This Gluten-Free Cherry Crisp is the easiest summer dessert. Sweet bursts of cherries with a crisp, buttery topping that actually stays crunchy. It’s made with 5 ingredients and comes together fast in the air fryer (no weird ingredients, and frozen cherries work perfectly).
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 25 Minutes
- 👪Serves: 3
- 🍽 Calories and Protein: 178 kcals and 3 grams of protein
- 📋Main Ingredients: Frozen cherries, maple syrup, dairy-free butter, and gluten-free granola.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Juicy cherry flavor with an easy, crunchy topping, this healthy cherry crisp is the perfect summer dessert.
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The best kind of desserts are the simple ones, and this gluten-free cherry crisp is exactly that. It uses minimal pantry ingredients (and no oats!) but still gives you that sweet, jammy cherry filling with a golden crisp topping. Plus, the air fryer makes it fast, perfect for when you need a last-minute dessert that feels way fancier than the effort.
I love recipes like this because they’re flexible, forgiving, and don’t require anything fancy to taste amazing, kind of like these protein buckeyes. It’s one of those “make it once, and you’ll always remember it” easy desserts, just like paleo lemon bars.
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💭Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy to make: You only need 5 main ingredients to whip up this cherry crisp, and it’s done in just 20 minutes.
Allergy-friendly: Naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and can be made paleo-approved with a few simple tweaks.
Crisp topping: Adding the granola after the cherries have cooked ensures that the topping remains golden and crisp.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Frozen cherries: Frozen works best and this way you can make this recipe in the cooler months. With the extra on hand, whip up this dark chocolate cherry smoothie, too.
- Granola: Use a granola that suits your dietary preferences. I like to use gluten-free homemade high-protein granola, but any kind of nutty mixture or paleo granola works.
- Paleo: To make this recipe paleo-approved, you’ll need to use regular butter or tallow along with a paleo granola.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Flavor Variations
Fruit: Half the number of cherries with a berry mix or another stone fruit.
Extracts: If you want a really refreshing flavor, change the almond extract to something like lemon or orange extract. With this, you could add a little zest to the top, too!
How To Make Gluten-Free Cherry Crisp
Step 1: Mix together the cherries, maple syrup, dairy-free butter, and almond extract.
Step 2: Pour into an air fryer-safe dish and bake in a preheated air fryer for 15 minutes, stirring once.
Step 3: Add the granola on top and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve.
Expert Tips To Make It
Adjust the texture of the cherry crisp by adjusting the cooking time. The longer you cook, the softer the cherries will become.
Keep an eye on your crisp in the last two minutes of cooking, as each kind of granola will crisp up differently, and you don’t want the top to burn.
Texture swaps: For a thicker texture cook the cherries for 1-2 minutes longer to rid them of moisture. For a juicer taste, pull them out earlier and do not over-stir them.
Serve the cherry crisp as-is, drizzled with a bit more maple syrup, or alongside some coconut whipped cream or dairy-free ice cream.
How To Store It
Let the gluten-free cherry crisp cool fully before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 3-5 days.
To reheat it, pop it back into the air fryer until warmed through or into an oven on low. Know that the texture of the granola won’t be as crisp if heated in the oven or microwave.
Gluten-Free Cherry Crisp FAQS
Yes, you can make the cherry crisp in the oven, it will just take longer. You’ll want to bake the crisp at 350F for about 20-30 minutes until it’s hot and almost bubbling. Then, top it with the granola and bake it for 10 more minutes, broiling the last 1-2 minutes.
I haven’t tried but I assume you can. However, frozen cherries give off a bit more water, so you’ll want to scale back the baking time slightly to account for that.
To prevent the topping from getting soggy, cook the cherries in the air fryer separately first. Then, add the granola and bake until crisp. If you're preparing it in advance, do not add the granola topping until serving.
Yes, you can make gluten-free cherry crisp nut-free by using a nut-free granola in place of any other topping.
More Gluten-free Summer Recipes
If you tried this Gluten-Free Cherry Crisp Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
Gluten-Free Cherry Crisp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups Frozen cherries thawed, pitted and halved
- 2 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dairy-free butter melted
- ½ teaspoon Almond extract optional
- 4 tablespoon Gluten free granola
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 350F / 180C.
- Mix together cherries, maple syrup, non-dairy butter, and almond extract (if using) and add to the Air Fryer safe baking pan or dish.
- Place the cherry crisp into the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the cherries are cooked to your liking. Stir the cherry mixture at least once during cooking.
- When done, open the Air Fryer basket and add the granola on top of the cooked cherries.
- Cook for a further 2-3 mins.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Shelby S says
This recipe is a summer favorite simply because of how EASY it comes together! As a frazzled mom anything with just a handful of ingredients is a win.