Dutch MonChou pie (no bake cherry cheesecake)

Posted: August 23, 2024 Last modified: September 5, 2024

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 It was originally made by a company in the Netherlands called Friesland Campina.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!

Which cream cheese do you use?

I use small firm MonChou cream cheese packages but you can use another brand with firm cream cheese. Prairie farms is a good and firm substitute and works great in no bake desserts.

How can I make the filling more firm?

You can use cool whip as a replacement for whipping cream for a firmer result. I never do this myself, simply because it is not necessary. Optionally, if you haven’t bought the firm cream cheese, it can help give the filling extra firmness.

Isn’t two tins of cherry pie filling a lot?

Cherries on jelly are a must cherry topping on this no bake cherry cheesecake pie. Like the biscuit at the bottom, cherries in jelly are inseparable from this cake. However, I myself do not like a lot of jelly on the cream cheese filling, so I prefer to use two tins so that I can leave out some of the jelly, but still have lots of cherries. I explain how best to do this in the recipe card below. You can also use one tin of pie filling, but you will have proportionately more jelly and less cherries. Just the way you like it!

Can I replace the cherries?

Absolutely. In fact, you can use any fresh fruit of your choice, whatever is in season and whatever you like for this no bake recipe. I once used blueberry jam instead of cherries for a birthday cake. With fresh blueberries and raspberries on top, it is delicious! You can also use fresh cherries (remove the stones first though!) or fresh berries.

Can I substitute Bastogne biscuits?

Basically you can use any biscuit that crumbles easily. However, bear in mind that each biscuit requires a slightly different amount of butter. If you use 200 grams of digestive biscuits or 240 tea biscuits, you can use the same amount of butter from the recipe below.

Which baking tin did you use?

I prefer to use a loose-bottomed pie tin. This makes it easy to remove the no bake cheesecake from the tin and the tin is easy to clean.

Can you freeze a no bake cherry cheesecake?

Yes, you can. Ideally you should freeze the cake without the cherry pie filling. Make sure you pack the cheesecake in an airtight container, and it will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

Do you want to defrost the cake? Do it in the fridge. It will take a little longer, but this is the best way to prevent the cake from getting soggy.

Are you a fan of cheesecake?

You might want to try these recipes below as well:

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No bake cherry cheesecake (Dutch MonChou pie)

A delicious recipe for making your own MonChou cake. You can make this cake without an oven and it has a base of Bastogne biscuits.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Servings: portions

Ingredients

Metric | US Customary

260 grams Bastogne biscuits or replace with biscuit of choice
100 grams unsalted butter
250 ml whipping cream + 2 tablespoons sugar
100 grams sugar
8 grams vanilla sugar
200 grams cream cheese choose a firm brand
800 grams cherry pie filling

Equipment

Pie tin 24 cm diameter or 9.5 inch

Instructions

Crush the Bastogne biscuits in a food processor. Melt the butter in a pan and add the crumbled biscuits. Stir well until firm.
Pour the biscuit-butter mixture into the baking tin lined with baking paper and spread evenly over the base. Chill the cake in the fridge.
Meanwhile, make the filling for the cake. Whip the cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl until stiff.
In another bowl, mix the sugar, vanilla sugar and cream cheese until creamy. Add the whipped cream to the MonChou mixture and mix well.
Spoon the filling into the cooled cookie base and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the filling to set.
If you are using one tin of pie filling, you can spread it evenly over the cake. Are you using two tins like me? Use a fork to remove the cherries from the tin. Leave the excess jelly in the tin. This way you'll have a nice amount of cherries on the cake, but it won't get too full because you won't use all the jelly. Spread the cherries evenly over the cake.

How to store

Leave the no bake cherry cheesecake in the fridge until ready to serve. It will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.