Description

This No Bake Chocolate Cherry Dessert Lush is a luscious, layered treat featuring a chocolate cookie crust, creamy chocolate cheesecake filling, sweet cherry pie topping, and fluffy whipped cream. Perfectly chilled in the freezer, this easy-to-make dessert requires no baking and offers a delightful combination of textures and flavors that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Ingredients

Scale

Crust

1 – 14.3 oz. package of chocolate sandwich cookies (approximately 36 cookies)
1/3 cup salted butter (melted, plus more for greasing the pan)

Chocolate Cheesecake Layer

16 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup half ‘n’ half (⅓ cup whole milk can be substituted)

Fruit Layer

2 – 21 oz. cans cherry pie filling

Topping

16 oz. tub frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip, thawed)
Chocolate sprinkles (optional)
16 maraschino cherries (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the Pan: Grease a 9×13 glass baking dish with butter and set it aside to prevent sticking.
Make the Crust: Using a food processor, pulse the chocolate sandwich cookies until they form small, even crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a few times until the crumbs are evenly coated with butter.
Form the Crust Base: Press the cookie crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place the dish in the freezer to chill and firm up while preparing the next layer.
Make the Chocolate Cheesecake Layer: Using a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and half ‘n’ half together until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and fluffy.
Assemble the Chocolate Cheesecake Layer: Spread the chocolate cheesecake mixture evenly over the chilled crust. If the cheesecake layer feels too soft, place the dish back in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm it before adding the next layer.
Add Cherry Pie Filling: Carefully spread the cherry pie filling evenly over the chocolate cheesecake layer using a spatula.
Add Whipped Topping Base: Spread most of the thawed frozen whipped topping smoothly over the cherry layer, reserving about a cup for piping swirls on top.
Decorate with Chocolate Sprinkles: Sprinkle the top of the whipped topping with chocolate sprinkles if desired.
Pipe Whipped Topping Swirls: Using a piping bag fitted with a #1M tip, pipe 16 soft swirls evenly spaced on top of the lush.
Freeze the Dessert: Place the entire dessert in the freezer and let it firm up for at least 2 hours to set the layers properly.
Garnish with Cherries: After chilling, gently place one maraschino cherry on top of each whipped topping swirl.
Serve: Cut the lush into individual squares and serve chilled for a refreshing, no-bake dessert experience.

Notes

For a firmer cheesecake layer, chill the dish between adding layers to help each set properly.
You can substitute whole milk for half ‘n’ half if you prefer a lighter cheesecake filling.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator; best enjoyed within 3 days.
Feel free to switch cherry pie filling with your favorite fruit pie filling for variety.
Make sure to thaw the frozen whipped topping completely before using for best texture.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American

Keywords: no bake dessert, chocolate cherry dessert, lush recipe, chocolate cheesecake, cherry pie filling, quick dessert, easy dessert, layered dessert