It's Cherry Season! These Are Our All-Time Favorite Cherry Recipes to Make Right Now
This juicy, ephemeral fruit makes summer a whole lot sweeter.
Summertime means warmer weather, vacations, and an abundance of seasonal produce, such as sweet cherries. We love baking with cherries, using them in traditional pies and crisps, but they're also delicious with more simple preparations. One of our favorite ways to enjoy cherries? We're big fans o dipping them in melted chocolate, as pictured here. You may be surprised that cherries work so well in savory dishes, too, such as a fruit salad dressed with balsamic vinegar and cracked black pepper or as a topping on crostini with a funky goat cheese. We also serve cherries over grilled or sautéed fish, which provides a pop of color and burst of sweetness.
In order to make the most of this beloved favorite summer fruit, it's important to start with a cherry primer. Their season is short, so it's important to know how to buy, store, and pit sweet cherries so you can really take advantage of the fruit each year. Cherries are in season between June and August. When shopping for sweet cherries, look for shiny, plump cherries that have a dark-colored skin. Once you bring them home from the grocery store or farm stand, store them unwashed and uncovered in the refrigerator. Washing the whole batch all at once may contribute to the growth of mold, so only wash what you need as you snack on them or bake with them.
From sour cherries to maraschino cocktail cherries to syrupy luxardo cherries, there are so many varieties to enjoy, but here we're bringing summer's finest sweet cherries to centerstage with these recipes.
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Cherry-Raspberry Semifreddo
Chill out with this frozen dessert made with a combination of sweet cherries and frozen raspberries, as well as elderflower liqueur, which lends a light floral flavor.
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Roasted Cherries with Tofu "Panna Cotta"
Panna cotta is a traditional gelatin-based Italian dessert, but this vegan version gets its body from silken tofu. We dress the protein-packed ingredient up with a luscious fruit topping made from roasted cherries and fresh raspberries tossed in a combination of honey and lemon juice.
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Rustic Cherry-Apricot Tart
Looking for a more casual dessert that's just as delicious and appealing as a fruit pie? Try this galette, which is filled with a combination of sliced apricots and fresh sweet cherries; the fruits are tossed with sugar for sweetness and cornstarch to thicken their juices.
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Cherry Cobbler
The biscuit topping on this classic cherry cobbler is extra rich and tender thanks to the addition of heavy cream. If you're making the recipe after cherry season, feel free to use frozen.
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Berries-and-Cherries Ice Cream Cake
Talk about a showstopper! Fresh cherries pull double duty here: they're folded into the vanilla ice cream layer and left whole to garnish the top.
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Baked Cherry Crisp
Store-bought phyllo dough is dressed up with cinnamon sugar, topped with cherries, and baked in this simple but scrumptious dessert.
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Heirloom Tomatoes with Cherries, Balsamic, and Hyssop
Quality is key in this five-ingredient recipe, so splurge on the best heirloom and cherry tomatoes, Bing cherries, balsamic vinegar, and herbs (we used fresh anise-hyssop leaves and flowers) you can find.
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Coconut-Cherry Smoothie
You only need three ingredients—frozen cherries, coconut water, and fresh lime juice—to whip up this refreshing, not-too-sweet treat.
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Cherry and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
Cherries baked with thyme make a spectacular topping for thick slices of toast slathered with fresh goat cheese.
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Chocolate Cherry Cake
A splash of kirsch (cherry brandy) intensifies the flavor of the cherry topping for this decadent chocolate cake.
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Rustic Cherry Tart with Ricotta and Almonds
A crisp almond pastry crust is spread with creamy ricotta and topped with macerated cherries in this sensational summer dessert.
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Whole-Grain Strawberry-Cherry Crisp
Two of our favorite summer fruits come together under a crunchy oat-and-coconut topping in this better-for-you crisp.
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Drunken Cherries with Mascarpone Cream
Toss fresh cherries with grappa, lemon zest and juice, fennel seeds, and pepper, then let the flavors mingle in the fridge. Serve with vanilla-scented mascarpone cream and homemade Lemon-Almond Biscotti.
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Sweet Cherry Pie
Bing cherries need little more than a homemade crust to shine in this summer pie—just add a touch of sugar, cornstarch, and fresh lemon juice.
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No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake
Balsamic vinegar and cinnamon add a tangy, spicy depth to the fresh cherry topping for this cheesecake.
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Grilled Tilapia with Cherry Salsa
Firm, meaty tilapia is a great choice for the grill. This sweet-and-spicy salsa made with Bing cherries, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice takes the flame-kissed fillets to the next level.