The BEST Gluten-Free Cherry Crisp

If you are looking for a great gluten-free cherry crisp recipe, then you are in the right place! Much easier than a cherry pie, this recipe is great for any season. You can use fresh, frozen, or canned cherries.

I love making this cherry crumble in the summer for its caramel flavor and the natural sweetness of cherries! I also love making this buckwheat apple cake with some unripe apples that fall on the ground in July.

If you love adding fruit to your bakes, check out these gluten-free fruit desserts! And if you are like me and have a toddler running around the house, you might appreciate these gluten-free box cake mix recipes to make in a pinch.

If you enjoy this crumble in summer, I highly recommend serving it after a side of a fresh Italian Caprese!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

- Fresh cherries add a deep flavor to the cherry crumble that you won’t get with store-bought canned cherries;

- Brown sugar adds to the flavor profile by adding toffee and caramel notes to the cherry dessert;

- This gluten-free cherry crumble is super easy to make as it doesn’t require all the fuss with the dough as a cherry pie would!

- Goes great with a cup of unsweetened tea (or sweetened tea without sugar) or homemade ice cream made without a machine!

Ingredients

Filling

Topping

Fresh cherries – I use sweet cherries but you can use sour cherries as well. Canned cherries will work for your gluten free cherry crumble, too!

Brown sugar – brown sugar adds caramel flavor to the filling and contributes to the crispiness of the crumble topping.

Gluten-free flour – you can use any type, I prefer a mix of corn and rice flours with some potato starch.

Butter – feel free to substitute for coconut oil or even lard. Make sure your butter is cold for the best results!

Gluten-free oats – oats are naturally gluten free, but they might contain some wheat powder. So, if you are very sensitive to gluten, you need to buy gluten free certified oats.

Lemon juice – adds some sourness to the sweet cherries and makes the gluten free cherry crumble taste so much better. If your cherries are naturally very sour you might not need to add the lemon juice, although it still might be beneficial to the flavor even with the sour cherries.

Chopped almonds – almonds add a crunch to the crumble topping along with some nuttiness!

Corn flour/starch – helps thicken the cherry filling to avoid fruit soup on the bottom of your crumble!

Cinnamon – a touch of cinnamon takes this dessert to a new level. With cinnamon flavor this crumble reminds me of an apple pie and a cinnamon roll at the same time!

Salt – it is important to add some salt to any of your desserts as salt brings out the sweetness even more.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Pit the cherries

If you are using fresh cherries for this recipe, you will need to pit them first. Use a cherry pitter or any other tool that works for you. I used an old vegetable peeler that has a sharp narrow end!

Step 2 – Prepare the Filling

Combine the pitted cherries, the lemon juice, the sugar, and the corn flour in a big pot, and let the cherries soak for 20-60 minutes.

After that boil the cherry mixture for 10-15 minutes and set aside.

Step 3 – Prepare the topping

Combine the gluten free flour, oats, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter cut into cubes in a medium mixing bowl.

Combine the ingredients with your hands breaking up all the butter lumps until everything is nicely incorporated. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Step 4 – Bake

Preheat the oven to 350F/170C. Grease the baking dish and place the cherries on the bottom of it.

Then, spread the crumble topping onto the cherries.

Cover with the chopped almonds, and pop your gluten free cherry crumble into the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top is starting to brown.

Serve hot with some ice cream on the side!

Tips for Success

- Use fresh cherries for the best flavor.

- Don’t skip the lemon juice as it does bring the flavor up a notch!

- Serve hot with vanilla ice cream on the side.

- You can add a teaspoon of vanilla, just don’t use the cheap vanilla flavorings as it will make your dessert taste like lipstick and not vanilla! I rather prefer to skip this step if I don’t have good-quality vanilla extract on hand.

- If you are using frozen cherries make sure to defrost them or bake the crumble a bit longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use other fruit?

Yes, you can make any fruity crumble you like! You can use apples, pears, figs, a mix of different berries, or any other fruit you like.

How thick should the topping be?

Your crumble topping should be about 2 cm thick.

Can I freeze the crumble mix?

Yes, you can. Freeze it in an airtight bag and use it whenever ready without defrosting. You can freeze it before or after baking.

How long will the crumble cake last?

Around 5 days.