Cherry Cheesecake Bars

These no bake Cherry Cheesecake Bars are easy to make and come with the best Homemade Cherry Pie Filling to top them. They are delightful, creamy, and the perfect no bake recipe.

cherry cheesecake bar cut from pan with cherries sitting around in in background - 4

One of my husband’s all-time favorite foods is cheesecake with a cherry topping. So when I tell you that he could not stop eating these cherry cheesecake bars, that should be all the convincing you need to rush to the store for the ingredients.

Made with simple items, this delicious dessert recipe comes together in a snap. It is the perfect recipe to celebrate with and is bound to be a hit no matter where you take it.

Please note that while these are “bars,” they are actually more like a sheet cake. You will want to serve these with forks on plates. They aren’t like brownies which only require a love of chocolate and your hand.

How to Make Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Here is a brief overview of how this no bake cherry cheesecake bar recipe comes together and how simple it is. For the full recipe including all measurements, please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Make the crust. Stir together the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter. Press it into a 9×13 pan. It doesn’t need to bake, just some time to set up.
Make the cheesecake filling. Beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until it has a thick consistency, then fold it into the cream cheese mixture. Pour it over the crust.
Let the cheesecake bars set. This no bake cheesecake bar recipe takes eight hours to set up in the refrigerator overnight, so plan ahead.
Make the cherry topping. Finally, combine cherry juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, almond extract, and some sugar over heat. Then stir in some frozen cherries for a delicious cherry topping.

The Best Bar Pan

serving spatula pulling slice of cherry cheesecake bars out of pan of cherry cheesecake bars. - 5

Tips and Tricks

Make sure that your cream cheese is at room temperature. This is key for any cheesecake recipe. In order for it to be silky smooth, you want to use room-temperature cream cheese. Leave it out of its wrapper on a plate for an hour or two.
Use name-brand cream cheese. While this works with off-brand cream cheese, I find that I get the best quality when I use name brand, particularly Philadelphia. There are lots of off-brand products that work perfectly, but I find cream cheese isn’t one of them.
Use the whisk attachment of a stand mixer for a smooth and creamy filling. This attachment will fully mix the cream cheese with the rest of the ingredients.
Make the cherry topping the day before. Since the cheesecake bars need to refrigerate overnight and the cherry topping needs time to cool to be used, I suggest making the cherry topping at the same time as the cheesecake so it is fully cooled when you are ready to top the bars.
Do a quick freeze for easy cutting. Put the bars in the freezer for 30 minutes before serving to make them extra easy to cut.

Cherry Topping For Cheesecake

This cherry pie filling is the perfect fruity topping for these no bake cheesecake bars. While you could buy a can of pie filling, my mom’s homemade Cherry Pie Filling recipe is so easy to make.

Cherry Pie Filling

overhead view of cherry cheesecake bars. Fresh cherries and serving spatula sit beside. - 6

Other Topping Ideas

While the cherry part of this great no bake cheesecake recipe comes from the delicious cherry pie filling topping, you can easily swap out the topping for something else. Here are a few ideas:

Lemon Curd Recipe : This would replicate my Lemon Cheesecake and just be so amazing.
Apple Pie Filling : You could even add a little bit of cinnamon to the cheesecake mixture!
Blueberry Pie Filling: While I don’t have a recipe posted for this, you can easily use the cherry pie filling recipe and swap the cherries for blueberries – or another frozen fruit!

This recipe can easily be made into a cherry cheesecake by making it in a springform pan. Simply keep all of the measurements and the instructions the same, just make it in a round spingform pan instead of 9X13 pan.