Easy-to-stock ingredients, including frozen cherries, make this Easy Cherry Crisp a dessert you can pull together on a whim. It’s perfect for a spontaneous gathering or a last-minute treat whenever the craving hits.
This cherry crisp recipe has been in my collection for many years because it reliably delivers big cherry flavor with minimal fuss.
Using frozen cherries makes this an ideal go-to for those moments when guests are on their way and you need a quick dessert. Frozen cherries thaw quickly, bring plenty of juice, and spare you the tedious task of pitting fruit.
While I enjoy fresh cherry recipes like fresh cherry cobbler and cherry crumb cake, this version gives you the taste of summer any time of year and comes together fast.
Table of contents
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Easy Cherry Crisp
- Make-Ahead Tips
- Storage Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- More Fruit Desserts You’ll Love
Ingredient Notes
- Frozen cherries: Use unsweetened dark sweet cherries from the frozen aisle. Package sizes vary—this recipe uses the equivalent of three 12-ounce bags (36 ounces) of cherries, thawed.
- Cherry filling: Thawed cherries are tossed with fresh lemon juice, pure vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and a bit of all-purpose flour to thicken the juices as it bakes.
- Almond crisp topping: The topping combines all-purpose flour, old-fashioned oats, light brown sugar, sliced almonds, salt, and butter for a crunchy, nutty finish.
How to Make Easy Cherry Crisp
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, toss the thawed cherries with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; stir to combine. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup sliced almonds, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in 3/4 cup cold butter, sliced, using a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the fruit, then scatter the remaining sliced almonds on top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly.
Make-Ahead Tips
This recipe is quick enough to assemble while chatting with guests, but you can prepare the components up to one day ahead.
- Make the cherry filling and the crisp topping separately and store each in covered containers in the refrigerator.
- When ready to bake, spread the filling in the dish, top with the crumb mixture and remaining almonds, then bake as directed. If the components are very cold, you may need a few extra minutes of baking time.
Storage Tips
Store cooled fruit crisps in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or foil; they keep best for 3 to 4 days. Leftovers are enjoyable cold or at room temperature, but reheating briefly in the microwave (20–30 seconds for individual servings) warms the crisp and softens the filling.
Serving Suggestions
This crisp is wonderful with freshly whipped cream, but my favorite is a big scoop of vanilla ice cream over a warm serving. The contrast of hot fruit and cold ice cream is especially satisfying in summer.
More Fruit Desserts You’ll Love
- Rhubarb Crisp
- Cherry Pie Bars
- Peach Strawberry Crisp
- Fresh Blueberry Pie
- Mixed Berry Shortcake
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Easy Cherry Crisp
Ingredients
- 36 ounces frozen dark cherries, no sugar added, thawed (3 12-ounce bags)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter, cut into 1-inch slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, toss cherries with lemon juice and vanilla. Add granulated sugar and 1/4 cup flour and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1 1/4 cups flour, oats, brown sugar, 1/4 cup sliced almonds, and salt. Work in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the fruit and top with remaining almonds.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Notes
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 77 g
| Protein: 6 g
| Fat: 22 g
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredients used.
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This post was originally published on June 27, 2017. It has been updated with new text and images.