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GET IT NOWSay hello to my last-minute creation this week, cherry crisp! I had totally planned to test an apple crisp and wasn’t even going to publish it until next year because my calendar is so full. But a couple of weeks ago, we came home from Door County (a.k.a. the ultimate cherry-picking spot) with a giant bucket of sour cherries my family picked. They don’t last long, so I decided to make this cherry crisp recipe instead… 4 times… and loved this summer dessert so much that I had to publish it ASAP. Make it with me!
Why You’ll Love My Cherry Crisp Recipe
- Juicy filling, crisp topping – My easy cherry crisp is a perfect blend of sweet and tart. You’ll love the contrast of soft, juicy cherries with a crunchy oat pecan topping.
- Real food ingredients – Unlike most cherry crisp recipes, mine doesn’t have any flour (so it’s gluten-free). You honestly don’t need it! And I don’t use any refined sugar.
- Easy to make – The most time-consuming part is pitting the cherries, but I found a tool that makes it faster (see below). The rest of the prep only takes me about 10 minutes.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my cherry crisp recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Filling:
- Cherries – I used sour cherries (a.k.a. tart cherries) because that’s what we picked, but they are pretty hard to find outside of pre-made cherry pie filling. They’re available in certain regions of the country, and usually only for a few weeks each summer. You can totally make my cherry crisp using regular sweet cherries or even frozen cherries, which are much more widely available. If none of them look good, you might like my healthy apple crisp, which is similar to this recipe but has an apple filling.
- Honey – For sweetness. You can use regular honey, but I prefer my natural sugar-free honey for the perfect touch of sweetness without the extra sugar. I recommend reducing the amount of honey to 3-4 tablespoons if you use sweet cherries.
- Lemon Juice – For a little tang, and to preserve the color of the cherries. I tried this cherry crisp recipe with both fresh and bottled lemon juice, and in this case couldn’t taste a difference.
- Arrowroot Powder – This is my healthier alternative to cornstarch to prevent the filling from being too watery. Cornstarch works just fine if that’s what you’ve got.
- Vanilla Extract – I like this brand.
Topping:
- Rolled Oats – The base of my cherry crisp topping. Make sure to grab gluten-free oats if that matters to you. I don’t recommend using quick oats, as they would turn out more mushy.
- Pecans – I chop half of them to a fine powder to use instead of flour, and the other half coarsely for a chunky crunch. You can use other nuts, like walnuts or almonds, for a different flavor. The closest nut-free substitutes would be sunflower seeds or pepitas, but they might not work as well.
- Brown Sweetener – To keep this fresh cherry crisp healthier, I used my Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend. It bakes and browns just like regular brown sugar, minus the… well, sugar. You can use brown sugar if it fits your lifestyle, but you know that’s never my thing.
- Sea Salt – To balance the sweetness.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter so that I can control the salt separately. For a dairy-free option, use coconut oil. For one of my tests, I made this cherry crisp using butter-flavored coconut oil, and it tasted very close to the one with butter.
How To Make Cherry Crisp
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Mix the cherry filling. In a large bowl, toss your pitted cherries with honey, lemon juice, and vanilla. Sprinkle with arrowroot powder or cornstarch, mix again, and pour evenly into a greased baking (I used this one).
- Chop the nuts. Divide the pecans in half. Chop one half into small pieces and the other half into a coarse powder.
- Make the topping. Stir together the oats, pecans (chopped and powdered), Besti Brown, and salt. Add the butter or coconut oil, and either mix it in with your hands or use a pastry cutter to combine. (You can use melted butter to make it easier, but the texture of the cherry crisp turns out better if I add the butter solid.)
- Assemble. Crumble the topping over the cherries.
- Bake. Pop the cherry crisp in the oven, and bake until the topping is golden brown. The filling will be bubbly as well, but this usually happens sooner than the topping browns. Let the filling stop bubbling before you dig in.
My Recipe Tips & Variations
- Taste the cherry mixture before adding it to the baking dish. If your cherries are extra tart, you might want to add a bit more honey.
- This amount of filling makes about a single layer of cherries at the bottom of the baking dish. If you want a higher amount of filling relative to topping, use 5-6 cups and bake for 5-10 minutes longer. You can keep the other ingredient amounts about the same, but I would add an extra 1-2 tablespoons of honey.
- Want a warm, spiced flavor? Mix a teaspoon of cinnamon into the topping. I tried this and liked it better without, but both ways are good.
- Want to change up the fruit? This recipe would also work well with sliced peaches, blueberries, or quartered strawberries.
- Feeling fancy? Top with ice cream! My almond milk vanilla ice cream or even frozen yogurt make the perfect creamy upgrades to cherry crisp.
- Making this for a crowd? Double the recipe and use a 9×13 inch pan. The baking time may be 5-10 minutes longer.
Storage & Meal Prep
- Store: If you use the same baking dish I did, you can simply pop the lid on and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. The topping does get soft, but I still loved the leftovers!
- Meal prep: Mix the cherry filling and prepare the topping separately, then store them in airtight containers in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, simply assemble and pop it in the oven!
- Reheat: Warm your cherry crisp in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
- Freeze: This healthy dessert will freeze well for up to 3 months. I like to freeze it in the same container with the lid, but place plastic wrap flush against the surface to prevent freezer burn. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat.
More Healthy Dessert Recipes
Who says delicious can’t be healthy? Check out some of my other healthy dessert recipes:
My Tools For This Recipe
- Cherry Pitter – I got this new cherry pitter to deal with my bucket of cherries, and it was the best decision. It does 6 at a time, so pitting gos so much faster! Just watch for the occasional pit needing to be manually removed.
- Baking Dish – I love this one because it comes with a lid, so I can easily pop any leftovers straight into the fridge.
Cherry Crisp
You'll love my cherry crisp recipe with a juicy fresh cherry filling and crunchy oat-pecan topping! It's sweet, healthy, and so easy to make.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Filling:
Topping:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees (177 degrees C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with butter (or coconut oil), or spray with avocado oil spray.
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In a large bowl, mix together the cherries, honey, lemon juice, and vanilla. Sprinkle with arrowroot powder or cornstarch, and mix again. Transfer the filling to the baking dish in an even layer. Set aside.
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Divide the pecans into 2 groups on a cutting board. Chop half into small pieces. Chop the other half even more finely, until they resemble a coarse powder.
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In a second large bowl, stir together the rolled oats, pecans (both coarsely chopped and the powdery ones), Besti Brown, and salt. Add the butter or coconut oil, and either mix with your hands or use a pastry cutter to combine.
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Crumble the topping over the cherries.
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Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. The filling will be bubbly.
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Remove from the oven and cool for 5-10 minutes, until the filling stops bubbling. Enjoy!
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/6 of the entire pan
Nutrition info is based on common sweet cherries and my sugar-free honey. Sugar content will be about half of what is listed if you use sour cherries like I did above, or much higher if using regular honey.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Cherry Crisp
Gratitude Moment
We had a lot of fun picking cherries in Wisconsin a couple weeks ago. I don’t usually get to make recipes with produce I picked myself. So, making this cherry crisp was so fulfilling! I could definitely taste the freshness.
Now I just need to figure out what to do with the rest of the bucket. Somehow they are still okay, but won’t last much longer. They’re pretty good to eat fresh too, but a little sour… because, well, they’re sour cherries.
What else do you like to make with cherries? Let me know in the comments below!
10 Comments
Georgia Gabbard
0I like to make what has been called cherries in a cloud. Cook the cherries to make pie filling consistency and set aside. Mix cream cheese, cool whip or whipped cream, and monk fruit/allulose sweetener until smooth. Layer the cherries and cream mixture in a bowl. This is one of my favorite desserts.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0That sounds amazing, Georgia! Added to my list to try.
Cynthia Holthaus
0Is the sugar content the same if you use sugar free honey?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cynthia, Yes, I calculated using sugar-free honey and sweet cherries (even though I used sour, sweet ones are more common). Sugar will be higher if using regular honey, or lower if using sour cherries. Either way, 12-something grams of sugar is pretty low for a dessert.
Sue V
0Delicious! Great summer dessert. I made it with sweet cherries, walnuts (instead of pecans), and Wholesome Yum zero sugar honey substitute. I will definitely make this recipe again.
Wholesome Yum D
0Sue, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Love that you used my zero sugar honey. Can’t wait for you to make it again!
Julie
0How about making sour cherry soup? And you can always freeze them.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0That’s a great idea, Julie! I’ll need to try that next time I have sour cherries.
Jermaine
0I made this for a family gathering, and it was a huge hit! The combination of the cherries and the pecan topping was perfect. It reminded me of the cherry cobblers my grandmother used to make, but this version felt lighter and healthier. I’ll definitely be making this again soon!
Alexis
0The honey added just the right amount of sweetness, and the pecan topping was deliciously crunchy. Really good!