Description
These No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake Bars are a delightful, creamy dessert featuring a buttery graham cracker crust, a smooth cream cheese filling, and a sweet cherry topping. Perfect for warm days or when you want an easy yet impressive treat without turning on the oven.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9 whole crackers)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip
Topping
- 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Melt Butter: Microwave the butter for about 30 seconds or until completely melted.
- Prepare Crust Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and granulated sugar. Mix until the texture resembles wet sand.
- Press Crust: Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the dish to form the crust.
- Beat Cream Cheese: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add Sugar and Vanilla: Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined and smooth.
- Fold in Cool Whip: Gently fold in the Cool Whip, keeping the mixture light and fluffy.
- Assemble Filling: Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the graham cracker crust.
- Add Cherry Topping: Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the cream cheese layer.
- Chill Bars: Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to set.
- Serve: After chilling, slice into squares and serve cold.
Notes
- For firmer bars, refrigerate overnight.
- Use softened cream cheese to ensure a smooth filling.
- Graham cracker crumbs can be homemade by crushing crackers finely.
- These bars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Feel free to substitute cherry pie filling with other fruit toppings like blueberry or strawberry.
