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A delicious recipe for making your no bake cherry cheesecake (Dutch MonChou pie). This pie is made without an oven and has a tasty Bastogne biscuit base. Bastogne cookies are originally from Belgium and while super tasty, you can easily replace them for another kind of cookie you like. Graham crackers is a classic of course so that will work just fine.

Making No bake cherry cheesecake

The first time I made this recipe back in 2014 I wasn’t a big fan of MonChou or cream cheese in desserts in general. Over time I have grown to love and appreciate cream cheese in recipes but in the beginning I found it really weird to have a sweet dish with cheese in it.

In fact, thanks in part to the delicious biscuit base, I am in love with this no bake cherry cheesecake recipe. It has a lovely creamy cheesecake filling and in combination with the cherries it’s the perfect summer dessert.

Ever since my first no bake cherry cheesecake recipe I make it on a regular basis. It’s incredible easy and a perfect crowd pleaser.

Baking tip: I like to use a loose-bottom pie tin for this type of no bake dessert. This makes it easy to remove the Dutch MonChou pie from the tin and the tin is easy to clean.

What is MonChou?

To first explain a bit about the origin of MonChou. It was originally made by a company in the Netherlands called Friesland Campina. They marketed a cream cheese in small square packages and called it monchou. It’s not made anywhere else, but you can very easily replace it with any other kind of firm cream cheese. So if you want to make this no bake cherry cheesecake you can absolutely do that.

MonChou can be found online in a few different stores but it might be easier swapping for another full-fat cream cheese filling. Make sure it is a firm cream cheese and not too soft or the cheesecake will not hold.

Cherry season

Summer roughly coincides with cherry season, which I love. If you’re making this during cherry season, it’s fun to make your own cherry pie filling. There is nothing wrong with the store-bought stuff, but there is nothing like making it yourself.

If cherries are out of season, you can still make a homemade cherry filling. Instead of fresh you can use a can of cherry pie filling or use canned cherries (with juice)

Making the no bake cherry cheesecake

Making the cherry cheesecake starts by making the crust first. You place the cookies of your choice in a food processor and grind them into small crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix the two together. A package of Bastogne cookies that I used here is 260 grams (9.2 ounce). If you’re using graham crackers or another type of cookie you might have to vary the butter content. Make sure all crumbs have some butter.

Press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of the tin firmly. You can use a springform pan for this but I like to use a pie dish with a loose bottom. This makes it easier to release the cheesecake once cooled. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Making the cherry pie filling

For making this easy no bake cherry cheesecake you need tins of cherry pie filling. It’s easiest to buy this ready made. You need roughly 800 grams (1.8 pound) or two tins of the cherry pie filling.

Next step is to prepared the cream cheese mixture. First you whip the double cream or heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar to stiff peaks. You can replace the double cream with cool whip to make the cake firmer or if you do not have very firm cream cheese. Set the cream aside and take a separate bowl for making the cream cheese filling.

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla sugar and mix till you have a creamy filling. You can use a hand mixer to do that or use the mixing bowl of the food processor. Fold the whipped cream through the cream cheese with a rubber spatula.

Take the tin out of the fridge and pour the filling on top of the buttery graham cracker (or Bastogne cookie) crust. Smooth the surface and let it sit in the fridge for at least two hours or until it is set. Cover with plastic wrap.

Once set add the cherry pie filling on top of the cream cheese layer. And the perfect dessert is ready! It is one of my favorite no bake desserts. It’s also a great recipe to make mini cheesecakes. It’s a favorite here at family gatherings or for any special occasions. It doesn’t take much time at all to make it and although you do have to wait for the cheesecake to set, that is not active time!

Are you a fan of cheesecake?

You might want to try these recipes below as well:

• No bake strawberry cheesecake bites
• Strawberry cheesecake cookies
• No bake apple caramel cheesecakes

A delicious recipe for making your no bake cherry cheesecake (Dutch MonChou pie). This pie is made without an oven and has a tasty Bastogne biscuit base. Bastogne cookies are originally from Belgium and while super tasty, you can easily replace them for another kind of cookie you like. Graham crackers is a classic of course so that will work just fine.

Making No bake cherry cheesecake

The first time I made this recipe back in 2014 I wasn’t a big fan of MonChou or cream cheese in desserts in general. Over time I have grown to love and appreciate cream cheese in recipes but in the beginning I found it really weird to have a sweet dish with cheese in it.

In fact, thanks in part to the delicious biscuit base, I am in love with this no bake cherry cheesecake recipe. It has a lovely creamy cheesecake filling and in combination with the cherries it’s the perfect summer dessert.

Ever since my first no bake cherry cheesecake recipe I make it on a regular basis. It’s incredible easy and a perfect crowd pleaser.

Baking tip: I like to use a loose-bottom pie tin for this type of no bake dessert. This makes it easy to remove the Dutch MonChou pie from the tin and the tin is easy to clean.

What is MonChou?

To first explain a bit about the origin of MonChou. It was originally made by a company in the Netherlands called Friesland Campina. They marketed a cream cheese in small square packages and called it monchou. It’s not made anywhere else, but you can very easily replace it with any other kind of firm cream cheese. So if you want to make this no bake cherry cheesecake you can absolutely do that.

MonChou can be found online in a few different stores but it might be easier swapping for another full-fat cream cheese filling. Make sure it is a firm cream cheese and not too soft or the cheesecake will not hold.

Cherry season

Summer roughly coincides with cherry season, which I love. If you’re making this during cherry season, it’s fun to make your own cherry pie filling. There is nothing wrong with the store-bought stuff, but there is nothing like making it yourself.

If cherries are out of season, you can still make a homemade cherry filling. Instead of fresh you can use a can of cherry pie filling or use canned cherries (with juice)

Making the no bake cherry cheesecake

Making the cherry cheesecake starts by making the crust first. You place the cookies of your choice in a food processor and grind them into small crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix the two together. A package of Bastogne cookies that I used here is 260 grams (9.2 ounce). If you’re using graham crackers or another type of cookie you might have to vary the butter content. Make sure all crumbs have some butter.

Press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of the tin firmly. You can use a springform pan for this but I like to use a pie dish with a loose bottom. This makes it easier to release the cheesecake once cooled. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Making the cherry pie filling

For making this easy no bake cherry cheesecake you need tins of cherry pie filling. It’s easiest to buy this ready made. You need roughly 800 grams (1.8 pound) or two tins of the cherry pie filling.

Next step is to prepared the cream cheese mixture. First you whip the double cream or heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar to stiff peaks. You can replace the double cream with cool whip to make the cake firmer or if you do not have very firm cream cheese. Set the cream aside and take a separate bowl for making the cream cheese filling.

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla sugar and mix till you have a creamy filling. You can use a hand mixer to do that or use the mixing bowl of the food processor. Fold the whipped cream through the cream cheese with a rubber spatula.

Take the tin out of the fridge and pour the filling on top of the buttery graham cracker (or Bastogne cookie) crust. Smooth the surface and let it sit in the fridge for at least two hours or until it is set. Cover with plastic wrap.

Once set add the cherry pie filling on top of the cream cheese layer. And the perfect dessert is ready! It is one of my favorite no bake desserts. It’s also a great recipe to make mini cheesecakes. It’s a favorite here at family gatherings or for any special occasions. It doesn’t take much time at all to make it and although you do have to wait for the cheesecake to set, that is not active time!

Are you a fan of cheesecake?

You might want to try these recipes below as well:

• No bake strawberry cheesecake bites
• Strawberry cheesecake cookies
• No bake apple caramel cheesecakes

Making your own homemade cherry pie filling is not only delicious, it is also a pretty easy recipe.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying cans of cherry pie filling in the grocery store, it is surprisingly easy to make it at home. It took me many cans of store bought pie filling before I started wondering why I had never made it myself. The fun thing is that if you make it yourself you can also adjust the flavor to your own preference.

​Even better; you can make this cherry pie filling with fresh cherries, canned cherries, rainier cherries, dark sweet cherries and yes, even cherries from the freezer.

What you need to make cherry pie filling

If you have your own cherry tree, this would be absolutely perfect for cherry season. You can use all the leftover cherries to make this homemade cherry filling. In this particular case I went with jarred cherries, as all the fresh ones were completely sold out in the stores. And using jarred cherries is even easier, as you don’t need a cherry pitter. That’s already done for you.

You’ll need:

• cherries – fresh, canned, jarred or frozen
• cherry juice – substitute with water if you’re using fresh cherries
• granulated sugar – you can also add brown sugar if you want
• cornstarch – the binding agent in this recipe
• lemon juice 

​And that’s all there is to it. When you’re using fresh cherries, having a cherry pitter handy is easiest but you can also use a sharp paring knife to remove the stones. Other than the cherry pitter you’ll need a saucepan and a container to add your homemade pie filling to once ready.

How to make the pie filling

When using canned cherries first drain them in a sieve or a colander. Make sure to preserve all the juice. The same goes for using frozen cherries. Make sure to let them defrost and keep the juice that comes out of the cherries. If you don’t have enough juice you can add a bit of water or orange juice to make up for the missing part.

Place all the cherries plus 150 ml (5 fluid ounce) in a saucepan. Turn on the heat to low and let it come to a boil. Make sure to stir gently regularly!

In another bowl you combine the sugar, cornstarch and the lemon juice with a little bit of the cherry juice as well. Stir this into a paste and when your cherry mixture in the pan is boiling add the cornstarch mix. The amount of sugar you use is optional. I’ve used 50 gram (1.5 to 2 ounces) but you can use more sugar if you want it really sweet. It also depends on the sweetness of your cherries. If you’re using sour cherries or tart cherries you might want a bit more sugar. Just test it and add more if you want.

You let it boil for approximately 5 to 10 minutes or until it is thick enough. You can test this by adding a little bit of the liquid on a plate. You can see and feel if it is ready with your fingers. Easiest is to let it cool slightly and then move a finger through the juice. If the stripe stays it is ready. If the two halves flow back together it is not done yet.

When your cherry pie filling is done pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it cool completely.

Fresh vs canned cherries

Now while this is totally delicious with fresh fruit, the end result with either fresh or canned is really the same. The only difference is that you might have to add a bit of water as you won’t have cherry juice like the canned stuff does. I love adding a bit of orange juice instead of the water for extra flavor.

Adding flavor

While this delicious pie filling is perfect on it’s own, you can add flavor to your own pie fillings. Think about adding some almond extract or vanilla extract for instance. Adding some extra lemon or lime zest is also a good option. It also depends on what you will be using it for. The flavor is much richer than canned pie fillings (or so I think) so keep in mind what you want to use it for.