There’s something so satisfying about a no-bake cheesecake, especially in summer during the entertaining season when the last thing you want to do is turn the oven on. This one is my kind of easy: a buttery biscuit crust, a creamy filling that comes together in minutes and is studded with plump, sweet-tart morello cherries. It also makes a great Christmas dessert. I also love that it’s budget-friendly: the jarred cherries give you incredible flavour and a syrup that turns into a glossy topping, while the condensed milk gently stretches the cream cheese and doubles as the sweetener. The block of cream cheese keeps the texture rich and creamy, and a squeeze of lemon juice cuts through the sweetness and brings everything into perfect balance.
How to make this easy no-bake cherry cheesecake: key tips
Even though it looks impressive, this cheesecake is genuinely so easy to put together, and perfect for warm weather because it’s completely no-bake. The biscuit base just needs a quick blitz. I recommend refrigerating it between steps as the butter can soften quickly at room temperature, and a short chill helps keep the crumb firm as you work. Once the base is done, you can give the food processor a quick wipe and blitz the filling in the same bowl, which saves on washing up.
For the cherry topping, keep an eye on it as it cooks; it thickens faster than you expect. If it reduces a little too much, just stir in 2 tablespoons of extra cherry syrup or water and gently reheat until smooth again. The finished cheesecake needs at least 3 hours in the fridge to set properly. I do recommend making it the night before because the texture firms up beautifully and the cherry flavour infuses more into the creamy filling. Just take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before slicing so it cuts cleanly.
What goes into this quick cherry cheesecake?
I’ve used Arnott’s Marie biscuits because they have that perfect simple sweetness that lets the filling shine, but any plain, not-too-sweet biscuit like digestives will work well. The cream cheese is best in block form because it sets more firmly and faster, though I’ve tested the spreadable version too. It works, but definitely give the cake an overnight chill if using it so it firms up properly.
A whole jar of morello cherries gets divided between the filling and the topping. Some of the drained cherries get folded through the creamy mixture, while the rest go into the syrup made from roughly half of the reserved syrup. The result is a glossy topping with juicy cherries sitting in a sweet-tart syrup that runs beautifully over the cheesecake.
This recipe was originally uploaded by Best Recipes member johT and has since been retested with additional recipe notes by recipes and video content producer Stella Morelli.