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Bloody cheesecake Halloween dip is a deliciously creepy dessert that’ll have your guests screaming for more. We make a quick homemade tart cherry sauce, mash it up a bit to simulate blood clots, and serve it on top of rich, creamy cheesecake dip along with black cocoa chocolate cookies for dipping. This is easy to make with simple ingredients, and perfect if you need a last-minute Halloween treat!
If you’re looking for easy Halloween dip ideas for a spooky dessert, look no further. In past years I’ve made a murderous blood splatter cake and bloody cupcakes, but oddly, neither of them incorporated cherries. This bloody Halloween dessert uses tart cherries, which not only are the perfect red color (which means we don’t need any food coloring!), but also give off heavy blood clot vibes if you mash them a little. It’s grotesquely great for Halloween.
The no bake cheesecake dip is as easy to make as whipping cream heavy and mixing it with cream cheese and powdered sugar. It’s rich, velvety smooth, and the perfect foil for sweet/tart cherries. New York cheesecake topped with cherry sauce is a personal favorite of mine, and this hits all the same notes. If you’re a fan of cherry cheesecake, cherry-o cream cheese pie, cherry cheese pie, or any of the other names similar desserts go by, you’re going to love this!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Bloody Cherry Sauce Ingredients
- Frozen tart cherries – Tart cherries lend the most intense cherry flavor and are the perfect color for bloody Halloween desserts. Don’t thaw them for this because we need the water in frozen cherries. If you can’t find frozen tart cherries, you can use frozen sweet cherries and cut the added sugar in half.
- Sugar – Use granulated white sugar here.
- Salt – To pull out the flavor of the cherries.
- Cornstarch – Here we use a cornstarch slurry (which is a mixture of cornstarch dissolved in cold water) to thicken the sauce to the perfect texture.
- Almond extract – Enhances the flavor and aroma of the cherries.
Cheesecake Dip Ingredients
- Heavy whipping cream – Lightens up the texture and adds a luscious, velvety mouthfeel.
- Cream cheese – Slightly softened is best so it mixes up without any lumps.
- Powdered sugar – We use powdered sugar as the sweetener in this no bake cheesecake dip. It also helps thicken it to the perfect smooth consistency. Don’t forget to sift the powdered sugar to remove the clumps.
- Vanilla extract – For flavor and aroma.
Instructions
Here are step-by-step instructions to walk you through making this recipe. For the recipe video, please see the recipe card below.
1: Make the Blood Clot Cherry Sauce
- Cook. Add the frozen cherries, sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat, and stir to coat the cherries in sugar. Cover the pot and cook until the sugar is fully dissolved and the cherries are at a simmer, about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Thicken. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.
- Mash. Use a potato masher to mash a few of the cherries so the mixture looks clotted and clumpy.
- Cool. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. (TIP: If you’re in a time crunch, transfer it to a bowl, pop it in the fridge, and stir it periodically so it cools faster.)
2: Make the Cheesecake Dip
- Whip the cream. Beat the heavy cream to stiff peaks in a large bowl.
- Whip the cream cheese. Add the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a separate large bowl, and beat until well-combined.
- Combine. Beat 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the remaining whipped cream 1/4 at a time, trying not to deflate the cream.
- It should look like this. When it’s combined, it’ll look like this. Note that the dip will thicken more as it chills.
3: Serve
Transfer the cheesecake dip to a shallow bowl and drizzle the cooled cherry sauce on top.
Storage
Store cheesecake dip covered in the fridge for up to 4 days (the dip will thicken more as it chills). After cooling, store cherry sauce covered in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
My Best Tips For Bloody Cherry Cheesecake Halloween Dessert Dip
- If you can find frozen tart cherries, they are absolutely delicious here. They have a more intense cherry flavor than sweet cherries, and it’s amplified even more by a hint of almond extract. Plus their bright red color is perfect for the bloody Halloween vibe!
- You can make this ahead of time. Make the cheesecake dip up to 3 days in advance but hold off on adding the cherry topping. When you want to serve it, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes, and then beat it briefly until smooth and creamy. Transfer it to a serving bowl, top with the cherry sauce, and dig in. And don’t forget, you can make the cherry sauce in advance and keep it in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.
- If cherries aren’t your favorite, feel free to swap them out for another fruit. For example, strawberries or raspberries also work really well here, just adjust the amount of sugar accordingly (start with a bit less and add more to taste).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Canned cherry pie filling is a good time saver here. If desired, use a fork or potato masher to mash the cherries a bit to get a blood clot look for Halloween.
Absolutely! Another time-saving option is to use store-bought no bake cheesecake filling.
There are so many delicious options! I like this with black cocoa chocolate cookies, but Oreos are delicious, and so are shortbread cookies, Nilla wafers, and graham crackers. Keep it lighter and serve it along with sliced bananas, apples, pears, and/or strawberries for dipping. If you like the salty/sweet combination, go with pretzels. Or for something even more decadent, go for mini chocolate chip cookies, brownie bites, or cubed pound cake.
In keeping with the fun Halloween theme, I served this along with a ton of different black fruits (or really dark fruits). You can use what’s in season and available locally for you. I included Muscadine grapes, Black Mission figs, black plums, blackberries, and black cherries.
More Creepy Halloween Food Ideas
- Black cocoa cake – Aka black velvet cake. It’s dark-as-night and oh-so-rich.
- Poison apples – A villainous treat that’s every bit as yummy as a regular caramel apple.
- Red sangria cocktail (or mocktail) – The real fun here comes from the horrific bloody eyeballs, which are made entirely of fruit!
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Bloody Delicious Halloween Cherry Cheesecake Dip Recipe
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Ingredients
Cherry Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups frozen tart cherries don’t thaw
- 6 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Cheesecake Dip:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese slightly softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cherry Sauce:
- Cook. Add the frozen cherries, sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat, and stir to coat the cherries in sugar. Cover the pot and cook until the sugar is fully dissolved and the cherries are at a simmer, about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract. (TIP: If you're in a time crunch, transfer it to a bowl, pop it in the fridge, and stir it periodically so it cools faster.)
- Mash. Use a potato masher to mash a few of the cherries so the mixture looks clotted and clumpy.
- Cool. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
For the Cheesecake Dip:
- Whip the cream. Beat the heavy cream to stiff peaks in a large bowl.
- Whip the cream cheese. Add the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a separate large bowl, and beat until well-combined.
- Combine. Beat 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the remaining whipped cream 1/4 at a time, trying not to deflate the cream. (Note that the dip will thicken more as it chills.)
To Serve:
- Transfer the cheesecake dip to a shallow bowl and drizzle the cooled cherry sauce on top.
Video
Notes
- Serving Size: Each serving is about 1/2 cup of cheesecake dip and about 1/4 cup of cherry sauce. (This dessert is quite rich, so I think you could get away with 8 servings from this recipe. Especially because you’ll likely be serving it along with dippers!)
- Storage: Store cheesecake dip covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. After cooling, store cherry sauce covered in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Make Ahead: To make this ahead of time, make the cheesecake dip up to 3 days in advance but hold off on adding the cherry topping. When you want to serve it, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes, and then beat it briefly until smooth and creamy. Transfer it to a serving bowl, top with the cherry sauce, and dig in. And don’t forget, you can make the cherry sauce in advance and keep it in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.
- The Super Quick Version: Use these store-bought convenience items: Philadelphia no bake cheesecake filling, canned cherry pie filling (mash the cherries a bit to get the blood clot look we’re going for), and serve it with Oreos for dipping.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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