Cherry Crisp Recipe
This quick and easy Cherry Crisp recipe is the best spring and summer dessert! With a couple of pantry ingredients, it’s ready to bake in 10 minutes. Use fresh or frozen cherries, or even chery pie filling for ease. Served with a scoop of ice cream, it’s a dessert for any night of the week!
This Cherry Crisp recipe is the definition of a comfort food dessert. It’s great to make year-round and can be made with fresh or frozen cherries or even with a canned cherry pie filling. With less than 10 ingredients, it about as easy as dessert can be.
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Living in Richland, Washington, fresh cherries were always in abundance. This recipe was born in the Summer of 2015, when my daughter went to cherry orchard to pick her own basket of cherries and make a delicious dessert. To our surprise, she brought home 15 pounds of cherries! We tested this cherry crisp recipe over and over using those cherries until it was just perfect, and now we make it every year.
My family recommends to serve it with a scoop of ice cream on top, for the perfect flavor combination! If you love a crisp or cobbler, my Peach Crisp is another recipe you should definitely try.
Reader Review: “Tasty….Easy to make. Added some almond flavoring as well. Changed to Gluten free flour and it was awesome.” – Gluten Free Guy
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Super simple to make – uses pantry staples and ready-made cherry pie filling for an easy, no-fuss dessert
- Warm, cozy flavors – cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar give it that classic comforting taste
- Perfect texture combo – juicy cherries with a buttery, crumbly oat streusel on top
- Crowd-pleasing treat – even better served warm with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate dessert experience
Ingredients
Scroll Down to the Bottom of this Post for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Printable Recipe Card
- Self-Rising Flour: Base to the crisp topping to give it the correct consistency.
- Cinnamon: Adds warm flavor and spice to each bite.
- Nutmeg: A second warming spice that works with the cinnamon nicely.
- Brown Sugar: Key to that molasses-like sweetness.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Responsible for making this recipe a crisp and not a cobbler.
- Pecans or Walnuts: Crunchy, rich and so delicious!
- Butter: Adds richness and binds the crisp together.
- Cherry Pie Filling, fresh or frozen cherries: The sweet fruity base of this dessert.
- Vanilla Ice Cream: The best for serving!
Laura Ashley’s Tip: You might ask “What’s the difference between a cherry crumble and a crisp?” Well, they’re often used interchangeably, but the answer is a crumble is a crisp without oats in the streusel.
Tools You’ll Need
How to Make Cherry Crisp
- For the streusel, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, oats, and nuts.
- Stir in the melted butter until well combined.
- In a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish, spread the pie filling in an even layer followed by a layer of the streusel on top
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the baked cherry crisp to rest for 10 minutes before serving. If you’d like, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Expert Tips
- Make the cherry filling from scratch.
- Homemade: Stir together 3lb fresh pitted cherries, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2-2/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low. Stir often and cook for 10 minutes. Cool before using in this dessert.
- Use any type of fresh cherry in the homemade filling. Bing and rainier will lend a sweeter flavor. Montmorency cherries are tarter and will likely require a skosh more sugar.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the flour with oat flour and add 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 tsp baking powder. You can also substitute it with a gluten-free baking blend.
- Another variation I love is cherry almond crisp. Add almond extract and sliced almonds to the crisp topping for a rich and nutty bite.
- Always let your crisp rest before serving. It will be very hot when it comes out of the oven. Make sure to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
- Double it up! If you’re needing to feed a bigger crowd or want to ensure you have leftovers, just use a larger baking dish (like a 13×9) and add a few extra minutes to the baking time if needed.
Storage
This dessert (without the ice cream) can be stored at room temperature if eaten within 24 hours. Any longer, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
This crisp can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Simply cover it tightly and store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If using fresh or frozen cherries, you’ll need to sweeten them and add a thickener. Toss with sugar, a little lemon juice, and about 1–2 tablespoons of cornstarch before baking.
Absolutely. You can assemble it a few hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, then bake when ready. You can also bake it fully and reheat before serving.
Make sure the butter is fully mixed into the streusel and bake until the top is golden brown. If needed, you can broil for 1–2 minutes at the end (watch closely!).
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
Cherry Crisp
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats quick can work as well
- 1/4 cup pecans or walnuts optional
- 1/3 cup butter
- 21 oz cherry pie filling
- Vanilla Ice Cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- For the streusel, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, oats and nuts. Stir in the melted butter until combined well.
- In a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish, spread the pie filling in an even layer. Top with the streusel, ensuring the filling is fulling covered.
- Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Rest 10 minutes prior to serving. If you'd like, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Video
Notes
- Make the cherry filling from scratch.
- Homemade: Stir together 3lb fresh pitted cherries, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2-2/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low. Stir often and cook for 10 minutes. Cool before using in this dessert.
- Use any type of fresh cherry in the homemade filling. Bing and rainier will lend a sweeter flavor. Montmorency cherries are tarter and will likely require a skosh more sugar.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the flour with oat flour and add 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 tsp baking powder. You can also substitute it with a gluten-free baking blend.
- Another variation I love is cherry almond crisp. Add almond extract and sliced almonds to the crisp topping for a rich and nutty bite.
- Always let your crisp rest before serving. It will be very hot when it comes out of the oven. Make sure to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
About Laura
Taught by some of the best, cooking and entertaining has always been my favorite hobby. Food is my love language! The conception of Dinner in 321 came from my family talks that sharing our dinners would help others learn new skills, tasty recipes, and make cooking fun! Read more…
Tasty….Easy to make. Added some almond flavoring as well. Changed to Gluten free flour and it was awesome.
Awwww!! That makes my heart so happy to hear!! Thank you SO much!!!🥰
Delicious
Thank you SO much!!!