Cherry Crisp Recipe

This quick and easy Cherry Crisp Recipe starts with saucy sweet cherries that we top with a crisp buttery oat topping. Nothing beats a big bowl of warm Cherry Crisp with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Check out our other fruity crisp desserts — like this Blueberry Crisp or Apple Crumble. 

Our Favorite Cherry Crisp Recipe

My husband’s favorite dessert is homemade apple pie, followed closely by cherry pie. Every year, I bake a few cherry pies for him. I’ll confess, I make them mostly because I adore him. Pitting countless cherries is perhaps one of the tasks I enjoy the least!

This Classic Cherry Crisp recipe comes in handy for those moments when I want to earn all the “brownie points” without the hassle of pitting cherries. The point of this crisp is to offer a quick and easy preparation while remaining a top-tier dessert. It boasts intense flavor, a perfect crunchy topping, and just the right amount of sweetness.

Served warm with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream – it’s hard to find anything that compares!

Ingredients In This Cherry Crisp Recipe

• Flour: Provides structure to the topping and helps hold other ingredients together, creating a crumbly texture.
• Old-fashioned oats: Adds a chewy, rustic texture to the cherry crisp recipe topping. It also contributes to the crunchy finish once baked.
• Brown sugar: Sweetens the crisp topping and provides a slightly moist, caramelized flavor when baked.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg: These spices add warmth and aromatic flavor to the topping, complementing the cherries.
• Baking soda: A leavening agent that helps the topping achieve a slightly airy, fluffy texture.
• Salt: Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients and balances the sweetness.
• Cold unsalted butter: Introduces fat, which makes the topping rich and crumbly. It also aids in the golden browning of the crisp.
• Cherry pie filling or fresh cherries: The main filling of the dessert, providing a juicy, sweet, and slightly tart flavor that contrasts the crisp topping.

QUICK TIP

 What differentiates a cherry crisp, cherry cobbler, and cherry crumble? It’s the toppings! A cherry crisp features an oat-flour-brown-sugar topping. A crumble is similar but lacks oats, resulting in a denser streusel topping. A cobbler is topped with a biscuit or cake-like batter, creating a light crust when baked. (The Peach Cobbler and Blueberry Cobbler are site favorites!)

How To Make This Cherry Crisp With Canned Cherries

Here’s a straightforward breakdown of how to create this delectable Cherry Crisp recipe. It truly is as simple as it sounds!

1. Prep: Line a sheet pan with silicone liner or parchment paper. Lightly grease a 9-x-9-inch or 2-quart baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Topping: In a bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Cube and add butter to the dry mix. Use a pastry cutter and fingers to work butter in until mixture resembles crumbs. Chill mixture for 20 minutes if it becomes too warm.
3. Assembly: Add cherry pie filling to the greased pan and smooth evenly. Sprinkle the crumble topping over cherries without pressing down.
4. Bake: Place the Cherry Crisp recipe in the center of the lined sheet pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until topping is golden and filling bubbles slightly. Cover with foil if topping browns too much.
5. Serve: Cool for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm, ideally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Tips For Success

• Generously grease the pan with cooking spray before adding ingredients.
• Sprinkle the crumble topping on top; do not press it down.
• Place the crisp on a sheet pan to bake. If the cherry filling bubbles over, the pan will catch it, preventing a mess in your oven.
• Use cold butter for the crisp topping to ensure proper baking and avoid a greasy texture.
• Serve with quality vanilla ice cream. Butter pecan ice cream is also a favorite pairing with this crisp.

QUICK TIP

Which fresh cherries should you use for this Cherry Crisp recipe? Any type is fine, though we often mix sweet and Rainier cherries. For tart varieties, increase the sugar to offset their sourness. Ensure fresh cherries are dry after washing. If using frozen, thaw and pat dry with paper towels before use. (Here is a quick breakdown of other varieties.)

More Recipes With Cherries

• Cherry Smoothie with only four ingredients!
• Cherry Scones made with dried tart cherries
• Dried Tart Cherry Sweet Snack Mix with yogurt-covered pretzels
• Cherry Danish with a shortcut pastry
• Cherry Crisp Smoothie a dessert-inspired smoothie you can eat for breakfast!

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Cherry Crisp

5 from 4 votes

- Review this recipe

This quick and easy Cherry Crisp Recipe starts with saucy sweet cherries that we top with a crisp buttery oat topping. Nothing beats a big bowl of warm Cherry Crisp with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream!

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Cherry Crisp

5 from 4 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

This quick and easy Cherry Crisp Recipe starts with saucy sweet cherries that we top with a crisp buttery oat topping. Nothing beats a big bowl of warm Cherry Crisp with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Vegetarian

Keyword cherry crisp, cherry crisp recipe, recipe cherry crisp

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 -8 servings

Chelsea Lords

Calories 708kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $6.23

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup white, all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 3/4 cup (12 tbsp.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• ▢ 2 cans (21 oz. each) cherry pie filling (OR use fresh cherries -- See Note 1)

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• PREP: Line a sheet pan with a silicone liner or parchment paper (just in case anything bubbles over) and lightly grease a 9-x-9-inch baking pan (or 2-quart pan). Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• TOPPING: In a large bowl, toss together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined. Cube the butter and add it to the dry ingredients. Toss to coat the butter and use a pastry cutter to work it in. Finish by using your fingertips to work and press the butter into the dry ingredients until well dispersed and resembling crumbs (see picture). If the mixture gets too warm from being worked, chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  
• ASSEMBLY: Scoop both cans of cherry pie filling into the prepared 9-x-9-inch pan. Smooth in an even layer with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the cherries but do not press it down. Set the baking dish in the center of the lined pan.
• BAKE: Bake for 40 to 50 minutes (45 minutes is the sweet spot for me!), or until the crisp topping is golden brown and the filling is very slightly bubbling around the edges. If the topping is browning too much, lightly cover the top with foil.
  
• SERVE: Let the Cherry Crisp cool on a rack for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm and top with vanilla bean ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Using fresh or frozen cherries: Combine all of the following ingredients into a large bowl. Gently mix to combine and then spoon into a 9x9-inch pan, pressing gently into an even layer. Follow recipe to prepare crisp topping. Sprinkle on topping and bake!

• 1-1/2 pounds (4-1/2 cups) pitted cherries, cut in half (any variety works. We usually do a combination of sweet and Rainer). If using tart or sour cherries, you'll want to increase the sugar quite a bit to compensate for the sourness of the cherries. If using fresh cherries, make sure they are fully dried after being washed. If using frozen, fully thaw and then press out excess liquid with a few paper towels before using.
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract, optional
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Note 2: Make ahead of time: Make the crisp topping and refrigerate in an airtight container. When ready to prepare the crisp, let the  topping stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Then, spoon pie filling into pan, sprinkle the crisp on top of the filling, and bake as directed in the recipe card. (Crisp might need an extra 5-10 minutes bake time depending on how chilled it was.)

Note 3: Storage: Cover the leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Honestly though, this crisp is best the same day it’s made. After that, the topping gets a bit soggier each subsequent day. To re-fresh the crisp, warm up leftovers (uncovered) in a 350 degree F oven until warmed through. (about 10-15 minutes).

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 708kcal | Carbohydrates: 117g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 716mg | Potassium: 337mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 1147IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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