Name: Cherry Crisp
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 5 cups cherries (pitted (about 1.5 - 2 pounds), OR 1.5 lbs frozen, OR 3 (14.5-oz) cans (see notes for adjustments!)); 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 tablespoons white sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 3 tablespoons water or more as needed; 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or to taste); 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (diced, cold from fridge!)

This classic Cherry Crisp is everything you dream of in a summer dessert. Imagine your favorite sweet (or tart!) cherries bubbling under a buttery brown-sugar oat crumble – all topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

This from-scratch version is almost as easy as using pie filling and cake mix, but takes the flavor up a notch. Trust me, once you try it, you’ll never look back!

overhead close up view of spoons stuck in cherry crisp

Why you’ll love this recipe

Make it year round: You can use fresh, frozen or canned cherries in this recipe – that way you don’t need to wait for cherry season to treat yourself to this dessert. Or you can avoid pitting all of those cherries and make a mess-free treat when your time in the kitchen needs to be cut short!
Extra-loaded with crumble: My kids always used to fight over the crumble topping, so now I make sure to top my crisps with enough crumble to generously top each portion.
Guaranteed jammy filling: I usually pre-cook the fruit filling for crisps, cobblers and pies (I’ll only skip the pre-cooking in crock pot desserts, because the fruit has a long time to soften and cook in there), and this recipe is no exception. This means you have a guaranteed jammy filling and no surprises with soupy cherries, or fruit that’s only half-cooked.

I have a soft spot for fruity desserts – I can take or leave chocolatey things, but a fruit crisp, cherry cobbler or cherry pie? The best!

My cherry crisp recipe features the jammiest cherry filling, topped off with my signature brown sugar oatmeal crumble. I say signature like I’m some big name, but really it’s just what my husband and kids call it 😉

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

overhead view of cherry crisp ingredients with text labels — Ingredients to make a cherry crisp: Cherries, flour, oats, brown and white sugar, butter, cornstarch, water, lemon juice, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and salt.

Ingredient notes

Cherries: Sweet or tart cherries are both fine, adjust the sugar (and possibly skip the lemon juice) if you’re using tart cherries. You can use fresh or frozen fruit – you don’t even need to defrost from frozen! If you’re using canned cherries, check the notes below for the small changes you need to make to the recipe to make it work.
Oats: Use quick cooking oats for the best results. They bind the crumble better and bake up quicker in the oven. Old-fashioned olds yield a topping that’s too dry for my personal taste.
Butter: Real butter yields the richest taste. If you prefer using margarine, make sure to use stick margarine intended for baking and NOT a buttery spread.
Lemon juice: Skip or reduce if using tart cherries.

Adjustments for canned cherries:

Use 3 14.5-oz cans.

Strain cherries, catching juice, then place juice in a wide pan, reserving ¼ cup. Add vanilla extract and sugar to taste (some cherries come in sweetened juice, be sure to adjust). Bring to a boil.

Dissolve 3 tablespoons cornstarch in ¼ cup reserved juice. Take pan off the heat and whisk in cornstarch slurry until fully incorporated. Put pan back over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add more cornstarch slurry if needed, depending on your exact canned cherry product.

Stir in lemon juice (if needed). Stir in cherries, adjust for taste and texture as described in recipe and use as directed in recipe.

How to make a cherry crisp

Before you begin: Heat your oven to 360°F. Butter a 9-inch pie dish or other baking dish of similar size (9×9 or 7×11 both work well).

1. Step: Cook the cherries

Place the cherries in a wide pan with the sugar and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer.

Cover with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the cherries have released their juices.

overhead view of uncooked pitted cherries in pan with sugar and wooden spoon — place cherries, sugar and vanilla in pan

overhead view of cooked cherries in pan with wooden spoon — place cherries, sugar and vanilla in pan

2. Step: Thicken the filling

Whisk the cornstarch into the water until no lumps remain. Take the pan with the cherries off the heat and quickly stir in the cornstarch slurry – work fast to avoid lumps, but be mindful so you don’t splatter yourself with hot cherry juice.

Place the pan back over low heat and simmer gently until the juices have thickened, about 1-2 minutes.

overhead view of cornstarch slurry in pan with cherry sauce — add cornstarch slurry

overhead view of cherry filling in pan — add cornstarch slurry

3. Step: Finish and cool the filling

Take the pan with the cherries off the heat. Add lemon juice to taste. Check the filling for consistency and sweetness. Add more sugar if needed.

The filling should be jammy, like thicker pie filling. If the filling is too thick, thin it out with a tablespoon or two of water. If it’s too thin, whisk another tablespoon of cornstarch into a tablespoon of cool water, then stir it into the filling, little by little, until the right consistency is reached.

Keep in mind that the filling thickens as it cools, so make sure you don’t thicken it too much! Spread the filling in your prepared dish and set aside to cool while you prepare the topping.

overhead view of cherry filling in round pie dish — add lemon juice if needed, taste, then add to baking dish and cool

4. Step: Make the topping

Place all dry ingredients for the topping in a medium bowl and mix to combine.

Add the diced butter (cold from the fridge!) and cut it into the dry flour mixture until crumbly.

overhead view of dry ingredients for crumble topping in glass bowl — mix dry ingredients

overhead view of dry ingredients for crumble topping in glass bowl with butter — mix dry ingredients

Note: If you’re a novice baker, “cutting in” means to mash/rub the dry ingredients and butter together until you have a bowl filled with crumbs and no more visibly dry flour left. Use your fingertips or a pastry blender for this step.

5. Assemble and bake

Evenly scatter the topping over the cherry filling. Bake in the hot oven at 360°F for 20-25 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly around the edges.

overhead view of unbaked cherry crisp — add topping, bake

overhead view of cherry crisp with spoonful taken out — add topping, bake

Allow the crisp to cool for 30 minutes so the filling can thicken, then serve warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

overhead close up view of spoon stuck in cherry crisp

Top tips

Crumble topping: Make sure to knead/rub/mash the butter and dry ingredients long enough until no more dry flour is visible. But stop once the topping is crumbly, or it will turn into paste! If this happens, place the bowl in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm it back up, then break it into pea-sized crumbs.
Make sure filling had time to cool a little: Make sure the filling has cooled a little (it doesn’t need to be cold, but cooled enough to stop steaming) before adding the topping. Otherwise, the crumble may sink into the filling.
Place on a baking sheet if needed: If your dish is more shallow or you’re otherwise concerned about splatters, place the baking dish with the crisp on a lined baking sheet in the oven to catch any juices bubbling over.

Helpful hints

Recipe variations

Make it nutty: Add ⅛ teaspoon almond extract to the filling, add ⅓ cup slivered almonds to the topping. Or use ⅓ cup chopped walnuts or pecans in the topping!
Add Bourbon: Instead of using all water, use 3 tablespoons bourbon plus 1-2 tablespoons water to mix the cornstarch slurry for the filling.
Use canned pie filling: To make this recipe extra-easy, use 2 (21-oz) cans cherry pie filling in place of the homemade filling.

Storage

Leftovers: Short term (up to a day), you can loosely cover the crisp with a clean tea towel (use one you wouldn’t mind a cherry stain on) and keep it on the counter.

Otherwise, just cover your Cherry Crisp with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge; it’ll keep for up to 3 days.

Reheating: To keep that topping nice and crispy, warm up your leftovers in the oven at 350°F until they’re hot. If you’re short on time, the microwave works too, though you might miss out on some of the crispiness.

Freezing: For longer storage, put your Cherry Crisp in an airtight, freezer-safe container, label with the name and use-by date and freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat as directed above.

Serving ideas

Top off portions with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for that classic summer dessert. A dollop of whipped cream is also delicious!

For a lighter (breakfast-friendly) version, add a scoop of plain or vanilla Greek yogurt! This is my personal favorite.

overhead view of cherry crisp in white bowl with two scoops vanilla ice cream

More summer fruit desserts

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Cherry Crisp

Why you’ll love this recipe