This old fashioned Cherry Delight recipe is a classic! It’s a cross between cherry pie and cherry cheesecake, and WOW is it good.

Here’s yet another recipe that keeps popping up in vintage cookbooks: Old Fashioned Cherry Delight, also known as “Cherry Surprise”.
With its combination of a luscious cream cheese middle, sweet/tart cherry pie filling on top, and thick graham cracker crust on the bottom, it really IS a delight.
Cherry Delight is made in an 8×8-inch dish, which doesn’t seem very large. But I can assure you that this definitely serves at least nine people. It’s quite rich and decadent, and I love it for parties and potlucks.
My top Tips for making cherry delight
- Line the pan with parchment paper before starting. Then, you can lift the whole dessert out of the pan for easier slicing.
- Pack the graham cracker crumbs down in the pan gently (enough that they stick together), but not too firmly. Packing them down too firmly will result in a crust that crumbles all over.
- You’ll need to beat the heavy cream to firm peaks before folding it into the cream cheese mixture. Firm peaks stand up when you raise the beater from the bowl.
- The secret ingredient in the topping is almond extract. Cherries and almonds are a match made in heaven!
- Freeze the dessert for 45 minutes before slicing. This will help it firm up for the prettiest slices.
Ingredients
Be sure to check the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients.
How to make old fashioned cherry delight
Start by lining an 8×8-inch dish with parchment paper. A 9×9-inch dish works, too.
Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Then, pat it gently into the dish. Don’t press too hard, or the crust will be crumbly.
Bake the crust for 8 minutes in a 350°F oven. Some recipes skip the step of baking it, but the heat from the oven really does help it stick together.
Next, whip the heavy cream to firm peaks. A firm peak keeps its shape (and doesn’t droop) when you lift up the beater.
Fold the whipped cream gently into the cream cheese mixture. Then spread it over the crust. Stir the almond extract (the secret ingredient to bring out the cherry flavor) into the can of cherry pie filling.
Spread the cherry pie filling on top and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let it set up. You can let it chill for up to 24 hours before serving if you like.
Tips for serving
Freeze the whole dessert for 45 minutes before slicing for extra clean cuts. Then, lift it out with the sides of the parchment paper, and cut into slices on a cutting board. Serve while chilled.
It’ll keep for up to one week in the refrigerator, tightly covered. You can also freeze the dessert with success. I defrosted a few slices overnight in the fridge and the texture was still perfect.
Variations
Most of the recipes I found for Cherry Delight were very similar to this one. The recipe seemed to hit peak popularity in the late 70’s and 80’s, whereas Chocolate Delight and Lemon Lush dominated the 1960’s. Here are a few variations that I found in church cookbooks from that era:
- Substitute crushed vanilla wafers for the graham cracker crumbs. Omit the granulated sugar if you choose this option.
- Add one-half cup of finely chopped nuts to the cream cheese filling. Pecans or walnuts would be nice!
- Don’t want to whip the cream? Substitute 8 ounces of defrosted whipped topping (such as Cool Whip) in its place. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture as written in the instructions.
- Use a different flavor of pie filling. Blueberry pie filling sounds delicious—omit the almond extract and add some lemon zest instead!
More desserts for Cherry Lovers
Cherry pie filling is a great shortcut in the kitchen. Here are a few more old fashioned favorites that use it, too:
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Cherry Delight
Ingredients
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) melted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz package cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Pat gently into the prepared baking dish, just enough so they stick together. Bake for 8 minutes and let cool completely.
- In another large bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks to make whipped cream. (This means the peaks hold their shape when you lift the beaters out of the bowl, they should not droop.)
- In another large bowl, whip together the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Fold in the whipped cream.
- Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and spread evenly.
- Stir the almond extract into the cherry pie filling, then gently spread that on top of the cream cheese mixture.
- Refrigerate at least two hours, or up to 24 hours, before serving.
- TIP: To get clean slices when you cut it, put the cherry delight in the freezer for 45 minutes before slicing. Slice and wipe the knife with a paper towel with each cut.
Notes
- Use another variety of pie filling (such as blueberry, and sub lemon zest for the almond extract)
- Substitute crushed vanilla wafers for the graham crackers (omit granulated sugar)
- Add one-half cup of chopped nuts to the cream cheese mixture
I’ve made this several times now because it is SO good and so easy!
Thanks for your kind review, Kelli!