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sour cherry crisp a la mode in a deep dish pie plate and on a plate
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4.38 from 77 votes

Sour Cherry Crisp

This unfussy, fruit-packed sour cherry crisp is a lovely way to showcase sour cherries
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Crisps and Crumbles
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sour cherry crisp
Servings: 8
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 2 pounds (908 grams) pitted sour cherries
  • ½ cup (100 grams) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (21 grams) cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the topping

  • ¾ cup (60 grams) rolled oats
  • ¾ cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup (142 grams) light muscovado sugar or light brown sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 8 tablespoons (112 grams) butter, diced

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center.
  • In a large bowl, gently mix together the sour cherries, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until well combined.
  • Set a deep-dish pie plate on a heavy, rimmed baking sheet and pour in the filling.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt. Stir together thoroughly. Add the diced butter and, using your fingers, pinch the ingredients together until they form a cohesive, crumbly topping and no lumps of butter or loose bits of flour or sugar are left.
  • Crumble the topping evenly over the filling.
  • Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for about 40 minutes, until bubbling vigorously and lightly browned. Baking time may be affected by the shape of your dish and other factors, so please use these visual cues to test for doneness. If the topping browns before the filling is bubbling enough, you can cover it lightly with foil for the remainder of baking.
  • Serve alone or topped with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

  1. To make this recipe gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats and a gluten-free flour blend such as this one.
  2. Protip: Fruit crisps make an acceptable breakfast once in a while. :) Serve with alone or topped with vanilla ice cream for dessert, or with Greek yogurt as an excuse to eat dessert for breakfast or brunch.
  3. Sour cherry crisp is equally great warm or at room temperature.
  4. Storing and reheating leftovers: Cover and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. After that, store it in the fridge for up to a week. If you want to recrisp the topping before serving, pop it into the toaster oven for a few minutes.
  5. If you like, you can prepare the crisp in advance, wrap well in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze the whole thing for up to a year. You can bake straight from frozen, adding some extra time and covering to prevent over-browning.
  6. You can start with frozen sour cherries if that's what you've got. Frozen fruit gives off a lot of liquid, so you'll need to defrost them first and drain off all the liquid before proceeding with the recipe. You can either discard the liquid or put it into a very small pot and simmer it until reduced to a few tablespoons, then add it to the filling.

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 51.4g | Protein: 3.4g | Fat: 11.8g | Fiber: 2.9g

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