This easy Cherry Crisp recipe features a sweet, spiced, fruity filling and a golden, crumbly topping. Simple and quick, it’s a delicious dessert perfect for summer and beyond!
Delicious Cherry Crisp Recipe
Cherries are one of my favorite summer fruits! I love snacking on them on their own or adding them to recipes like my banana cherry smoothie or using the dried varieties in these no bake chocolate cherry energy bites.
I couldn’t believe I didn’t have a cherry crisp on the blog so I had to change that! This crisp is incredibly easy to make and perfect for everything from backyard barbecues to weeknight treats. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you really can’t go wrong!
The Best Cherries for a Crisp
The best type of cherries to use for desserts really comes down to your personal preferences. However, I highly recommend sticking with sweet varieties for this dish. Bing and Rainier cherries are the most common varieties.
- Bing cherries have a dark red skin and flesh.
- Rainier cherries are bright red and yellow in color.
Rainier cherries have a higher sugar content, making them sweeter, but both options taste great! I used sweet dark Bing cherries for this recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
Sweet cherries: you can use fresh or frozen cherries for this crisp. If you use frozen, you can get them pre-pitted and make this recipe all year long!
Ground cinnamon: this adds a bit of warmth that balances the sweetness of the filling.
Arrowroot starch: this helps thicken the filling.
Vanilla extract: a must-have in any crisp recipe!
Lemon juice and zest: these add brightness to the filling. The fresh lemon zest brings out the flavor of the cherries even further.
Maple syrup: for a touch of natural sweetness.
Old-fashioned oats: these form the base of the topping, creating that crisp consistency we want. If you have a gluten allergy, make sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Finely ground almond flour: we use this instead of regular flour to keep the recipe gluten-free.
Dark brown sugar: adds just the right touch of sweetness to the crisp topping. Feel free to use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar if you prefer.
Spices: Ground cinnamon adds warmth, tying the flavor of the topping in with the filling. Then, we add a pinch of salt to enhance the rest of the ingredients.
Vanilla extract: adds a delicious vanilla flavor.
Butter: to create that delicious, rich, crisp topping. I recommend unsalted butter for this recipe.
Ingredient Swaps and Variations
- Almond Flour – swap this for oat flour or a gluten free flour blend if you need to keep this recipe nut free. I would not recommend using coconut flour in this recipe as it’s too drying.
- Butter – replace the butter with plant-based butter or coconut oil to keep things dairy free.
- Maple Syrup – I personally prefer the taste of maple syrup in this recipe but feel free to swap it for honey or another liquid sweetener of your choice.
- Arrowroot Starch – you can use cornstarch instead of arrowroot starch if you like!
How to Make This Cherry Crisp Recipe
Step One: Spray a 9-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray.
Step Two: Add the pitted cherries, arrowroot starch, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, and maple syrup to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine, and transfer the mixture to the prepared skillet.
Step Three: Next, make the crisp topping, adding the oats, almond flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and butter to a mixing bowl. (You can use the same bowl you used to mix the filling!) Then, use your hands to work the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a clumpy crumble topping.
Step Four: Bake the crumble at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Cover the top with tin foil if it begins to brown too quickly!
Serving Suggestions
This homemade cherry crisp is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. For even more brightness, add a little extra lemon zest on top, too!
How to Store
Store this cherry crisp in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cover it tightly with foil or plastic wrap to keep it as fresh as possible. Or, transfer leftovers to an airtight container.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes! Transfer the crisp to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and reheat covered in the oven when you’re ready to serve.
More Crisp Recipes You’ll Love
- Blackberry Crisp
- Mixed Berry Crisp
- The Best Pear Crisp
- The Best Strawberry Crisp
- Gluten Free Apple Crisp
- Gluten Free Peach Crisp
I hope you give this Cherry Crisp Recipe a try! It’s so easy to make and great for meal prep! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.
Print
Cherry Crisp
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This easy Cherry Crisp Recipe has a sweet, spiced, fruity filling and a golden, crisp topping. Simple and quick, it’s a delicious dessert perfect for summer and beyond!
Ingredients
- 6 cups fresh or frozen sweet cherries, pitted
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
For the Crisp Topping
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup finely ground almond flour
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Spray a 9-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray.
- Add the pitted cherries, arrowroot starch, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, and maple syrup to a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined and then transfer to the prepared skillet.
- Next, make the crisp topping. Add the oats, almond flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and butter to a mixing bowl (you can use the same bowl you used to mix the filling). Use your hands to work the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a clumpy crumble topping.
- Bake the crumble at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown (you can add a sheet of tinfoil if the top is browing too fast) and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.
