Cherry Almond Crumble

Plump sweet cherries are complemented by a crunchy oatmeal, almond, and cinnamon crumble in this simple Cherry Crumble.

I have a tendency to be a tad overzealous when it comes to in-season produce. The first time I see sweet cherries appear at the grocery store, I go temporarily insane and decide I need eight bags.

Our family can easily polish off a single bag of cherries by eating them like popcorn during a movie. But we have a little trouble when it comes to the remaining “I obviously wasn’t thinking clearly” bags.

Really, this crumble was a necessity. I can’t bear to let such sweet gems go to waste, so I had to find a use for them, and fast.

You already know about my undying affection for cobblers, crisps, crumbles and anything that’s served with a giant scoop of ice cream on top, so I knew that was the way to go. And of course, I wanted to use our all time favorite Apple and Blueberry Crumble as inspiration.

Sometimes, these things surprise you. I mean, I expected this to be good. (It’s fruit covered in sugar and butter, after all). But when I make something mainly just so I can use up an ingredient before it goes bad, I don’t necessarily expect it to be knock-your-trousers-off good. (Note: this did not actually knock anyone’s trousers off. That would have been awkward).

This dessert received rave reviews from our out of town guests and the Mr. (who claimed he doesn’t usually like cherry desserts) couldn’t stop raving about it.

Lucky for all of us, this recipe is super easy to make. The hardest part is pitting the cherries (a cherry pitter is the one single-use gadget I actually feel is worth the space it takes up). From there, it’s smooth sailing. I tossed the cherries with a bit of sugar, flour, and vanilla, then quickly cut some butter into flour and sugar for the crunchy, nutty, cinnamony crumble.

I made a few changes to the original recipe, including one and a halfing (is that even a word?) the crumble. I always find myself longing for more crunchy topping, and this time I finally realized I’m the one making it so I can make as much crumble as I want! This is why being an adult is awesome.

I also omitted the almond extract because, well, I hate it, but feel free to add some if you’d like.The sliced almonds were an absolutely lovely addition though. They made the whole thing extra crunchy and paired wonderfully with the cherries. And of course, the whole sweet, fruity, buttery thing was made perfect with a big scoop of ice cream on top.

I hope you’ll give this Cherry Almond Crumble a try before the cherries disappear from the shelves again (sob). After all, a little temporary insanity is worth it for a dessert like this.

Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Looking for more fruity summer desserts? Try these out!

Blackberry Peach Cobbler

Peach Crumb Pie

Cherry, Nectarine, and Strawberry Crisp,

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cobbler