This cherry crisp recipe with chocolate chips is an easy vegan and gluten free weeknight dessert using pantry staples and frozen fruit. It is also a great dessert option for the holidays, entertaining, and other special occasions!
Whenever I am in a pinch to put together an easy and crowd pleasing dessert recipe, a fruit crisp is always a go-to! I love it because it uses pantry staples and I can throw in whatever frozen fruit I have on hand. Simple, easy, and always 100% delicious.
This time, I had a surplus of frozen cherries and chocolate chips in the pantry that needed to be used up and alas! This cherry crisp recipe with chocolate chips was born. This cherry crisp is healthy enough for breakfast or brunch, but decadent enough to serve as dessert. It’s also made it pretty much exclusively with all of the ingredients I have in my pantry and freezer, so there’s no need to make special trips out for the ingredients.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
Most crisp recipes you will find are already plant-based, as it is easy to swap traditional better in recipes with other ingredients, such as oil or vegan butter. However, in order to make this crisp recipe gluten free, we are using a combination of gluten-free oats, corn starch and almond flour – all naturally gluten-free ingredients. Plus, the oats provide fibre and complex carbs, while the almond flour delivers a nice dose of healthy fats to this recipe. It’s a win-win!
I also chose frozen cherries to use in this cherry crisp recipe instead of fresh, as frozen cherries can be found pretty much anytime of year or season. However, if you don’t like cherries, feel free to use any frozen fruit you have on hand that you think pairs well with chocolate. Raspberries and strawberries would both be delicious. Plus, is there any dessert that isn’t better with a bit of extra chocolate? Not in my books!
Key Ingredients
Large Flake Rolled Oats –I like to use the large flake for a little more texture, but you can definitely use quick oats if that is what you have. If you need them to be gluten free, of course always check the package.
Almond Flour – I love the nutrition and nutty flavour of almond flour. Plus, almonds and cherries are a natural pairing.
Dark Chocolate Chips – This is a staple in my grocery order. No joke. I’m using them for all sorts of things right now.
Frozen Cherries – Another staple for me right now. I am using a lot of frozen fruit for smoothies, chia jam, and baking.
Vegan Butter- You can definitely use regular butter if you’re not vegan or dairy free.
Brown Sugar – This is really key for making the crisp like topping!
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: In a bowl, mix together the oats, almond flour, almonds, hemp hearts, cacao nibs, chocolate chips, brown sugar, and salt.
Step 2: Add in the melted butter and toss just until everything is coated.
Step 3: In another bowl, mix together the cherries, maple, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt and chocolate.
Step 4: Add cherry mixture to the pie dish.
Step 5: Top with the crisp topping and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and thee topping is nicely browned.
Expert Tips
Do not skip the starch. Frozen berries and (and frozen fruit in general) pack a little more moisture than fresh. So I find that if you don’t add enough tapioca or cornstarch to the fruit, it will yield a very watery base. I have tested this a number of times and this is the amount that worked best for my cherries. Having said that, if you find yours is runny, if you let this set after it’s hot (aka. once it’s cooled down), it will thicken. And honestly, who really cares – it’s so delicious no matter what.
If you want more of a crispier topping, you can broil the cherry crisp for about 5 minutes or so but be sure to keep an eye on it! Broiling can quickly go from perfectly browned to burnt in a matter of seconds. But usually 5 minutes is all it really takes.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. This is also delicious with raspberries or strawberries!
You can definitely make this cherry crisp recipe ahead of time but I recommend eating it within 4 days. It will not last that long, I can promise you that.
Yes, it’s very easy to swap in whatever chocolate you have or regular butter. If you don’t have chocolate chips, you can also mince up a chocolate bar!
If it has been cooled and refrigerated, pop it into a 375 F oven for about 15-20 minutes (uncovered) to let the crisp get nice and golden again.
More Recipes You Might Like
If you liked this recipe, check out some more of my favourite easy crisp and crumble recipes.
- Ginger Apple Crisp with Granola Crumble
- Vegan and Gluten Free Ginger Pear Crisp
- Slow Cooker Vegan Blueberry Peach Crisp
- Vegan Sweet Potato Apple Crisp
- Peach Melba Crumble Overnight Oats
What are your go to easy weeknight desserts lately? Do you also love a good crisp recipe?
Cherry Crisp Recipe with Chocolate Chips (Vegan & Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup large flake rolled oats
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 3 tbsp hemp hearts
- 4 tsp cacao nibs
- 3 tbsp dark chocolate chips dairy free
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup vegan butter melted
Filling:
- 5 cups frozen cherries
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips dairy free, if needed
- Oat ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 8″ round pie dish.
- In a bowl, mix together the oats, almond flour, almonds, hemp hearts, cacao nibs, chocolate chips, brown sugar, and salt. Add in the melted butter and toss just until everything is coated.
- In another bowl, mix together the cherries, maple, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt and chocolate. Add this mixture to the pie dish. Top with the crisp topping and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and thee topping is nicely browned. Serve with dairy free ice oat cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this cherry crisp recipe with chocolate chips? Leave me a comment below with your thoughts!
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Ten says
Yum!
Abbey Sharp says
so glad you liked!
Adam says
Yummy and healthy 🙂
Abbey Sharp says
🙂