Very Cherry Meringue Dessert Recipe
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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 to look at 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. I’m sharing tips with you to guarantee your cherry dessert is 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
This Meringue Dessert is best if made about 12 hours before you want to serve it. That gives the creamy level a chance to blend with the meringue layer. You can make the cherry topping ahead of time and add it right before serving it. The flavors and textures of this cherry dessert are amazing.
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 salt 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.
- You can put the eggs into a bowl of room temperature water for 5 minutes to bring them to room temperature instead of leaving them out for an extended period of time. That’s my prefered method.
- 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. It can also cause the meringue to collapse.
- 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 sweet cherry pie filling.
How to store Cherry Meringue Dessert
This meringue dessert should be refrigerated.
I also suggest that the topping be added right before serving and not to the top of the uncut meringue-cream layer.
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!
Yes! 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 so it has a chance to meld together and then store it in the refrigerator.
Top individual pieces with the cherry topping right before serving.
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
Doesn’t this dessert look like it’s ready for Valentine’s Day, the 4th of July, or a Black Tie party?
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Very Cherry Meringue Dessert
Equipment
Ingredients
Meringue
- 6 egg whites
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups sugar
Cream Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1¼ cup sugar
- 2 cups whipped topping
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
- 1 tsp vanilla
Topping
- 20 oz cherry pie filling can
- 12 oz raspberries packaged, frozen unsweetened
Instructions
Meringue Step
- Preheat oven to 275 °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 salt 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
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
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We can’t get enough cherry recipes. Our Frozen Cherry Muffin or our gluten-free Almond Flour Cherry Muffins are amazing!
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.
Thank you, Rika!
How delightful! I love that you don’t need to wait for cherry season to make this recipe.
Thanks, Charla! I totally agree!
Giving this a try for dessert tonight; looks too good to pass up, indeed!
Thank you, Sara! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
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!
Thanks, Beth! It’s the perfect Valentines dessert.
I could go for some Cherry Meringue Dessert. It looks so good and is great on a hot day.
Thank you Donna! It was yummy and John managed to polish the whole thing off.
What a decadent dessert!! Wish I could taste it!!
Thank you Su!
Beautiful photos! I want to reach through the screen and grab the whole plate!
Thank you Lauren! The beautiful cherries sure made photos fun.
Love that cherry toppings!
Thank you Megan! We enjoyed it too. Enjoy your day!!
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
Thank you Mollie! I’m with you on the pie filling but the unsweetened raspberries really did cut the sweetness.
This dessert just looks amazing and I love cherries so I can’t wait to try this unique meringue.
I’m with you! Thanks, Jere!
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! 🙂
Thank you Petra! I really love cherries too. They don’t get the attention strawberries or blueberries do but I love them as much.
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!
Thank you Carlee! That sounds wonderful. I bet it was so pretty in an angel food pan!
Michigan cherries are in now and they are so delicious. Just love them any way I can get them. Paired with meringue – yum!
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!
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.
Thank you! That would be a delicious combination that would definitely be impressive! Thank you so much for visiting!
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.
Thank you so much Sarah! I just love cherries too. They aren’t as spotlighted as strawberries but they make the best pies too!
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.
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.
Absolutely gorgeous Julie and a perfect balance of sweet and tart with the meringue and berries – pinned!
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.
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
I was a bit worried too but it came out great. Thank you so much for co-hosting this week Elaine!
I love cherries and this looks amazing!
Thank you Debbie! We really enjoyed it. Hope you have a great weekend!
wow. it looks and sounds fabulous!
Thank you Mimi!
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 😉
Ha Thanks Jess! John and I tend to bond with our food and drinks
Beautiful Julie, I am kind of obsessed with meringue desserts right now, love this one. It looks amazing.
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!
Cherry dessert are my favorite! This is drool worthy 🙂
Thank you Sarah! I love cherries too, they just say summer to me.
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. 🙂
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!
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!
Thank you Shari! If your dad loved cherry pie filling, he’ll love this! It was definitely a good find for me.
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! 🙂
Thank you Ana! That would have been a nice touch indeed. Please let me know what you think of this one. It’s delicious!