Cherry Crisp is full of fresh Rainier and Sweet Red Cherries, topped with a coconut almond crisp. This gluten free recipe is great when you don’t have time to make a pie crust, but want a similar dessert!
Now I’m a sucker for a good homemade cherry pie, but I don’t always have time to bake one from scratch. Hence the super easy and yummy Cherry Crisp recipe. Simple ingredients that just need a quick stir before you add them to your baking dish.
TYPES OF CHERRIES FOR CHERRY CRISP
For a delicious cherry crisp, the type of cherry you choose depends on the flavors in the recipe, seasonal availability and your personal choice.
Sweet Cherries
- Bing and Rainier Cherries are the most commonly found sweet cherries at farmer’s markets and produce aisle in the United States.
- Bing Cherries have dark red almost burgundy colored skin.
- Rainier Cherries’ skin is a shade mixture of bright reds and yellows.
- Citrus is used to balance the sweetness in the recipe when using Bing and Ranier varieties.
Tart Cherries
- Montmorency cherries are tart cherries you’ll see in supermarkets cultivated in Midwestern US states like Michigan and upper Wisconsin. The window for finding them at local farmer’s markets is often short.
- Tart cherries require additional sugar in the recipe counteract the sour profile.
How to pick the right cherries for your Cherry Crisp:
- Sweet cherries are very delicate and should be handled carefully to avoid bruising.
- Avoid shriveled or soft cherries.
- Taste a couple to see if they are sweet or bitter.
- Don’t place them in the sun or super warm location or they will quickly shrivel.
- Refrigerate immediately after purchase to stay fresh for several days.
Can I freeze Cherries?
Cherries that have the stem removed and pitted can be frozen for later use. In a large bowl add ⅓ cup of sugar for each pint of cherries. Toss or gently stir for an even coating. Place in air tight container or freezer bags, removing excess air. Place in freezer!
Cherry Crisp
Ingredients
Cherry Filling
- 2 ½ cups (565 g) fresh rainier and sweet cherries pitted and halved
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Crisp Toppping
- ½ cup (50 g) almond flour
- ¼ cup (20 g) flaked coconut
- ¼ cup (17.5 g) sliced almonds
- 2 Tbsp oats
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C)
- In a large bowl, gently stir together the filling ingredients, making sure cherry halves are well coated. Pour into oven safe 6 inch baking dish.
- Using the same bowl, combine all crisp ingredients until a moist crumble is formed. Sprinkle and spread the crumble on top of the cherry filling.
- Place dish on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and then cover the top loosely with aluminum foil. Return to oven and continue to bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Crisp is ready when the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!