Looking for a special dessert for a birthday celebration? Cheesecake with a Cherry on top is the perfect solution!
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WEEK 80
Cheesecake with a Cherry on Top
Let’s Get to Mixin’
When I want to make a No Bake Cheesecake, I turn to my friends at Mad Dash Mixes! The company has several different no bake cheesecake mixes available. As I already said, Dave decided on the Cherry flavor. The standard recipe calls for 2 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese and I only had one. I was out of thyme so I quickly researched substitutes for cream cheese. Fortunately, Greek Yogurt could be used as a substitute and I happened to have some in the refrigerator! Thankfully, I didn’t have to race out to the grocery store!
Pictured above are the ingredients you will need in addition to their Cheesecake Mix packet. If you are interested in purchasing any of their products, use the code farmhouse to receive 15% off your order at www.MadDashMixes.com
Ingredients:
1 8 oz Softened Cream Cheese ( I used the lower fat option)
1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 8 oz Cool Whip or similar whipped topping
1 Mad Dash Mix No Bake Cherry Cheesecake Mix packet
1 9 inch Gluten Free Crust with chopped pecans
First, Let’s Talk About Preparing the Crust
The basic recipe on the back of the Mad Dash Mixes Cheesecake Mix says it can be made in an 8″ graham cracker crust. Since it is my husband’s birthday, I decided to my 9″ Springform pan. I purchased this one last fall to replace the one that somehow got misplaced when I was going thru the downsizing/moving process. The crust looks so much fancier when I use this pan!
I prepared the crust using the recipe below. After putting the crust in the pan, I placed the pan in the freezer for an hour. A word of caution: when you are working with a springform pan, always carry it by the sides. Don’t press up from the bottom….. you will loosen the pan and end up with a mess. Ask me how I know this…..
Gluten Free Crust with Chopped Pecans
Equipment
- 7 ' Springform Pan
- Rolling Pin
- plastic bag with a zipper closure
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 1 Tablespoon Stevia
- butter or shortening to grease the sides of the pan
Instructions
Preparing the Springform Pan
- Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper
- use butter or shortening to grease the sides of the pan. In place of the butter or shortening, it may be possible to spray the pan with pan spray. Check the directions with the pan. You could also line the insides of the pan with parchment paper.
- Well greased sides are essential in getting the finished cheesecake out of the pan without the crust crumbling.
Preparing the Crust
- place the chopped pecans in the plastic bag and zip shut
- using a rolling pin, crush the pecans
- Place the crushed pecans in a bowl and add the melted butter & Stevia. Blend with a fork until all pecans are covered
- Place the pecan mixture in the prepared pan. Using a spatula, press the crumbs firmly in the bottom
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place the pan the refrigerator for an hour
- after an hour, you will be ready to fill with the filling of your choice
- once you have filled the crust and allowed it to chill, unlatch the latch and gently remove the outer rim from the pan
- The filling in the picture is the Pumpkin Spice No Bake Cheesecake.
- Sprinkle ground cinnamon ( similar topping) if desired to the top of the cheesecake, slice and serve
Notes
- When using a springform pan, carry it by holding the sides. Once the pan is filled with either a crust, cake batter or cheesecake... DO NOT PRESS THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN! Pressing the bottom can cause the pan to come apart and potentially make a mess! Ask me how I know...
- Individual cheesecakes could also be prepared using a muffin tin. The pecan crust could be used in the individual muffin tins to give a gluten free alternative.
The Mixing Process
While the crust was chilling in the freezer, I pulled out my Mom’s vintage Hamilton Beach mixer and prepared the cheesecake filling. All of the information on how to make a how to make a Cherry No Bake Cheesecake can be found in the recipe below.
Cheesecake with a Cherry on Top
Equipment
- mixing spoon
- measuring cup
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened low fat cream cheese can be used
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- 8 oz Cool Whip other brands of whipped topping can be used
- 1 9" crushed pecan crust prepared in a Springform pan
- 1 packet Cherry No Bake Cheesecake Mix by Mad Dash Mixes
- Decorative Sprinkles if desired
- cherries or cherry topping
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup Greek yogurt to the softened cream cheese .
- Mix these two ingredients together until well blended
- add the contents of the Cherry No Bake Cheesecake mix packet to the cream cheese/yogurt blend. Blend until Creamy
- Fold in Cool Whip or other whipped topping
- Gently Spread in prepared 9 " crust in Springform pan and chill for at least 3 hours. Chilling allows the flavors to blend and the cheesecake will be easier to cut.
- After the cheesecake has chilled, remove from refrigerator. unlatch the latch and carefully remove the outside portion of the Springform pan
- If desired, sprinkle Decorative Chocolate Sprinkles over the top of the Cheesecake
- Add cherries or cherry pie filling to the top of the cheesecake
- slice cheesecake into 12 slices and serve. Cover & refrigerate any remaining cheesecake
Save this Pin for Later!
Alternative Serving Ideas
A plain graham cracker crust could be used in place of the crushed pecan crust that I made in the springform pan. You could purchase a ready-made crust or follow the directions for making the chocolate graham cracker crust and substitute regular graham crackers for the chocolate ones. One grocery brand even makes a ready-made graham cracker crust that has pecans in it! I think that would be really delicious! I will have to try that one soon!
Instead of filling a pie crust, the prepared no bake cheesecake can be served in a bowl as a dip for fresh fruit or cookies.
One Last Look
I was very happy with how the Cheesecake with a Cherry on Top turned out. The decorative Chocolate sprinkles add just the right festive touch to the top of the cheesecake. The sprinkles come in other colors so you can coordinate the topping with your color scheme if desired.
I definitely will be making this Cherry No Bake Cheesecake again!
Recipes for other no bake cheesecakes can be found here:
Chocolate Chip No Bake Cheesecake
Birthday Cake No Bake Cheesecake Dip
Cooking With Kim
My entrepreneurial journey started with my love of herbs , both growing and cooking with them. My love of herbs eventually led to owning a pizzeria.
After relocating to Florida, I decided to start a blog.
Throughout my culinary career, I have discovered the using mixes can make a cook’s life so much easier! Using a mix to make a recipe is as simple as adding a few ingredients to the mix and then stirring, cooking or chilling and serving! Mixes are such a time saver! After meeting the folks from Mad Dash Mixes* at a blogging conference one summer, I decided to add a weekly blog post featuring recipes using their mixes. Now I am now having a lot of fun working with the ladies from Mad Dash Mixes.
They did send me some products to sample but my opinions about the products are my own. My full disclosure policy can be found on the Disclosure page.
*If you would like to try some of their products, I have arranged for you to receive a 15% discount if you use the code farmhouse. Orders can be placed at http://www.MadDashMixes.com
Disclosure: this post was written in collaboration with Mad Dash Mixes
All opinions are my own.
Please see my disclosure page for more information.