This old-fashioned Cherry Crisp is what summer fruit dessert dreams are made of. Loaded with your choice of sweet or tart cherries and topped with buttery, brown-sugary baked oatmeal crisp magic, this quick and easy recipe will have everyone hovering in the kitchen.
You. I know you. You’re that sneaky scoundrel who stole more than your share of the wondrous topping off of my cherry crisp.
I’m only upset because you beat me to it.
Here to deliver justice to all: an EXTRA oat topping homemade cherry crisp!
No more disappointment, no more topping fights, no more inappropriately naked fruit fillings.
Thanks to an overload of oat topping, there can now be peace, harmony, and total silence as we bury our faces in servings of homemade cherry crisp with fair and equal topping distribution. You’re welcome!
Tip!
If you are all about extra crisp topping, don’t miss this Peach Crisp, which has an overload of crumbly oat streusel.
5 Star Review
“I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve made this! Everyone loves the topping and its great with sweet or tart cherries.”
— Olivia —
While cherry (or any summer fruit) crisp topping does have divine powers and has been known to cause feuds, for me it’s all about the cherries.
I simply ADORE fresh cherries (to the extent that I had to buy this cherry pitter to keep up with my mass consumption) and consider their peak season cruelly short.
All the more reason to bake a fresh cherry crisp!
Types of Cherries for Cherry Crisp
When it comes to cherry crisp, the type of cherry you choose really comes down to the other ingredients in the recipe, seasonal availability and ultimately, personal preference.
Sweet Cherries
- Bing and Rainier are among the most common sweet cherry varieties in the United States.
- Bing cherries have darker red skin and flesh while Rainier cherries have a mottled bright red and yellow exterior.
- When baking with sweet cherries, lemon juice is often added to balance their sweetness.
Tart Cherries
- Montmorency cherries are the most common tart cherry you’ll see in supermarkets.
- Grown in Michigan and upper Wisconsin, you can find fresh tart cherries occasionally but they are a precious commodity due to their short growing season (our farmers markets sell out of them by 9 am). Most often, you see them frozen or canned.
- When baking with tart cherries, extra sugar is often added to the recipe to help balance their sourness.
If you can find sour cherries, USE THEM! Their flavor is spectacularly intense. If not, this cherry crisp is still wonderful with sweet cherries too (Bing cherries are what you see pictured here).
Whether you’re all about the filling or all about the topping, I think we can all agree that the beauty of cherry crisp is the way a few simple ingredients—fresh fruit, oatmeal, brown sugar, butter—bake together into something more meaningful, comforting, and classically delectable than any single component on its own.
(I submit this Slow Cooker Triple Berry Crisp as further evidence.)
Cherry Crisp Vs. Cobbler Vs. Crumble
While these terms are often used interchangeably, there are actually very distinct differences between these three desserts.
- Cherry Crisp. A cherry base with a topping that includes oats as well as flour, sugar and butter. It’s usually crunchier than its cousins, hence the “crisp” name.
- Cherry Crumble. Almost identical to a crisp, minus the oats. This makes the topping resemble a denser streusel—similar to what you find on bakery-style muffins (like on these Coffee Cake Muffins).
- Cherry Cobbler. Incorporates either a biscuit-like or cake-like batter (like with this Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler) that is dolloped on top of the fruit and then forms a light crust over the fruit filling once baked.
How are they similar? Beyond the cherries, they’re all also super easy to make and super delicious.
How to Make Cherry Crisp
Making cherry crisp (or Cherry Bars) is easy summer living at its finest.
Simply combine the filling ingredients, mix up the topping, and sprinkle it over the top of the filling.
The Ingredients
- Cherries. The stars of the show (just don’t tell the topping). I’ve made this recipe using both sweet bing cherries and tart cherries too. Both are delish!
Tip!
If you opt for tart cherries, I recommend adding an additonal 2 tablespoons of sugar to balance the flavors.
- Rolled Oats. The key ingredient that gives this topping its oatmeal cookie-like texture and appearance.
- Cornstarch. Thickens the cherry filling.
- Vanilla and Almond Extract. You can’t go wrong with a little vanilla and the almond extract adds that hint of something extra that makes this cherry crisp truly divine.
- All-Purpose and Whole Wheat Flour. Using a 50/50 split gives this crisp a little boost of nutrients like vitamin B1, B3, and B5, along with riboflavin, folate, iron, and calcium.
- Brown Sugar. Use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar if you prefer a richer molasses flavor in your topping.
- Cinnamon. Everything is better with a little dusting of cinnamon.
The Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and combine the filling ingredients together in a bowl.
- Transfer the filling (with its juices) to a greased baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cherries and then bake at 375 degrees F until bubbly and golden. Let stand 10 minutes and then serve warm. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Cover the crisp, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. To breathe life back into the topping, I like to warm leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees F until hot. You can also reheat this recipe in the microwave in a pinch.
- To Freeze. Store cherry crisp in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Prep Tip!
Pit the cherries up to 1 day in advance and store in the refrigerator.
You also can assemble the cherry crisp up to the point of baking and refrigerate it 1 day in advance.
In case you were wondering (or looking for validation), cherry crisp is totally breakfast-appropriate.
Try it with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt. Not only will you feel like a champion in the morning, but also you’ll beat your siblings/Labrador/life partner to the leftovers.
Pair this with
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Mixing Bowls. I love this nesting set so you have the right bowl for the job every time.
- Rubber Spatula. Perfect for folding your ingredients together.
Cherry Pitter
If you love fresh cherries, this is a MUST. It makes pitting cherries for snacking (and all of these cherry recipes) quick and easy!
Cherry Crisp
Ingredients
For the Cherry Filling:
- 5 cups sweet or sour cherries pitted (about 4 3/4 pounds); fresh or frozen and thawed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
For the Topping:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) melted
- Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or yogurt for serving.
Instructions
- Place rack in the center of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9×9-inch pan or 11×7-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, gently stir together the cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and almond. Pour into the prepared baking dish in an even layer (add any juices that collect on the bottom of the bowl too).
- Prepare the topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter, then stir until the mixture is combined and evenly moistened.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cherries. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and topping is golden. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or yogurt.
Notes
-
If using sour cherries (YOU ARE SO LUCKY!), add 2 tablespoons additional sugar to the filling.
- To Store. Cover the crisp, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. To breathe life back into the topping, I like to warm leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees F until hot. You can also reheat this recipe in the microwave in a pinch.
- To Freeze. Store cherry crisp in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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Other fruit-based crisps and cobblers for every season:
This looks amazing! It will be on my table soon. Cherry and almonds go so well together. If you were to use almonds, would you put them in the crust? And if so, would they replace anything?
I did NOT steal your topping! But I must confess, I used canned cherry pie filling. It was still delicious…don’t hate!!!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Dawn! Thanks for reporting back. ;)
I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve made this! Everyone loves the topping and its great with sweet or tart cherries.
I am so pleased to hear it! Thanks Olivia!!
Yummy!! Added some blueberries and some cranberries too. Whole family LOVED, especially with vanilla ice cream on top. Thanks for another hit!
Hi Kelly! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Can I just do all all purpose flour if I don’t have wheat flour?
Hi Felicia! I haven’t tested it that way, but you should be fine using only all purpose flour. Let me know how it goes if you try it out!
Hi! I did make it using just all purpose flour and it came out amazing! Thank you!!
Hi Felicia! Thanks for reporting back and so glad it turned out for you! Thank you for this kind review!
This turned out delicious and was just what I was looking for! I didn’t have quite enough cherries (had fresh, sweet Bings) but had two fresh peaches so I cut those up and added them into the mix. It turned out so very yummy! I’m wondering though why in the list of ingredients you have the heading For the Base and Topping, but you don’t mention a base anywhere else. And your beautiful pictures in the dish look like there is a base. Just curious. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Kristine, So glad you enjoyed the recipe! The original recipe did have a double crust, and thank you for pointing the heading out, I will fix it! Thank you for this kind review!
This is amazing! I’ve always used white flour only and was going to do that again, but decided to buy some wheat flour. Adds a depth of flavor. I also used the same recipe for fresh peach crisp but without the almond extract. Took it to work and was told it was the best they had ever had.
Hi Barb! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
Just made this and it is really yummy! Thank you for the recipe. It was very easy and only required ingredients I had on hand (mostly) but it really delivered on flavor. I didn’t actually have almond extract so I subbed with extra vanilla. I’m sure the almond would really complement the flavors, but it was really good anyway!
Hi Megan! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
Amazing! I did 1/2 cherries and 1/2 apples. I didn’t have any lemon, so I substituted lime juice. The almond extract enhances the flavor profile so much. Husband says this is his new “birthday cake” and 5 stars!
Hi Robin! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was a fantastic recipe! I made it for a Thanksgiving potluck at work. I made it in a 9×13 pan and used 4 bags of 1 lb each store brand frozen cherries and Bobs Red Mill gluten free flour and gf rolled oats in the topping. We all loved it, I got many compliments. I’m making it again for a wedding shower. I may make extra oat topping this time. Perfect with a dollop of whipped cream.
Hi Dawn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Havent made it yet but if you only have all purpose flour how would i adjust the recipe?
Hi JoAnn! I haven’t tested it that way, but you should be fine using only all purpose flour. Let me know how it goes if you try it out!
The topping had too much salt, enough to leave a salty after taste. Cherries were bland, in spite of extracts.
Hi Ramsey! Did you use kosher salt or table salt? The recipe calls for kosher salt and if anything else was used, it would be salty. I know we all have different taste, so I wished it had been a success for you.
“5 cups sweet or sour cherries pitted (about 4 3/4 pounds); fresh or frozen and thawed”
Is this 4 3/4 pounds after the pits have been removed? Thanks for your help. I’m looking forward to making this recipe from Brazilian cherries.
Hi Mike! That would be pitted. Hope you enjoy it!
This turned out A. M. A. Z. I. N. G!!! I cut the recipe in half, because I only had one jar of cherries, and the store I buy it from is over 45 minutes away ( :( ) but it was perfect. I will totally buy at least five more jars to make this again, thanks for the wonderful recipe! (:
Hi Larissa1! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
My husband and I made this and we loved the recipe! We did have to substitute the 2 different flours for just white flour and also didn’t have rolled oats but used quick oats I believe. Still came out delicious!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Jasmine! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This was spectacular! I needed to use my cherries up and didn’t have enough for the full recipe. I used 3 cups of fresh Bing cherries cut up since I do not have a cherry pitter. I halved the remaining ingredients and baked it in a pie dish. I used vanilla extract instead of almond due to allergies. I loved that the amount of the topping was plentiful and had the perfect texture. This recipe exceeded my expectations. I am definitely making this again very soon since I absolutely love it! Thank you for sharing such a great treat!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Lynzee! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hello! I’ve made this recipe before and my husband and I have to make this for the 4th of July. We decided to use frozen instead of fresh and it has a mix of sweet and sour cherries. There is a lot of excess liquid from thawing, should I only use a little of the liquid and how much? Also, how much extra sugar should I use since it’s half sour and half sweet cherries?
Hi Jasmine, you shouldn’t need to use any of the liquid from the cherries. Also I’ve only tested the recipe as written so I wouldn’t be able to advise on how to adjust the sugar amounts based off of using a mixture of cherries.
Love this recipe! Hardest part was putting all the cherries, but well worth it! Best crisp topping that’s actually crisp!
Hi Amy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was delicious!! We brought home fresh cherries from our vacation to northern Michigan last weekend and I made this for my family. I can’t wait to go back for some more so I can make it again. Thank you!!
Hi Jennifer! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
But disagree that other than sour cherry s gives good flavor. I use tapioca for thick ending.
Thanks for your feedback Elizabeth!
Best, best, best!! Perfect amount of sweetness, crunch and tart – also, super easy to whip up for dessert if you’re short on time ( if you keep a giant bowl of pitted cherries in your fridge like I do when they are in season).
Hi Maggie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I love this recipe!!! I just made it with blueberries tonight and it was fantastic, too, but I should have added a little extra cornstarch. My go-to crisp recipe. Thank you!
Hi Charlene! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This recipe does not list the components. It says “mix topping together”. This is poorly written and very frustrating when there are 5 advertisements placed randomly between the sections. Please rethink this page.
Hi Michele. I’m so confused because I see it on my end! It’s located in the recipe card right above where you commented. It seems like you didn’t get to the recipe, just the brief overview of it in the blog post. You can even click the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page to get you there faster. Could you please check again? Thank you!