Name: Layered Cherry Cheesecake Lush Dessert Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs; 1 cup butter (melted); 1 ½ cups chopped pecans (divided); 8 ounces cream cheese; 1 cup powdered sugar; 16 ounces Cool Whip (divided); 6.8 ounces vanilla instant pudding (2 (3.4 ounce) boxes); 2 cups milk; 42 ounces cherry pie filling

Our Layered Cherry Cheesecake Lush Dessert is a fan-favorite! Layers of cookies, cheesecake, cherries, pudding, and whipped cream.

If you love cheesecake, this Layered Cherry Cheesecake Lush is for you!

Layers of cookies, pecans, pudding, cream cheese, and cherries make this a favorite dessert of everyone who tries it.

Ingredients needed to make Layered Cherry Cheesecake Lush Dessert.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

To make Layered Cherry Cheesecake Lush Dessert, you will need the following ingredients:

Vanilla wafer crumbs
Butter
Pecans
Cream cheese
Powdered sugar
Cool whip
Vanilla or cheesecake flavored instant pudding
Milk
Cherry pie filling

Equipment Needed

For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:

A mixing bowl with ingredients for the crust.

A pecan crust pressed into the bottom of a baking dish.

How to make Layered Cherry Cheesecake Lush

Heat oven to 350℉. In a mixing bowl combine vanilla wafer crumbs, melted butter and 1 cup chopped pecans. Spread into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely.
In another mixing bowl combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 ½ cups of cool whip until well blended. Spread carefully over the cooled vanilla wafer crust.
In another bowl combine the pudding mixes and milk until well blended. Then fold in 1 ½ cups cool whip. Mix until smooth and spread over the cream cheese layer.
Top with the cherry pie filling. Then spread the remaining cool whip over the top. Spread the remaining ½ cup of pecans on top.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Cherry layer on top of pudding layer in baking dish.

Storage Suggestions

If you manage to have any leftover cake, these can store well if prepped appropriately. Once the cake has cooled completely, here is how you can store it:

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Don’t like cherries? Try one of these flavors:

Blueberry
Blackberry
Peach
Strawberry
Triple berry

A slice of Layered Cherry Cheesecake Lush on a plate with a fork.

Enjoy More Delicious Eclair Cakes and Lush Recipes

Some days there’s nothing we want more than a slice of chocolate cake. Check out our comprehensive list of cake recipes here.

A slice of Layered Cherry Cheesecake Lush Dessert on a plate with a fork.

Layered Cherry Cheesecake Lush Dessert Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Our Layered Cherry Cheesecake Lush Dessert is a fan-favorite! Layers of cookies, cheesecake, cherries, pudding, and whipped cream.

20 Servings

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Cool/Chill Time 30

Total Time 45

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Ingredients

▢ 2 ½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs
▢ 1 cup butter, melted
▢ 1 ½ cups chopped pecans, divided
▢ 8 ounces cream cheese
▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
▢ 16 ounces Cool Whip, divided
▢ 6.8 ounces vanilla instant pudding, 2 (3.4 ounce) boxes
▢ 2 cups milk
▢ 42 ounces cherry pie filling

Equipment

Instructions

Heat oven to 350℉. In a mixing bowl combine vanilla wafer crumbs, melted butter and 1 cup chopped pecans. Spread into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely.
In another mixing bowl combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 ½ cups of cool whip until well blended. Spread carefully over the cooled vanilla wafer crust.
In another bowl combine the pudding mixes and milk until well blended. Then fold in 1 ½ cups cool whip. Mix until smooth and spread over the cream cheese layer.
Top with the cherry pie filling. Then spread the remaining cool whip over the top. Spread the remaining ½ cup of pecans on top.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Notes

Even if you don’t like cherries, you can still make this dessert using another flavor:

Blueberry
Blackberry
Peach
Strawberry
Triple Berry

Nutrition

Calories: 417 kcal · Carbohydrates: 50 g · Protein: 4 g · Fat: 23 g · Saturated Fat: 10 g · Cholesterol: 43 mg · Sodium: 272 mg · Potassium: 185 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 23 g · Vitamin A: 642 IU · Vitamin C: 2 mg · Calcium: 78 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Cuisine: American

Cost: $8

Author: Steph Loaiza

Course: Dessert

Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.

Questions & Reviews

2pots2cook says:

Perfect. Juicy. Inviting. Asking for another slice :-) Thank you and have a nice day !

Helineh says:

Hello, can this be just as good if made a day early?

lyn glassman says:

I think there's a mistake here - you say to mix 1 1/2 cups cool whip and later to fold in another 1 1/2 cups of cool whip but the ingredients only calls for 16 ounces?

Cyd says:

The 16 ounce size of cool whip comes out to about 3 cups. So you are covered with the 1 1/2 cups in the cream cheese layer, and then the other 1 1/2 cups for the top.

Cyd says:

This is fine made a day early. Keep it covered and refrigerated.

Donna says:

So is there suppose to be cool whip in the pudding layer like the re recipe states?

Cyd says:

In the pudding layer there is the pudding mixes, milk, and 1 1/2 cups of cool whip. There is also cool whip in the cream cheese layer, and the remainder of the cool whip on the top of the dessert. A 16 ounce container of cool whip contains about 6 1/2 cups. Hope this helps.

Kristin says:

Ok if you can't use pecans because of an allergy would you just use more wafer crumbs?

Cyd says:

It would work fine with adding a few more vanilla wafer crumbs to replace the chopped pecans.

Debbe says:

Has anyone tried this with both cherry filling and a can of pineapple? I ask because my family loves strawberry rule salad but I am allergic to strawberries.

Teresa Petrocelli says:

Ok Cyd first you say 16 oz of Cool Whip is about 3 cups then later you say 16 oz Is about 6 1/2 cups??? All my measurements say that 8 oz is one cup. Ive made this a few times & I use about 1-16 oz & 1- 8 oz of Cool Whip. It comes out perfect.

Cyd says:

Sometimes the container is by weight and not by volume. Just follow the recipe as directed and you will be fine using the 16 ounce container of cool whip. :)

Scarlett Biliter says:

Can you use blueberry pie filling?

Cyd says:

Yes. Blueberry pie filling would be delicious!

Jan Palmer says:

I just made this Layered Cherry Cheesecake for a group of 12, and the dessert was very popular. People wanted seconds and some to take home. My husband loves cherries, and he was thrilled with the delicious taste. By the way, I found I had to use a third 8 oz. package of Cool Whip to have enough Cool Whip to frost the top (24 oz. total of Cool Whip). The pecans give a wonderful crunch to the recipe. We'll definitely make it again.

Amy says:

Wow. Just made this. I actually made the whole recipe but slpit in 2 smaller pans to take to 2 events. Ppl LOVED it!!!!!! I'll be making this a regular!

RHONDA says:

My family loves this

Nancy says:

We are empty nesters and just the two of us finished this off in 3 days! So good! We are dieting right now!!! *****

Cyd says:

Hi Nancy! We absolutely loved your cute comment! So glad you like the layered cherry cheesecake! Glad it brought you joy as you stay quarantined! Stay safe!!

Donna says:

Allergy to cocunut which is in Cool Whip. Can I user eat whip cream instead?

Momma Cyd says:

We haven't tried this recipe using real whipped cream. But if it is whipped quite thick, it should work.

Candace says:

If you use stabilized whipped cream, it should work great. Make your whipped cream using powdered sugar with a bit of gelatin added. The whipped cream will hold up forever!

Carolyn Jones says:

Can I use Graham crackers in place of the vanilla wafers? If so, would you still bake it for 15 minutes?

Momma Cyd says:

I think graham cracker crumbs would work just like vanilla wafer crumbs.

FRIEDA POLK says:

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO MAKE THIS LUSCIOUS LOOKING DESSERT!!LOOKS SO EASY TOO

Johnna says:

I made this for a church dinner and they loved it! Easy to fix, looks pretty and tastes delicious!

Julie B. says:

Two sticks of butter for the crust has to be a mistake, right? Other recipes use 1/3 to 1/2 cup in a 13x9 crust.

Momma Cyd says:

It's 1 cup of butter with the added nuts and 2 1/2 cups of vanilla wafer crumbs.

Join The Discussion

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2pots2cook says:

Perfect. Juicy. Inviting. Asking for another slice :-) Thank you and have a nice day !
Helineh says:

Hello, can this be just as good if made a day early?
lyn glassman says:

I think there's a mistake here - you say to mix 1 1/2 cups cool whip and later to fold in another 1 1/2 cups of cool whip but the ingredients only calls for 16 ounces?
Cyd says:

The 16 ounce size of cool whip comes out to about 3 cups. So you are covered with the 1 1/2 cups in the cream cheese layer, and then the other 1 1/2 cups for the top.
Cyd says:

This is fine made a day early. Keep it covered and refrigerated.
Donna says:

So is there suppose to be cool whip in the pudding layer like the re recipe states?
Cyd says:

In the pudding layer there is the pudding mixes, milk, and 1 1/2 cups of cool whip. There is also cool whip in the cream cheese layer, and the remainder of the cool whip on the top of the dessert. A 16 ounce container of cool whip contains about 6 1/2 cups. Hope this helps.
Kristin says:

Ok if you can't use pecans because of an allergy would you just use more wafer crumbs?
Cyd says:

It would work fine with adding a few more vanilla wafer crumbs to replace the chopped pecans.
Debbe says:

Has anyone tried this with both cherry filling and a can of pineapple? I ask because my family loves strawberry rule salad but I am allergic to strawberries.
Teresa Petrocelli says:

Ok Cyd first you say 16 oz of Cool Whip is about 3 cups then later you say 16 oz Is about 6 1/2 cups??? All my measurements say that 8 oz is one cup. Ive made this a few times & I use about 1-16 oz & 1- 8 oz of Cool Whip. It comes out perfect.
Cyd says:

Sometimes the container is by weight and not by volume. Just follow the recipe as directed and you will be fine using the 16 ounce container of cool whip. :)
Scarlett Biliter says:

Can you use blueberry pie filling?
Cyd says:

Yes. Blueberry pie filling would be delicious!
Jan Palmer says:

I just made this Layered Cherry Cheesecake for a group of 12, and the dessert was very popular. People wanted seconds and some to take home. My husband loves cherries, and he was thrilled with the delicious taste. By the way, I found I had to use a third 8 oz. package of Cool Whip to have enough Cool Whip to frost the top (24 oz. total of Cool Whip). The pecans give a wonderful crunch to the recipe. We'll definitely make it again.
Amy says:

Wow. Just made this. I actually made the whole recipe but slpit in 2 smaller pans to take to 2 events. Ppl LOVED it!!!!!! I'll be making this a regular!
RHONDA says:

My family loves this
Nancy says:

We are empty nesters and just the two of us finished this off in 3 days! So good! We are dieting right now!!! *****
Cyd says:

Hi Nancy! We absolutely loved your cute comment! So glad you like the layered cherry cheesecake! Glad it brought you joy as you stay quarantined! Stay safe!!
Donna says:

Allergy to cocunut which is in Cool Whip. Can I user eat whip cream instead?
Momma Cyd says:

We haven't tried this recipe using real whipped cream. But if it is whipped quite thick, it should work.
Candace says:

If you use stabilized whipped cream, it should work great. Make your whipped cream using powdered sugar with a bit of gelatin added. The whipped cream will hold up forever!
Carolyn Jones says:

Can I use Graham crackers in place of the vanilla wafers? If so, would you still bake it for 15 minutes?
Momma Cyd says:

I think graham cracker crumbs would work just like vanilla wafer crumbs.
FRIEDA POLK says:

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO MAKE THIS LUSCIOUS LOOKING DESSERT!!LOOKS SO EASY TOO
Johnna says:

I made this for a church dinner and they loved it! Easy to fix, looks pretty and tastes delicious!
Julie B. says:

Two sticks of butter for the crust has to be a mistake, right? Other recipes use 1/3 to 1/2 cup in a 13x9 crust.
Momma Cyd says:

It's 1 cup of butter with the added nuts and 2 1/2 cups of vanilla wafer crumbs.