Cherry Cheesecake Dip

Any appetizer that comes together in less than 10 minutes and tastes as good as this Cherry Cheesecake Dip, deserves the number one spot on your holiday appetizer list! This easy, no-bake cheesecake dessert is made simple with a cream cheese base and a canned cherry pie filling. It is addictively delicious and sure to keep guests coming back for more!

In addition to a seriously fast and easy cheesecake dip,  we'll discover a quick and easy hack for sprucing up canned cherry pie filling, tricks for bringing cream cheese to room temperature faster, what to serve with your Cherry Cheesecake Dip, and how to store it!

Cherry Cheesecake Dip is a party dip in which the flavor very closely mimics that of cheesecake. Sweet and tangy, smooth and creamy, however, not quite as thick...it is meant to be dippable after all! It's a wonderful, gluten-free alternative to cheesecake and makes both a wonderful appetizer or dessert course for any party!

HOW TO MAKE CHERRY CHEESECAKE DIP

Cheesecake dips are far easier to make than cheesecake itself, and you'll likely have this dip on the table in less than 10 minutes. That's a far cry from a cheesecake entailing a long water bath bake and an extended cool-down time.

CHERRY CHEESECAKE DIP | QUICK RECIPE OVERVIEW

1. Add lemon juice and salt to cherry pie filling.
2. Mix together base ingredients: cream cheese, sugar, yogurt, vanilla extract, and salt.
3. Assemble in serving dish.

CANNED CHERRIES NEED A LITTLE HELP

Cherry Cheesecake Dip is a cinch to make. To start, you'll spruce up the canned cherry pie filling. On its own, it's fairly one dimensional, and that dimension is mostly "sweet." So we'll breathe a little life into it by squeezing in some fresh lemon juice and adding a pinch of salt.

WHERE THE CHEESECAKE COMES IN

The next step is to make the base for your cheesecake dip. The most important aspect of this very simple recipe is using room temperature cream cheese. If your cheese is too cold, it will not allow the other ingredients to incorporate properly. If your cream cheese is to warm, you'll end up with a rather goopy dip, with very little body.

QUICK TIPS FOR BRINGING CREAM CHEESE TO ROOM TEMPERATURE

The best way to bring cream cheese to room temperature for your Cherry Cheesecake Dip is to cut it into tablespoon-sized chunks and leave it on the counter for about 2 hours. Cutting the cream cheese into chunks rather than leaving it whole allows it to come to room temperature more quickly.

Life happens, and sometimes, we forget the little things. If this is the case with your cream cheese come the day of, you can always soften it a bit in the microwave. I suggest doing this at 10-second intervals, turning the block over after each stint in the microwave. It will likely take a few turns before it is ready.

Once your cream cheese is at room temperature, you can start mixing in the powdered sugar. Mixing the powdered sugar into your cream cheese prior to adding the remaining ingredients will ensure a perfectly smooth and cream base. Once the sugar and cream cheese are blended, the remaining ingredients go in, undergo one more round of mixing, and it's time to assemble and serve.

WHAT TO EAT WITH CHERRY CHEESECAKE DIP

There are a variety of store-bought cookies that will go wonderfully with Cherry Cheesecake Dip. Nilla Wafers and graham crackers pair particularly well with this dip as they mimic the flavor of pie crust. You could even turn actual pie crust into dippers by cutting it into strips and baking them.

Aside from store-bought cookies, Pretzel Crisps are delicious with Cherry Cheesecake Dip and add a nice salty-sweet element to the mix. Strawberries also look particularly gorgeous next to this vibrant cherry dessert!

• Nilla Wafers
• Graham Crackers
• Shortbread Cookies
• Pretzels (Pretzel Crisps are particularly great for dipping)
• Strawberries
• Baked Cinnamon-Sugar Pie Fries

STORING YOUR CHERRY CHEESECAKE DIP

If you'd like to make this dip ahead of time, I would suggest keeping the cherry pie filling and the cheesecake base separate until just before serving. This way, the pie filling will not bleed onto the cheesecake base. For best results, make your cheesecake base no more than 2 days in advance.

An assembled Cherry Cheesecake Dip will stay good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Freezing Cherry Cheesecake Dip is not suggested, as it may separate during the thawing process.

This is a seriously fast and easy appetizer to throw together and one that is a total crowd-pleaser! When I last served this dip, the crowd described it as purely addictive, and we all had a hard time choosing which dipper we like the best! I think what it really comes down to, is the fact that you could dip just about anything in this Cherry Cheesecake Dip and it would still taste amazing. It's just that good. Please, enjoy!

5 MORE DESSERT DIPS YOU’LL LOVE

• Raspberry Cream Cheese Fruit Dip is a light dip featuring raspberry preserves, greek yogurt, and lemon. It's sweet, just a little tangy, and absolutely perfect for dipping!
• Creamy Lemon Cheesecake Fruit Dip is a quick and easy lemon fruit dip made with cream cheese and lemon curd. Perfect for parties, showers, and brunches!
• 10-Minute Caramel Apple Dip with cream cheese, salted caramel, and chocolate toffee is incredibly easy, perfect for dipping apples, and a must-have for your recipe arsenal!
• Marshmallow Fruit Dip is creamy, light and fluffy, but best of all, consists of only 3 ingredients and comes together in about 3 minutes flat. 
• Baked Brie with Apples and Walnuts is addictively yummy, featuring baked brie topped with cinnamon apples and walnuts smothered in a quick and easy caramel sauce. The perfect mix of sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy!

9 MORE CHEESECAKE DIPS TO TRY!

• Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cheesecake Dip by Courtney's Sweets
• Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip by Food, Folks, Fun
• Funfetti Cheesecake Dip by The Love Nerds
• Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Dip by The Speckled Palate
• Maple Pecan Cheesecake Dip by Chocolate Moosey
• Strawberry Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Dip by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Blueberry Cheesecake Dip by Lemons and Zest
• Champagne Cheesecake Fruit Dip by Dip Creations
• Peanut Butter Toffee Cheesecake Dip by This is Not Diet Food