Whether you are a beginner baker or a pro, this Cherry Crisp recipe is for you. Create this delicious cherry dessert with homemade pie filling or simply from a can.
Don't forget the vanilla ice cream because it is the perfect topping to a warm bowl of cherry crisp.
Where are my cherry lovers? This easy crisp dessert is totally calling your name. It is the ultimate summer dessert made with fresh fruit and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Holy yum!
I love that fruit crisp is so much easier to make than a pie. No need to roll make or roll out a pie crust here. Just a sweet homemade pie filling that gets topped with a buttery oat topping.
Why This Works
A few weeks ago we had an extra bag of fresh cherries in our fridge, so I used them to make this easy cherry crisp. I started by making homemade cherry pie filling and then added the topping from this summer peach crisp.
It was absolutely delicious with ice cream melting into the fresh and easy cherry crisp. Trust me and add baking a fruit crisp to your plans ASAP. You are going to fall in love too.
- Easy to make with just a few ingredients.
- Can be made with fresh or frozen cherries.
- Great dessert to make ahead of time.
What is the difference between cherry crisp and cherry cobbler?
Cherry crisp has pie filling topped with a mixture of oats, flour, sugar, and spices mixed with butter. As the topping bakes it forms a "crispy" topping.
Cherry cobbler has pie filling baked with a batter, biscuits, or dumplings on top like in this strawberry cobbler.
There is also a cherry crumble which is very similar to a crisp, but it doesn't have oats in the topping.
Ingredients Needed
Most of these ingredients are probably already in your pantry. Just make sure to head to the store or farmer's market and buy a big bag of fresh cherries.
- Cherry Pie Filling - You can make this cherry pie filling recipe or buy 2 cans of your favorite pie filling.
- Brown Sugar - Sweetens the topping.
- Flour - You can use all purpose, oat, almond, or gluten free flour for this recipe.
- Oats - Old fashioned rolled oats or quick oats will work for this recipe.
- Spices - A mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg gives the oat topping a great flavor.
- Butter - Unsalted and melted.
How to Make
This cherry crisp is so easy to make for dessert, or if you have last minute guests. If you are making the homemade pie filling, make it ahead of time. That way is cool and ready to go when you start on the crisp.
- Make a batch of cherry pie filling. Or use canned pie filling if you like.
- Stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, and spices in a medium bowl.
- Melt butter and stir into the dry ingredients until it forms coarse crumbs.
- Spread cherry pie filling in the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish.
- Sprinkle the buttery crisp topping all over the pie filling.
- Bake until the filling is hot and bubbly, and the topping is golden.
- Serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream. This cherry vanilla ice cream would be amazing on it too.
Recipe Tips
- You can use sweet or tart cherries to make this crisp. Bing cherries are a popular cherry in grocery stores during the summer.
- If you use tart cherries, you may want to add a little more sugar to the pie filling.
- Frozen pitted cherries can be used if fresh cherries are not available or are out of season. Drained canned cherries are also an option.
- Make this cherry crisp ahead of time. Prep everything, but do not bake it. Cover and refrigerate it until later. Place the pan of crisp in the oven while you are eating dinner.
- Serve the warm cherry crisp with ice cream or easy whipped cream for dessert.
- Store the leftover cherry crisp in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat the chilled cherry crisp in the microwave or oven before serving.
FAQ'S
Can you use frozen cherries for this crisp recipe?
Yes, you can. Frozen cherries will release more juice. You can either thaw them ahead of time and drain them well. Or you can add a little more cornstarch to the pie filling.
Can you make gluten free cherry crisp?
If you want to make this cherry crisp gluten free and dairy free, use a 1:1 gluten free baking blend and a vegan-friendly butter. Be sure your oats and cornstarch are gluten free too.
More Cherry Recipes
- Cherry Banana Bread
- Cherry Sweet Rolls
- Best Cherry Pie
- Cherry Coffee Cake
- Cherry Cheesecake Brownies
- Chocolate Cherry Dessert
- Chocolate Cherry Cookie
- Cherry Danish
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Recipe

Easy Cherry Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cups Cherry Pie Filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Stir together the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Add the melted butter and mix thoroughly.
- Spoon the cherry pie filling into the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the crisp topping on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Remove and let cool 10 minutes before serving with ice cream.
Notes
- Using canned pie filling? You will need 2 (21 ounces each) cans.
- Feel free to use your favorite flavor of pie filling in place of the cherry.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 339Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 156mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 2gSugar: 22gProtein: 3g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.

Emanuel Grimes
Can you use fresh frozen cherries, if so how much
Jocelyn
Yes, you can use the same amount of frozen cherries as you would fresh. Thaw and drain them before making the pie filling.