This cherry cheesecake is the ultimate summer recipe: you don’t have to fire up your oven to make it and it uses delicious cherries! Deliciously easy and bursting with fresh, sweet cherry flavor, this luscious cheesecake is cool, creamy and decadent. Perfect for summer gatherings!
Ingredients:
1½ lbs. Sweet Mountain Bing Cherries, stemmed, pitted and roughly chopped
1¼ c. graham cracker crumbs
¼ c. butter melted
8 oz. cream cheese softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
8 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
Whipped cream and fresh cherries, for garnish
Directions:
• Mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter in a medium bowl until butter is evenly distributed over crumbs. Press mixture into bottom of 9″ springform pan
• Set aside one cup of cherries and pulse remaining cherries in blender until smooth. Place blended cherries in a fine mesh colander; and scrape bottom with spoon to press juice into a measuring cup.
• Place cream cheese in large bowl and whip with electric hand mixer until smooth. Add sugar and whip until smooth.
• Mix cherry juice with cream cheese mixture with a hand whisk until combined. Fold in remaining chopped cherries and whipped topping and blend thoroughly.
• Pour cream cheese and cherry mixture into springform pan over graham cracker crust and smooth as evenly as possible. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until frozen (six hours to overnight).
• Before slicing, let sit at room temperature for ten minutes. Garnish with whipped cream and fresh cherries and serve.