No-Bake Cherry Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

No Bake Cherry Pie is the kind of dessert that feels special without making a mess of your kitchen. It has that rich cheesecake flavor with a buttery graham cracker crust and a sweet cherry topping, and you don't even need to turn on the oven.

This cherry cream cheese pie has the creamy richness of cheesecake, the sweet nostalgia of canned cherry topping, and none of the stress. It’s quick to make, easy to transport, and always gets rave reviews, especially from anyone who grew up loving that classic cherry flavor.

It’s become a bit of a tradition at my kids’ school for several of the parents to bring this for “Pie Day” in the teacher’s lounge. I’ve heard from more than one teacher that it’s the first one to disappear. That kind of feedback is why I keep returning to this recipe year after year.

You don’t need any fancy equipment or baking experience. Just mix, chill, and serve. The filling sets up beautifully, the flavor is perfectly balanced, and it holds its shape when sliced.

It’s one of those recipes you’ll always feel confident making. I love it so much that I made a no bake blueberry pie, too.

Ingredient and Substitution Info

• Cream Cheese - Use full-fat room-temperature cream cheese so that your cheesecake layer is creamy and smooth. I highly recommend the Philadelphia brand as it has a lower water content. Low-fat cream cheese will result in a runny filling.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk - Add sweetness and creaminess with this classic ingredient.
• Lemon Juice - Using citrus juice adds acidity to the cream cheese mixture and balances the sweetness. In addition to contributing flavor, it also helps to set the filling so don't skip it! Lime juice can also be used.
• Cherry Pie Filling - This recipe uses one can of pie filling for convenience, but you can also use your favorite homemade recipe. Customize your pie with different flavors of filling. Blueberry and strawberry are some of my favorite variations.
• Graham Cracker Pie Crust - Just like with my Banana Split Pie and Pineapple Pie, this recipe can be made with a pre-made crust or make your own homemade graham cracker crust. If you want to make your own then check out the instructions in the recipe notes.

How to Make Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

Step One: Beat the Cream Cheese

• Use cream cheese that has been softened to room temperature so it becomes light and fluffy when beaten.
• Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed using an electric mixer (either a hand or stand mixer is fine). This will take about a minute if your cream cheese is well softened, and longer if your cream cheese still has some chill to it.
• Make sure there are no cream cheese pieces visible.

Step Two: Add Remaining Ingredients

• Add the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and blend on low speed until they are fully incorporated.

Step Three: Pour and Chill

• Pour the cream cheese filling into your prepared graham cracker crust and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

Step Four: Top with Cherry Filling

• When you're ready to serve pour the fruit pie filling on top of the pie.

Variations

• Make in a 9x13 Pan: This recipe can also be made in a 9x13 pan without any ingredient modifications. Press the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the baking dish (it won't go up the sides). Bake the crust at 350°F for 7-8 minutes, then cool completely before spreading on the cream cheese filling.
• Bite-sized desserts: Use a mini muffin tin and follow the notes for making your own graham cracker crust to place in the bottoms of the muffin tins, baking for 5 minutes. Then follow the remaining instructions the same way as the full-size recipe, and you'll have bite-size no-bake cheesecakes.
• Various Flavors: You can transform this into a whole new dessert by adding a different topping to the cream cheese layer. Try ice cream toppings, like chocolate sauce or caramel sauce, or different fruit toppings like strawberry, blueberry, or even peach pie filling. Fresh berries are also a great topper!
• Whipped Cream: All flavor variations, including the original cherry cheesecake pie, are great topped with whipped cream!
• For an easy-to-transport option, you can even make no-bake cheesecake in a jar!

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