Cherry Meringue Dessert combines layers of a crispy tender meringue with a smooth cream cheese mixture that’s slathered with a sweet-tart cherry topping. It’s an easy cherry dessert that’s just as pretty as it is delicious.
NOTE: The meringue layer should be made 12 hours or the day before it’s needed.
This post has been updated from 2016 to improve readers experience.
Very Cherry Meringue Dessert combines layers of flavors and textures. This beautiful cherry dessert will be a hit on any table.
One look at this Meringue dessert will have friends and family doing a double-take.
This is truly a unique layered Cherry Meringue dessert that was handed down from my Grandmother.
Meringue can be intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. We’ll be giving you tips to make yours a success.
Cherry Meringue Dessert Recipe Ingredients.
- Egg whites – Do not substitute with packaged egg whites.
- The pasteurization process of packaged egg whites can prevent egg whites from forming a stable meringue.
- Cream of tartar – acts as a stabilizer in the meringue.
- Salt – brings out the sweetness of the sugar.
- Sugar – white granulated sugar
- Cream cheese – we used a full-fat version.
- You can also use a light version. We haven’t experimented with the fat-free version.
- Vanilla extract – we used pure vanilla and not an imitation.
- Whipped topping – We purchased the whipped topping.
- You can substitute by making your own using 1-1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream.
- Miniature marshmallows
- Cherry Pie Filling – we like the “more fruit” version but use what you have available.
- Frozen, unsweetened raspberries – The unsweetened version adds a tartness that balances out the sweetness of the cherry pie filling.
How to make Cherry Meringue Dessert in 3 steps
Meringue
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat egg whites on medium-low until foamy.
- Add cream of tartar and beat on medium until peaks start to form.
- Add sugar and beat on medium-high to high until stiff and glossy.
- Pour into a well-greased 9×13 pan.
- Bake for 60 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the pan in the oven to cool for 12 hours or overnight with the door closed. To be honest, my meringue was in the oven for probably closer to 15 hours.
If the eggs are beaten too quickly in the beginning the structure of the foam will not be as strong and later the egg whites will not whip up as high.
Creamy layer
- Beat cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar together until smooth and creamy.
- Fold in the whipped topping and marshmallows. We did this by hand with a spatula.
- Spread the mixture over the Meringue layer.
- Refrigerate for 3 hours or longer.
Cherry topping
- Stir the cherry pie filling and the frozen raspberries together.
- Refrigerate until serving.
Assembly
- Cut dessert into squares.
- Top with cherry mixture.
Tips for the perfect Meringue dessert with cherries
Meringue
- Use fresh eggs. Old eggs can collapse when other ingredients are folded in.
- Bring egg whites to room temperature. Cold egg whites can reduce the volume you get when whipping.
- Don’t let the egg yolk get into the egg whites. If they do, spoon them out before whipping.
- Don’t overbeat the egg whites. Overbeaten egg whites can look lumpy or dry.
- Meringue is baked at a low temperature because they tend to burn.
- Meringue is left in the oven to cool slowly which will prevent or reduce cracking. (Source)
Creamy layer
- Make sure cream cheese is at room temperature before beating. This will make blending easier and creamier when other ingredients are added.
Cherry topping
- Use frozen, unsweetened raspberries that aren’t packed in juice. The juice will thin the topping causing it to bleed on the plate.
- Using unsweetened raspberries adds a tartness to the sweetness of the cherry pie filling.
How to store Cherry Meringue Dessert
This meringue dessert should be refrigerated.
We also suggest that the topping be added right before serving and not to the top of the uncut meringue-cream layer.
Make it ahead of time. Meringue can be baked two or three days in advance and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Add the cream layer at least 3 hours before you need it and store it in the refrigerator.
Top individual pieces with the cherry topping right before serving.
When the meringue comes out of the oven you may see a few cracks, but it will still tender in the center.
The creamy layer and beautiful topping will cover them up so it doesn’t matter if there are a couple of cracks. They’ll be covered in yumminess!
Our favorite kitchen gadgets
A great mixer makes this recipe easier to put together. The only other thing you will need is a 9×13 pan and our favorite silicone spatulas.
If you’re still looking for creamy desserts, here are some you may enjoy
We LOVE Dessert! You can find all of our dessert recipes here!
Pin it!
Doesn’t this dessert look like it’s ready for Valentine’s Day, the 4th of July, or a Black Tie party?
I would love it if you enjoy this recipe that you will leave me a comment and rate the recipe with 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Very Cherry Meringue Dessert
Ingredients
Meringue
- 6 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups sugar
Cream Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1-1/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups whipped topping
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
- 1 tsp vanilla
Topping
- 20 oz cherry pie filling can
- 12 oz raspberries package frozen unsweetened
Instructions
Meringue Step
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat egg whites on medium until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat on medium-high until peaks start to form. Add sugar and beat until stiff and glossy.
- Pour into a well-greased 9×13 pan. Bake for 60 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the pan in the oven for 12 hours or overnight with the oven door closed.
Cream Step
- Beat cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar together. Fold in whipped topping and marshmallows. Spread over the Meringue layer. Refrigerate for 3 hours or longer. Prepare the topping.
Topping
- Mix the cherry pie filling with frozen raspberries. Refrigerate until serving.
- Cut dessert into squares and top with the cherry mixture.
- Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for spending some time with me today!
Michaela Kenkel says
Julie — this is hands down the BEST cherry dessert EVER. My oldest son turns his nose up to all things dessert, with the exception of cherry pie – and I thought I would take this recipe for a spin and see if I could raise his eyebrows. It was like those cartoon eyeballs! LOL!! He had TWO pieces and took one home!
Julie Menghini says
I love that, Michaela! It’s fun to get those cartoon eyeballs when you share!
Erin says
I stumbled upon this meringue dessert when brainstorming Valentine’s Day desserts and had to do a test to see how it was. And WOW! Just wow! This recipe is excellent, and your tips and tricks to making it right made it so much easier! Thank you–I can’t wait to make this for Valentine’s!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you, Erin. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Angela says
What a wonderful dessert recipe! My whole family enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you, Angela! So glad you enjoyed it!
Jessica Formicola says
I love a good meringue! I will definitely be making this for Valentine’s Day for the family!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you, Jessica! It’s the perfect Valentine’s dessert!
Nathan says
Wow, what a fantastic looking dessert! Such great tips for the meringue as well, I’ve always been a bit intimidated by meringues but this recipe makes it seem so simple!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you, Nathan!
Beth says
This is such an incredibly delicious dessert!! I am seriously making it over and over again! Thanks!
Katherine says
What an oozy wonderful dessert. Allll the best things: cherries, cream cheese and meringue. Bliss.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you, Katherine! It’s sooooo goooood!
Kathleen Pope says
This dessert reminds me of my grandmother! Love that it is gluten free and you can plan ahead to make it, will be gorgeous for Valentine’s day!
Sandra Shaffer says
This is to die for! Light and delicious and so pretty. I turned this into two smaller desserts to share one. Great idea for Valentine’s Day!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you, Sandra! WE loved this one too.
rika says
This is a pretty looking dessert! I love cherry, it’s one of my favorite fruits! I can’t wait to make this on a special day.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you, Rika!
Charla says
How delightful! I love that you don’t need to wait for cherry season to make this recipe.
Julie Menghini says
Thanks, Charla! I totally agree!
Sara Welch says
Giving this a try for dessert tonight; looks too good to pass up, indeed!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you, Sara! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Beth says
What a unique dessert idea for maybe Valentine’s Day? I’m going to try it as you can never go wrong with a recipe that’s been passed down from a grandmother! Wonderful!
Julie Menghini says
Thanks, Beth! It’s the perfect Valentines dessert.
[email protected] says
I could go for some Cherry Meringue Dessert. It looks so good and is great on a hot day.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Donna! It was yummy and John managed to polish the whole thing off.
Suchitra says
What a decadent dessert!! Wish I could taste it!!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Su!
Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet says
Beautiful photos! I want to reach through the screen and grab the whole plate!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Lauren! The beautiful cherries sure made photos fun.
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
Love that cherry toppings!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Megan! We enjoyed it too. Enjoy your day!!
Frugal Hausfrau says
This is lovely! I don’t usually use cherry pie filling (too sweet) but the unsweetened raspberries would tart it up! Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday!!
Mollie
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Mollie! I’m with you on the pie filling but the unsweetened raspberries really did cut the sweetness.
Jere Cassidy says
This dessert just looks amazing and I love cherries so I can’t wait to try this unique meringue.
Julie Menghini says
I’m with you! Thanks, Jere!
petra08 says
What a treat! I am having a crush on cherries at the moment and have never had them with raspberries for some reason.. I will give this a go, I feel inspired! 🙂
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Petra! I really love cherries too. They don’t get the attention strawberries or blueberries do but I love them as much.
Carlee says
What a fun dessert! I made a vintage forgotten torte over the winter that had similar instructions. Bake the meringue, then leave it in the oven overnight. That one was baked in a angel food pan and then covered with whipped cream. It was a big hit, so I will have to give this a try next. I already know we’ll love it! Thanks for sharing at Throwback Thursday!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Carlee! That sounds wonderful. I bet it was so pretty in an angel food pan!
Judi Graber says
Michigan cherries are in now and they are so delicious. Just love them any way I can get them. Paired with meringue – yum!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Judi! We had a couple of cherry trees that we fought the birds over when I grew up. It’s so hard to get fresh cherries here. I would love access to fresh!
Vasunthara Deshan says
That meringue looks so soft and delicious! I’m thinking cherries and dark chocolate flakes on top would also be a good combination on those meringues.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you! That would be a delicious combination that would definitely be impressive! Thank you so much for visiting!
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed says
Wow, what an amazing dessert Julie. Cherries are one of my favourite summer berries, I can just imagine how well they pair with the crunchy but soft meringue. Love your photos too.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you so much Sarah! I just love cherries too. They aren’t as spotlighted as strawberries but they make the best pies too!
Loretta says
Wow what a sight for sore eyes Julie! Loving this very summery dessert. The colors are so bold and vibrant too. I haven’t been around much on the blogging scene for the past 2 weeks as I’ve been out of sorts. I did not even open the Reader nor prepared any posts myself. But I’m slowly re-gaining my appetite and wishing I could have a big slice of this beauty! I hope all is well on your side of the world and that you are enjoying your summer so far.
Julie Menghini says
Oh Loretta I thought maybe you were pulling weeds and picking flowers. I’m so sorry you haven’t been well. Please take care and I hope you get to feeling better soon. A lot of blogging buddies are busy right now and aren’t active. It will all be here when you get back. I know you will have some wonderful pictures to share when you return.
Lily says
Absolutely gorgeous Julie and a perfect balance of sweet and tart with the meringue and berries – pinned!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Lily! You are so sweet and I always love hearing from you! This dessert lasted all week and it’s a good thing because it was a lot to get through even though John did his share trying.
Elaine @ foodbod says
Wow, I’ve never heard of leaving the meringue in the oven for that long!! It looks lovely 🙂
Thank you for sharing this with everyone at this week’s Fiesta Friday Xx
Julie Menghini says
I was a bit worried too but it came out great. Thank you so much for co-hosting this week Elaine!
Debbie says
I love cherries and this looks amazing!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Debbie! We really enjoyed it. Hope you have a great weekend!
mimi says
wow. it looks and sounds fabulous!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Mimi!
[email protected] says
This looks so light and fluffy; I can almost taste the sweet tartness of those cherries Julie.
I can DEFINITELY see how dessert like this would keep a couple married lol 😉
Julie Menghini says
Ha Thanks Jess! John and I tend to bond with our food and drinks
apuginthekitchen says
Beautiful Julie, I am kind of obsessed with meringue desserts right now, love this one. It looks amazing.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Suzanne. I was really happy with the way it came out. So much that I’ve tried keeping up with John finishing it off!
Sarah says
Cherry dessert are my favorite! This is drool worthy 🙂
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Sarah! I love cherries too, they just say summer to me.
Jenny says
This looks and sounds so good!! I have cherries on my mind because our cherry tree is bearing fruit right now! I love that you used your grandmother’s recipe. 🙂
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Jenny! We had a cherry tree where I grew up and we were always trying to beat the birds to them. They’re so good!
Shari says
This dessert sounds and looks amazing, Julie! I have never made a meringue dessert before. I can’t believe you leave it in the oven for 12 hours. So interesting! I would love to try this one on my dad as he loves cherry pie filling. How fun that you got to use your grandmother’s recipe!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Shari! If your dad loved cherry pie filling, he’ll love this! It was definitely a good find for me.
Celebrating Sunshine says
I love meringue, I love marshmallows, I love raspberries and I love cherries. What a treat! I know it takes forever to dry the meringue in the oven, but I’m still going to try this recipe. You should have posted a picture with your grandmother’s original handwritten recipe – so precious! 🙂
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Ana! That would have been a nice touch indeed. Please let me know what you think of this one. It’s delicious!