Homemade Cherry Crisp with Bourbon Whipped Cream
This Homemade Cherry Crisp is a simple dessert that the whole family will love. The homemade cherry filling gets topped with a crispy oat streusel…and a dollop of bourbon whipped cream!
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This Homemade Cherry Crisp is a fantastic dessert. It’s incredibly easy to make, and everyone will be asking you for the recipe. Feel free to share it…or keep it for yourself as your secret! This crisp features a homemade cherry pie filling topped with a crunchy oat, brown sugar and chopped almond topping. This recipe makes for a great summer dessert when fresh cherries are in season. You can also use frozen cherries to make this crisp on a chilly autumn evening.
What is a Crisp?
Before getting too far into this recipe, let’s chat about what makes a crisp a crisp. Crisps are typically fruit-based desserts that get baked with a streusel-like topping. The base is usually a layer of fruit like apples, peaches or berries, and the topping is made with oats, butter, flour and sugar. This easy cherry crisp recipe includes chopped sliced almonds for added flavor…and added crunch!
A crisp is similar to a crumble with the main difference being that crisps include oats in the topping while the topping on crumbles is typically just flour, sugar and butter. But what about a cobbler? Crisps, crumbles and cobblers often get lumped together. A cobbler also features a fruit base, but the topping on a cobbler is thicker – typically biscuit dough or cake batter.
How to Make a Homemade Cherry Crisp
- Step 1: Make the cherry pie filling. You can use fresh, pitted cherries or frozen cherries for this recipe. Sweet or sour cherries can be used in this recipe. The ideal combination is ½-sweet and ½-sour cherries, but tart cherries can be a bit harder to find. Use whatever cherries you can find!
- Step 2: Cook the pie filling until it thickens. I prefer to cook the cherry pie filling in a saucepan before putting it into the oven. Some cherry crisps call for the filling to be baked in the oven, but I find that to be a little more unreliable. Cooking the filling first guarantees a delicious crisp that isn’t too watery or saucy.
- Step 3: Make the topping. The streusel topping is super easy to make. Just mix the oats, sugars, almonds and seasonings in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Stir in the flour. Done!
- Step 4: Bake. Spread the cherry filling into the bottom of a baking dish. Crumble the streusel filling evenly on top. Bake for ~40-45 min.
- Step 5: Make bourbon whipped cream. While the crisp is baking, whip up some homemade whipped cream. Sure, you could use canned whipped cream…but homemade is so.much.better! And since we’re making homemade whipped cream, let’s go ahead and add a bit of bourbon in there for fun.
Homemade Cherry Pie Filling
As noted above, this Homemade Cherry Crisp uses a homemade cherry pie filling. If you’re really in a pinch for time, you could use a large can of store-bought cherry pie filling…but try to avoid that if possible. Just like with the whipped cream, the homemade version will taste so much better!
And making homemade pie filling is really quite simple. Just dump everything (except for the vanilla and almond extracts) into a saucepan. Simmer, stirring often, until mixture thickens. It will look exactly like canned pie filling…but it will taste 5x better!
Almond Crunch
I included chopped, sliced almonds in the streusel topping for this recipe. The nuts toast while baking, so they provide a wonderful crispy texture to the baked crisp. And the almond flavor pairs really well with cherries – after all, almonds and cherries are chemically related. (Finely chopped pecans would be a good substitution, though.)
In addition to the almonds in the oat topping, I included a bit of almond extract in the pie filling, too. Just be careful how much almond extract you use – a little bit goes a long way with that stuff!
Bourbon Whipped Cream
The final touch to this fresh cherry crisp is the Bourbon Whipped Cream that gets spooned on top right before serving. Cherries pair well with the flavors in bourbon – that’s why you’ll find a cherry in your Old Fashioned. The flavor of the bourbon in the whipped cream isn’t overpowering, either.
This dessert would also be quite delicious with ‘regular’ (i.e. unflavored) whipped cream or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I just find the bourbon whipped cream to be a little something extra – a lagniappe to borrow a term from the Cajuns.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover cherry crisp should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can be reheated in the microwave, but it’s also pretty tasty cold. If possible, store the whipped cream in a separate container in the fridge.
If you’re looking for a new favorite dessert, then this is it! I couldn’t stop reaching in to steal “just one last bite” from the baking dish. The cherries, almonds and bourbon all come together to create a magical treat. It’ll remind you of an old-fashioned cherry crisp just like grandma used to make. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do – Happy Baking!
Did you make this Homemade Cherry Crisp recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Homemade Cherry Crisp
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cherries pitted
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- {optional} ¼ tsp almond extract
For the Topping
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup sliced almonds coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
For the Bourbon Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
- 1 Tbsp bourbon whiskey
Instructions
For the Filling
- Using a medium saucepan, add cherries, water, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice; stir until well combined. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and {optional} almond extract.
- Spray a 9”x13” casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Transfer filling mixture into the greased baking dish.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
For the Topping
- Using a large mixing bowl, add sugars, rolled oats, chopped almonds, cinnamon, cardamom and salt; stir until well combined.
- Add the melted butter; stir until well combined.
- Add the flour; stir until well combined.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly on top of the cherry filling.
- Bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes, or until topping is light golden brown. (Tip: Check after 30 minutes. If the top appears to be browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.)
For the Bourbon Whipped Cream
- While the crisp is cooling, make the whipped cream by combining the cream, powdered sugar and bourbon in a small bowl.
- Use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip until stiff peaks form.
- Serve crisp with a dollop of whipped cream.
Looking for more cobblers, crisps and crumbles? Check out these other favorites, too:
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