Cherry Almond Crisp is filled with fresh and juicy cherries, strawberries and blueberries, and topped with a hearty oat crumble. It's refined sugar-free, gluten-free and vegan, and comes together quickly, with minimal work and ingredients!
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If you haven't noticed yet, I love a good crisp recipe. They're easy, customizable and forgiving, and with the abundance of fresh summer stone fruit and berries, there seem to be endless combinations to try.
Today's fruit crisp is made with fresh cherries, strawberries and blueberries, which are flavoured with pure almond extract and sweetened with a little maple syrup.
The topping is a riff on my usual crisp topping, with oats, almond flour and almond butter. It bakes up crispy, without any butter, refined sugar or white flour.
Why you'll love this crisp recipe made with cherries and berries
- Refined sugar-free: It's naturally sweetened with just fruit and maple syrup.
- Gluten-free: It's made with certified gluten-free oats and almond flour.
- Dairy-free and vegan: Butter is replaced with almond butter and coconut oil.
- Easy: It takes about 15 minutes to prep this one, and most of that time is spent pitting the cherries. The rest of the recipe comes together quickly, with some simple ingredients.
- Adjustable: There are plenty of ways to make this recipe your own, with substitution tips outlined below.
Ingredients
- Cherries, blueberries and strawberries - Fresh are preferred, but if you only have frozen, just make sure they're defrosted and patted dry first.
- Maple syrup - For added sweetness to the fruit mixture and crisp topping.
- Tapioca flour - Helps thicken the fruit mixture.
- Almond extract - Adds a touch of sweet almond flavour and pairs well with the cherries.
- Rolled oats - They form the base of the crisp topping.
- Almond flour - To help bind the crisp topping together.
- Sliced almonds - For some added crunchy texture.
- Almond butter - Helps create the clusters in the crisp topping.
- Coconut oil - Used in place of butter and helps create a crispy topping.
- Salt - Just a bit for flavour.
How to make cherry crisp with fresh cherries
- Prepare your fruit by pitting and slicing your cherries in half and slicing your strawberries in half.
- Add all the fruit to a large bowl, along with the maple syrup, tapioca flour and almond extract. Toss until the fruit is evenly coated.
- Add the fruit mixture to a greased skillet.
- Prepare the crisp topping by adding the oats, almond flour, sliced almonds and salt to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Then, add in the almond butter, maple syrup and coconut oil, and mix together until a wet and clumpy mixture forms.
- Scatter the crisp topping over the fruit and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but be sure to defrost them first, drain them of any water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Using frozen fruit will make the fruit filling too watery.
While I've seen recipes for cherry crisps that use pie filling or canned cherries, I've only tested this recipe using fresh cherries.
Yes, once the crisp has cooled to room temperature, cover and store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You can enjoy it cold or warmed in the microwave. To get the topping crispy again, just reheat it in the oven on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
I haven't frozen this cherry crisp in its entirety, so I'm not sure how the filling and topping would hold up once frozen and defrosted. I have, however, frozen leftovers in individual servings. Just place the cooled leftovers in individual freezer safe containers, and when ready to enjoy, let thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven.
While I prefer to use almond flour in my gluten-free crisp topping, if you don't have any, you can use gluten-free oat flour as a replacement. I haven't tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, but it will likely work. Just note that the crisp will no longer be gluten-free.
Additional recipe tips and substitutions
- If you don't have tapioca flour, you can use cornstarch to thicken the berry mixture.
- To keep it gluten-free, make sure your oats are certified gluten-free, as well as the almond extract.
- For a grain-free version, you can replace the oats with buckwheat flakes.
- Feel free to replace the strawberries and blueberries with other berries such as raspberries or blackberries.
- To keep this recipe vegan, make sure you're using a vegan almond extract.
- If your almond butter and coconut oil are a little firm, just microwave them for 30 seconds. This will help them mix into the crisp topping easily.
- Don't skip the step of letting the crisp rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. This helps the fruit mixture firm up.
Other fruit crisp recipes
- Grain-Free Blueberry Crisp
- Almond Flour Peach Crisp Bars
- Apple Cranberry Crisp
- Almond Flour Apple Pecan Crisp
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Cherry Almond Crisp with Berries
Ingredients
For the fruit mixture:
- 2 cups pitted and halved cherries, fresh
- 2 cups halved strawberries, fresh
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
For the crisp topping:
- 1 ¼ cup gluten-free rolled oats
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup almond butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons virgin and cold-pressed coconut oil, softened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and grease a 10-inch oven-safe skillet, high-rimmed pie plate or casserole dish.
- To prepare the fruit filling, add all of the fruit to a large bowl, along with the maple syrup, tapioca flour and almond extract. Toss to evenly coat the fruit.
- Spread the fruit mixture out onto the bottom of the prepared skillet.
- To prepare the crisp topping, add the oats, almond flour, sliced almonds and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add in the maple syrup, almond butter and coconut oil, and mix together until a wet and clumpy mixture forms.
- Scatter the crisp topping evenly over the fruit and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.
- Let it rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving warm with some dairy-free ice cream
Notes
- You can use frozen cherries and berries in this recipe, just make sure to defrost them first, drain them of any water and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- If your almond butter and coconut oil are a little firm, just microwave them for 30 seconds. They will need to be soft in order to mix into the crisp topping easily.
- Don't skip the step of letting the crisp rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. This helps the fruit mixture firm up.
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Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
Did you make this recipe or have any questions?
I love reading your comments and addressing your questions, so please leave your comments and ratings or questions below!
Christie says
This cherry crisp looks divine Leanne! I would probably save none for the husband hahaha! The perfect way to use those sweet seasonal cherries. Thanks for sharing!
Leanne says
Haha! Sharing is completely optional! Thanks Christie.
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Nothing beats a summer crisp Leanne. And I've been all about cherries lately. Need to try your recipe!
Leanne says
Thanks Mary Ann! I'm all about the cherries lately too!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
This is the perfect summer dessert! I'll have to try yours soon--I love that it's refined sugar-free too. Hope you're having a great weekend!
Leanne says
Thanks so much Kelsie! Hope you had a great weekend too!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs says
The photos make me just want to reach in and grab a bite!! I love that you paired some almond extract in there as it is my favorite with cherries. The ease of this crisp is just perfect for summer and I cannot wait to make it with the fresh fruit we pick!
Leanne says
Thank you Tasia! I'm with you. Almond extract and cherries definitely go together!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
Cherry crisp is the best and one of my husband's favourites 🙂 Yours looks perfect!
Leanne says
Thanks so much Jennifer!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
This is making me drool, Leanne!! It looks sooo good. I love the cherries and berries! So perfect for the summer with a big scoop of ice cream. My go-to dessert in the summer is a crisp! It's less work than pie and always SO good!
Leanne says
Crisps are my go-to summer dessert too! Always a hit and so easy. Thanks Katherine!
Alex says
A good crisp is one of my favourite things, and this looks absolutely superb, Leanne! Cherries are one of my absolute loves!!
Leanne says
Thanks so much Alex! Cherries are my favourite summer fruit!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen says
Yes, I've noticed you love a good crisp or crumble, and so do I. This one looks and sounds wonderful! I often use nuts and almond flour for the topping, but using almond butter instead of dairy product intrigues me - I need to give it a try!
Leanne says
Thanks Ben! I often use nut butters to replace all or some of the butter in my recipes. Hope you get a chance to try it!
Terry says
Great recipe...the cherries and berries sounds like a great combination! Perfect with ice cream too! 🙂
Amazing pics.
Leanne says
Thanks so much Terry! Hope you had a good weekend!