Rich whipping cream and cream cheese layered over a sweet graham cracker crust, finished with glossy cherry pie filling—Cherry Delight is a classic, no-bake dessert that’s always well received at potlucks, holiday dinners and family gatherings.
Cherry Delight Recipe
This no-bake Cherry Delight is easy to assemble and makes an attractive, crowd-pleasing dessert. The bright red cherry topping provides excellent color and a pleasant contrast to the creamy filling. It’s a dependable recipe for gatherings because it can be prepared ahead of time and chilled until serving.
Variations of this dessert appear in many community cookbooks. You’ll often find similar layered “delight” desserts—Chocolate Delight, Banana Cream Delight and Orange Delight are popular family favorites—each using a creamy base with a different fruit or chocolate topping. You can swap pie fillings and whipped layers to tailor the flavor to your crowd.
Graham Cracker Crust versus Flour Crust
We tested both a graham cracker crust and a simple flour crust. The graham cracker crust is sweeter and more flavorful, and it complements the cream cheese layer and cherries better than the flour base. For this reason, the graham cracker crust is our recommended choice for Cherry Delight.
The Whipped Cream Layer
There are a few ways to create the creamy layer. You can fold a prepared whipped topping into the cream cheese for convenience, or you can whip heavy cream to stiff peaks for a richer result. Another option is to use a powdered mix like Dream Whip if you prefer. Any of these choices work; whipped heavy cream yields the creamiest, most memorable texture and flavor but takes about ten minutes to whip.
Cherry Delight Dessert
To assemble: combine graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar, stir in melted butter, and press into the bottom of a 9-inch square pan to form the crust. Beat cream cheese with confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth, then fold in whipped cream. Spread the creamy filling over the crust and refrigerate for at least eight hours or overnight so the layers set. Top with cherry pie filling either before chilling or spoon it over individual squares when serving for a prettier presentation.
For serving to a crowd, you can pour the cherry pie filling over the entire pan before cutting. For a more elegant look, spoon filling onto each piece as you plate it. Both approaches taste the same—choose the presentation that fits your event.
How to Make Cherry Delight
Using an ungreased 9-inch square baking dish, combine graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Melt the butter and stir it into the crumbs, then press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan to form an even crust.
Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and mix until fluffy. In a cold bowl, whip one cup of heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks and gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture. Spread this filling evenly over the crust and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, top with cherry pie filling.
Ingredients
- Crust: 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter
- Cream Cheese Filling: 8 ounces cream cheese (softened), 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup whipping cream (whipped)
- Topping: 21 ounces cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Mix graham cracker crumbs with brown sugar. Pour melted butter over the mixture, toss lightly, and press firmly into a 9-inch square pan to form the crust.
- In a cold bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
- Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and spread evenly over the crust.
- Pour cherry pie filling over the top or spoon it onto individual pieces when serving. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight before serving.
Notes and Tips
- Brown sugar adds depth of flavor to the crust; white sugar can be substituted if needed.
- For the richest flavor and texture, use heavy whipping cream whipped to stiff peaks. Whipped topping or a powdered mix like Dream Whip can be used for convenience.
- Any pie filling flavor will work—cherry is a favorite, but blueberry, strawberry or peach are great alternatives.
- Refrigerating at least 8 hours helps the dessert firm up and makes it easier to cut into neat pieces.
- Spoon pie filling onto each serving for the best presentation, or pour it over the whole pan for quicker service.
Scaling and Serving
This recipe fills a 9-inch square pan and yields about nine pieces. To serve a larger group, double the ingredients to fit a 9×13-inch pan. Depending on how much topping you like, use two regular cans of cherry pie filling or one large can.
Other Classic Desserts
- Blackberry Jam Cake — bundt-style cake served with whipped cream and fresh berries.
- O’Joy Brownie Bars — brownie base with a sweet coconut layer, similar to an Almond Joy bar.
- Oreo Dirt Cake — cream cheese, pudding, whipped topping and Oreo cookies layered into a playful dessert.
- Black Forest Cherry Bundt Cake — chocolate bundt with cherry pie filling mixed into the batter.
Nutrition (estimate per serving)
- Calories: 424 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Fat: 25 g (Saturated fat: 14 g)
- Sodium: 227 mg
- Sugar: 23 g
Serve chilled and enjoy this simple, pretty dessert—perfect for potlucks, holidays or anytime you want a no-bake treat that looks as good as it tastes.