

This recipe was originally posted on May 30, 2014. It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on January 27, 2023.