Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Recipe – Easy & Decadent

This recipe has a chocolate coconut peanut base topped with creamy almond filling and maraschino cherries.  Just try to imagine something more delicious than that!

It’s an easy homemade dessert recipe that you can make for the holidays, for birthday parties, Valentine’s Day, or just because! 

Well guys, today is a special day, for two reasons!  Today I turn 37 and Delicious on a Dime turns 1!

I’m not one of those people who is sad to get older.  Like my dad always says, “It beats the alternative!”.  Haha maybe I just heard that for enough years that it sank in, but truly, I am so incredibly grateful for every single day on this earth, and all the beautiful, loving and kind people in my life.  Every day is a blessing! 🙂

And I don’t want to overshadow Delicious on a Dime’s 1st birthday! 

It’s taken Laurier and I a ton of work to get this far, but it has been SO much fun too! 

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m absolutely obsessed with food and it makes me so happy to share that love of great food with all of you.  Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for your support!  We could never have done this without you!

So, today guys, we’re having birthday cake!  It’s time to celebrate! 

I knew I wanted to make something festive for today’s post, but I wasn’t sure what.  After a lot of brainstorming, I had the idea to make a Chocolate Cherry Coconut Cheesecake that tastes just like a cherry blossom! 

This Chocolate Cherry Coconut Cheesecake tastes like a Cherry Blossom – my favorite chocolate bar here in Canada! 

If you’re not in Canada and have never enjoyed a Cherry Blossom (and I’m so sad for you, if that’s the case), the closest thing to compare it to is a chocolate covered cherry.

OMG they are SO good.

The outside is chocolate with flecks of peanut and coconut and the inside is a maraschino cherry with syrup. So this is the perfect cheesecake for the chocolate cherry lovers in your life! 

Take those amazing flavors and translate them into a cheesecake… chocolate coconut peanut base, creamy almond cheesecake filling (because maraschino cherry flavor is really almond extract), maraschino cherry on top and a drizzle of maraschino cherry syrup on the side! 

This is a pretty fancy, decadent dessert that would be the star of a Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter dessert table, or a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.

I know I always say this, but give me a big cup of good black coffee and a slice of this chocolate cherry coconut cheesecake and I’m a happy camper 🙂

So let’s talk about cost for a minute. 

Cheesecake is something that people usually think of as an expensive recipe, and it’s true that if you don’t plan ahead (or get lucky with sales), it can be. 

But with a little planning, cheesecake can be totally reasonable!

This recipe calls for three blocks of cream cheese, which is definitely the most expensive part.  Regular priced cream cheese can be almost $5 a block and that adds up fast. 

Which is why I never buy regular priced cream cheese.  Sale only!!!

I often see it on sale for $2.50, but sometimes even $2.00 and a couple of times even $1.50!!! 

I go into more detail in my Stock Your Fridge post, but cream cheese usually has a best before date that’s months away!  So stock up people! 

Sometimes I will buy 20 blocks at a time if the price is really good.  Then we can enjoy all kinds of delicious treats, without the major expense!

Other than that, this recipe uses a lot of pantry staples.  We like to bake, so we always have chocolate crumbs on hand for a chocolate crust

Tip:  if you don’t bake often and you’re worried about them going stale, you could always freeze the extra crumbs for another time!  It works great! 

Or, you can easily pulverize some Oreo cookies in a food processor to make your own chocolate cookie crust.

We have almond extract (instead of more traditional vanilla extract), coconut and even peanuts here.  If you don’t keep these things around, check out bulk bins at the grocery store where you can buy just the amount you need. 

I use maraschino cherries instead of fresh cherries because 1) they are cheaper, and 2) they are a pantry staple you can buy when they’re on sale and hold onto, and 3) in keeping with the chocolate covered cherry taste of the dessert.

Buy extra butter when it’s on sale at the grocery store and store it in your freezer.

You’ll need some eggs, but luckily they’re cheap enough.  And you’ll need heavy cream, which is non-negotiable.  It’s what makes this cheesecake light and fluffy, instead of dense and heavy.  I also use a bit of whipped cream on top of the cheesecake, which means I don’t have to worry about it cracking, or fuss with a water bath.

While I definitely have a soft spot for rich and heavy cheesecake, sometimes (like the holiday season!), a nice, lighter version of a rich dessert is welcome too.  The idea to fold whipped cream into the filling came from this recipe, from Dairy Farmers of Canada. I absolutely LOVE this method – it results in a creamy cheesecake that’s light and fluffy.

Also, for the record, my lovely husband is an amazing baker and flat out REFUSED to let me make my own birthday cake. 

He made me a lovely lemon cheesecake (my choice, as a counterpoint to all the chocolate I’ve been eating!).  So it’s a two-cheesecake week for us.  It must be the holidays! 🙂

Chocolate Cherry Coconut Cheesecake – tastes like a cherry blossom! – Step-by-Step Instructions

Ingredients for Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Recipe

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 

Mix 1 and 1/4 cup of chocolate cookie crumbs, 1/2 cup of coconut (I used unsweetened but you can use whatever you want – give it a little extra chop), 1/2 cup small pieces of chopped peanuts (unsalted) and 1/4 cup melted butter.

Press into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 10 inch springform pan.

In a small bowl whip 1/2 cup of cold heavy cream (whipping cream for those in Canada) using an electric mixer and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream 3 blocks of softened cream cheese (24 oz) on medium speed until it’s smooth.  Beat in 3/4 cup of sugar and mix until light and fluffy – a few minutes. Feel free to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you want.

Add four eggs, one at a time

Tip:  Eggs should be at room temperature – you can warm them in a bowl of very warm water before using them if they’re cold. 

Tip:  An easy way to do this is to crack all the eggs into a measuring cup.  Then you can deal with any pieces of shell, and pour them one at a time into the bowl when you’re ready for them. 

Mix very well to combine.  Add 5 teaspoons of almond extract and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.  Add the other 1/2 cup of whipping cream and mix.

Fold in the cream you whipped earlier.

Pour the cheesecake batter over the base and smooth the top.  Don’t worry about the smaller lumps of whipping cream.  Give the pan a gentle tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for 70-75 minutes, or until outer edges are set and center is almost set.  Take it out of the oven, run a sharp knife around the rim of the pan, next to the cheesecake, and cool completely on a wire rack. 

Cover and refrigerate the cooled cheesecake for at least a few hours, but overnight for best results.

The next day, or before serving, whip remaining cup (or so) of whipping cream with 2 teaspoons of sugar, until soft peaks form.  Spread over cheesecake.  Garnish with 12 maraschino cherries and serve with a drizzle of maraschino cherry juice on the plate (and extra cherries, if you want).

Enjoy! 🙂

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