Grandma’s Favorite Cherry Desserts
Updated: Jul. 05, 2022Pies, cobblers, cakes and more—Grandma's favorite cherry desserts are a revival of simpler days, amazing flavors and time well spent in the kitchen.
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Macaroon Cherry Pie
I use homegrown cherries in this bountiful pie with its unique crunchy coconut topping. But I’ve found that purchased tart cherries yield a dessert that’s nearly as delicious. I always bake this pie around Presidents Day or Valentine’s Day, but it’s popular with my family in any season. —Lori Daniels, Beverly, West Virginia
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Amaretto Cherries with Dumplings
You can’t beat the combination of almond flavor with cherries. These light and fluffy dumplings are heavenly. Topped with the sauce and ice cream, it makes for a scrumptious dessert. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Cherry Plum Slab Pie with Walnut Streusel
I love to make desserts with fruit all summer, and this cherry slab pie is wonderful because you can quickly make it for a crowd. The crumbly, nutty streusel is perfect with fruit. You can make your own pastry or use store-bought pie crust. —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah
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Dutch Oven Chocolate Dump Cake
Looking for a quick dessert that will make people think you spent all day in the kitchen? This Dutch oven dump cake will wow your guests. Feel free to use your favorite pie filling in place of cherry. — Rashanda Cobbins, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Cherry Pudding Cake
A cross between a cake and a cobbler, this dessert is a hit whenever I make it to share at a potluck. My family insists I make an extra batch to leave at home. A neighbor shared the recipe over 30 years ago. —Brenda Parker, Kalamazoo, Michigan
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Homemade Cherry Crisp
Our family loves this pretty, tasty dessert. It uses convenient pie filling, so you can make it in no time—and it takes mere minutes to heat in the microwave. —Laurie Todd, Columbus, Mississippi
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Cherry Hand Pies
There’s nothing better than a sweet, from-scratch delight like traditional cherry pie. These precious little hand pies always go fast when I sell them at my pie bakery! —Allison Cebulla, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Cherry Rhubarb Crunch
My husband’s grandmother gave me this recipe, along with a bundle of rhubarb, when we were first married. I had never cared for rhubarb, but after trying this dessert, I changed my mind. Now my children dig in, too! —Sharon Wasikowski, Middleville, Michigan
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Cherry Upside-Down Bread Pudding
I’ve always loved bread pudding, and I enjoy fixing this for my family on a chilly day. You could use a different flavor of pie filling and omit the chocolate chips to make a completely different dessert. It’s always delicious! —Ronna Farley, Rockville, Maryland
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Fresh Cherry Pie
If you’re looking to learn how to make a cherry pie, this recipe is the place to start. This ruby-red cherry pie is just sweet enough, with a hint of almond flavor and a good level of cinnamon. The cherries peeking out of the lattice crust makes it so pretty, too. I like to make a few of these cherry pies throughout the summer. —Josie Bochek, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
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Cherry Bounce
Smooth and with the fragrant flavor of sweet cherries, this homemade cherry bounce makes a wonderful holiday gift. For an additional treat, the drained cherries are delicious over vanilla ice cream. —Matt Warren, Mequon, Wisconsin
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Cherry Chocolate Nut Cookies
Each Christmas, I make about 600 cookies to share with family and friends. The holidays wouldn’t be the same without several batches of these colorful goodies. —Sybil Brown, Highland, California
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Chocolate Chip-Cherry Chunk Cookies
My grandmas and mom created this recipe with chocolate chips, cherries and spices, a combo of their favorite parts of different cookies. Then dad made ice cream to turn them into ice cream sandwiches. We’d eat these sandwiches in the summer heat, each bite cooling us as the ice cream melted down our arms. —Wade Rouse, Fennville, Michigan. For more info on author Wade Rouse, please visit www.ViolaShipman.com
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Cherry and Chocolate Ice Cream Pie
We took cherry pie to a whole new level as a frozen treat. With a luscious layer of chocolate fudge inside, this is one impressive pie. —Scarlett Elrod, Newnan, Georgia
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Cinnamon Roll Cherry Cobbler
Red Hots and canned cherries flavor this memorable dessert from my childhood. I hadn’t had it in years, so when I found my mother’s recipe, I had to make it to see if it’s as good as I remembered. It is! —Betty Zorn, Eagle, Idaho
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Bing Cherry-Amaretti Fool
When Bing cherries are in season, I make this fruity custard-style fool. The sweet cherries and whipped cream balance perfectly with the sour cream. —Mary Ann Lee, Clifton Park, New York
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Rhubarb Cherry Pie
As a young girl, I dreamed of being able to make pies like my mother. Her rolling pin, which I inherited, is 2 feet long and 8 inches wide! In fact, this is Mom's recipe, although I substituted cherries for the strawberries in her version. I first made this pie for a church gathering 20 years ago, and everyone's looked for it at every potluck since! —Eunice Hurt, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
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Cherry Cheese Blintzes
These elegant blintzes can be served as an attractive dessert or a brunch entree. The bright cherry sauce gives them a delightful flavor. I sometimes substitute other fruits, such as raspberries, blueberries or peaches. —Jessica Vantrease, Anderson, Alaska
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Cherry Bars
Whip up a pan of these festive bars in just 20 minutes with staple ingredients and cherry pie filling. Between the easy preparation and the pretty colors, they're destined to become a holiday classic. —Jane Kamp, Grand Rapids, Michigan
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Cherry Grunt
Back when I was cooking the hot lunch main dish for about 1,300 students a day, I liked to make this simple old-time dessert for my husband and sons. A scoop of ice cream is perfect.
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Tart Cherry Lattice Pie
Whenever my mom is invited to a party or potluck, everyone requests her homemade double-crust fruit pies. In the summer, she uses fresh tart cherries for this recipe. I love a slice topped with vanilla ice cream. —Pamela Eaton, Monclova, Ohio
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Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
These little cheesecakes make a fun dessert that's just right for cooks who don't have a lot of time for fussy recipes. Plus, you get to eat a whole mini cheesecake yourself! —Kay Keller, Morenci, Michigan
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Cherry Coconut Treats
My great-grandmother created this recipe more than 100 years ago, so it’s made many appearances at family parties. Make the treats even more fun for the holidays by using both red and green maraschino cherries. —Anne Mullen, Windsor, Ontario
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Black Forest Upside-Down Cake
The divine flavors of this simple Black Forest cake will impress your guests and leave you with many requests for the recipe! —Kimberly Campbell, Wheeling, West Virginia
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Almond Cherry Cobbler
This bubbling cherry cobbler is one of my favorite dishes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. —Melissa Wagner, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
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Minister's Delight
A friend gave me this recipe several years ago. She said a local minister's wife fixed it every Sunday, so she named it accordingly —Mary Ann Potter, Blue Springs, Missouri
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Black Forest Chocolate Torte
If you're thinking about pulling out all the stops for a dessert that says wow, look no further. This cherry-crowned beauty—stacked layers of chocolate cake and cream filling—will have everyone talking. —Doris Grotz, York, Nebraska
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Michigan Cherry Pie
This tart Michigan cherry pie is delicious with the streusel topping but even better crowned with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. —Diane Selich, Vassar, Michigan
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Cherry-Peach Dumplings
You can make this fruity dessert on your stovetop, but to really impress your guests, simmer it in an electric skillet right at the dinner table. There’s no more convenient way to enjoy the fruits of the season. —Patricia Frerk, Syracuse, New York
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Cherry-Almond Streusel Tart
Brimming with fresh cherries and topped with a crunchy streusel, this tempting tart is a great way to end dinner on a sweet note. It's elegant, tastes delicious, and is so easy to make. —Marion Lee, Mount Hope, Ontario
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Apple-Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
A layer of sweetened cream cheese topped with a tart fruit filling makes this apple cherry cheese pie popular with family, friends and co-workers. It won the blue ribbon at a local fair. —Donna L. Rettew, Jonestown, Pennsylvania
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Cherry Cream Pie
A favorite vacation spot in Wisconsin—Door County (in the "thumb" of the state)—is known for its abundance of cherry orchards, and that's where this cream pie recipe originated. We think it's a delectable dessert, with a nutty crumb crust, real whipped cream and, of course, cherry pie filling. —Carol Wencka, Greenfield, Wisconsin
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Double Cherry Pie
The combination of tart canned cherries and dried cherries make this so yummy. This is the best cherry pie I have ever raised on a fork to my lips! —Jerri Gradert, Lincoln, Nebraska
Originally Published: May 26, 2021
