An awesome no-bake dessert with a healthy twist!
What’s that? I don’t have to bake this cheesecake AND it’s healthy?! That’s right. Well, it’s still a dessert that contains some sugar. But with a walnut crust and filling made with low-fat cream cheese and greek yogurt, you won’t feel guilty about indulging in this treat. Next time you get a sweet tooth, give this scrumptious cheesecake a try. It’ll take care of that craving in a lower calorie way!
And to top it all off (both literally and figuratively), the cherry topping ties this recipe together perfectly! Because of the syrupiness from the cherry filling, the smoothness from the creamy filling, and the crunchiness of the walnut oat crust, your dinner party guests will be begging you for this recipe.
Why No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake
First of all, on a hot, sunny summer day, the last thing you want to do is heat up your kitchen by turning the oven on. But cheesecake cravings wait for no one. They can strike at any time– even during the summer months! While you still have to allow this cheesecake time to chill (like any other recipe), skipping the baking part saves you a lot of time — time that could be spent on other delicious dishes.
The only thing you have to heat up in your kitchen for this recipe is one burner on your stovetop for the cherry topping. But I promise this will only take a few minutes! Then you can go back to enjoying a cool kitchen. You just need to bring the cherries, sugar, and a quarter cup of water to a boil, add your cornstarch slurry, reduce to a syrup (doesn’t take long), and then turn off the burner and let it cool.
Tips for Making No-Bake Cheesecake
While no-bake cherry cheesecake is one of the easiest (and perhaps most delicious) desserts you’ll ever make, there are a few ways you can mess it up. So I just wanted to give you just a few tips to ensure yours turns out as well as mine did!
The first thing you want to remember is to use cream cheese that is room temperature. When you mix cold cream cheese into the filling, you are more likely to get little lumps. That’s not the texture you want in a cheesecake! I recommend pulling the cream cheese out of the fridge at least 45 minutes to an hour before mixing. You can always cut the cream cheese into pieces to speed up the process if you’re in a hurry.
Contrary to what you might think, mixing your cream filling for longer than the recipe asks for doesn’t result in a fluffier mixture. Instead, you’ll get a filling that’s super soft and not desirable in a cheesecake. Make sure you avoid using the food processor and stick with a hand mixer. You can even use your hands to mix the ingredients together so you don’t break the emulsion.
Other Variations You Can Make
If you want to skip the walnut oat crust altogether, you can make an excellent parfait. Put the creamy filling in the bottom of a fancy-looking glass and create crumbled layers using graham crackers, cookies, or wafers. Then, top the parfait off with your cherry filling or fresh fruit if you’re feeling like something more refreshing. After adding your layers, refrigerate for about 30 minutes before digging in!
The Best No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Cherry Topping
- 4 cups sweet cherries fresh, pitted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water plus 2 tablespoons
Walnut Oat Crust
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons walnuts
- 3 tablespoons shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Creamy Filling
- 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
- 2 cups low fat, vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Cherry Filling
- In a large saucepan, mix cherries, granulated sugar and ¼ cup water and bring to a boil
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 4 teaspoons of water, then add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil
- Reduce the heat to medium and stirring constantly until the liquid thickens into a syrup
- Remove from heat and let cool
Walnut Oat Crust
- In a food processor, pulse quick oats, walnuts, and coconut until finely ground
- Transfer to a bowl and mix in whole wheat flour
- Add oil and water and mix well.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9" round dish
Creamy Filling
- In an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, vanilla yogurt, and powdered sugar until smooth
- Spread the cream filling evenly over the crust, and then top with the cherry mixture
- Cover and chill for at least 4 hours
Nutrition Information
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