cherry crisp in a cast iron skillet with a spoon

Why You’ll Love this Cherry Crisp Recipe

I love cherries. Love them! But, I only love them when they’re in season, sweet, and juicy. I hate when they’re hard and flavorless. When I was grocery shopping recently, I came across these gorgeous cherries. Now, I can put away some cherries just by themselves, but I definitely couldn’t eat the entire container on its own. I decided I would find a way to incorporate these into a dessert without making the typical cherry pie or cherry cobbler.

fresh cherry crisp in a cast iron skillet being scooped with a spoon

Now, if you want to use the canned cherry pie filling stuff, you can. I would suggest at least trying it with fresh cherries first. It definitely gives a different texture and taste. One that I personally prefer. I mean, really, how could you pass up these beauties??

Cherry Pie Crisp Ingredients

  • fresh cherries
  • sugar
  • corn starch
  • old fashioned oats
  • all purpose flour
  • ground cinnamon
  • brown sugar
  • butter
  • vanilla extract
ingredients to make fresh cherry crisp

Fresh Cherry Crisp Recipe Substitutions

  • cherries – you can make this crisp with a variety of fruit! It works well with both blueberries and strawberries.
  • old fashioned oats – you can also use quick oats if that’s all you have on hand. The texture will just be a bit softer.
  • all purpose flour – this crisp is actually really great with oat flour as well
  • brown sugar – both light and dark brown sugar work well
  • butter – feel free to use unsalted or salted for this recipe
  • vanilla extract – while vanilla extract should be used, if you’re looking for a little variation, you can also use almond extract

How to make Cherry Crisp

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Remove the stems and pit the cherries.
  3. Add the cherries, sugar, and corn starch to a cast iron skillet.
  4. Heat over medium high heat for approximately 15 minutes, stirring consistently.
  5. Allow the cherries to break down and the sauce to thicken. You’ll want to use less sugar if your cherries are very sweet, but use the full ½ cup if your cherries are tart.
  6. Once the cherry mixture is complete, remove it from the heat and set it aside.
  7. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the oats, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. It usually works best to mix together with your fingers. Make sure it is completely combined.
  8. Sprinkle the topping mix over the cherry mixture.
  9. Bake for 25-30 minutes, just until the topping is golden brown.
  10. Serve it with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Cherry Crisp Recipe Tips

If you don’t have a cherry pitter (I don’t), then there are several work around ways in pitting the cherries. You can use a funnel, chopstick, icing tip, or a straw. I personally use an oversized straw. For some reason its just faster for me. There are all sorts of life hack ways to remove the pits without a special tool. Use good old Google or Pinterest and you’ll see several.

Serving Fresh Cherry Crisp

Cherry crisp is such an excellent dessert. You can serve it as is or top it with whipped cream. My favorite way to serve it is with some vanilla ice cream!

cherry crisp in a cast iron skillet being scooped with a spoon

Storing this Cherry Crisp Recipe

Leftover cherry crisp should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat cherry crisp, place it on a microwave safe plate and heat in 30 second increments until heated through.

How to make this recipe work for the whole family

Because this is a dessert, most picky eaters will love it. If they aren’t a cherry fan, replace the cherries with one of their favorite fruits!

FAQs for Cherry Crisp with Fresh Cherries

Do you have to refrigerate cherry crisp?

Any leftover cherry crisp should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

What ingredient makes a crisp different from a cobbler?

Cobblers have a dense, thick topping while crisps are oat based and a more streusel style texture.

If you make this recipe and love it, we would love a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! It helps us continue to provide free recipes.

Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

Share on Facebook

Share

Cherry Crisp Recipe

5 from 2 votes
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Total 50 minutes
Servings: 12 people
This cherry crisp is a delicious combination of sweet cherries with a sweet oatmeal crisp topping. It's easy to make and perfect for dessert.

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Remove the stems and pit the cherries.
  • Add the cherries, sugar, and corn starch to a cast iron skillet.
  • Heat over medium high heat for approximately 15 minutes, stirring consistently.
  • Allow the cherries to break down and the sauce to thicken. You'll want to use less sugar if your cherries are very sweet, but use the full ½ cup if your cherries are tart.
  • Once the cherry mixture is complete, remove it from the heat and set it aside.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the oats, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. It usually works best to mix together with your fingers. Make sure it is completely combined.
  • Sprinkle the topping mix over the cherry mixture.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, just until the topping is golden brown.
  • Serve it with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 203kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 4mg, Potassium: 192mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 281IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Hi! I’m Kara!

Kara loves all things food and spending time with her family and dogs. She has a passion for cooking and loves making yummy, family-friendly recipes.

Browse More Recipes

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating