Deep Dish Cherry Pie Cheesecake
Cherry pie or cheesecake? With this Deep Dish Cherry Pie Cheesecake, you don’t have to choose. An ultra-flaky homemade pie crust is filled with the creamiest vanilla bean cheesecake, then topped with homemade cherry pie filling and buttery pie crust pieces for a summer dessert that is truly something special.
I’ll tell you right away: this is a project bake. This Cherry Pie Cheesecake takes three days from start to finish, but most of that time is chilling and waiting. If you love spending time in the kitchen and want a fun baking project with a seriously delicious payoff at the end, this is the recipe for you.
And when I tell you the payoff is worth it…oh my goodness. The combination of flaky, buttery pie crust with cold, creamy cheesecake and sweet cherry pie filling is absolutely incredible.
The Inspiration Behind This Cherry Pie Cheesecake
Cherry season always makes me feel a little nostalgic.
I’m currently expecting our first baby girl, who will be named after my Nana—one of the two people who gave me my love of baking. Some of my favorite memories are of making pies with her, and even now, every time I roll pie dough around my rolling pin, I immediately think of those sweet memories in the kitchen with her.
I’ve heard stories about the cherry pies my Nana used to make. So, naturally, my brain took that memory and turned it into something a little over the top: what if I combined cherry pie with an ultra-creamy cheesecake?
And that is exactly how this Deep Dish Cherry Pie Cheesecake came to be.
It has all the elements I wanted: a real homemade pie crust surrounding the cheesecake, a creamy vanilla bean filling, plenty of homemade cherry pie filling, and extra pieces of flaky pie crust on top.
A Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Worth the Extra Effort
The cheesecake layer may look simple, but vanilla is a huge part of the flavor of this dessert.
I used Rising Stars Vanilla Bean Paste throughout the recipe—in the pie dough, the creamy cheesecake filling, and the homemade cherry pie topping. Their vanilla bean paste is made with Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans and gives the entire dessert a deep, warm vanilla flavor that ties the buttery crust, tangy cheesecake, and sweet cherries together.
I especially love using vanilla bean paste in cheesecake because vanilla isn’t just a background flavor here. The cheesecake filling is simple enough that a really good vanilla flavor gets a chance to stand out.
Why This Cheesecake Takes Three Days
Before the three-day timeline scares you away, you are not actively working on this cheesecake for three days!
The recipe is divided this way to give each component the time it needs:
- Day 1: Make the flaky pie dough and let it rest overnight.
- Day 2: Shape and blind bake the pie crust, make and bake the cheesecake, prepare the cherry pie filling, and chill everything overnight.
- Day 3: Top the cheesecake with the cherry filling and pie crust pieces, then slice and enjoy.
Trying to rush the process would make this recipe much more stressful. Spreading it over three days makes each part manageable and gives both the pie dough and cheesecake the proper time to rest and chill.
This isn’t the dessert I would choose when I need something ready in an hour. This is the dessert I would make when I’m in the mood to spend some time baking, try something a little different, and make a dessert that feels like an occasion all by itself.
The Perfect Summer Cheesecake
Although I originally decorated this cheesecake with pie crust stars and fresh blueberries for the Fourth of July, it is absolutely not limited to one holiday.
Cherries make this such a beautiful summertime dessert. Keep the pie crust topping simple by baking the scraps into rustic golden pieces and arranging or crumbling them over the cherry topping. You still get that buttery pie crust flavor and flaky texture without making decorative cutouts.
Serve this cold from the refrigerator on a warm summer evening, and you have creamy cheesecake, juicy cherries, rich vanilla, and flaky pie crust all in one bite. It is rich, but the fruit keeps it feeling bright and seasonal.
And if you’re here because cheesecake is always your dessert of choice, you also need to try my Chocolate Cheesecake. It’s rich, deeply chocolatey, and another one of my favorite cheesecakes for when you want something completely decadent.
Tips for the Best Deep Dish Cherry Pie Cheesecake
There are a few things that make a huge difference in the final result:
- Don’t roll the pie crust too thick. Aim for about ⅛-inch thick so the crust can bake completely through.
- Give the pie crust plenty of support during blind baking. Fill the shell with pie weights all the way up the sides. If you don’t have enough weights, dried beans work too.
- Protect the crust with foil. After the first 25 minutes of blind baking, cover the exposed crust with foil and keep it protected through the rest of the blind bake and cheesecake bake.
- Don’t overmix the cheesecake filling. Once the eggs are added, mix on low speed only until incorporated.
- Use the jiggle test, not just the clock. The outside 2 inches of the cheesecake should be set while the center moves together in one soft, cohesive jiggle.
- Give it the overnight chill. I know it’s tempting to cut into it sooner, but the final chill is essential for the texture and those beautiful, clean slices.
Is It Worth the Three Days?
Yes. Absolutely.
This Deep Dish Cherry Pie Cheesecake is buttery, flaky, creamy, fruity, and honestly just really fun to make. It combines two classic desserts in a way that still lets the best parts of each one shine.
If you’re looking for the fastest summer dessert on my site, this isn’t it. But if you’re ready for a fun weekend baking project and want to make something that feels genuinely special, I think you’re going to love this one.
Deep Dish Cherry Pie Cheesecake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 319 g (2⅔ cups) all-purpose flour, 21 g (1½ tablespoons) light brown sugar, and 1⅛ teaspoons kosher salt.
- Add 255 g (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cubed. Using your hands, crumble the butter into the flour mixture until you have a combination of smaller butter pieces and larger flat pieces and shards of butter throughout the flour.
- Stir 1⅛ teaspoons vanilla bean paste into 113 g (about ½ cup) ice water.
- Pour the 113 g of vanilla ice water into the flour and butter mixture. Use your hands to gently mix until the dough is shaggy.
- If the dough is still too dry to come together, add additional ice water 1 teaspoon at a time, gently mixing after each addition. Do not add all of the remaining water at once. Use no more than 128 g total water.
- Turn the shaggy dough out of the bowl and onto the counter. Use your hands to gently press and work the dough together only until combined. Do not knead or overwork the dough. You want visible pieces and streaks of cold butter throughout.
- Pat the dough into a rectangle. Perform one letter fold by folding one-third of the dough toward the center, then folding the opposite third over the top. Use a bench scraper as needed to release any dough sticking to the counter.
- After completing the letter fold, barely press the dough down—just enough to hold everything together.
- If making decorative pie crust stars or other cutouts, use the bench scraper to cut away approximately ¼ of the dough. Wrap the main dough and reserved dough separately and tightly in cling wrap. If making rustic pie crust pieces instead, leave the dough whole; the scraps trimmed from the crust on Day 2 will provide enough dough for the topping.
- Refrigerate the tightly wrapped dough overnight or for up to 48 hours.
- Cut a circle of parchment paper slightly larger than the bottom of a 7-inch deep dish springform pan with a 4-cup capacity. Lay the parchment over the bottom piece of the pan, place the springform ring over it, and lock the pan together.
- Take a small piece of cold butter and rub a thin coating over the inside walls of the springform pan.
- Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes before rolling. The dough may still feel hard at first, but it will become easier to work with as you roll.
- Lightly flour the counter and rolling pin. Roll the dough, rotating it frequently and trying to maintain a circular shape, until it is approximately ⅛-inch thick. The thickness is important: if the crust is too thick, the portion directly against the cheesecake may not bake completely through.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Gently fit it against the bottom and sides without stretching or pulling the dough.
- Use scissors to trim away the excess dough, leaving enough around the top to create a decorative crimp. Crimp the edge as desired.
- Freeze the shaped pie crust for at least 1 hour. It can remain frozen longer if needed and should be baked directly from frozen.
- If using the trimmed scraps for topping, arrange them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. If you reserved ¼ of the dough for decorative stars, roll the dough, cut out the stars, and arrange them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Freeze until ready to bake.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Take a large sheet of parchment paper and crumple it tightly into a ball. Unfold it, then very gently place the crinkled parchment inside the frozen pie shell. Carefully mold it into the bottom, sides, and nooks and crannies of the crust without damaging the dough.
- Fill the shell completely with pie weights, making sure the weights support the crust all the way up the sides. If you do not have enough pie weights, top them off with dried beans, or use all dried beans.
- Bake the weighted crust at 400°F for 25 minutes.
- While the crust bakes, whisk together 1 large egg white and 1 teaspoon water.
- After 25 minutes, carefully remove the parchment and pie weights or beans.
- Brush a thin layer of the egg white wash over the entire interior of the crust, including the bottom and inside walls.
- Immediately cover all exposed pie crust with strips of aluminum foil. Keep the crust protected with foil for the remainder of the blind bake and throughout the cheesecake bake.
- Return the crust to the oven and bake at 400°F for another 20–25 minutes, or until the interior is well baked and the side walls no longer appear translucent.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely before adding the cheesecake filling.
- Brush the frozen pie crust stars or rustic scraps lightly with the remaining egg white wash.
- Bake at 400°F for 10–14 minutes, or until puffed, flaky, and golden.
- Cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature until Day 3.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
- Using a hand mixer, beat 454 g (16 ounces) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature, until completely smooth.
- Add 120 g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar, 13 g (1½ tablespoons) cornstarch, and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix until smooth, stopping to thoroughly scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add 160 g (⅔ cup) full-fat sour cream, 40 g (2½ tablespoons) heavy cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix only until completely incorporated.
- Add 2 large eggs, at room temperature, one at a time, mixing on low speed just until each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Avoid overmixing once the eggs are added.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the completely cooled pie crust.
- Firmly tap the pan on the counter several times to help bring trapped air bubbles to the surface. Run a toothpick through any visible bubbles.
- Make sure the entire exposed pie crust is protected with strips of aluminum foil. Leave the cheesecake filling itself uncovered.
- Place an 8×8-inch baking dish on the lower oven rack and carefully pour 2 cups boiling water into the dish.
- Place the cheesecake on the center oven rack. The springform pan should not sit directly in the water.
- Bake at 300°F for approximately 110–140 minutes. Begin checking toward the lower end of the range, but use the movement of the cheesecake rather than the clock alone to determine doneness.
- The cheesecake is done when the outer 1½–2 inches are set and the center moves as one soft, cohesive jiggle. It should still move, but it should not ripple or slosh like liquid.
- Turn the oven off, crack the oven door, and leave the cheesecake inside the turned-off oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely at room temperature.
- Once completely cool, carefully release and remove the springform ring. Loosely cover the cheesecake with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Add 300 g frozen dark sweet cherries, 28 g (2 tablespoons) light brown sugar, 8 g (2 teaspoons) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, and a pinch of kosher salt to a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cherries soften and release their juices.
- Continue cooking and reducing until the entire cherry mixture weighs approximately 225 g.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 6 g (2 teaspoons) cornstarch and 10 g (2 teaspoons) cold water until completely smooth.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into the cherry mixture and cook for approximately 1 minute, stirring, until the filling is thick and glossy.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 10 g (2 teaspoons) unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, and a tiny drop of almond extract, if using.
- Transfer the cherry pie filling to a container and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the chilled cheesecake and cherry pie filling from the refrigerator.
- Spoon 180–225 g of the chilled cherry pie filling over the cheesecake, depending on how generously you want to top it.
- For the Fourth of July version, add fresh blueberries and arrange the baked pie crust stars over the fruit.
- For a simpler version, scatter the baked pie crust pieces over the cherry filling or crumble some of the pieces over the top.
- If desired, lightly dust the decorative pie crust stars with powdered sugar.
- Slice the cheesecake while well chilled for the cleanest slices. Enjoy!
