The No-Bake, Make-Ahead Summer Dessert That Gets Better as It Sits in the Fridge

For me, nothing says summer quite like cherry pie. But instead of dealing with pie crust, I’ll be making our no-bake cherry delight to watch the fireworks. It’s got gooey cherries, a creamy filling, and a buttery crust. What more could you want?

Get the recipe: No-Bake Cherry Delight

Normally when I am eating a dessert, there’s one part of the treat I love the best and try to avoid until the very end so I can really savor it — but I want every component of these bars with every bite. The graham cracker crust, cheesecake-esque filling, and cherry pie topping all complement each other perfectly. 

That said, a buttery, crumbly crust is normally my favorite part of a dessert, and this one did not disappoint. The salt helps to cut through all the richness of everything else. 

I am not normally the biggest cherry pie filling fan, but the tart cream cheese filling helps to balance out its sweetness. It’s totally perfect as-is, but I might swap in peach or blueberry pie filling next time. 

• Make the graham cracker crust. Melt butter in the microwave. Add graham crackers, sugar, and salt to a food processor and process until the crackers begin to look like sand. When you get to that point, pour in your butter. Pulse until combined, then press the mixture into an 8×8-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. 
• Make the cream cheese layer. In a standing mixer, beat room temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, and salt until fluffy. Nex, add in lemon zest, heavy cream, and vanilla extract and beat until medium peaks form. 
• Assemble. Dollop the cream cheese mixture on top of the crust and spread it out into an even layer. Then, spread a can of cherry pie filling over the cream cheese layer. 
• Refrigerate. Pop the pan into the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving (or overnight). 
• Serve and enjoy! When you’re ready to serve, slice it into 12 pieces, wiping your knife off before each cut for cleaner squares. 

• Swap ingredients. Kelli Foster, who developed this recipe, recommends trying out chocolate graham crackers in place of honey and using different pie fillings, like blueberry or peach pie. You could even add almond extract in place of some of the vanilla extract.