Easy Cherry Crisp – An Old Fashioned Cherry Crisp with Fresh or Frozen Cherries

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The best part of this Easy Cherry Crisp, aside from the flavor, is that you can make it with a handful of staple ingredients. Using fresh or frozen cherries, this fruit crisp is a perfect summer dessert that can be made all year long. Serve this homemade fruit dessert with fresh whipped cream or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The best part of this Easy Cherry Crisp, aside from the flavor, is that you can make it with a handful of staple ingredients.

Fruit Crisp Using Fresh Cherries (or frozen)

Nothing says summer like a homemade fruit crisp, cobbler or pie made with fresh, in-season fruit, like this cherry version.

Our parents have a couple cherry trees in their yard and Dad recently brought Barbara a big bowl of cherries – already pitted (thanks Mom). She could not find a recipe for a fresh cherry dessert in any of her old cookbooks, so she channeled her inner Grandma.

After asking herself WWGD – What Would Grandma Do – it came to her. Grandma would find a recipe and modify it with what ingredients she had on hand. So Barbara dug through Grandma Kuhn’s recipe box and found a recipe for an apple crisp then modified it for cherries!

Cherry Crisp 8×8

This simple cherry crisp recipe from Grandma is made in an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Sometimes we use a metal pan, or other times, we use a Pyrex baking dish, 2 1/2 quart size.

Be sure to spray the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter it generously.  The cherries and the sugar will act like glue on the pan if you do not grease it first.

Let me give you a hint; double this recipe to a 13 x 9 inch baking dish if you have enough cherries.  Everyone loves this old fashioned dessert recipe.

The best part of this Easy Cherry Crisp, aside from the flavor, is that you can make it with a handful of staple ingredients.

Easy Cherry Crisp Recipe

The great thing about this recipe is, other than the cherries, the rest of the ingredients are ones that most folks always have on hand – flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, egg and butter!

We would definitely classify this recipe as an old-fashioned version of cherry crisp. The fact that it’s a cherry crisp recipe without oats makes it unique too!

Serve this fruit crisp dessert  with another one of our Grandma’s recipes – her homemade vanilla ice cream! Honestly, just serve this with ANY kind of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, a dollop of Cool Whip or eat it like Dad does, topped with a little bit of milk!

Old Fashioned Cherry Crisp Ingredients

  • Cherries, fresh or frozen
  • Sugar
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt
  • Egg
  • Melted Butter

How to Make Classic Cherry Crisp in an 8×8 inch baking dish

Step By Step Instructions

  1. Mi cherries with 1/4 cup of sugar.
  2. Pour the cherry mixture into a greased 8×8-inch square baking dish.
  3. Combine the remaining ingredients – except for butter. The mixture should be crumbly, then sprinkle over cherries in an even layer.
  4. Pour melted butter over the crisp topping.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees F until top is golden brown and cherry mixture bubbly.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Full recipe and ingredient amounts for cherry crisp with fresh cherries can be found at the end of this post in the recipe card.

Love cherries? Try our Glazed Cherry Bars or Grandma’s Cherry Fluff!

Recipe FAQs

  • This old fashioned cherry crisp uses fresh or frozen cherries.
  • If using frozen cherries, thaw first and drain off the juices.
  • The sugar that’s mixed with the cherries may need to be adjusted if the cherries are super tart or super sweet. Add more or less, depending on what your cherries taste like.
  • Substitute margarine for butter, if desired.
  • Check out our Amazon store for some of our favorite kitchen items.

Recipe Variations

  • Use fresh or frozen cherries.
  • Swap in a different fruit such as blueberries or raspberries, or use a blend.
  • Add some ground cinnamon in the crisp layer for a bit of spice.
  • Stir in almond extract or vanilla extract with the fruit layer.

Should berry crisp be refrigerated?

Fruit crisps tend to be high in moisture. This means they will tend to form mold rather quickly. To be safe, refrigerate the leftovers in the fridge instead of leaving it at room temperature. You can always warm it back up in the microwave.

Our Favorite Fruit Desserts

More Cherry Recipes

Cherry Batter Cake

Cherry Batter Cake is so much fun to make! Fresh cherries are topped with cake batter and then sprinkled with a special sugar mixture that forms a magic crust. The result is a perfect crunchy cake topping over a light and airy cherry cake.

Glazed Cherry Oatmeal Bars

Glazed Oatmeal Cherry Bars are easy to make using cherry pie filling.

Grandma’s Cherry Fluff

Grandma's Cherry Fluff recipe has just five ingredients and is a dump and go dish perfect for pitch-ins.

Cherry Rhubarb Crisp

Cherry Rhubarb Crisp with sour cream is made in a 9x13 pan which serves a crowd.  Served alone or drizzle the rhubarb syrup over ice cream for an old fashioned dessert.  The addition of maraschino cherries in this rhubarb crisp makes it extra special.

Crock Pot Cherry Ham

Crock Pot Cherry Ham is double the cherry flavor with an easy cherry glaze made of Cherry Pie Filling, Cherry Cola and brown sugar.  Don't forget to turn on the Crock Pot, and in 6 short hours, you'll have a sweet ham fit for any holiday.
The best part of this Easy Cherry Crisp, aside from the flavor, is that you can make it with a handful of staple ingredients. Using fresh or frozen cherries, this fruit crisp is a perfect summer dessert. Serve this homemade fruit dessert with fresh whipped cream or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Print Recipe
4.86 from 7 votes

Easy Cherry Crisp – An Old Fashioned Cherry Crisp with Fresh or Frozen Cherries

The best part of this Easy Cherry Crisp, aside from the flavor, is that you can make it with a handful of staple ingredients.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cherry crisp with fresh cherries, classic cherry crisp, easy cherry crisp
Servings: 8
Calories: 307kcal
Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 5 to 6 cups cherries (fresh or frozen) washed and pitted
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 unbeaten egg
  • 1/3 cup butter melted

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix cherries with 1/4 cup sugar (reserving 1 cup sugar).
    The best part of this Easy Cherry Crisp, aside from the flavor, is that you can make it with a handful of staple ingredients. Using fresh or frozen cherries, this fruit crisp is a perfect summer dessert. Serve this homemade fruit dessert with fresh whipped cream or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
  • Pour cherries into a greased 8×8 inch pan.
    The best part of this Easy Cherry Crisp, aside from the flavor, is that you can make it with a handful of staple ingredients. Using fresh or frozen cherries, this fruit crisp is a perfect summer dessert. Serve this homemade fruit dessert with fresh whipped cream or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
  • Combine flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and unbeaten egg; mix until blended and crumbly.
    The best part of this Easy Cherry Crisp, aside from the flavor, is that you can make it with a handful of staple ingredients. Using fresh or frozen cherries, this fruit crisp is a perfect summer dessert. Serve this homemade fruit dessert with fresh whipped cream or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
  • Sprinkle mixture over cherries. Pour melted butter over the top.
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
    The best part of this Easy Cherry Crisp, aside from the flavor, is that you can make it with a handful of staple ingredients. Using fresh or frozen cherries, this fruit crisp is a perfect summer dessert. Serve this homemade fruit dessert with fresh whipped cream or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Notes

  • This old fashioned cherry crisp uses fresh or frozen cherries.
  • If using frozen cherries, thaw first and drain off the juices.
  • The sugar that’s mixed with the cherries may need to be adjusted if the cherries are super tart or super sweet. Add more or less, depending on what your cherries taste like.
  • Substitute margarine for butter, if desired.
  • The great thing about this Easy Cherry Crisp is, other than the cherries, the rest of the ingredients are ones that most folks always have on hand – flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, egg and butter!  
  • Serve this cherry crisp with another one of our Grandma’s recipes – her homemade vanilla ice cream! Honestly, just serve this with ANY kind of vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream or a dollop of Cool Whip!
  • Love cherries? Try our Cherry Batter Cake, Glazed Cherry Bars or Grandma’s Cherry Fluff!
  • The carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information below is auto-calculated and can vary depending on the products used. It should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 219mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 321IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg
The best part of this Easy Cherry Crisp, aside from the flavor, is that you can make it with a handful of staple ingredients.

Linking up to Meal Plan Monday.

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35 Comments

    1. Penny, you sure can! Just leave out the 1/4 cup of sugar that we used to mix with the fresh cherries. Good luck!

    1. Definitely could use cherry pie filling! Just leave out the 1/4 cup of sugar that we used to mix with the fresh cherries. Good luck…let us know if you try it, Cherie!

      1. I’ve made this same recipe For a while now using cherry pie filling and omitting the 1/4 cup sugar. It is a family favorite!

  1. I made this last night, and everyone raved about how wonderfully good it was. I’ve already been asked to bring it to next months gathering. Warm with vanilla ice cream:)))
    Thanks for sharing.

    LF

  2. Since we’re leaving on vacation and need to use up the produce, I’m trying it with peaches and blueberries to take to a friend’s house tonight. I’m out of brown sugar, so I’m glad I came across your recipe. Fingers crossed – hopefully it will be delicious!

    1. Judy – We asked our mom what kind of cherry trees they have and she wasn’t sure except that they aren’t Bing cherries. They are more of a small, sour cherry. Sorry, that’s a downfall of using fruit given to us!

      1. Small sour cherries are actually called Pie Cherries. I am picking up 20 pounds today !! Will have to give this recipe a try with some home made vanilla ice cream !!

    1. You definitely can use frozen cherries. A couple of tips would be keep cherries frozen until you are ready to use them (don’t defrost) and extend the baking time another 5 minutes as the frozen cherries will bring down the starting temperature of the dish. The final product may have a bit more liquid and when using fresh, so just a heads up! We have some frozen cherries in the freezer but we haven’t pulled them out to make this yet. When we do, we’ll update the recipe!

  3. Using up the canned cherry pie filling I scored for 25 cents a few months ago. Can’t wait for it to come out of the oven on this cold winter’s night.

    1. One 20-21 oz can would probably work or you could do 2 15 oz cans. You won’t need the sugar to mix with it if you use pie filling instead of fresh!

  4. I had.some cherries in the freezer and needed to use them. I found this recipe and it is delicious. I substituted Apriva I. Cherries and half of the topping. Turned out great.

  5. Delicious and simple! I made it gluten-free with King Arthur gf flour and tart cherries from my in-laws. I also added half a bag of semi sweet chocolates with the cherry mix. Definitely gonna make this again next year.

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