Cherry Pie Filling 2 cups (420g) frozen black cherries ½ cup (110g) water ⅓ cup (73g) granulated sugar 2 Tbsp. (15g) cornstarch ⅛ tsp. salt ½ tsp. almond or vanilla extract 2 Tbsp. (6g) freshly lemon juice
Graham Cracker Crust 1 ½ cups(142g) graham cracker crumbs 1 sleeve ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar ¾ cup (112g) all-purpose flour ½ tsp. (2g) salt ½ cup (110g) unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling 3 blocks of cream cheese 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar 3 eggs 2 tsp. (10g) vanilla extract
Instructions Step 1: Make the Cherry Filling Cut the cherries in half. In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, lemon, cornstarch, water, and salt. Mix to combine and cook over a medium high heat until the cherries thicken and reduce. Remove from heat, stir in the almond and or vanilla extracts and set aside to cool completely.
Step 2 Make the Crust: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch cake pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. You can use a food processor for this recipe, but if you do not have one you can crush the graham crackers in a plastic bag and then continue the next steps in a large bowl and mix by hand.
In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until crumbs are formed. Add the sugar, all purpose flour, salt and pulse to mix. Then add the melted butter and pulse until mixed in and texture is like wet sand. Press the graham cracker crumbs evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then allow to cool for 15 minutes. While the crust cools, you can make the filling.
Step 3 Make the Filling: You can make the filling in a medium bowl with a hand mixer or in a food processor. To make it in a food processor, pulse the cream cheese a few times then, add the sugar and pulse a few more times. Next add the vanilla extract and eggs and then blend until smooth for about 2 minutes. You may need to scrape down the bowl once or twice, to be sure there are no clumps of cream cheese. Next step is to pour the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust. Bake for 45 minutes, until the cream cheese mixture is set but still a little jiggly in the center.
Step 4 Make the Sour Cream Topping:
In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups of sour cream with 3 tbsp. of the cherry pie filling sauce. Once the cheesecake has baked for 45 minutes, remove it from the oven and top with the sour cream mixture. Try to spread the topping evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Place back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature for 2 hours, then cover and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
Once the cheesecake has chilled completely, carefully remove from the pan and cut into bars. Then top each bar with about a tablespoon of the cherry pie filling and enjoy! You can store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
