30 Sour Cherry Recipes Sure to Make Your Summer Sweeter

Updated April 08, 2020
Spencer Staats
Tart and tangy, these dishes are the perfect addition to your warm-weather menu.
Start Slideshow

1 of 31

Spencer Staats

Sour cherries are rounder, softer, and smaller than their sweet counterparts. And unlike other cherries, which can be eaten out of hand, sour cherries are best when sweetened and cooked. We're showing you how to incorporate them into a number of delicious dishes and use them to create new favorites.

Before diving into some of our preferred sour cherry recipes, first you must learn how to choose and store the fruit. They have an exceptionally short season and are usually only available in June and July. Picking the right ones is an important step if you hope to have success with any sour cherry recipe. Choose ones that are bright scarlet, plump, and firm—avoid soft, bruised fruits and those with brown stems. Unwashed sour cherries should keep in your refrigerator for up to a week, but be sure to wash your fruits right before eating, as water can cause them to soften and split.

After they're properly cared for, cooking with sour cherries is simpler than you might think. Incorporate them in drinks, soups, entrées, and desserts for a delicious sweet and tangy surprise. Sip on our Sour Cherry Mojitos for a tart drink, or spoon small servings of Sour Cherry Soup into bowls for a refreshing starter. As the main meal, make our Sour Cherry-and-Five-Spice-Lacquered Ribs.

Of course, sour cherries also take center stage in many of our favorite desserts. Sbriciolata di Millefoglie with Sour Cherry Preserves sounds complicated, but it actually starts with store-bought puff pastry. Martha's Sour Cherry Pie is another tasty option, and the result is a showstopping creation that puts the sour cherries on full display thanks to the simple-yet-detailed crust.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 31

Garden Salad with Herbs and Sour Cherry Dressing

Mikkel Vang
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Tart cherries are swiftly marinated in an easy sherry vinaigrette then placed atop this salad full of greens and fennel.

3 of 31

Sbriciolata di Millefoglie with Sour Cherry Preserves

Mikkel Vang
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Layered between spoonfuls of preserved sour cherries and pastry cream, the light, flaky pastry completes a delicious summertime dessert.

Advertisement

4 of 31

Homemade Cocktail Cherries

Courtesy of Nikka
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Soak sour cherries in a mixture of tart cherry juice, sugar, and maraschino liqueur, then add a vanilla bean and a bay leaf and let the flavors meld in the fridge for at least one week. Any cocktail enthusiast will love the resulting treat, especially when paired with a bottle of nice whiskey.

5 of 31

Martha's Sour Cherry Pie

Yossy Arefi
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Sour cherries have a satisfying tartness and depth that their sweet counterparts can't imitate, making them a classic choice for pies. Small holes cut into the top crust give a sneak peek of the delicious filling underneath.

6 of 31

Sour-Cherry Mojitos

Marcus Nilsson
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Macerate sour cherries and fresh basil with simple syrup and lemon juice, then combine with vodka and sparkling water for the ultimate big-batch summer cocktail.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 31

Sour Cherry and Rosemary Focaccia

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This sweet, crisp-crusted version of everyone's favorite Italian bread combines fresh sour cherries with fragrant rosemary. The result is a summertime treat that works well as an appetizer or as a slightly savory dessert.

8 of 31

The Firecracker

Johnny Miller
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

With a blend of gin and rosé wine, this festive summer drink packs a real punch. Tart cherries liven up the mix.

9 of 31

Cherry Gelee

Jonathan Lovekin
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

We love the combination of sour cherry and rich, lightly sweetened vanilla cream in this gelee. It's as refreshing as it is elegant.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 31

Chilled Sour Cherry Soup

Mikkel Vang
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This dish is best served in small portions and as an appetizer. It's refreshing but jam-packed with that delectable sour cherry taste.

11 of 31

Yeasted Cheese and Sour Cherry Coffee Cake

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In a nod to the cheese Danish, this coiled loaf is bursting with swirls of sweetened cream cheese and tart cherries.

12 of 31

Sour-Cherry and Lemon-Verbena Sherbet

Naho Kubota
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A cup of milk adds just the right amount of richness to this tart, refreshing summer treat.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 31

Albaloo Polo

Mikkel Vang
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This Persian side dish features saffron-infused rice layered with sour cherry preserves.

14 of 31

Sour Cherry Preserves

Mikkel Vang
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A dash of sugar makes this sour cherry preserve the perfect level of tart. Stir it into yogurt or add it to your vanilla ice cream for a delicious surprise.

15 of 31

Sour Cherry-and-Five-Spice-Lacquered Ribs

Mikkel Vang
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Baby-back ribs are glazed in this gingery soy glaze featuring sour cherries.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 31

Sour Cherry Lemonade

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Fresh sour cherries get simmered in a sweet syrup that's then stirred into tart sparkling lemonade.

17 of 31

Cherry Pie with Almond Crumble

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

No top crust here! This sour cherry pie is crowned with a sweet, buttery mixture of almonds instead.

18 of 31

Sour Cherry Cordials

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

We look forward to making this cocktail every summer. Tart cherries are simmered with sweetened Muscat wine until syrupy, then topped with gin and seltzer. Garnish with fresh cherries and lemon zest.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 31

Black Forest Upside-Down Cakes

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Sour cherries are the perfect way to cut the richness of this decadent chocolate dessert.

20 of 31

Sour Cherry Frangipane Tart

Mikkel Vang
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In the style of French country tarts, fresh fruit is arranged in a filled tart shell before baking. The almonds in this frangipane-style filling complement the flavor of cherries perfectly. This is an easy summer tart to make; the crumbly crust doesn't require any rolling. Dust with confectioner's sugar just before serving.

21 of 31

Sour Cherry-Pistachio Crisp

Dana Gallagher
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Our crisp has more than a pound and a half of pitted sour cherries crowned with a brown-sugar-dusted oat-and-pistachio topping for lots of crunch.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 31

Sour Cherry Crumb Cakes

Simon Watson
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This picnic-perfect handheld dessert combines tender buttermilk cake dotted with fresh sour cherries, topped with a sweet cinnamon-kissed crumble.

23 of 31

Cherry Orange Bourbon

Emily Kate Roemer
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Bourbon infused with tart cherries and a strip of orange zest makes a delicious cocktail base. Simply add seltzer or ginger ale or use it in our Sour Cherry Old-Fashioned.

24 of 31

Rustic Three-Cherry Tart

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Take advantage of cherry season with this easy-to-make tart that calls for three different varieties: Bing, golden, and sour cherries.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 31

Cherry-Vanilla Milkshake with Root Beer Granita

Victoria Pearson
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Take your vanilla milk shake from plain to next-level by adding sour cherries to the mix and topping with shards of frozen root beer.

26 of 31

Sour Cherry Pie

Kenji Toma
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

The perfect combination of tart and sweet, this familiar dessert—crowned with an old-fashioned lattice crust—evokes an era when every afternoon included pie and coffee.

27 of 31

Sour Cherry-Infused Vodka

Jen Causey

Infusing vodka with sour cherries lets you savor the flavor year-round. Wash and dry a bunch of cherries; slash the bottom of each with the tip of a paring knife. Fill a resealable jar with them; top with vodka, fully submerging the fruit. Store in a cool, dark place for at least a month before taking a sip. The vodka will keep for up to a year.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

28 of 31

Sour Cherry Savarins

Yunhee Kim
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Take this classic French dessert for a summery spin by mounding plump sour cherries simmered in a sweet wine syrup on top of the airy, ring-shaped cakes.

29 of 31

Sour Cherry Preserves

Maria Robledo
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

The season for sour cherries is short, but with this preserve recipe you can enjoy their tart flavor year-round.

30 of 31

Sour Cherry Charlotte

Sang An
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Thinly sliced bread is used instead of the traditional ladyfingers, and it's baked in a jumbo-muffin tin instead of a special mold. Fill it with all the sour cherries you can get your hands on and serve with a balsamic-laced cherry compote.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

31 of 31

Sour Cherry Bounce

Mikkel Vang
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A rumored favorite of George Washington, the cherry-infused spirit needs to sit for at least a week and up to one month before being chilled and served ice-cold.

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Advertisement