This Paleo Cherry Crisp is a simple, crowd-pleasing dessert that works for summer gatherings or holiday meals. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free and egg-free, and can be made vegan and nut-free with a few easy swaps. The recipe yields a 9×13 pan, so it’s perfect for serving a group, and it freezes well for make-ahead convenience.
Why we love it
This crisp requires only about 15 minutes of hands-on prep and uses an easy cherry filling you’ll return to again and again. A splash of almond extract brightens the fruit — optional but highly recommended. Use fresh cherries when they’re in season for the best flavor, or swap in frozen, pitted cherries to make this dessert year-round.
The finished dish looks like a cherry pie but is much faster to prepare. The vivid red filling is festive for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day or Christmas, and the recipe scales well when you need to feed a crowd.
Tips and Tricks
- Make the cherry filling ahead: keep it in the refrigerator up to one week or freeze for up to three months.
- Pitting cherries is tedious—use a cherry pitter to save time and effort.
- Serve warm with Paleo vanilla ice cream: start the ice cream maker while the crisp bakes so both are ready together.
Ingredients
- Cherries – fresh or frozen, pitted. Fresh gives the best flavor; frozen is convenient and often already pitted.
- Coconut sugar – a natural sweetener. You can substitute maple sugar or granulated monk fruit for a lower-carb option.
- Potato or arrowroot starch – used like cornstarch to thicken the cherry filling. Mix with water to make a slurry before adding to the hot fruit.
- Almond extract – optional but adds a lovely, complementary flavor to the cherries.
- Almond flour – for the crisp topping. See notes for a nut-free alternative.
- Coconut flour – combined with almond flour to give the topping the right texture.
- Oil – a light-tasting oil such as light olive or melted coconut oil works well in the topping.
- Maple syrup – use 100% pure maple syrup for natural sweetness in the crumble.
Paleo Cherry Crisp
Autumn @wholefoodfor7
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
Cherry Filling
- 5 cups fresh cherries or frozen, pitted
- 2/3 cups coconut sugar can sub maple sugar or granulated monk fruit
- 2/3 cups + 3 tbsp water divided
- 3 tablespoon arrowroot or potato starch
- 1 teaspoon almond extract optional, but recommended
Crisp Topping
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour see notes for nut-free option
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup light-tasting olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan (an 11×7 can also work).
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In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the pitted cherries, coconut sugar and 2/3 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the cherries are tender and the sauce begins to simmer.
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In a small bowl, whisk the starch with the remaining 3 tablespoons water to form a smooth slurry.
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Stir the slurry into the hot cherries while continuously stirring to prevent lumps. Cook 2–3 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract if using. Pour the filling into the prepared pan.
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In a medium bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, oil and maple syrup until well combined. Crumble the topping evenly over the cherry filling.
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Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes, until the topping is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Cool about 10 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to one week or freeze for up to three months.