No Bake Cherry Cheesecake

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This No Bake Cherry Cheesecake is super simple to make in just 20 minutes. A brief chill time after that, and it’s ready to serve!

April 23rd is National Cherry Cheesecake Day! It’s a day to celebrate eating cherry cheesecake, so why not use the easiest cheesecake recipe ever and make this no bake cherry cheesecake? Baking my cherry cream cheese pie or some cherry cheesecake cookies would be fun too. Share your cherry cheesecake indulgence on social media today using the hashtags #NationalCherryCheesecakeDay, #CherryCheesecakeDay and #RecipesForHolidays.

Be sure to follow my April Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of April.

“Life tastes better after a slice of cheesecake.”

-Jason Shaw

The History of Cheesecake:

The origin of cheesecake has been traced to the Greeks. Since cheesecake back then (made from flour, wheat, honey and cheese) was thought to be a good source of energy, it was served to athletes at the first Olympic games in 776 B.C. Greek brides and grooms were known to use cheesecake as wedding cake. The oldest known Greek recipe for cheesecake is from 230 A.D.

Different varieties of cheesecake evolved over the years. in the 18th century, Europeans added eggs to cheesecake- turning it into more of the sweet dessert we know today.

In 1872, a New York dairy farmer tried to replicate French neufchâtel cheese and accidentally invented cream cheese. People began using this as the cheese for making cheesecakes. By the 1900’s, cheesecake appeared on just about every dessert menu in New York.

In 1928, Kraft corporation began producing Philadelphia Cream Cheese. It has been a big contributor as the main ingredient for cheesecakes ever since.

Ingredients needed:

• graham cracker crumbs
• white sugar
• salt
• unsalted butter
• cream cheese
• powdered sugar
• vanilla extract
• Cool Whip
• cherry pie filling

How to make No Bake Cherry Cheesecake:

The full, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

The first step is making the crust. Add graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir until mixed well. The mixture will be crumbly, but should hold together when pressed. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Spray the sides with nonstick spray. Transfer the graham cracker crumb mixture to the prepared springform pan, and spread it out. Press the crumbs into the bottom and about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the pan. Put the crust into the fridge to chill while you make the filling. 

The next step is making the filling. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in 1/3 of the Cool Whip, and then use a rubber spatula to fold in the remaining 2/3 of the Cool Whip 1/3 at a time. Spread the filling mixture into the crust. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours. 

Spread the cherry pie filling on top, and chill for another hour. 

Remove the sides of your springform pan, and slide the cheesecake onto a cake platter.

Slice, and serve. The cherry filling will naturally drip down the sides, which is awesome because it looks so gorgeous!

Enjoy a slice of this no bake cherry cheesecake on this most delicious day!

Fun Facts About Cheesecake:

• Arnold Reuben (yep, the sandwich guy) is credited for creating the New York cheesecake.
• Chicago cheesecake is known for the addition of sour cream, Philadelphia cheesecake is light and creamy and St. Louis has the Gooey Butter Cake (cake on top of a cheesecake layer).
• A typical slice of cheesecake is 250 calories and is high in fat.
• There’s a book called, “Cherry Cheesecake Murder” by Joanne Fluke.
• White Chocolate Cheesecake Day is on March 6th, and Blueberry Cheesecake Day is on May 26.
• Haagen Dazs once made cheesecake flavored postage stamps.
• Cheesecake flavored Kit Kats are sold on Amazon.
• The first Cheesecake Factory restaurant opened in Beverly Hills in 1972. Now there are more than 200 Cheesecake Factories. They serve 34 flavors of cheesecake.