If you want to make a truly luxurious dessert for a special occasion, you need to try this no-bake cheesecake with cherry topping!
It looks absolutely stunning, with its glossy red cherries against a smooth, creamy white cheesecake layer – and the flavor combo is even better than it looks!
The sweet-tart cherries balance the rich cheesecake base beautifully, and the whole dessert feels festive, elegant, and totally indulgent.
It’s perfect for special occasions like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, bridal showers, or any time you want to impress your guests with something unique.
How to Make This No-Bake Cheesecake With Cherry Topping
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe
For the base:
- 1 3/4 cups plain chocolate biscuits
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
For the cheesecake filling:
- 1 3/4 cups cottage cheese
- 1 2/3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 3 teaspoons powdered gelatine
- 3 tablespoons cold water (plus more if needed)
For the cherry compote:
- 3 cups frozen cherries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
For the cherry topping:
- 1 1/2 cups frozen cherries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cold water (to mix with the cornstarch) + more if needed
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Start by making the cherry compote – we’ll need this when assembling the cake.
In a small pot, combine frozen cherries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the cherries are soft and the sugar has dissolved. Strain the cherries over a sieve and let them cool completely.
2. To make the base, blend or crush the chocolate cookies until you get fine crumbs. Mix with melted butter until evenly combined and the crumbs look like coarse, wet sand.
3. Press the cookie mix into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper in an even layer. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
4. Next, we’ll prepare the gelatine. In a small pot, mix the powdered gelatine with cold water and let it bloom for 10–15 minutes.
Then warm it gently over low heat until it’s fully dissolved. If it looks too thick, add a bit more water until you get a more liquid consistency. Let it cool until you prepare the cheesecake filling.
5. For the cheesecake, blend the cottage cheese for a few minutes in a food blender until it becomes smooth and creamy (some small bits are fine).
6. In a large bowl, add heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla sugar. Mix with a spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved, then whip with a hand mixer until you get soft, stiff peaks.
7. Fold the blended cottage cheese into the whipped cream and mix with a whisk until well combined.
8. Slowly pour in the cooled, dissolved gelatine while whisking with a hand mixer to evenly distribute it.
9. To assemble the cake, spread half of the drained cherry compote over the cookie base. You can flatten the cherries with a spoon to cover more surface, but they don’t have to cover the base completely.
10. Pour half of the cheesecake mixture over the cherries and smooth it out with a spatula. Then add the remaining cherries, spreading them evenly over the filling (again, they won’t cover the whole layer, and that’s completely okay!).
11. Top the cherry layer with the remaining cheesecake filling, smooth the top with a spatula, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until set. I let my cake rest in the fridge overnight.
12. The next day, make the cherry topping.
Add frozen cherries, water, and sugar to a small pot and cook for about 5–10 minutes until the cherries soften.
In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water until well combined, then pour the mix into the cherries while stirring constantly. Cook for another few minutes until the mixture thickens slightly into a syrupy consistency. Let cool completely.
If the cherry topping still looks too runny after 5 minutes, mix another 2 tablespoons of water with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, then pour it into the cherry mixture and heat for another 5 minutes.
13. To finish the cheesecake, spoon the cooled cherry topping over the middle of the chilled cheesecake and let the syrup run over the sides. Refrigerate for another few hours (or up to half a day) before serving.
Important Recipe Notes
- Use plain chocolate biscuits for the base, not ones with filling.
- If you want, you can skip making the cherry compote and topping and use a store-bought one instead. You’ll still need to cook the topping to thicken it, though. In this case, use the juice from the compote instead of water and skip the sugar.
- You can store the cake in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- The ceesecake comes out best if you let it set in the fridge overnight, so it’s a great prep-ahead option!
- To get perfectly smooth and clean slices, use a hot knife. Heat it up by running it under warm water.
- Use full-fat ingredients for the best texture – light versions won’t set as well.
- To avoid curdling, let the gelatine cool slightly before adding it to the cream mixture.
📌 No-Bake Cheesecake With Cherry Topping (Recipe Card)
Ingredients (12 slices)
For the base:
- 1 3/4 cups plain chocolate biscuits (about 6 oz)
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted (about 2.6 oz)
For the cheesecake filling:
- 1 3/4 cups cottage cheese (about 14 oz)
- 1 2/3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 3 teaspoons powdered gelatine
- 3 tablespoons cold water (plus more if needed)
For the cherry compote:
- 3 cups frozen cherries (about 14 oz)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
For the cherry topping:
- 1 1/2 cups frozen cherries (about 7 oz)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cold water (to mix with the cornstarch) + more if needed
Instructions
- In a small pot, cook frozen cherries with sugar and lemon juice over medium heat for 10 minutes, until cherries are soft and the sugar dissolves. Strain through a sieve and let cool completely.
- To make the crust, crush chocolate cookies into fine crumbs and mix with melted butter until it resembles wet sand. Press evenly into the bottom of a parchment-lined 9-inch springform pan. Chill while making the filling.
- Mix powdered gelatine with cold water in a small pot and let it bloom for 10–15 minutes. Warm gently over low heat until the gelatine has dissolved. If it looks too thick, add a little more water and continue stirring on low heat. Let cool while you make the filling.
- To make the cheesecake filling, blend cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth and creamy (some small bits are fine).
- In a large bowl, mix heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla sugar with a spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Whip the cream into soft, stiff peaks, then fold in the blended cottage cheese and mix with a whisk until combined.
- Slowly drip in the cooled gelatine while mixing with a hand mixer until fully combined.
- To assemble the cheesecake, spread half of the drained cherry compote over the cookie crust, pour half of the cheesecake mixture over the cherries, and smooth it out with a spatula.
- Top the cheesecake layer with the remaining cherries, followed by the rest of the cheesecake filling. Smooth the top and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- To make the cherry topping, cook frozen cherries with sugar and water for 5–10 minutes until soft.
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with cold water. Stir into the cherry mixture and cook a few more minutes until thickened. If the cherry topping looks too runny, mix a bit more cornstarch with water and add to the cherries, heating until thickened. Let cool completely.
- Spoon the cooled cherry topping over the center of the set cheesecake, letting some syrup run over the sides.
- Chill for another few hours before serving.