Cherry Cheesecake

A rich and creamy no-fail New York Style Cherry Cheesecake with an easy three-ingredient graham cracker crust and a sweet cherry topping. This easy cheesecake has a touch of lemon for a little zippy flavor and a touch of sour cream to soften the texture and make it ultra smooth.

This tasty treat is a friend and family favorite, and it is so easy to make. Forget the cheesecake bath and add a dish full of hot water on the rack below it. This will keep the oven steamy and moist to prevent cracks in the cake. I like to use premium canned cherries, but if desired, you can make your own.

If you love cherries, try my cherry cobbler, cherry bars, cherry crisp, and cherry dump cake. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Graham cracker crumbs: store-bought or fresh. Crush graham crackers in a food processor for the crumbs. It is less expensive and tastes fresher. 
• Butter: salted or unsalted
• Cream cheese: full-fat
• Sour cream: also full-fat
• Vanilla extract: the real thing
• Lemons: for juice and zest
• Eggs: large ones, please
• Cherry pie filling: premium is best and worth the money. If you love to cook, try making homemade cherry pie filling.

How to make Cherry Cheesecake

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

Start by making the crust. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Then press it into the bottom and up about an inch on the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Now bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven. Let the crust fully cool before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

Preheat the oven and carefully add a casserole dish filled with hot water to the rack below the middle. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy while scraping down the bowl and the beaters several times. Add the sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest, mixing until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl again.

Now turn the mixer to low speed and add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the cooled crust. Bake the cheesecake for 70 minutes on the middle rack and then turn the oven off. Using a wooden spoon, prop open the oven door about 1 inch. Leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool down slowly for about an hour.

Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it cool. Once the cheesecake cools, cover the springform pan with wrap and refrigerate overnight. Now, using a sharp, thin knife, run the rim of the pan, loosening the cheesecake from the pan. Unbuckle the pan and carefully lift the ring up. Leaving the cheesecake in the bottom rim, gently spoon the cherry filling onto the cheesecake.

Preparation Tips

• Great cheesecake is not difficult to make; however, it does require planning and cooling time. The graham cracker crust must fully cool before adding the cheesecake batter, and the cheesecake must fully cool before covering and placing it in the refrigerator, but do not go longer than 2 hours. Then, it must chill for at least 6 hours in the refrigerator.
• Take the time to get the cream cheese and sugar smooth and creamy. This takes several minutes and requires scraping down the beater and sides of the bowl several times.
• It is very important not to overmix the batter with your electric mixer. You may incorporate air into the batter, causing it to rise and fall, leaving cracks behind.
• Don’t peek in the oven much, or better yet, not at all. Fluctuations in oven temperature can cause cracks. Minimize opening the oven as much as possible.
• When you turn the oven off, the cheesecake will still be slightly jiggly in the middle but set on the sides with very light brown edges.
• Serve the cake right on the base. Even the pros do, so don’t risk damaging or dropping your cheesecake.

Storage

You can store the cheesecake covered or wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to a month. See below for freezing directions.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Cherry Treats

Cherry Crisp

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Cherry Lemonade

Cherry Cobbler

Cherry Dump Cake

Cherry Pie Bars

Cherry Cheesecake

A scrumptious no water-bath Cherry Cheesecake with a sweet graham cracker crust and light lemon accents all topped with premium tart cherry filling. 

5 from 46 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 9 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 502kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 7 tablespoons butter melted

Cheesecake Filling

• 32 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup sour cream room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 4 eggs room temperature
• 1 21 ounce can of cherry pie filling

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. 
• Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl.  Press it into the bottom and up about an inch on the sides of the pan. 
• Bake for 10 minutes.  Let the crust fully cool before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. 
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.  Fill a large baking dish with hot water and place it on the rack below the middle rack. 
• Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer on medium speed beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy while scraping down the bowl and the beaters with a rubber spatula several times. Add the sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest, mixing until incorporated, scraping down the bowl again.
• Turn the mixer to low speed and add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the cooled crust. Bake for 70 minutes, and then turn the oven off. Using a wooden spoon, prop open the oven door about 1- 1 1/2 inches. Leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool down slowly for 1 hour. 
• Place the cheesecake on a wire rack to fully cool. Once the cheesecake cools, cover the springform pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours up to overnight. Using a sharp thin knife, run the rim of the pan, loosening the cheesecake from the pan. Unbuckle the pan and carefully lift the ring up. Leaving the cheesecake in the bottom rim, gently spoon the cherry filling onto the cheesecake. 
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. Promptly refrigerate leftovers. 

Notes

• Great cheesecake is not difficult to make; however, it does require planning and cooling time. The graham cracker crust must fully cool before adding the cheesecake batter, and the cheesecake must fully cool before covering and placing it in the refrigerator, but do not go longer than 2 hours. Then, it must chill for at least 6 hours in the refrigerator.
• Take the time to get the cream cheese and sugar smooth and creamy. This takes several minutes and requires scraping down the beater and sides of the bowl several times.
• It is very important not to overmix the batter with your electric mixer. You may incorporate air into the batter, causing it to rise and fall, leaving cracks behind.
• Don’t peek in the oven much, or better yet, not at all. Fluctuations in oven temperature can cause cracks. Minimize opening the oven as much as possible.
• When you turn the oven off, the cheesecake will still be slightly jiggly in the middle but set on the sides with very light brown edges.
• Serve the cake right on the base. Even the pros do, so don’t risk damaging or dropping your cheesecake.

Nutrition

Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1359IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1mg

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