Cherry Apple Crisp

Making up this cherry apple crisp are tart cherries and sweet apples with a buttery oat crisp topping. Crown this simple, comforting dessert with a scoop of ice cream and dig in! Naturally vegetarian and gluten-free adaptable.

Jessica Halverstadt is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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What you’ll love about this recipe

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• It’s simple! Because this recipe calls for fresh fruit there is a little bit of prep work required to get the apples and cherries ready. The good news is that it’s not difficult, especially if you have a cherry pitter. Once the fruit is prepped, you can throw together this crisp with little effort and little hands-on time.
• It’s prepared with fresh fruit! While most recipes for cherry crisp call for cherry pie filling, this recipe calls for fresh cherries. Using fresh cherries is healthier, tastier, and far less sugary.
• It’s so comforting! I personally love desserts that are cooked in cast iron. There is something about the homey, rustic vibes that just really appeal to me. With fruit, a rich and buttery oat topping, and cinnamon, fruit crisp is already such a cozy dessert. Add a cast-iron skillet and vanilla ice cream to the equation and you’ve got one helluva comforting dessert.

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Ingredients (+ notes & substitutions)

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• Honeycrisp apples: This variety of apples is my go-to when making apple crisp because they are sweet, tart, and crisp. Crisp apples work best for baking because they hold up better. Granny Smith or golden delicious apples are the best alternatives. The apples will need to be peeled, cored, and cut into approximately half-inch cubes.
• Cherries: Cherries are only in season for about three months every year, from late April to late July. Because fresh is best, these months are ideal for making this cherry crisp. If fresh cherries aren’t an option due to price or availability, frozen cherries will work. See the FAQ section below for instructions on using frozen cherries instead of fresh ones.
• Granulated sugar: To sweeten up the fruit filling a tad.
• Lemon juice: Adding a little bit of lemon juice brightens the filling and prevents the apples from browning due to oxidation.
• Ground cinnamon: To season the fruit and also the topping.
• All-purpose flour: For the crisp topping. To make the crisp gluten-free, substitute for gluten-free all-purpose flour.
• Old fashioned oats: Also for the crisp topping. There are different types of oats sold at the grocery store. For this recipe, you want old fashioned oats, otherwise known as rolled oats. And in case you’re wondering, oats are gluten-free.
• Brown sugar: I prefer to use dark brown sugar for this recipe because it’s richer and adds more flavor. Light brown sugar would be perfectly fine, however.
• Kosher salt: Adding a little bit of salt makes the other flavors pop by creating contrast.
• Unsalted butter: You may use salted butter if that’s all you have but should leave out the added kosher salt if you do.

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How to make cherry apple crisp (+ tips)

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1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the apples, cherries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and set it aside.

3. In a separate medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, oats, one teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and kosher salt. Add the butter and use a manual food chopper to cut it into the mixture. If you don’t have a manual food chopper, you may use a fork.

4. Transfer and evenly spread the fruit mixture into a 10 to 12-inch cast-iron skillet or an 8×8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the topping evenly over top the fruit.

5. Bake for 40-minutes until golden brown and bubbly around the edges. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

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Storage

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Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days.

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FAQ

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Recommended Products

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More cozy dessert recipes with fruit:

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• Blueberry Rhubarb Buckle with Cardamom Streusel: A lovely choice for brunch or dessert, this super moist blueberry rhubarb buckle is topped with the most delicious cardamom and cinnamon streusel.
• Salted Caramel Apple Blondies: These made from scratch salted caramel apple blondies cooked up in a cast-iron skillet celebrate fall flavors and are surprisingly simple to prepare. I know you are going to love them just as much as I do!

If you make this cherry apple crisp I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment and/or a rating below as I greatly value your opinion. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @taoofspiceblog. Love, light, and happy cooking ya’ll ♥