Easy Cherry Crumble Recipe
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This Easy Cherry Crumble Recipe is a cherry lover's dream! It's filled with tart Morello cherries, then covered with a buttery, crisp topping. You'll love this simple dessert that's made without oats or nuts. It's the perfect treat for any occasion!
Recipe at a Glance
- Buttery Topping: the crumbly topping will melt in your mouth
- Easy to Make: prep only takes 15 minutes
- Oat and Nut Free: there are no oats or nuts in this recipe
Notes From My Kitchen
Of all the desserts I've made over the years, this cherry crumble recipe is my favorite. There's nothing like the tartness of dark Morello cherries surrounded by a topping that's crumbly, but not too doughy. There are no oats or nuts in this recipe, just in case you have a family like mine who doesn't like them.
Some people might call this a cobbler, or maybe even a crisp. But, to me it's a crumble because the crust is so incredible you can hardly contain yourself! The secret to making the topping is not to mix it until it becomes a pie crust. Keep it crumbly and it will turn out perfectly!
This cherry crumble pie is freeform and rustic, which means it won't look perfect no matter how hard you try. It's not like the cobblers you make with a cake mix. The topping is thicker and crispier, which tastes more like a pie crust without doing all of the work.
What Type of Cherries Should I Use?
For this recipe, I used Dark Morello Cherries that are pitted and stored in sweet syrup. This product, or a similar version, can be found at Aldi or in most grocery stores in the jarred fruit section. The 24 ounce jar makes the perfect amount of cherry crumble for 8 people.
If you can't find tart cherries, you could always use canned cherry pie filling, but the cherries won't have the same tart flavor. Oregon Cherries will work, but be sure to add sugar to the filling and use two (14 ounce) cans.
Key Ingredients
If you have an abundance of cherry trees in your yard, or find dark cherries on sale, by all means use fresh cherries if you like. Of course, you'll have to adjust the recipe if you make substitutions.
You can definitely use tart frozen cherries if you thaw them out first, then add ½ cup sugar, water and cornstarch to the filling.
How to Make The Cherry Filling
The cherry juice does all of the hard work for you, so the only ingredients to add are cinnamon, cornstarch and vanilla. Simply pour the cherries with juice in a saucepan over medium heat.
Mix a slurry of cornstarch and water together, then add to cherries and juice in the pan. Stir well, then add cinnamon and vanilla. Cook for about 5 minutes to thicken, then remove from heat and pour into a 9 inch pie plate.
How to Make The Crumble Topping
The crumble topping is so buttery and sweet, you'll almost forget there are cherries underneath!
Start by mixing flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Cut cold butter into cubes and work it into the dry mixture with your hands, or use a mixer or food processor. Keep mixing until the dough is coarse and crumbly.
To make Cherry Crumble, sprinkle the topping over the cherries and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and cherries are bubbling!
Serving Ideas
Cherry Crumble is the type of dessert you eat straight from the oven with a big scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream. I like to sprinkle extra cinnamon on top and use a giant spoon so I can dig in like a boss!
Storing Leftovers
If you're lucky enough to have any leftovers, Cherry Crumble can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
When reheating, make sure to do so in the oven so the crumbly topping will be crispy. I've also used my toaster oven to heat up this dessert and it works really well. You might have to broil the topping for a few minutes to crisp it up.
Debi's Top Tips
- Make sure you don't pulse the dough until it becomes a pie crust. You need the dough to make little crumbles, not one big ball.
- If you broil the topping, keep an eye on it the entire time. Due to the butter content, it's easy to scorch. Remove from oven when it starts turning brown.
More Fruit Desserts
If you love fruity desserts, you're in luck! Try these recipes for a real treat...
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Recipe Card
Easy Cherry Crumble Recipe
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
CHERRY FILLING
- 24 ounce jar tart pitted cherries in heavy syrup
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp. water
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. vanilla
CRUMBLE TOPPING
- 1 stick butter chilled and cubed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- dusting of ground cinnamon
Instructions
CHERRY FILLING
- Pour the jar of cherries including syrup into a saucepan. Heat on medium until bubbly.
- Mix the cornstarch with water in a small bowl until creamy. Pour into cherries and stir over heat.
- Add cinnamon and vanilla. Stir frequently for 5 minutes until thickened, then turn off heat.
- Pour the cherry filling into a 9" pie plate.
CRUMBLE TOPPING
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut a stick of chilled butter into cubes.
- In a separate mixing bowl, stir the sugar, flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt together.
- Fold the butter into the dry ingredients and mix with a mixer or food processor until crumbly.
- Using your hands, mix together to form the crumble. Sprinkle it over the cherries in the pie plate. Make sure to use it all.
- Sprinkle the topping with a dusting of cinnamon.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until crust is golden brown and cherries are bubbling.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Place Cherry Crumble in the oven to reheat and broil topping for a few minutes to crisp it up.
- If using another type of cherries without syrup, you'll need to make a syrup with 1 cup of water and ½ cup of sugar to add to the filling. Mix in cornstarch as directed, and add cinnamon and vanilla.
- It's not necessary to add extra sugar to the filling if using the original recipe since the syrup (or juice) contains sugar. But, it is necessary if using another type of cherries.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
This haas become my families favorite desert. I have to double at big gatherings. It’s delicious and easy to make.
Thank you so much Donna! So happy your family love my cherry crumble!
I pitted a bunch of cherries, cut them in half and froze them. How many cups of frozen cherries would I need for this recipe. Also do I combine the sugar syrup with the cherries in the saucepan to make the filling and how long do I cook the cherries?
Hi Paola. Thanks for writing in. Since this is a canned or jarred cherry recipe, it has never been tested using frozen cherries. I can give you my best estimate which is 2 cups of frozen cherries. You would need to combine the sugar syrup with the cherries and cook them over medium low heat until they are soft. Also, be sure to add a slurry of cornstarch and water (2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water) to thicken the filling. Add it at the end of cooking cycle and let it come to a boil until thickened, stirring constantly.
Very easy to follow recipe. It turned out beautifully! I added about a teaspoon of cinnamon to the crumble. I sprinkled with sugar in the raw mixed with cinnamon and it's amazing.
Thank you Kat! So happy you loved my cherry crumble recipe!
Can I make this a day ahead of time , store in fridge and bake next day?
Hi Lanette! Yes, this is the perfect dessert to make ahead and store in the refrigerator until time to bake!
Made this exactly as written and would highly recommend. Super easy and tasty! Try it-you won't be sorry! Thank you!
Thanks for the review Kathy! So glad you tried my Cherry Crumble and loved it!
If I would use two jars of morello cherries, would I simply double all the ingredients?
Hi Pam. Great question. I would use a 13 x 9 inch dish and double the filling ingredients. But you will not need to double the crumble ingredients for this recipe. You should have plenty to top off your dish.
Thank you!
Made this today with Dark Morello Cherries from Aldi. Followed your directions to a “t” but used a tip I saw in line about using a cheese grater for the butter. Worked great. It turned out amazing! Hubby loved it too. Will make again for sure.
That's awesome Christi! So glad you and your hubby loved it!
I made this as directed this afternoon. Delicious! It's more than half gone already in a house of three, and we're looking forward to having it for breakfast. The amount of crumble is perfect. This recipe is a keeper.
Oh, that's so good to hear! Cherry Crumble is one of my favorite recipes so I'm really glad you loved it! 🙂
DELICIOUS! MADE FOR SON'S VISIT!
Thanks Nancy! So glad you loved my cherry crumble recipe!
The flavor is spot on but there is way too much crumble in proportion to the cherries. If I make again, I will double the cherries and cut back by about a third on the crumble.
So glad you liked the flavor! I love having more crumble, so it seems perfect to me. 🙂
Do you blind bake the crust?
Hi Elizabeth! The crust goes on the top of the pie. Since it's a crumble, there's no need to blind bake it beforehand.
I made this for my family over the holiday and it was a hit. No leftovers! Yum!