Cherry Yum Yum

5 from 10 votes

Cherry yum yum is a layered no-bake dessert with about 20 minutes of hands-on work. The crust sets in the freezer, the oven never comes on, and a chill in the fridge does the rest.

Prep Time20

Chill Time6

Total Time6 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cherry Yum Yum Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 498kcal

Ingredients

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (Kellogg's brand used)
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature (two 8-ounce blocks)
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip brand used) (two 8-ounce containers)
42 ounces cherry pie filling, Duncan Hines COMSTOCK More Fruit brand used (two 21-ounce cans)

Instructions

Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
To a medium bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, then stir to combine. The mixture should resemble wet sand. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the buttered graham cracker crumbs for the topping.
Press the graham cracker crumb mixture (minus the reserved 2 tablespoons) firmly into the bottom of the prepared 9x13 baking dish to form a crust. Place the crust into the freezer for 15 minutes to harden while preparing the remaining ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese for 2-3 minutes using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed until no lumps remain.
Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then beat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
Gently fold in the thawed whipped topping until evenly combined and the mixture is light and fluffy.
Remove the crust from the freezer, top the crust with half the cream cheese mixture, and gently spread to an even layer.
Spoon the cherry pie filling over the cream cheese layer, spreading into an even layer, then add small dollops of the remaining cream cheese mixture over the cherries. Using a small offset spatula, carefully spread the cream cheese mixture in an even layer, being careful not to mix the layers.
Sprinkle the reserved 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumb mixture evenly over the top of the final cream cheese layer for garnish.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours (up to overnight) or until well chilled for clean cuts when sliced and served.

Notes

For a firmer crust, bake in a 350°F preheated oven for 10 minutes. Allow the crust to cool completely at room temperature before adding the cream cheese and cherry layers.
I find that using brands of cherry pie filling labeled “more fruit” or “premium” tend to have more fruit and less of the gooey glaze.
I used the box of Kellogg’s brand graham cracker crumbs found in the baking aisle for this recipe. If making your own crumbs, you will need about 14 to 16 full-sized graham crackers pulsed in a food processor for 20 to 30 seconds or until fine crumbs are formed.
Two cups of very cold heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks with ¼ cup powdered sugar can be substituted for the thawed Cool Whip whipped topping in this recipe.

Nutrition