Who can resist a warm, bubbling Cherry Crumble fresh out of the oven? Sweet, juicy cherries topped with a buttery crumble that crisps up beautifully. It’s hard to decide which is the best part, the filling or the topping! No fighting over the best part here—you get plenty of both in every bite! With a little lemon juice to really highlight the flavor of the cherries, this dessert will be a hit every time.
If you love cherries, you absolutely must try cherry dump cake, cherry delight, and the classic cherry pie!
Why Our Recipe
- The perfect cherry-to-topping ratio ensures every bite is packed with sweet cherries and buttery crumble.
- Lemon juice enhances the flavor of the cherries, whether you use sweet or tart.
- A little cinnamon pairs perfectly with the cherries!
It’s always hard to decide between a crisp and a crumble. A crumble typically has a topping made from a mixture of flour, sugar, and butter, which is combined until it reaches a crumbly texture. This mixture is sprinkled over the fruit before baking. The result is a rich, buttery, and soft topping that, as the name suggests, crumbles easily. A crisp usually includes oats or nuts. You can’t seem to go wrong either way!
Ingredient Notes
- Cherries: Fresh cherries work best here, but frozen ones are also great if you thaw and drain them first. You’ll need about 8 cups, and make sure they’re pitted. Bing, Rainier, or Montmorency cherries are all excellent choices.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is best, but bottled works too.
- Sugar: Just enough to enhance the cherries without overpowering their natural sweetness. You can adjust based on how sweet your cherries are.
- Cornstarch: This thickens up the cherry juices as they bake, giving you a perfectly gooey filling without being too runny.
- Ground Cinnamon: While cherries are naturally sweet, the cinnamon adds a subtle warmth that takes the flavor up a notch.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is one of those desserts where you can actually use a flour replacement successfully.
- Brown Sugar: You can use light or dark, depending on how deep you want the flavor.
- Cold Butter: Cold butter is key to achieving those perfect, buttery crumbles.
Cherry Choices
Sweet cherries like Bing or Rainier work well for a traditional cherry dessert, while tart cherries like Montmorency will give you a bit more tang. If you’re using tart cherries, you may want to bump up the sugar by a tablespoon or two. Always pit the cherries before baking, and if using frozen, make sure to thaw and drain them well to avoid extra moisture in the filling.
The Perfect Crumble
The magic of this crumble is all in the topping. Use cold, cubed butter to create the perfect crumbly texture that crisps up beautifully in the oven. You want small, pea-sized chunks of butter in the mix—these are what melt into the flour and sugar, giving you those delicious pockets of buttery goodness. Be careful not to overmix; you want the topping to be slightly clumpy so that it stays light and crisp. If you’re looking for convenience, a food processor works great to pulse the mixture together. Just don’t let it run too long, or you’ll lose those crumbly pieces!
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerate any leftover cherry crumble in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through and the topping is crisp again.
- Reheat in the microwave: If you’re in a hurry, you can reheat individual portions in the microwave. Microwave on high in 30-second increments until warmed through, but note that the topping may not stay as crisp.
I love 95-99% of your recipes. I cook dinner every night. Your desserts are always delicious.
This looks wonderful! Since I’m gluten free, I’m thinking of trying it was almond flour.
We’d love to know how it turns out if you do try it with almond flour!
Love your recipes!
LOVE !!!