Easy Cherry Crisp Recipe using Simple Everyday Ingredients (2024)

July 2, 2017March 26, 2023

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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.

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.

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

• Peach Batter Cake
• Blackberry Batter Cake
• Crock Pot Peach Cobbler
• Rhubarb Streusel
• Grandma’s Easy Apple Crisp
• Blueberry Betty

More Cherry Recipes

Cherry Batter Cake

Glazed Cherry Oatmeal Bars

Grandma’s Cherry Fluff

Cherry Rhubarb Crisp

Crock Pot Cherry Ham

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