Name: Cherry Cheesecake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 10 h 20 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1/3 cup melted butter; 3 packages (24oz, 750g) cream cheese, softened; 2 cups plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream); 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 4 large eggs (at room temperature); 3 cups cherries, pitted and halved (fresh or frozen); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 tablespoons corn starch; 1/2 cup granulated sugar

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This homemade cherry cheesecake is easy to make, and is so delicious! This creamy cheesecake topped with a sweet cherry sauce is the perfect dessert!

Cheesecake is not something I make super often, but when I do it definitely disappears pretty quickly!

Homemade is just better. It really doesn’t compare to a cheesecake from the frozen aisle at the grocery store!

And it’s easier than you think to make! This homemade cheesecake is ready to put in the oven very quickly, and if you can beat cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, and eggs together – you can make cheesecake. It’s really very easy, and the result is fantastic.

So creamy and delicious, you won’t want to go back to store bought cheesecake once you’ve tried the homemade version!

We really enjoyed this cherry cheesecake. It makes the perfect dessert when you want something a little more extravagant than a cookie!

How can you tell if a baked cheesecake is done?

Cheesecake is finished baking when the outer two inches are set, but the middle is still a bit jiggly.

The best (and easiest) way to tell if a cheesecake is done, is to check the internal temperature of the cake with an instant read thermometer (I have this one and love it!). The internal temperature in the middle of the cheesecake should be 150F when it’s done baking.

Once your cheesecake reaches 150F in the centre, turn the oven off and prop the door open with the handle of a wooden spoon. Let the cheesecake sit in the warm oven for an hour and then take it out to cool completely.

If you over bake a cheesecake, it will start to dry out, which is what will make it crack when it cools. This cherry cheesecake is so creamy that it will still be amazing, even if it’s a bit overdone. But checking the temperature and knowing if it’s finished baking, will help prevent any cracks from forming.

Can you over-beat a cheesecake?

It’s pretty difficult to over-beat the cheesecake mixture if your cream cheese is softened to room temperature.

If you try to beat cold cream cheese, there is a much better chance of over mixing the batter, just because it will take so long to get it smooth. This will result in incorporating too much air into the cheesecake batter.

When this happens, the cheesecake will rise in the oven and then fall as it cools. This will give you a cheesecake with a sunken centre and/or cracks in the middle.

So start with room temperature cream cheese for perfect cheesecake!

homemade cheesecake with fresh cherry sauce

How to make Cherry Cheesecake:

Make sure to start with room temperature cream cheese when you make the batter so it’s easy to beat.
Check the internal temperature of the cheesecake with an instant read thermometer to see if it’s finished baking or not. I have this one and love it!
You can either put the cherry sauce on top of the cheesecake and then slice and serve, or spoon the sauce over top after slicing the cheesecake up.
This cheesecake will keep, tightly covered, in the fridge, for 3-5 days.

Here are some more great desserts for you:

Yield: serves 10-12

Cherry Cheesecake

This homemade cherry cheesecake is easy to make, and is so delicious! This creamy cheesecake topped with cherry sauce makes the perfect dessert!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Chilling Time 8 hours

Total Time 10 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

For the cheesecake:

3 packages (24oz, 750g) cream cheese, softened
2 cups plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs (at room temperature)

For the cherry sauce:

3 cups cherries, pitted and halved (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

For the crust:

In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar.
Drizzle the melted butter over top and stir until everything is evenly combined.
Press the graham cracker crust evenly over the bottom of a 9” springform pan, and about 2 inches up the sides.
Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes. It should look dry after baking.
Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool.
Decrease the oven temperature to 275F.

For the cheesecake:

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese until it is smooth and fluffy.
Add the Greek yogurt and whip to combine.
Add the sugar, vanilla, and eggs, and whip until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the cooled crust, smoothing the top.
Bake the cheesecake at 275F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until an instant read thermometer placed in the centre of the cheesecake reads 150F.
Once the cheesecake has reached 150F in the centre, turn off the oven, prop open the oven door with a potholder or the handle of a wooden spoon, and let the cheesecake sit in the warm oven for an hour.
After an hour, take the cheesecake out of the oven.
Run a thin, sharp knife around the edge of the pan, and let it cool completely on a wire rack at room temperature. This will take 3-4 hours.
Once it’s cool, chill the cheesecake overnight (or for at least 8 hours) in the refrigerator before slicing and serving it.

For the cherry sauce:

In a medium saucepan, stir together the cherries, lemon juice, corn starch, and sugar.
Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the cherries have broken down a bit and the sauce has thickened.
Chill the sauce and serve over top of the cheesecake.
Cover any leftover cheesecake with plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Source: Adapted from my Apple Crisp Cheesecake.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 338Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 196mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 1gSugar: 41gProtein: 9g

Nutrition Information is estimated based on ingredients used and may not be exact.

Christine S.

Wednesday 27th of July 2022

Is the corn starch supposed to be 2 teaspoons instead or 2 tablespoons? It’s VERY thick and I’ve had to add a lot of water. Otherwise the cheesecake base tasted soooooo good before I put it in the oven so I know it will be spectacular once it comes out.

Stacey

Monday 15th of August 2022

No, 2 tablespoons is the correct amount. Maybe your cherries didn't release as much liquid as mine did so it ended up thicker? It was not very thick for me, but adding water is what I would have done too, so hopefully that worked well for you to fix it! Hope you liked the cheesecake!

Mike Sr.

Sunday 12th of June 2022

Has this cheesecake recipe been tried out baking in a water bath? If so, how did the results differ? I usually bake all my cheesecakes in a water bath (no cracks) but this recipe has more Yogurt (sour cream) than I have every used.

Tuesday 14th of June 2022

I have not made this cheesecake in a water bath, I prefer to just check the temperature and try not to over-bake it to avoid cracking. I think it would likely be fine baking it in a water bath as well, but I haven't tested it myself.