Fresh Cherry Crisp with Cinnamon Crunch Topping

A fresh and slightly sweet cherry crisp with the best crunchy topping! You won’t believe how easy it is to make!

Summer is officially here loves and you know what that means… it’s cherry season! (Fun fact: Cherries are my all time favorite fruit!) And I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than by making my favorite fresh cherry crisp. It’s full of sweet fresh cherries, topped with a lightened up crumb topping and pairs perfectly with your favorite ice cream!

Ingredients and Substitutions

I love making fruit crisps because they’re so easy and only require a few simple ingredients. Here’s what I used for this lightened up recipe and a few substitutions for them too:

For the filling:

• Fresh cherries: I used sweet dark cherries for mine. (This year’s crop of cherries at Sprouts have been unbelievable in quality and flavor!)
• Maple syrup: Can be replaced with regular sugar or coconut sugar
• Cornstarch: Can be replaced with arrowroot starch

For the crumb topping:

• Rolled oats: Can use gluten free oats if needed
• Almond flour: Make sure to use super fine almond flour and NOT almond meal.
• Greek Yogurt
• Cinnamon
• Coconut oil: Can be replaced with butter.
• Coconut sugar: Can be replaced with brown sugar.
• Salt

What kind of cherries should I use?

I would suggest using fresh cherries for this recipe and NOT canned or pie filling. Usually canned cherries or cherry pie filling has some kind of added sugar in it and also contains more moisture than fresh cherries. (This can make your crisp very soggy!) I loved using fresh sweet dark cherries for this crisp.

How to make the best SUPER CRUNCHY crumb topping

Ok I know the cherries are the star of the show here but I just HAVE to talk about this topping! The is by far the BEST crumb topping I’ve ever made and I bet you’ll never guess the secret ingredient…greek yogurt! (Weird but true!) It’s crunchy, a little sweet and salty and pairs perfectly with those juicy cherries! Here’s how I did it below.

• 1½ cup rolled oats (Use gluten free oats if needed)
• ½ cup almond flour
• ⅓ cup coconut sugar (Can use a 1/2 cup if you want it sweeter)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp plain greek yogurt
• 4 Tbsp coconut oil (NOT melted)

Mix the rolled oats, almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Add the greek yogurt and coconut oil. Take a large fork and mix the the yogurt and oil into your dry ingredients until they’re full incorporated. (Your mixture should look a little sticky and not so crumbly. If it’s still crumbly, keep mixing.) Place the topping in the fridge while your prepare your filling.

Can I use other fruit instead of cherries?

Absolutely! I love making this crisp with all kinds of fruit or even a mix of fruit too! Here are a few of my favorites.

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Peaches, sliced or diced
• Raspberries

I hope you’re all having the best day loves!

More recipes like this:

• Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Cookies
• No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars
• Chocolate Dipped Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches
• Banana Bread Brownies

[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my social media @kalefornia_kravings – I love seeing what you create!]