No-Bake Cherry Pie: The Keeper Recipe for Cherry Dessert Lovers!

Cherry pie is a traditional American dessert, known for its sweet and tart flavors. The dessert is so revered that it even has its own day — 20 February is celebrated as National Cherry Pie Day in the U.S. Traditionally, this cherry dessert is baked but since we’re all constantly pressed for time, here’s an easy, no bake cherry pie recipe that you have to try!

Ingredients

For the pie crust:

• 180 gm graham cracker crumbs
• 50 gm granulated sugar
• 85 gm unsalted butter (melted)

For the cherry pie filling:

• 680 gm pitted cherries
• 163 gm honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 40 gm cornstarch
• ⅛ tsp pure almond extract

For the cream cheese filling:

• 226 gm cream cheese (softened)
• 150 gm granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 240 gm whipped cream

Instructions

To make the pie crust:

• In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar and stir in the melted butter. The texture should be thick and coarse.
• Evenly spread the mixture onto the base of a pan. Refrigerate to set.

This pie crust can also be made well ahead of time. It can sit in the freezer for up to 3 months and in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also substitute graham crackers for any cookie of your choice — wafers, Oreos, or any cookie that is crunchy.

To make the cherry dessert filling:

• In a saucepan, add cherries, honey, lemon juice, cornstarch and almond extract. Give it a good stir to ensure that the cherries are coated. Turn on the heat to medium.
• Cook the filling for about 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture turns thick and glossy. Give the mixture a quick taste; if you want it sweeter, add a few teaspoons of honey.
• Turn off the heat and let the filling cool completely.

To make the cream cheese filling:

• In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, and using a handheld mixer, blend until smooth.
• Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined well.

Assembling the cherry pie:

• Evenly spread the cream cheese filling onto the pie crust.
• Top it off with the cherry filling.
• Refrigerate the pie before serving with either vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Accompany your pie with this delicious Oreo milkshake.

Cherries Make All the Difference

While there’s nothing wrong with substituting the cherry filling with store-bought variants, it’s always a good option to make it fresh. The emphasis here is on freshness because you get to pick the right kind of cherries to incorporate into the filling.

Tart cherries are always the preferred option as they provide a wonderful contrast against the sweetness of the crust and the cream cheese filling. However, if you have an out-and-out sweet tooth, you can opt for sweet cherries. In case, cherries aren’t in season, you can use frozen ones too.

Some of the popular cherries include:

• Morello Cherries: Bitter and sour, these cherries are favored in baking and cooking.
• Queen Anne Cherries: They’re sweet, perfect to snack on and can be used in desserts too.
• Bing Cherries: These cherries are sweet and tart and have a bright and tangy aftertaste.
• Black Cherries: Complex in flavor, this cherry variant is generally used in making syrups, liqueurs and jams.

Before you leave, here’s another fun way to incorporate cherries into your dessert. Try this no bake dessert recipe for Oreo Cherry Bombs. And if you have the time, here are a few other recipes (requires baking!) that use the goodness of cherries.