Fresh seasonal cherries cook into the perfect topping for these No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake Parfaits. This quick and easy dessert is layered with a simple graham cracker crust and no-bake cheesecake filling and is ready in just 35 minutes.
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I love a good cheesecake (my favorite is coconut cheesecake). But come summer, I love recipes that don’t require a hot oven. And these no-bake cherry cheesecake parfaits have become a go-to weeknight treat or an easy recipe for entertaining
Cherries are one of my favorite summer fruits. We love taking the kids cherry picking at our local farm (we all end up with cherry-stained hands and faces). Half of our pickings are eaten fresh, while the rest transform into these cherry cheesecake parfaits and some other favorites like easy cherry apple crumble, no-churn cherry ice cream, and peach cherry crisps.
This recipe cooks the cherries on the stovetop for a delicious spoon fruit. You can easily double the cherry topping and save some to spoon over your morning yogurt or spread over a thick slice of toasted bread.
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What Makes This The Best Cherry Cheesecake Parfaits?
There are three components to these cherry cheesecake parfaits. All simple, with no oven necessary. Here’s why these parfaits are so good:
- Graham cracker crust: no fuss here, just three ingredients for a delicious buttery base!
- Cheesecake filling: four simple ingredients that transform into the easiest no-bake filling!
- Fresh cherry topping: skip the canned pie filling for this super simple fresh cherry filling (like in this cherry cobbler). All you need are four ingredients for this delicious cooked sauce.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Fresh cherries: Use your favorite seasonal cherries! I love Bing cherries (sweet, red cherries), but you can also use black or Rainier cherries (yellow and light red cherries with a hint of tartness).
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cherry filling.
- Lemon juice: Keeps the cherry filling fresh and bright.
- Cornstarch: A bit is needed to thicken the cherry filling.
- Graham crackers: You’ll need about seven sheets of graham crackers to make 1 cup of crumbs.
- Butter: We’re using melted unsalted butter, but salted is fine to use as well!
- Cream cheese: Select a block of full-fat cream cheese for the perfect texture (don’t use the whipped tub kind, as it has too much air incorporated into it). Bring the cream cheese to room temperature for a smooth texture.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the cheesecake filling while keeping a smooth consistency.
- Vanilla: Splurge on a good quality pure vanilla extract! It’ll make a difference.
- Heavy cream: Transformed into whipped cream to lighten the cheesecake filling. Use COLD heavy cream.
How to Make Cherry Cheesecake Parfaits
STEP ONE: Cook the cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch over medium heat for about 20 minutes until the cherries have softened and the mixture is thickened.
STEP TWO: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and salt and press into the bottoms of the parfait cups.
STEP THREE: Beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Then mix in the vanilla.
STEP FOUR: Beat the heavy cream until medium peaks form.
STEP FIVE: Gently fold in half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, followed by the remaining cream.
STEP SIX: Divide the cheesecake filling between the parfait cups, then top with the cherry filling.
Serving Dish Size
It’s really up to you what size dish you’d like to serve them in. I use 8-ounce glass containers for 6 servings. You could use a variety of containers, including parfait dishes, stemless martini glasses, souffle dishes, or whatever you have on hand.
Expert Tips
- Make graham cracker crumbs. Because my kids love graham crackers, I always have some on hand. You can pop the sheets of crackers into a food processor and pulse to a fine crumb mixture. Or put them into a large resealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs.
- Whip cream to medium peaks. It’s essential to start with cold cream. You’ll want to whip the cream until it holds its shape fairly well. You can check by lifting the beaters and turning them on their side. The tip of the peaks should curl slightly.
- Make it in advance. This recipe is great for entertaining. You can fill your containers with the graham cracker layer and cheesecake filling. Prep the cherry filling as directed, but cover and refrigerate it separately. Add the topping just before serving to prevent it from bleeding into the cheesecake overnight.
Storage Instructions
You can keep these no-bake cherry cheesecake parfaits covered in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. I would not recommend freezing them, as the texture will change.
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No-bake Cherry Cheesecake Parfaits
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 parfaits 1x
Description
Fresh seasonal cherries cook into the perfect topping for these No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake Parfaits. This quick and easy dessert is layered with a simple graham cracker crust and no-bake cheesecake filling and is ready in just 35 minutes.
Ingredients
Cherry Filling
- 420 g (3 cups) sweet cherries, pitted
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Graham Cracker Crust
- 105 g (1 cup) graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
No-Bake Cheesecake Filling
- 225 g (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 60 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 240 g (1 cup) heavy cream
Instructions
- For the cherry filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch over medium heat. Using a fork, gently mash cherries. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook the cherries, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until they have softened and the juices have slightly thickened. Allow to cool to room temperature before assembling parfaits.
- For the graham cracker crust: In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and salt. Divide mixture evenly between 6 glasses and set aside.
- For the cheesecake filling: In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla until incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, use a mixer to beat the heavy cream until medium peaks form.
- Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the other half.
- Evenly distribute no-bake cheesecake filling on top of graham cracker layers. Top with the cooled cherry filling.
Notes
Serving Containers: You can use any size. For six servings, I recommend 6 to 8-ounce containers.
Storage: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. I don't recommend freezing them, as the texture will change.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Custards & Parfaits
- Method: No-bake
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