Easy Classic No-Bake Cherry Delight Dessert Recipe
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One thing you can count on from me is canning recipes and dessert recipes. I have a major sweet tooth and I’m working to make childhood favorites into more nutrient dense creations. Cherry delight is one of those classic no-bake desserts with simple ingredients (and also highly processed ingredients) that I had a bunch growing up. It’s one of my favorite desserts.
Whether at home or potlucks or the holiday table, this easy dessert seemed to show up, and I was not mad one bit about it. It’s an easy throw together dessert with a crust made from graham cracker crumbs, with a cream cheese filling, topped with delicious cherry pie filling. Such a crowd-pleasing dessert!
This is a twist on the classic cherry delight to use ingredients I have in my canning pantry and omitting the highly processed dream whip or cool whip or whipped topping that doesn’t make me feel very good when I eat it! It’s great for potlucks in the hot summer months because it’s a light dessert and isn’t overly heavy. You could also include some fresh cherries into the filling to make it extra delish. This recipe is a no bake dessert recipe with the choice to bake the graham cracker crust if you prefer it crunchy rather than cakey like me! I give both instructions.
In other areas of the country this may be known as cherry yum yum and not delight. For me, they’re the same thing, for you they may not be. Who knows. I’m from Ohio and where I’m from, cherry delight is what we call it :D
Equipment You Might Want:
- 9×13 inch dessert pan with a lid
- Large mixing bowl
- electric hand mixer
- Stand Mixer with whisk attachment
- Sauce pan
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons of butter, melted & browned
- 3 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup raw, unrefined sugar
- 2 cups raw cream (goat milk preferred, obviously)
- 1 tablespoon beef gelatin
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 quart + 1 pint cherry pie filling
Let’s make this cherry delight dessert recipe!
Step 1: Prep
Place the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk attachment in the freezer.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2: Make the Crust
If you don’t want to bake the crust (whish is possible, I just prefer to bake, you can follow the instructions and place the crust in the freezer for a few hours before adding the filling and it will be fine.) Not baking creates a more cakey graham cracker crust which I cannot stand.
Start by melting 8 tablespoons of butter and browning. To brown the butter, bring it to a gently boil and let it simmer, stirring frequently, until it turns an amber color and it stops talking to you. What I mean by that is butter pops and crackles as it browns and once it’s finished, it’s silent and ceases to crack and pop!
Process graham cracker pieces in a food processor until pulverized and sand-like. You can also work out some aggression with a ziploc bag and a rolling pin!
Measure out 3 cups graham cracker crumbs and mix in brown sugar.. You can use either store bought or homemade. I personally bought a gigantic case of graham crackers for $6 and have them in mylar and they will probably last me 10 years or more, but homemade works fabulous, too. Balance.
Pour the browned melted butter into the graham cracker crumb and sugar mixture. Stir to combine well.
To the bottom of a greased 9×13 inch pan, press the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom, spreading evenly and then using the bottom of a drinking glass to press it in tightly.
If you are baking the crust, bake for 10 minutes, or til it is golden brown. Set aside to cool while you work on the filling.
Step 3: Make the Filling
In a large bowl, whip together cream cheese, raw unrefined sugar, and vanilla til fluffy and the sugar has dissolved mostly using an electric hand mixer.
Remove the bowl of your stand mixer from the freezer and add in 2 cups raw cream (or store bought heavy whipping cream) and begin whipping on high speed with the whisk attachment. Starting with everything really cold helps it to whip up a lot faster.
While it whips, add in 1 tablespoon of plain beef gelatin and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. The beef gelatin “sets” the whipped cream so it doesn’t destabilize or “melt” later on. For best results, don’t skip the gelatin. Plus, it’s super good for you!
Whip the cream into stiff peaks, watch closely so you don’t make butter.
Once at stiff peaks, add in the cream cheese mixture and whip to combine. You could also fold this together gently with a spatula but I don’t wannaaaaaaaa.
Step 4: Assemble
Gently spread the fluffy filling on top of the crust that has completely cooled.
Top with home canned cherry pie filling. If using store bought, one large can of cherry pie filling should be plenty.
Place in the fridge for 3-4 hours before enjoying to allow the layers to chill and the cheesecake layer to set up completely.
Store any leftovers in the fridge, covered and enjoy!
Other variations to try with home canned pie fillings:
- Peach delight
- Strawberry delight
- Blueberry delight
- Blackberry delight
- Apple pie delight
Easy Classic No-Bake Cherry Delight Dessert Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13 inch dessert pan with a lid
- electric hand mixer
- Stand Mixer with whisk attachment
- Sauce pan
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter melted & browned
- 3 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup raw unrefined sugar
- 2 cups raw cream
- 1 tablespoon beef gelatin
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 quart + 1 pint cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Place the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk attachment in the freezer.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F if baking crust.
- No Bake Crust: mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and brown sugar. Grease a 9×13 pan. Press graham cracker mixture into bottom in an even layer. Press with a drinking glass to tightly pack the crumbs. Freeze the crumb layer for 3 hours or more before assembling.
- Baked Crust: mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and brown sugar. Grease a 9×13 pan. Press graham cracker mixture into bottom in an even layer. Press with a drinking glass to tightly pack the crumbs. Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes or til golden brown. Remove and cool completely.
- In a large bowl, whip together cream cheese, raw unrefined sugar, and vanilla til fluffy and the sugar has dissolved mostly using an electric hand mixer.
- Remove the bowl of your stand mixer from the freezer and add in 2 cups cream and begin whipping on high speed with the whisk attachment. Starting with everything really cold helps it to whip up a lot faster.
- While it whips, add in 1 tablespoon of plain beef gelatin and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. The beef gelatin "sets" the whipped cream so it doesn't destabilize or "melt" later on.
- Whip the cream into stiff peaks, watch closely so you don't make butter.
- Once at stiff peaks, add in the cream cheese mixture and whip to combine.
- Gently spread the fluffy filling on top of the crust that has completely cooled.
- Top with home canned cherry pie filling.
- Place in the fridge for 3-4 hours before enjoying to allow the layers to chill and the cheesecake layer to set up completely.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge, covered and enjoy!
