This easy cherry crisp recipe has a buttery, crunchy oat topping and 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!
Easy Cherry Crisp Recipe
A fruit crisp is one of my favorite desserts to make when entertaining. It’s always satisfying and can be assembled ahead of time. It can be baked while your guests are there, and it’s delicious when served warm with vanilla ice cream!
This recipe often makes a debut at our 4th of July parties alongside my easy canned peach crisp, while my homemade apple crisp is a staple during the fall!
If you’re looking for a straightforward, easy dessert that feeds enough people for a small gathering, this is it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s easy to make: This crisp uses cherry pie filling, which means no cherry pitter needed! You can buy an organic cherry filling for the best flavor.
Perfect for gatherings: It can easily feed 10 people when served with ice cream, making it ideal for summer parties and holiday desserts.
Incredible flavor combination: The buttery, crunchy oat topping pairs perfectly with the sweet cherry filling and a hint of orange zest.
Versatile and forgiving: You can bake it in a skillet or baking dish using ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.
Cherry Crisp Ingredients
This recipe is made with simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store.
Cherry Pie Filling – We 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. We like it because it’s 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
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!
Storage
Refrigerate
If you have any leftovers, cherry crisp can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze
If you’d like to freeze cherry crisp, assemble the cherry crisp mixture in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake it, thaw the cherry crisp overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed. Enjoy!
Reheat
To reheat cherry crisp, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cherry crisp in an oven-safe dish and bake for about 20 minutes or until warm. Enjoy!
Recipe 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.
Almond Cherry Crisp – Add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to the cherry filling and mix 1/2 cup of sliced almonds into the crumble topping. Cherry and almond is a classic combo that tastes amazing together!
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!
Chocolate Cherry Crisp – Stir 1/2 cup of chocolate chips into the cherry filling before adding the topping. The chocolate melts while baking and tastes incredible with the cherries. So good with vanilla ice cream on top!
Eden’s 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 Option: Assemble the cherry crisp and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Perfect for entertaining!
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.
More Cherry Recipes You’ll Love
From cocktails to desserts, these are my favorite recipes using cherries!
- Classic Cherry Pie
- Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies
- Fried Cherry Pies
- Cherry Punch
- Cherry Mojito
- Cherry Pie Bars
- Decadent Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
- Roasted Cherry Gin Sodas
- My Favorite Chocolate Cherry Cookies
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
- Shortbread Cookie Crumble Bars
- Canned Peach Pie Recipe
- The Best Real Lemon Pie
- Blackberry Cobbler Crumble
- Easy Cast Iron Peach Cake Recipe
If you make this delicious cherry dessert, leave a comment and rating below and let me know your thoughts.
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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.
