Cherry Crisp with Cornmeal and Almonds

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Make a summery cherry crisp any time of year. This easy dessert uses frozen sweet cherries and has a crunchy cornmeal-almond topping (with gluten-free option).

Let’s talk fruit crisps: Put some fruit in a baking dish and add a topping.

Boom — you have the essence of summer in a basic dessert, known variously as a cobbler, crisp or crumble.

But what about those times when you didn’t make it to the market or when fresh fruit isn’t in season?

That’s when this easy-to-make cherry crisp comes in.

Fruit crisps are so much quicker to make than a pie, but satisfy on the same level.

You get some crust in the form of a crumbly-crisp topping, and warm, sweet fruit.

And they’re perfect served with ice cream (of course).

It’s even more convenient to use frozen fruit to make this cherry crisp — there’s no need to pit them, plus they’re not as expensive as fresh summer cherries can be.

Tips for making the best cherry crisp:

• You can make and assemble the crisp 2 or 3 hours ahead of time. Keep it refrigerated until ready to bake.
• Cherry crisp keeps well for a day or two. Serve it cold or briefly warmed in a microwave.
• It’s almost essential to serve warm cherry crisp with vanilla ice cream, but good, thick plain yogurt is very nice too, especially for breakfast 🙂
• Thaw frozen cherries at room temperature for about 25 minutes in a large colander set over a bowl (or in the sink). It’s okay if some of the fruit is still partially frozen or very cold. If you’re planning ahead, you can also defrost frozen cherries in a bowl in the refrigerator (5 or 6 hours), then drain the cherries in a colander.
• It’s very tempting to dig in to cherry crisp while it’s hot and bubbling, but it’s even better to let it cool 15-20 minutes before serving. That way the juices and topping can settle.
• To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute finely ground blanched almond flour for the all-purpose flour, or your favorite gluten-free blend.

Cherry Crisp with Cornmeal and Almonds

Karen Tedesco

This easy fruit crisp uses frozen sweet cherries and has a crunchy cornmeal-almond topping (with gluten-free option). 

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5 from 5 community reviews

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Cool time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Desserts

Cuisine Fruit

Servings 8 servings

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Ingredients

Topping:

• ▢ 1/2 cup (80 g) cornmeal
• ▢ 1/2 cup (80 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 g) brown sugar
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 6 tablespoons (90 g) butter, cut into small pieces
• ▢ 1/2 cup (120 g) sliced almonds

Crisp:

• ▢ 2 pounds (900 g) frozen sweet cherries, thawed (about 5 cups fruit)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 2 teaspoons almond extract
• ▢ 1/2 cup (120 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/4 cup (32 g) cornstarch

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Instructions 

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees with the rack positioned in the center.
• Make the topping: whisk the cornmeal, flour, both sugars and salt in a bowl. Toss in the butter. Use your fingers, a fork or pastry blender to blend the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like damp, clumpy sand. Add the almonds and mix briefly to combine.
• Put the cherries in another large mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, almond extract, sugar and cornstarch and stir together.
• Put the cherry mixture in a large (11-inch) round baking dish. Distribute the topping over the cherries to cover.
• Bake the crisp 35 - 40 minutes. The top should be golden and the juices bubbling.
• Cool 15 - 20 minutes before serving.

Karen's Notes and Tips

To bake the crisp, use a large round baking dish or a  3-4 quart rectangular baking dish.

To make individual crisps, divide the filling and topping among ramekins and place on a baking sheet in the oven.  They might take less time to bake, so start checking after 20-25 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 412mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 91IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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• Desserts
• Fruit

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

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I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.