Cherry Crisp
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!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the filling
- 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
For the topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup quick-cooking oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter diced, cold from fridge!
Instructions
- Prep: Butter a 9-inch pie dish, 9-inch square pan or 7x11 rectangular pan (use adequately deep pans, not shallow ones). Heat oven to 360°F.
- Cook cherries: Place 5 cups cherries (pitted) in wide pan. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons white sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until cherries have released juices and are softening.
- Thicken filling: Remove pan from heat. In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch into 3 tablespoons water or more as neededuntil no lumps remain, then quickly stir through cherries. Place pan back over low heat and simmer 1-2 minutes, until juices have thickened. Take off the heat.
- Adjust and cool filling: Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or to taste) and more sugar if needed, to taste. If filling is too thick, add 1-2 more tablespoons water. If filling is too thin, stir 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1 tablespoon water, then add to cherry filling little by little until desired consistency (jammy, thick-ish pie filling consistency) is reached. Spread filling in prepared dish and set aside to cool while preparing topping.
- Make topping: Combine ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup quick-cooking oats, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (diced, cold from fridge) and rub into dry ingredients until crumbs form and no more dry flour is visible.
- Assemble and bake: Evenly scatter crumb topping over cherry filling. Bake on middle rack in hot oven at 360°F for 20-25 minutes, until topping is golden and filling is bubbly around the edges. Remove dish from oven and place on a cooling rack for 30 minutes before serving warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Cherries: Sweet or tart cherries are both fine, adjust sugar (and possibly skip lemon juice) if using tart cherries. Use fresh or frozen fruit – no need to defrost from frozen, just simmer a little longer until fully heated!
- 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.
- 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.
Recipe tips
- Crumble topping: Stop working in butter once the topping is crumbly, or it may turn into paste. If this happens, place bowl in freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm topping back up, then break into pea-sized crumbs.
- Don't skip cooling filling for a few minutes, or topping may sink into filling while baking.
- Place on a baking sheet if needed: If your dish is more shallow or you’re otherwise concerned about splatters, place baking dish with crisp on a lined baking sheet to catch any juices bubbling over in oven.
- Store leftovers covered on counter for up to a day, or in fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat at 350°F in oven for 5-10 minutes.