The Best Cherry Cheesecake Recipe
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Delve into dessert heaven with the irresistible charm of Cherry Cheesecake. Indulge in creamy, velvety layers of cheesecake bliss, complemented by the burst of juicy cherries, creating a slice of pure decadence that will leave you craving more. This is the perfect dessert for any occasion!
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Why you’ll love making Cherry Cheesecake
- This delicious cherry cheesecake is so simple! Baking a cheesecake can be a little daunting, but our step-by-step instructions will make it a breeze.
- A sweet graham cracker crust piled high with smooth and creamy cream cheese and sugar filling, then topped with a syrupy cherry topping, this decadent cherry cheesecake is luxurious and will leave you wanting more!
- A slice of cherry cheesecake is great for any occasion! Add a couple of fresh blueberries for July 4th, or serve it just as it is for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. We even love cheesecake for birthdays!
Ingredients you’ll need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
How to make Cherry Cheesecake with step-by-step instructions
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
Homemade cherry pie filling instructions
In a medium saucepan, add water, and whisk in cornstarch, granulated sugar, and lemon juice.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and continue to whisk constantly until the sauce starts to thicken.
Add cherries (fresh or frozen) and cook until the cherry pie filling starts to boil lightly, stirring occasionally. When the sauce is ready, it will have thickened and be evenly bubbling throughout.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the cherry topping cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container and storing it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Graham cracker pie crust instructions
For all of our tips and tricks on making a graham Cracker Pie Crust, check out our Graham Cracker Crust Recipe!
Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Place a parchment paper round in your pan, and double wrap your pan with foil.
If you don’t have parchment paper rounds on hand, place your pan on parchment paper, trace around it, and cut it out.
Using a food processor or blender, blitz the Graham crackers until they are fine crumbs.
Then, place the graham cracker crumbs in a mixing bowl and stir in the sugar and then the melted butter. The crumb mixture should be grainy; if there are any big chunks of cracker, break them up.
Pour the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and using your hands press down on the crumbs so that the base and the sides are covered; you don’t want to press too hard; just ensure that it’s no longer crumbly. Use the back of a spoon to compact the edges of the base.
Bake your crust for 10 minutes and let it cool completely before adding your filling.
SERIOUSLY GOOD
DESSERTS!
Dessert First is a collection of 61 RECIPES to show you that you can make beautiful, impressive desserts right in your own kitchen, no matter your skill level.
Immediate eBook download. No physical book available.
Includes ad-free recipes like:
∙ Lemon Pound Cake
∙ Key Lime Bars
∙ Boston Cream Pie
∙ No-Bake Chocolate Lasagna
∙ Raspberry Cheesecake
...and much more!
Creamy cheesecake filling instructions
Turn your oven down to 325°F/160°C.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer on high speed beat the cream cheese.
Then add vanilla extract, sour cream, sugar, and lemon zest, to the softened cream cheese and beat until it is just combined.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat until they are just combined.
Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the graham cracker crust. Remove air bubbles by banging the tin down on your work surface.
Place the tin into a roasting pan and add a few inches of hot water to the pan; this creates a water bath.
Bake the cheesecake for 75 minutes. Then turn the oven off and leave the oven door open approximately 8 -inches wide so it cools slowly.
Leave it to cool for one hour at room temperature, then transfer the cheesecake in the pan to the fridge and chill for a minimum of 4 hours.
When chilled and ready to serve, spread cherry pie filling over the top. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Ingredients
Cherry Sauce
- ⅓ cup water if using fresh cherries ¼ cup if using frozen cherries
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the Graham Cracker Crust – optional, you can use store bought
- 1¾ cups graham crackers
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 7 tablespoons butter melted
For the Cheesecake
- 32 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 4 eggs room temperature
Instructions
For the Cherry Sauce
- In a medium saucepan add water, and whisk in cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice. Place the saucepan over medium heat and continue to whisk constantly until the sauce starts to thicken.⅓ cup water if using fresh cherries, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Add cherries and cook until the sauce starts to boil lightly stirring occasionally. When the sauce is ready, it will have thickened and be evenly bubbling throughout. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cook to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container and storing it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Graham Cracker Crust – Optional, you can use store bought
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C.Place a parchment paper round in your pan, and double wrap your pan with foil. Using a food processor or blender, blitz the Graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. Then, place the crumbs in a mixing bowl and stir in the sugar and then the melted butter. The crumb mixture should be grainy; if there are any big chunks of cracker, break them up.1¾ cups graham crackers, ⅓ cup sugar, 7 tablespoons butter
- Pour the crumb mixture into a 9-inch cake pan and using your hands press down on the crumbs so that the base and the sides are covered; you don't want to press too hard; just ensure that it's no longer crumbly. Use the back of a spoon to compact the edges of the base. Bake your crust for 10 minutes and let it cool completely before adding your filling.
For the Cheesecake Filling
- Turn your oven down to 325°F/160°C.Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer on high speed beat your softened cream cheese. Then add vanilla extract, sour cream, sugar, and lemon zest, and beat until it is just combined. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until they are just combined.32 ounces cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup sour cream, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 4 eggs
- Pour the mixture into the cracker crust. Remove air bubbles by banging the tin down on your work surface. Place the tin into a roasting pan and add a few inches of hot water to the pan; this creates a water bath.
- Bake the cheesecake for 75 minutes. Then turn the oven off and leave the oven door open approximately 8 -inches wide, so it cools slowly. Leave it cooling for one hour, then transfer the cheesecake in the pan to the fridge and chill for a minimum of 4 hours.
- When chilled and ready to serve, pour the cherry topping over it. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Cherries: You can use either fresh cherries or frozen cherries for the cherry filling. If you’re using fresh, you’ll need to add a little extra water.
- Other berries: This recipe works well with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries as well. Check out our recipe for a homemade strawberry cheesecake topping!
- Gluten-free: You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free graham cracker crumbs instead of regular ones. Pamela’s Honey Grahams are a great brand to try.
- Graham cracker alternatives: If you don’t have access to graham crackers to make a graham cracker cheesecake crust, try digestive biscuits (UK) or speculoos cookies like Lotus Biscoff cookies.
- Cream cheese: We recommend full-fat cream cheese for the cream cheese layer. This combined with full-fat sour cream makes the creamiest cheesecake mixture!
Nutrition
SERIOUSLY GOOD
DESSERTS!
Dessert First is a collection of 61 RECIPES to show you that you can make beautiful, impressive desserts right in your own kitchen, no matter your skill level.
Immediate eBook download. No physical book available.
Includes ad-free recipes like:
∙ Lemon Pound Cake
∙ Key Lime Bars
∙ Boston Cream Pie
∙ No-Bake Chocolate Lasagna
∙ Raspberry Cheesecake
...and much more!
Recipe notes and expert tips
- Cherries: You can use either fresh cherries or frozen cherries for the cherry filling. If you’re using fresh, you’ll need to add a little extra water.
- Other berries: This recipe works well with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries as well. Check out our recipe for a homemade strawberry cheesecake topping!
- Gluten-free: You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free graham cracker crumbs instead of regular ones. Pamela’s Honey Grahams are a great brand to try.
- Graham cracker alternatives: If you don’t have access to graham crackers to make a graham cracker cheesecake crust, try digestive biscuits (UK) or speculoos cookies like Lotus Biscoff cookies.
- Cream cheese: We recommend full-fat cream cheese for the cream cheese layer. This combined with full-fat sour cream makes the creamiest cheesecake mixture!
How to store leftover Cherry Cheesecake
Store any leftover cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What to serve with Cherry Cheesecake
We love cherry cheesecake topped with whipped cream! We sometimes like to add a few sweet cherries on top to garnish as well.
If it’s a hot try, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate cool treat.
Looking for a No Bake Cherry Cheesecake?
You can easily turn this into a smooth and creamy no-bake cherry cheesecake by following our Mini Egg Cheesecake Recipe, skipping the mini eggs, and using regular graham crackers instead of chocolate ones (although chocolate would taste great, too!). Top it with the cherry topping and voila!
More easy cheesecake recipes for you to try
If you love to bake cheesecake, then give these recipes a try!
- Biscoff Cheesecake
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- Air Fryer Strawberry Cheesecake
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake
- Mini No Bake Oreo Cheesecake
Did you make this recipe?
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