Name: No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 285 min
Ingredients: 2 cups graham cracker crumbs; 1/4 cup sugar; 1 stick butter (melted); 24 oz cream cheese (softened); 3 cups powdered sugar; 5-6 cups frozen whipped topping (thawed); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 42 oz cherry pie filling (2 cans)

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The Cheesecake That Feeds a Crowd (and Requires Almost No Effort, Which Is the Point)
This no-bake cheesecake is the easiest crowd-pleaser you’ll ever pull out of your refrigerator. Creamy filling, buttery graham cracker crust, topped with cherry pie filling — make it the night before and you’re done.

Why You’ll Love It

Feeds a crowd — a full 9×13 pan with twelve generous servings, no doubling required
Make it the night before — the filling firms up beautifully overnight, so it’s actually better when you plan ahead
Light but creamy filling — the whipped topping keeps it from being too heavy, even in the middle of summer
The crust holds up — baked just enough to stay firm after a night in the fridge, no soggy bottoms
Travels well — cover the pan, keep it cold, and it arrives looking exactly like it did when you made it

A Note on the Ingredients

The cream cheese needs to be full-fat and it needs to be at room temperature. This is not optional. I’ve tried to rush this step exactly twice and both times I ended up with tiny little lumps in the filling that I tried to convince myself weren’t there. They were there. Give yourself an hour on the counter, or set them out the night before if you’re organized (I am not always organized, but I aspire to be).
For the whipped topping — I use the name-brand stuff, the big tub from the freezer section. I’ve made this with the store brand and it was fine, but I’ve also made it with the name brand and it was slightly better, and for a pan this size I’d rather just go for it. You want five cups minimum. I usually do closer to six, honestly. I like a thick filling and I’ve never heard anyone complain.
Powdered sugar, not granulated. Please. Granulated sugar will not blend properly into cold cream cheese and you’ll taste the graininess.
The cherry pie filling — two full cans for a 9×13 pan. Some people do one can and try to spread it thin. Those people are wrong. You want full coverage and you want the cherries to be abundant, not rationed.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (one sleeve and a little extra, roughly — I usually just crush a whole box and measure from there)
¼ cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted

For the Filling:

3 packages cream cheese, 8 oz each, softened — and I mean actually softened
3 cups powdered sugar
5 to 6 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Topping:

2 cans cherry pie filling, 21 oz each

Let’s Make It

Start with the crust. Melt your butter, then mix it together with the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar until it looks like wet sand — it should hold together when you press a little between your fingers. Pour it into an ungreased 9×13 pan and press it down evenly. I use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to get it really packed in there; your hands work too but the measuring cup gives you a more even surface and keeps the edges from getting too thick.
Bake it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. You’re looking for it to be set and just barely golden — it won’t look dramatically different than when it went in, but it will smell amazing and it’ll be firm when you tap the side of the pan. Let it cool completely before you add the filling. Completely. I know it’s tempting to rush this part but warm crust plus cold filling equals a mess I don’t want to describe.
While it’s cooling, make the filling. Beat your softened cream cheese on medium speed until it’s completely smooth — no lumps, no chunks. This takes a couple of minutes and you might think it’s smooth before it actually is, so give it a little extra time. Then add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing between additions. Add your vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Now fold in the whipped topping. I do this part in two additions — add about half, fold it in gently, then add the rest and beat it at medium speed until it’s smooth and fully combined. You want it light and fluffy, not deflated. Don’t overdo it.
Spread the filling over your completely cooled crust. Get it as even as you can — I use an offset spatula, but a regular spatula works fine. Then spoon the cherry pie filling over the top, spreading it to cover the whole surface. Try to distribute the cherries evenly. You have two cans, use them.
Cover the pan — I use plastic wrap — and refrigerate for at least four hours. Overnight is better. The filling needs time to firm up and the crust needs time to absorb just the faintest amount of moisture, which sounds counterintuitive but it makes the whole thing hold together better when you cut it.

Variations, More or Less

Blueberry pie filling works beautifully here instead of cherry. A little less sweet, a little more complex. Still not as good as the original, but worth trying.
I’ve seen people add a squeeze of lemon juice to the filling for brightness. I’ve done it — maybe half a lemon, I never measure — and it’s nice. Doesn’t change the character of the dessert, just wakes it up a little.
If you want to make individual portions instead of a big pan, you can press the crust into a muffin tin with paper liners and fill from there. They’re cute and easy to eat standing up. More work, though. I’ll take the big pan every time.
I’ve also heard of people making this with strawberry topping. I have not done this and I don’t plan to. Some things you just don’t mess with.

Leftovers

Cover the pan tightly and keep it in the refrigerator. It holds well for three or four days, though the crust will soften a bit as time goes on — it’s still good, just different. If you’re taking it somewhere, keep it cold. This is not a dessert that likes to sit out in the heat; the filling will get soft and the cherry topping will start to bleed in a way that is aesthetically unpleasant.