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 an outline of the steps for this recipe, along with some important things to note. It truly is as simple as it sounds!
- Prep: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleaning, but grease the 9-x-9-inch pan. If you don’t have cooking spray, oil or butter can work as well.
- Topping: In a bowl, mix all the dry topping ingredients together first. This ensures they’re all evenly combined before you add the cubed butter.
- Assembly: In the greased pan, spread the cherry filling and sprinkle the crumble on top, but avoid pressing down. This can cause the topping to mix into the filling, resulting in a soggier texture instead of a crisp and golden finish.
- Bake: Bake until the crumble is golden and the filling bubbles slightly. Cover with foil if the topping browns too much before the filling has started to bubble.
- Serve: Let it cool and then serve warm. I love topping it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a nice contrast.
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.)
Storage
Make Ahead Of Time
- Make the crisp topping ahead and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container. Let it warm up for 20 minutes before using. Add your pie filling to the pan, top it with the crisp, and bake as directed. You may need to bake 5-10 minutes longer if the topping is cold.
Does Cherry Crisp Need To Be Refrigerated?
- Yes. Tightly wrap leftovers of this cherry crisp recipe and refrigerate for up to 3 days. However, the crisp is best enjoyed the day it’s made as the topping becomes soggier over time. To revive it, warm (uncovered) in a 350°F oven for about 10-15 minutes.
Can You Freeze This Cherry Crisp Recipe?
- Unbaked Cherry Crisp: Assemble, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from the freezer, adding extra time as needed.
- Baked Cherry Crisp: Cool, wrap, and freeze. Thaw and reheat when ready. Note that the texture may change slightly upon reheating.
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!
Cherry Crisp
Equipment
- Sheet pan (15″ x 10″) lined
- 9 x 9-inch baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup 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 salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cubed
- 2 (21-ounce) cans cherry pie filling or fresh cherries, see note 1
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and lightly grease a 9×9-inch or 2-quart baking pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Add cubed butter and coat it with the dry mix. Use a pastry cutter and your fingertips to blend the butter until it resembles crumbs. If the mixture warms up, chill it for 20 minutes.
- Scoop cherry pie filling into the 9×9-inch pan and smooth it. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the cherries without pressing it down. Place the dish in the center of the lined pan.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the filling bubbles slightly at the edges. If the topping browns too much, cover with foil.
- Cool the Cherry Crisp on a rack for 15–20 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
Video
Recipe Notes
- 4-1/2 cups pitted cherries, halved. For tart cherries, increase sugar. Ensure fresh cherries are fully dried after washing. Thaw frozen cherries and press out excess liquid with paper towels.
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract, optional
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fantastic and easy! Daughter requested cherry crisp for birthday dessert. This recipe did not disappoint. Adding it to my personal cookbook
I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Elaine!
My family LOVED this cobbler. Have requested I fix again next week. Husbandvsaid best desert I’ve every made and he’s not big on compliments!!
What a compliment!! I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
GORGEOUSNESS!!
Thank you! 🙂
hey girl This looks so yummy!
Thanks Shawnna!
I was so thrilled to see this recipe in my e-mails. I have 2 jars of the Montmorency cherries from Aldi’s. Can’t wait to use them in this crisp. Thanks, you made my day! Also, your pictures of the crisp are stunning.
Awe so happy to make your day Judy!! 🙂 I hope you love this crisp! And thank you so much for your sweet comment about my photos, that means a lot to me! 🙂
Can you leave the topping a few hours before baking? Thank you
I’d make the topping and store it separately in an airtight bag then add it right before baking so it doesn’t get soggy!
I need to say that this cherry crisp looks absolutely fantastic and your photography is stunning! My mouth is watering just looking at these photos!
Keep up the beautiful work, friend 😉
Thanks Olivia! 🙂 That is so kind of you 🙂 Appreciate your sweet comments!