Sweet, juicy, in-season cherries topped with a crunchy almond crumble. A very easy dessert that can be frozen or made with frozen fruit, and is very versatile when it comes to how much sweetness you want and what fruit/topping ratio you prefer. I posted both the traditional and gluten-free versions.
Originally posted in 2013, this post has been updated with photos, text, and a variation of the recipe to serve you better.
Me and cherries, we've had a torrid love affair for decades, a very unbalanced one I might add, since I'm eagerly waiting for them to appear and they do so for such a short time!
But, I take immense advantage of those weeks and eat as many as I can fresh, directly from the refrigerator, as they are much better when they are very cold.
Then, I start making desserts. This cherry crumble is one of my top choices together with this fantastic Easy Cherry Tart.
About crisps and crumbles
Now, aren’t they one of the best desserts ever? A layer of juicy fruit and a crunchy, buttery topping.
They take little time to prepare, almost any fruit can be used, no need for baking or knife skills, rustic is what we should aim for, and are meant to be eaten directly from the pan. Perfection really.
I always have frozen cherries (pitted of course!) and crumble in the freezer. That way I can have a fantastic cherry crisp in the table in 40 minutes. How's that for convenience?
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Though both names are many times used interchangeably, a crisp includes oats in the topping and a crumble doesn't. That extra ingredient makes for a crisper topping. My experience is that you can achieve a super crunchy topping without oats, by decreasing the amount of flour. But that's for another conversation.
Main ingredients
- Cherries - they can be fresh or frozen. Just make sure they are pitted.
- Almonds - sliced will give it an amazing texture. But you can use chopped almonds if that's all you have. Don't refrain from making this dessert just because you don't have sliced almonds.
- Butter - the better the butter the better the flavor of this dessert. It's as simple as that.
- Flour - almost any type works with this recipe. I normally use all-purpose but also cake flour if that's all I have.
Easy steps
- There's not much work here, and you only need a medium bowl (image 1). If you're planning on freezing the crumble, you might consider mixing it in the container that will go to the freezer; one less item to wash.
- It's important that the butter be cold when you mix it into the rest of the ingredients (image 2), so that you have a clumpy mixture.
- Sliced almonds, they are added last because we don't want to break them up too much. Lightly mix them into the rest of the ingredients (images 3, 4).
Preparing the cherries
Fresh cherries are easy to work with if you have a cherry pitter (I listed my favorite brand in the recipe card's Notes).
It's essential that the stones are removed, otherwise eating this dessert ends up being a pain as you have to spit out every cherry pit while being careful not to crack a tooth lol.
I like to cut them in half (image below), but you can chop them in thirds or fourths. Be careful not to cut them too small as they will get lost with the crumble when you eat them.
Gluten-free version
Like any type of diet or cooking technique, it’s not hard once you understand what works and what ingredients are available. It turns out that the amount of different gluten-free flours available is mind-blowing.
My favorite way: substitute quinoa flour for the all-purpose and almond flour for the oats.
Other alternatives are packaged gluten-free flour, buckwheat flour, or amaranth flour.
Serving
- Hands down, the best way is barely warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or use some lightly sweetened whipped cream. Either way, you'll love it!
- Room temperature is my second choice.
- I don't recommend eating it cold from the refrigerator. It's not bad, but you'll miss the juicy flavor of the cherries with the crunchy topping.
Related recipes you might like:
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Easy Cherry Crisp
Sweet, juicy, in-season cherries topped with a crunchy almond crumble. A very easy dessert that can be frozen or made with frozen fruit, and is very versatile when it comes to how much sweetness you want and what fruit/topping ratio you prefer. Make it in individual servings or family-style.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the cherries:
- 4 cups pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
For the crumble:
See Notes below for gluten-free options and other variations
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup regular oats
- ½ cup (50g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup (115g) butter, cold and in pieces
- Ice cream or whipped cream, optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF /180ºC.
- Butter four oval, shallow ramekins. Or an 8-inch baking dish if making a family-style dessert.
For the cherries:
- Cut pitted cherries in half and divide among ramekins.
- Drizzle with lemon juice and sugar, diving equally.
For the crumble:
- In a bowl mix flour, oats, and sugar. Or gluten-free variation.
- Add butter in small pieces and with your hands or a fork, work it until the butter is mixed with the dry ingredients. It will be lumpy.
- Add the almonds and mix lightly. You don't want to break up the almonds too much.
- Divide equally over the cherries.
- You can do this crumble in a food processor with the steel blade, but the resulting mixture will be finer.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the filling is bubbly. If making it in one large dish it might take 10 more minutes.
- Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
- Store, covered, in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze for up to a month.
Notes
Organization: read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Gluten-free option:
My favorite flours: I like to substitute quinoa flour for the all-purpose and almond flour for the oats, or use gluten-free oats like Quaker's. Other alternatives: packaged gluten-free flour mixes, buckwheat flour, or amaranth flour.
Variations: substitute some almond flour for the sliced almonds, use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, or use some of the more rustic gluten-free flour above together with regular flour. It will make this a more earthy dessert.
Make-ahead: you can have the pitted, halved cherries and the crumble in the freezer, in separate containers for up to a month.
Cherry pitter: this is a handy gadget and much needed if you bake with fresh cherries. You can buy them online OXO Good Grips Cherry Pitter
Family-style: if you want to serve more people, double or triple this recipe and use ceramic dishes that can go directly to the table. I like this White rectangular Baking Dish, Staub rectangular Baking Dishes, or round Faberware Ceramic Pie Dish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼
- Calories: 603
- Sugar: 47.4 g
- Sodium: 12.6 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Carbohydrates: 74.2 g
- Fiber: 6.6 g
- Protein: 8.5 g
- Cholesterol: 61 mg
Keywords: cherry crisp
Ginger says
I am waiting for my crisp to cool, but using frozen cherries and using the 2x function on the recipe, my crisp is very wet. I think using straight frozen does need something extra to absorb the extra moisture. It almost seems like it needs more of the crumble. I’m sure it tastes good, but appearance wise, not so good.
★★★
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Ginger, let me know how it was after it cooled down. It usually thickens a lot.
I use both fresh and frozen and it comes out fine. I don't use cornstarch in this filling because I feel it needs to have juice and not be very thick. The ratio of fruit and crumble I feel is good to let the cherry flavor come through and not get buried under too much sugar and butter.
Sharon Gordon says
Do you defrost the cherries first?
Paula Montenegro says
No Sharon, there's no need to.
Heidy says
I love that this Cherry Crisp Recipe is gluten-free and I can make it for my best friend. I made it for the kids and they went bonkers over it. I will be making this recipe again!!!
★★★★★
GUNJAN C Dudani says
What a wonderful recipe. I just got lots of cherries yesterday so I am king this today.
★★★★★
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
This Cherry Almond Crisp looks SO deliciously good. I wish I could eat that right now!
★★★★★
Leslie says
I've never tried to make cherry crisp before. You have really outdone yourself with this. It's a gorgeous recipe that I'm eager to try!
★★★★★
Jacqueline Debono says
This cherry crumble looks fabulous. I made a similar one recently but without the oats and the almonds. Want to try this way whilst cherries are still in season where I live!
★★★★★