For as long as I can remember, this has been on our menu for a Fourth of July gathering at my parents’ house. As a little girl, I would help my Mom make this and our children have come to know this as Grandma Diane’s Special Dessert for Fourth of July on Lake Fenton. This recipe is something simple, something good” which are Marvelous Monday Musts. You can purchase a graham cracker crust already made from the grocery store, or, if you are “feelin’ it”, make your own-that wouldn’t be me. I like to use the Neufchâtel Cream cheese, rather than the full cream cheese, but I would not go so far as to use the fat free-I just don’t like the consistency of that one. Know that if you use the Neufchâtel that your pie will be a little (just a little) less firm than the full on cream cheese, but not much, and the flavor is very closely comparable. Pour your cherry pie filling on top and that’s all folks. Oh, on the cherry pie filling, Duncan Hines makes a newer one called Comstock Simply that doesn’t have the red usually put in canned fruits. Go for it!
Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
Ingredients
-1 - 8 ounce package of Neufchâtel or regular cream cheese
-1 graham cracker crust, store bought
-1 -21 ounce can cherry pie filling
-1 -14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
-1/3 cup lemon juice
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 can cherry pie filling (I like the new Duncan Hines Comstock Simply version mentioned above in the introduction)
Method
- With a mixer, blend cream cheese/ Neufchatel until fluffy.
- Gradually pour in the can of condensed milk, mixing until smooth.
- Add lemon juice and vanilla, blend.
- Fill graham cracker crust with cream cheese mixer. Place pie in refrigerator for 2-4 hours, until set.
- When ready to serve, top with cherry pie filling. Enjoy!
