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If you like EASY desserts, this cherry crisp recipe is it! Cherry pie filling topped with a buttery, crunchy oat topping that is perfect for gatherings! Serve it warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have one of the easiest party desserts.
If you love desserts with cherries, you have to try my chocolate cherry cupcakes, cherry pie, and cherry pie bars!
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Pin ItWhy You’ll Love This Easy Cherry Crisp
I shared so many of my favorite easy desserts in my book Entertaining with Charm, and if I had just a few more pages, this cherry crisp would have made the cut! Here’s why it’s an easy party dessert:
- Effortless to make – Just a handful of pantry staples come together quickly, making this the kind of dessert you can whip up any night of the week.
- Perfect for gatherings: It can easily feed 10 people when served with ice cream, making it ideal for summer parties and holiday desserts.
- Seasonal and versatile – In summer, I love this cherry crisp, especially for a 4th of July dessert. My homemade apple crisp is always a fall favorite, while my canned peach crisp is perfect for a fall harvest gathering.
Cherry Crisp Ingredients
Cherry Pie Filling – I used Lucky Leaf organic canned cherries for this recipe. We also use it for our cherry pie bars and it’s all you need for the filling. I like it because it’s not too sweet and perfect for making a crisp. It’s made with simple ingredients such as lemon juice and organic sugar.
Rolled Oats – Any old-fashioned oats will work.
Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar to add sweetness to the crisp topping.
All-Purpose Flour – You can also use whole wheat flour if you prefer.
Nutmeg – Gives the crisp more flavor depth and adds a little nutty flavor.
Baking Powder – Works as a leavening agent for the crisp topping.
Orange Zest – This compliments the flavor of the cherries and tastes so good! You can also use lemon zest too.
Butter – This recipe uses cubed, cold butter as well as melted butter. The butter adds so much flavor. Use good quality unsalted butter.
How to Make Cherry Crisp
Preheat your oven: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and butter a 10″ skillet or baking dish.
Prep the filling: Pour the cherry pie filling into your buttered skillet or baking dish—no additional preparation needed!
Make the crumble topping: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, orange zest, and cubed butter.
Create the crumbly texture: Use a pastry cutter or fork to mix until the ingredients form a crumble-like texture. This is what gives your crisp that perfect crunchy top!
Add the topping: Evenly spread the crumble mixture over the cherry pie filling, covering it completely.
Bake until golden: Bake for 40 minutes until the top turns golden brown and you can see the cherry filling bubbling around the edges.
Finish with butter: When it comes out of the oven, pour the melted butter over the top for extra richness and flavor.
Serve warm: Let it cool for just a few minutes, then serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!
How to Store a Cherry Crisp
Reheat: Warm in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until bubbly.
Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Assemble and freeze (unbaked) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed.
Eden’s Recipe Tips
Quality Cherry Filling: Use organic cherry filling for the best flavor. It’s less sweet and has simple ingredients like lemon juice and organic sugar.
Flexible Baking Dish: This recipe works in a skillet or any baking dish you have on hand. It’s very forgiving!
Cooling Time: Let it cool slightly before serving with ice cream. This helps the filling set up a bit while still being warm.
Make-Ahead: You can assemble this earlier in the day and pop it in the oven when guests arrive—your whole kitchen will smell amazing as it bakes.
Baking Time Variation: Every oven is different, so start checking about 10 minutes before the recipe suggests. You can always add more time if needed.
Gluten-Free Option: Use a gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour and certified gluten-free oats to make this dessert gluten-free.
Cherry Crisp Variations
Cherry Berry Crisp – Mix 2 cups of fresh berries with the cherry filling for a fun twist! Blueberries, blackberries or raspberries all work great and add a nice tartness to balance the sweet cherries.
Apple Cherry Crisp – Toss 2 cups of diced apples with the cherry pie filling and add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the topping. This is perfect for fall when apples are in season but you still want that cherry flavor.
Individual Cherry Crisps – Divide everything between 8-10 ramekins and bake for about 25-30 minutes. These are so cute for dinner parties and everyone gets their own personal dessert!
Cherry Crisp FAQ’s
A cobbler is usually topped with a biscuit-like dough that bakes up soft and cake-y, while a crisp has a crunchy oat topping that gets golden and buttery in the oven. I love both, but crisp wins when I’m serving it with a big scoop of homemade ice cream!
Cherry crisp is one of the easiest fruit desserts out there—juicy cherries baked under a sweet, crunchy oat topping. Think of it as cherry pie’s more relaxed cousin. No rolling out dough, just layer and bake. For another cozy option, try my apple crisp too!
I don’t recommend it—frozen cherries release a lot of liquid as they bake, and you’d have to add thickeners, sweeteners, and other ingredients to get the right consistency. The beauty of this recipe is how simple it is! Using ready-to-go cherry pie filling makes it foolproof, just like in my cherry pie bars and shortbread cookie bars (with cherry preserves) of course!
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Whether you make it for a summer party or a cozy fall gathering, this cherry crisp is the kind of easy, charming dessert that always disappears fast! Let me know what you think!
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Easy Cherry Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
- 36 ounces cherry pie filling
- 1 cup rolled-oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter a 10" skillet or baking dish.
- Pour the cherry pie filling into the skillet or baking dish.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, orange zest and 8 tbsp cubed butter.
- Mix with a pastry cutter or with a fork until it becomes a crumble-like texture.
- Evenly spread this mixture over the top of the cherry pie filling.
- Bake for 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cherries are bubbling.
- When it comes out of the oven, pour the melted butter over the top.
- Let it cool for a few minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was really really good. Cherry lovers dream.