Cherry pie filling dessert is basically a relaxed version of cherry cheesecake. This dairy-free and gluten-free fluffy cheesecake also doubles as a cherry delight recipe.
Simple Cherry Cheesecake Dessert (Dairy-Free)
This post was sponsored by Schär. The opinions and ideas are our own.
Let me start with, this is not your traditional gluten-free cheesecake recipe. The delicious “cheesecake” portion is not firm, it is fluffy. This isn’t a dessert that you will be serving in a slice. This dessert is addicting and served by the spoonful!
If you are a fan of cream cheese desserts, this no-bake cherry cheesecake (again using that term lightly) will become a fast favorite with your family. This dessert can be served at Sunday Supper, on your Holiday table or for any dinner. It is beautiful and makes a statement on your dinner table, yet it is so simple to construct that your children could make it!
How to Make Gluten-Free Cherry Cheesecake
The recipe is simple. I put the entire recipe at the bottom of the post in a printable recipe card. I also took some step-by-step pictures that will help you see each part of the process.
1. Make the Graham Cracker Crust
You are going to crush the graham crackers. I love to put them into a bag and then smash them. This is a great job for your kids! It is an easy way to get them involved in the kitchen!
You are going to combine that with some melted butter. Pour crumbs into a tart pan. You could use any pan you’d like, whether square or circular. I used this tart pan. (affiliate ad link)
2. Mix the Cream Cheese, Whipped Cream, and Powdered Sugar
Now you are going to mix these three amazing ingredients together. Then, pour it over the crust.
3. Pour Cherry Pie Filling on Top
This is the fun part. You can choose any pie filling that you want. I love cherry cheesecake so that’s the topping I picked. But strawberries or blueberries can work too.
4. Refrigerate
That’s it! If you can wait for it to chill completely, congratulations! It’s tough to resist. It’s so sweet and fluffy and heavenly.
Dairy-Free Substitutions
I used a dairy-free whip for this recipe, but if you are not dairy-free you could use cool whip or an alternative whipped cream like that. I also used dairy-free cream cheese and dairy-free butter. You are welcome to use ingredients that have dairy, if you do not have that dietary restriction.
Is cheesecake gluten-free?
That is a great question. It is typically NOT gluten-free. Cheesecake is often made with gluten ingredients. This particular recipe is gluten-free because we use gluten-free graham crackers to construct the graham cracker crust.
Let’s talk about graham crackers!
Our favorite, honeygrams, (affiliate ad link) are gluten-free and made by Schar. These NonGMO grams are simply perfect! They are tasty as a stand alone or with a recipe like this one! If you haven’t tried them yet, you are missing out. Side note: just think about how awesome Smores night will be with these!
More about Schär
Schär is a trusted name in gluten-free foods for many reasons. They were one of the first gluten free foods brands, and they have a large number of different products. The company also focuses heavily on testing, research and development and gives their time and knowledge to the celiac community to drive awareness. Read on to learn more about this amazing company and all the good they are doing.
Schär Makes So Many Different Products
Product diversity is another thing that Schär does really well.They have more individual products than I can count! You can find Schär products in the following categories, all around the world:
- From the Bakery: Sliced bread, artisan bread, rolls, and crispbreads
- Snacks: Cookies, crackers, biscuits, snack cakes, and snack bars
- Italian: Pasta, pizza, and ready to eat meals
- Baking supplies: Gluten free flours, mixes, and dough to make your own goodies.
Do you bake cheesecakes?
Traditionally, yes you do bake cheesecakes but there are many recipes out there for “no bake” cheesecakes. With our recipe it is more of a light and fluffy dessert, than a traditional cheesecake!
I don’t like cherries!
What? Just kidding! That is totally okay if you do not like cherries. You can basically sub in any type of fruit pie mix spread that you like. Think peaches, blueberries, and apples! So many delicious choices!
If you are wanting to make a more formal dessert with a gram crust, I would suggest you check out my friend Chrystals Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crust
Pin this quick and easy recipe for later:
Looking for a sweet and crunchy treat to pair with this dessert! I would recommend Gluten-Free Vegan Cannolis from my friend Chrystal at Gluten Free Palate!
Get your gluten free cream cheese cake recipe here:
Simple Cherry Cheesecake Dessert
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 c crushed grams (about 2 boxes of Schar grams)
- 1/2 c melted butter (I used dairy free)
Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese softened (I used dairy free)
- 4 oz whipped cream about half a typical tub, (I used dairy free)
- 1.5 c powdered sugar
- 18 oz cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Place grams into a baggie and gently squeeze to smash grams. This is a great job for your kids. If you can't get the grams ground into small pieces, you can use the back of a can to gently tap to help crush them.
- Combine smashed grams with melted butter. Mix and then gently press them into an oiled dish. You are creating the bottom layer for this dish.
- In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, whipped cream and powdered sugar. Blend until smooth. You can use an electric mixer if you wish. Place mixture on top of the gram mixture.
- Gently dump the cherries on top of the cream cheese mixture and spread. You can place some additional crumbled grams on top for garnish. ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
Question: Do you love cherry desserts? If so, what type if your favorite? Cheesecake? Fluff? Plain cherries? Drop me a comment below!
camila says
this is so delicious looking can’t stop drooling!
Cindy says
AWE, thank you! Me either! It is SO delicious!
Shanna Jones says
This dessert is amazingly simple! Wow! I’m always on the look out for gluten free items and struggle with finding alternatives. I’ll be trying these graham crackers for sure.
Cindy says
Thank you so much, enjoy those grams!
Danielle says
Cheesecake is my favourite dessert – it is just so indulgent and cherry is my favourite flavour.
Cindy says
I love it too! Thanks for stopping by!
Elaine Benoit says
I’m sold! This cherry cheesecake looks so delicious and easy to make! I love that it’s dairy-free! Hubby is going to simply adore this dessert!
Cindy says
Yay! Another one for the win! Sold to the highest bidder! 🙂 Fantastic! I hope that he loves it as much as well do!
Traci says
What a fun and easy dessert! I bet this one will go crazy during the holidays! Can’t wait to try it sometime…just pinned!
Cindy says
Thanks for pinning!
Chrystal @ Gluten-Free Palate says
Oh, my! You have done it again — created a simple, stunning recipe. I can’t wait to make this for my family.
Cindy says
Thank you so much!! Enjoy!
Julie says
Where did you find dairy free cream cheese and
Whipped cream? Can I also have the name of the company. This sounds so good! I can’t wait to make it.
Julie
Cindy says
Hi Julie!
So I LOVE coco whip by So Delicious. It comes in a tub like cool whip and in the freezer section. I’ve seen it as my Kroger and my Whole Foods. It is so good you will seriously have to hold yourself back from eating the entire tub. Or maybe that’s just me! ha! So I use that. My stores seem to have it then run out then take a while to get it back in, so when I see it, I buy a couple to keep in my freezer. There are also at Whole Foods in the refridge section some whipped cream options (dairy free) in aerosol containers. I haven’t tried those. The COCO whip is the easiest. For cream cheese, I LOVE the tofutti brand. I like their sour cream and cream cheese (both dairy free). I have seen that at Kroger (which is also a Fred Meyer store depending on where you live) and whole foods. Oh I think I’ve seen it at Meijer too! You can also get follow your heart brand of dairy free cream cheese too! 🙂