25 Top Cherry Recipes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
June 01, 2012
Credit: Carson Downing

Sweet or savory cherries star in our recipes for pies, dessert sauces, cakes, cookies and smoothies.

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Cherry Brownies a la Mode

Credit: Carson Downing
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Traverse City's famous tart cherries get double billing in this sundae--baked in the brownies and spooned on top. But there’s another local fruit hiding here. Chef Adam Raupp of Mission Table restaurant adds a little Riesling to the sauce.

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Michigan Tart Cherry Pie

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The cherryness in this pie doesn't hide behind other flavors -- it even draws an accent from the lemon juice's hint of tartness. A sprinkling of sugar bakes onto the top crust for a sweet crunch. The recipe comes from Achatz Handmade Pie Company in Chesterfield, Michigan.

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Cherry-Orange Clafouti

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Cherries dot this custardlike French dessert baked in a skillet. Serve it warm with a dollop of creme fraiche.

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Cherry-Berry Smoothie

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This quick-and-easy blender drink, from the Michigan Cherry Committee, combines cherries, milk, yogurt, blueberries or raspberries, juice concentrate, honey and vanilla.

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Easy Cherry Crumb Bars

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Oatmeal cookie mix speeds prep time for these tart cherry bar cookies.

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Double Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

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Carol Schneider of Wausau, Wisconsin, brought home a blue ribbon when she entered these cookies at the Wisconsin State Fair. The recipe combines white and semisweet chocolate with dried cherries and walnuts.

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Cherry-Nut Cobbler

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This creative slow-cooker recipe takes advantage of several shortcut ingredients, including muffin mix and canned cherry pie filling, for an easy dessert.

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Cherry Berry Berry Pie

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Red raspberries and blueberries join ruby-red cherries in Cherry Berry Berry Pie, a favorite from Sweetielicious Bakery Cafe in DeWitt, Michigan. The trio yields a dark, rich filling crowned with a crunchy streusel topping.

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Sweet Cherry Jam

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To remove pits from the dark sweet cherries used in this recipe, try a cherry pitter (available from cookware shops or catalogs). Otherwise, halve the cherries, then pry the pits out with the tip of a knife.

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Cherry Crumble Pie Bars

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Zesty lemon peel adds zing to this fruit bar cookie; almond extract and brown sugar give it extra sweetness.

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Cherry and Golden Raisin Bread

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Choose your favorite dried fruit-cherries, cranberries, raisins or apricots-to add to this lemon-glazed quick bread loaf. Slice it for breakfast or serve anytime during the day as a snack.

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Chocolate-Cherry Crisp

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Chocolate chips in a cherry crisp! Why didn't we think of this earlier? Whole wheat flour lends a nutty flavor to the rich topping-and vanilla ice cream is the perfect finishing touch.

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Very Cherry Hazelnut Coffee Cake

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David Dahlman of Chatsworth, California, says this yeasty coffee cake reminds him of the old-fashioned, down-to-earth treats on his grandmother's farm table. It takes time because it's a yeast-leavened dough, but there's no kneading required.

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Crispy Cherry-Almond Bars with Marshmallows

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Dried fruit and crunchy almonds bring antioxidants and omega-3s to these bars made from two kinds of rice cereal--regular and chocolate flavored--in our version of marshmallow-cereal bars.

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Cherry Phosphate Icebox Pie

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A humble pie if you ever saw one, this unassuming potluck star has an almondy crust and a yogurt-based filling that mimics the acidic tang of a phosphate. Amaretti (Italian almond cookies) are available at large supermarkets. You can substitute graham cracker crumbs.

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Tart Cherry Half-Pound Cake

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Pound cakes traditionally are made with a pound each of sugar, butter, flour and eggs. This recipe, from Chicago cookbook authors Barry Bluestein and Kevin Morrissey, uses closer to a half-pound of each main ingredient. "We've also added a bit of milk, so the cake is lighter and moister," the authors say.

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Double-Cherry Supreme Pie

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Combine fresh (or frozen) cherries with dried, tart cherries for this classic pie, which was pictured on a cover of Midwest Living® .Double-Cherry Supreme Pie

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Oatmeal-Cherry Cookies

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Dried cherries make oatmeal cookies even more memorable in this recipe from American Spoon Foods, which has locations in the Traverse City, Michigan, area. We like its crisp edges and chewy centers.

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Black Forest Freezer Pie

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This layered dessert combines cream cheese, powdered sugar and whipped dessert topping over vanilla ice cream in a graham cracker crust. When you're ready to serve the pie, spoon on cherry pie filling, and drizzle with fudge topping. The recipe is from Friske's Farm Market near Ellsworth, Michigan.

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Tangy Cherry-Tea Sorbet

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You can blend this dessert in just a couple of minutes by combining unsweetened ice tea mix, frozen tart red cherries, lemon juice, sugar and water. Serve immediately, or pour into a dish and freeze for later. The sorbet recipe comes from the Michigan Cherry Committee.

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Chocolate Dried Cherry Cheesecake

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This thick, rich cheesecake-with a touch of coffee and speckled with dried cherries-is a favorite dessert from a Leland, Michigan, restaurant.

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Michigan Cherry-Berry Pie

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Frozen unsweetened tart red cherries, frozen red raspberries and cherry juice or cranberry juice form the heart of this recipe inspired by the Cherry-Berry Pie served at Jesperson's Restaurant in Petoskey, Michigan.

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Spiced Cherry Pie

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The cherry filling in this pie gets a tasty boost from cinnamon and allspice. We tested this with refrigerated piecrust, but you can use your own homemade piecrust, if you like.

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Overnight Cherry-Chocolate Coffee Cake

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Prepped in a half-hour, this coffee cake waits in the fridge till you pop it in the oven the next morning. Serve warm, and the chocolate stays irresistibly melty.

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Cherry-Almond Pie

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Chopped almonds and a dash of Amaretto or almond extract give a fresh twist on a classic dessert.

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Very Cherry Nut Bread

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Maraschino cherries and almonds fill this quick bread loaf with color and flavor. It's a favorite from the National Cherry Festival cookbook.

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Cherry-Brickle Coffee Cake

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This coffee cake recipe, one of the winners in a Midwest Living® potluck recipe contest, comes from a Robinson, Illinois, reader. Cherry pie filling stars in the quick bread.

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White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

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Dip these cherry-studded cookies in melted white chocolate, then roll in nonpareils and edible glitter for extra color.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com