No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum

February 21, 2023
No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum is the most classic of the Yum Yum desserts.  With its two thick creamy layers sandwiching a layer of cherry pie filling, what's not to love?  It's such a tasty Southern creamy comfort food dessert ~ and this one's extra thick and creamy for even extra deliciousness!
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Piece of No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum Dessert Image

Yum Yum desserts are one of the all-time favorite dessert-time treats at our house.  Whenever I make a pan full of Yum Yum's creamy deliciousness, it seems to be gobbled up in no time.  You better hurry fast to get your fair share!

And this creamy goodness doesn't seem to get relegated to just dessert time for our family.  No, it has been known to make an appearance or two at snack time, and even at breakfast time, too.  Whether it's Pumpkin Yum Yum in the fall, Strawberry Yum Yum in the spring, Peach Yum Yum and Blueberry Yum Yum in summertime, or Banana Pudding Yum Yum, Coconut Cream Yum Yum and this Cherry Yum Yum all year round -- we adore it. (And we know you will, too!)

Cherry Yum Yum is such a tasty Southern creamy comfort food dessert ~ and this one's extra thick and creamy for even extra deliciousness!

Our family's love of Yum Yum stems from my husband's childhood and continued love for the stuff.  Growing up in the South, he has very fond memories of both his Mom and his Nanny making pans of Yum Yum all the time. -- And cherry was always his favorite.

Our family's Cherry Yum Yum recipe that I'm sharing here is a tweaked version of that original Southern recipe from my husband's Mom and Nanny.

I tweaked their recipe to fluff up the layers a little and make them thicker and creamier.  And I added almond extract to the cream cheese/whipped cream mixture to bring a little additional flavor twist to the Cherry Yum Yum.  Cherries and almond extract just pair so beautifully and flavorfully together.

My husband just adores this version of his beloved Cherry Yum Yum -- as evidenced by the high number of cherry-streaked plates I find on the kitchen counter after he's had his breakfast.  Yes, he's the one who loves to enjoy Yum Yum deliciousness for breakfast!

What's to Love About This Recipe?

  • No-bake - Who doesn't love a tasty no-bake dessert? Especially when, like with this Cherry Yum Yum, it tastes great and is pretty easy to make.
  • Creamy - Cherry Yum Yum is a classic Southern creamy comfort food dessert! And this one's extra-thick for extra creamy deliciousness.
  • Delicious - With its two creamy whipped cream-based layers sandwiching a layer of cherry pie filling, no-bake Cherry Yum Yum delivers up amazing deliciousness in every bite.
  • A classic family favorite - A quintessential Southern classic, this is one family-favorite dessert that's adored by all.

Bite of No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum On a Fork Image

How to Make Cherry Yum Yum:

Fortunately, No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum isn't just creamy and delicious, it's also very easy to make, too.  I just love it when you get great taste and ease all in the same dish.

Just start by making a simple no-bake graham cracker crust.

Simply mix together graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, and press the mixture into the bottom of a baking dish.

Patting Graham Cracker Crumbs Into Bottom of Baking Dish Image

Then mix up a big bowl of Yum Yum's quintessential fluffy sweetened cream cheese and whipped cream mixture that's used to create its fluffy, creamy layers.

Spread a layer on top of the prepared crust, top that with cherry pie filling, and spread on another layer of the fluffy cream cheese mixture.

How to Make No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum Image

Sprinkle the top with some more buttered graham cracker crumbs, and you're done!

See, really easy, right?

Cover and refrigerate the Yum Yum for at least several hours or overnight before serving.  This allows the dessert to set up and gives the flavors some time to meld together.

Once the Cherry Yum Yum has chilled for a while, you're ready to dig into its deliciousness.

No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum Layers Shown in Baking Dish Image

And when you do dig into the Yum Yum deliciousness and serve up those slices?

Those nice contrasting layers will be there beautifully standing tall and proud.

Now, we do love our Yums Yums thick.  And that's just how this recipe turns out - with nice, thick creamy layers.  So we make it in a 9x9-inch square baking dish to get that fabulous thickness.


Now, we do love our Yums Yums thick.  And that's just how this recipe turns out - with nice, thick creamy layers.

If you'd like to make a 9x13-inch pan of Cherry Yum Yum, we recommend doubling the recipe.  You could "stretch" the original recipe to a 9x13" pan, but the layers would end up pretty thin by comparison.  

If you do go the route of "stretching" the original recipe for a 9x13-inch pan instead of doubling the recipe, you would need to at least double the crust portion for the crust to adequately cover the bottom of the pan.

That being said, our family's vote goes for just going for the thick layers the way the recipe is originally written!  The deliciousness of those layers certainly will not disappoint.

Slice of No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum Showing Layers Image

So grab your mixer and that cherry pie filling, and whip up a pan of this creamy classic Southern comfort food dessert.

And hey, if you happen to enjoy Cherry Yum Yum's deliciousness for breakfast like my husband does?  Don't worry -- we certainly won't judge.

Check out these other favorite Yum Yum desserts:
Slice of Southern Cherry Yum Yum Dessert Image
Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

cherry yum yum recipe, cherry yum yum dessert, no bake dessert recipes, recipes with cherry pie filling
No-Bake Desserts
Southern
Yield: about 9-12 servings
No-Bake Cherry Yum Yumhttps://youtu.be/YZKbIA5-DDMDemonstration of how to make No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum
No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum

No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum

No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum is the most classic of the Yum Yum desserts. With its two thick creamy layers sandwiching a layer of cherry pie filling, what's not to love? It's such a tasty Southern creamy comfort food dessert ~ and this one's extra thick and creamy for even extra deliciousness!
Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

Crust:
Cream Cheese Mixture:
  • 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. almond extract
  • 2 c. whipping cream
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 T. granulated sugar
Cherry Filling:

Instructions

Prepare the Crust:
  1. In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Blend with a fork until crumbs are moistened.
  2. Set aside 2 tablespoons of crumbs to sprinkle on the top.
  3. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9x9-inch square baking dish that's been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Mixture:
  1. With an electric mixer, cream together softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and almond extract until smooth.
  2. In a separate bowl, whip the whipping cream, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
  3. By hand, mix together whipped cream and cream cheese mixture until well combined.
Assemble the Yum Yum Layers:
  1. Spread a little less than half the cream cheese/whipped cream mixture evenly over the crust.
  2. Drop cherry pie filling by large spoonfuls on top of the cream cheese layer. Gently spread cherry pie filling evenly over the cream cheese layer.
  3. Top cherry layer with the remaining cream cheese/whipped cream mixture. Gently spread it evenly over the cherry layer, covering it completely.
  4. Sprinkle the top with the 2 tablespoons reserved graham cracker crumbs.
  5. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.
TRACEY'S NOTES:
  1. I buy the "premium" cherry pie filling so there are more cherries in the Yum Yum cherry layer.
  2. 1/3-less fat cream cheese works just fine in this recipe.
  3. You can substitute an 8 ounce container of Cool Whip non-dairy whipped topping for the homemade whipped cream in the cream cheese mixture if you'd like.
  4. We like our Yum Yum and its layers thick! And that's just how this recipe turns out - nice, thick creamy layers. We recommend doubling the recipe for a 9x13" pan. You could "stretch" this recipe to a 9x13" pan, but the layers will be very thin (and you would probably need to double the crust portion for it to adequately cover the bottom of the pan).
Did you make this recipe?
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No-Bake Cherry Yum Yum Dessert ~ The most classic of the Yum Yum desserts. Such a tasty Southern creamy comfort food ~ and this one's extra thick and creamy for even extra deliciousness!  www.thekitchenismyplayground.com

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14 comments

  1. looks fantastic , I cant wait to try it

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  2. These look fabulous , pin to try later -thank you

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  3. Yes yes yes! I found this recipe on Pinterest posted to someone’s Thanksgiving board and I thought it was cranberry sauce. While I prefer the cherry, I bet this would be good with a cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving to! Oooh or mix cranberry sauce and cherry pie filling together or is that too weird? Definitely making this though.

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    Replies
    1. That is interesting....please let us know if you try it. I love yum yums; they are so good and so easy.

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  4. Oh my goodness...those layers and the cherry center, you've won me over Kippi!!
    Thank you for sharing your 'yum yum' deliciousness at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I'm delighted to be featuring your no bake cherry yum yum at tomorrow's party and pinning too.
    Hugs.
    Kerryanne

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  5. Been making this recipe since I was a kid but never layered it before, good idea!

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  6. Spread a little less than half the cream cheese/whipped cream mixture evenly over the crust.

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  7. I've never heard of a Yum Yum, Tracey, but can't wait to try it out! We will be featuring you starting Wednesday at the Creative Crafts Linky Party! Pinned and shared
    Creatively, Beth

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  8. I love no-bake treats...always perfect when you're craving something in a pinch. This looks so good!!

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  9. I make the strawberry yum yum and everybody loves it. I want to do the cherry one now but not crazy about pie filling. Can I use fresh or frozen cherries instead. I plan on trying all the yumyum desserts. Thank you

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    Replies
    1. Love your goal of trying out all our Yum Yum recipes! Our daughter's favorite is the Oreo Yum Yum. For the Cherry Yum Yum, yes you could use fresh or frozen cherries, but I think you would have to cook them into a cherry pie filling-like consistency first to get the same effect. Cook them down on the stovetop with a little sugar and small bit of cornstarch to thicken it. Or, you could certainly try just slicing them as-is (uncooked) as a filling, but I'm not sure how that would go.

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  10. Just made this. I absolutely love it. My Husband doesn’t like anything but apple. Could I make that with apple pie filling

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    Replies
    1. Yes, you could. Please let us know how it turns out.

      We have experimented with and published several different flavors. We hope you try some different yum yums.

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