Cherry Crisp

Whip up this homemade cherry crisp for a simple and satisfying dessert. Cherries galore in each bite that is topped with an oat and brown sugar and cinnamon topping. This cherry crisp is so quick to throw together.

This Cherry Crisp will make your whole house smell as it bakes. Golden oat topping with thick cherries underneath, that pairs perfectly with ice cream or whipped cream. Try our heaven on earth cake recipe with cherry as well. Or try this cherry jubilee recipe.

This is a quick and fast dessert with canned cherries that you can whip up in no time. We have also added rhubarb to our cherry for added flavor to the dessert crisp.

We are a sucker for cherries and whether you have fresh cherries, canned, or even frozen you can make this dessert to spoon up your family and friends.

This Cherry Crisp Is…

• Made with red tart cherries
• Can make cherry crisp with pie filling if you want
• An oat based topping
• Great for serving a crowd or take to a potluck

Ingredients You Need

Red Tart Cherries – we used canned cherries for this recipe. Now we make our own cherry sauce to pour over the cherries. It enhances the flavor tremendously!

Vanilla – Adds a nice sweetness to the crisp.

Cornstarch – This is the thickening agent to give your cherries that glaze that smothers all around them.

B rown Sugar – A warm buttery sugar to bring the dish together.

Flour and Oats – These two will be a part of your topping to sprinkle on top.

Butter – we do recommend real butter not margarine for this recipe.

Cinnamon – The cinnamon enhances all the flavors from the oats to the cherries.

Swaps

Cherries used can be frozen, fresh that have pits removed, or of course canned.

If you don’t want your own cherry glaze you can easily swap with cherry pie filling to speed up the process and less ingredients needed.

Gluten free flour can be substituted for the all purpose flour.

Add in some orange zest or lemon zest to add a nice zing of flavor.

How to Make

Full directions on how to make this Cherry Crisp are in the printable recipe card. This is a visual walk-through.

1. Start by draining juice off the cherries. Then pour the cherries in your 8×12 baking pan, and juice in a pan on stove.
2. Bring the cherry juice to a boil and stir in the cornstarch to thicken.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Pour the thickened sauce over the cherries in the baking dish. Spread it out evenly.
5. Mix up the flour and oat topping to create a coarse crumble.
6. Sprinkle the oats over the cherries, and bake until oats are golden brown and crisp.

Let the cherry crisp cool a bit then serve with a scoop of ice cream or whipped topping.

Helpful Tips

Here are some helpful tips to set you up for success when making this quick cherry dessert!

• If you use fresh cherries, use a cherry pitter it will make the prep work so much easier. We use one that does 6 cherries at once to make it a lot faster.
• You can use a 9×13 pan if you would like for this cherry crumble recipe.
• Using real butter helps with flavor but you will find margarine will give a greasy and oily texture, that you don’t want.
• Feel free to mix up fruit used. Do some cherries and some blueberries, or raspberries. Just do whatever fruit you want.
• Bake until the oats have a nice golden look and is a crispy texture on top.

Practical notes

Common questions about this easy Cherry Crisp Without Pie Filling recipe are below!

Is cobbler and crisp the same thing?

A cobbler is more of a cake-like topping where a crisp is an oat and flour topping. Both have a fruit filling but the ingredients used are a bit different.

How to store cherry crisp?

You can store your cherry crisp at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for 4-5 days. We always store ours in the fridge as it extends the shelf life. You can warm up the crisp in the microwave for a warm fresh out of the oven warm texture.

How to use fresh cherries in a cherry crisp?

So to make the crisp with fresh cherries add 1/3 cup granulated sugar to 5 cups of fresh cherries. Mix in the cornstarch and a teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour into the baking dish, and then add topping and bake the same.

Can we use sour cherries?

If you have some sour cherries, use 2 extra tablespoons of sugar to mix with the cherries. This will help to balance out the sour with a hint of sweetness.

Can you freeze crisp?

Your leftover crisp can freeze for 5-6 months easily when stored properly. Just place in a freezer container and freeze and then when ready thaw in the fridge, or warm it up straight from frozen.

Can we use pie filling instead?

Go right ahead and use pie filling if you would like. We find that it works just fine and all you would do is dump the pie filling in, and then add the oat crumb topping and bake.

Desserts Recipes

• Lemon Cream Puffs
• Red Velvet Poke Cake
• No Bake Cheesecake Dip
• Berry Tiramisu Cake

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Ingredients

Makes 8 x12 pan

• 2 can Red Tart Cherries
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup softened butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Ice cream or Whipped Cream, optional

Equipment

• Gefen Sweet Pitted Dark Cherries 15oz (2 Pack) No High Fructose Corn Syrup, Nothing Artificial
• 9×13 Casserole Dish
• Small Baking Sheet 2 Pack, Shinsin 8 Inch Nonstick Baking Pans for Oven w/Rimmed Border, Professional Reusable Baking Trays for Toaster Oven Replacement

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray your 8×12 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Open your cherries and drain off the juice, and pour the cherry juice into your small sauce pan.
3. Pour the cherries in the 8×12 pan in an even layer and turn the pan to medium-high and bring cherry juice to a boil.
4. Once it is boiling you will whisk in the cornstarch and mix until it thickens like a glaze.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Then pour the sauce over the cherries in the baking sheet.
6. In a small bowl add your softened butter, flour, oats, and cinnamon. Mix until it is a crumble.
7. Sprinkle over the cherries and then bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
8. Serve your cherry crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or even whipped topping.

Kitchen notes

Cherries

– You are welcome to use canned cherries, frozen cherries, or even fresh.

Make From Fresh or Frozen Cherry Directions:

So to make the crisp with fresh cherries simply add 1/3 cup granulated sugar to 5 cups of fresh cherries. Mix in the cornstarch and a teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour into the baking dish, and then add topping and bake the same. If you use sour cherries just add 1-2 more tablespoons granulated sugar, to help mellow out the tartness. Pie Filling – If you want to skip and use pie filling go ahead. Just pour filling in the pan, top with crumble and bake. Storing – This cherry crisp will store at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for 4-5 days. We always store the crisp in the fridge.