Craving a dessert that's easy to make and full of sweet flavor? Meet Cherry Crunch. In this delicious dessert, cherry pie filling sits in between two layers of buttery, sugar-spiced, crumbled Rice Chex. This sweet treat is perfect for a busy weeknight and will also make a wonderful addition to any holiday dessert table.

Cherry Crunch, much like Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake, is quite a tasty treat. Crushed Rice Chex are mixed with a little butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt (that's it!). And the best part is that what you see on the top is also on the bottom.
There's no separate bowl or topping, because frankly, the crumb mixture is good as both a base and topping. You simply divide it in half, pat one portion into the bottom of an 8x8 pan, spread on the cherry pie filling, and then top it with the remaining mixture and bake.
Why you'll love it
Easy: Using a can of cherry pie filling is a great timesaver. There's also hardly any mixing involved and only one bowl is needed. Simple ingredients: There's only 7 ingredients, and you most likely have the majority of them already on hand. Full of fantastic cherry flavor: Do you sometimes find yourself asking: "What can I make with cherry pie filling?" This recipe is the answer. Every delicious bite is bursting with sweet cherry goodness. Great for the winter holidays: With its beautiful, vibrant red, this dessert makes a wonderful addition to any holiday gathering. You can also double it to feed more of a crowd. |
Ingredients
- Rice Chex- finely crush this for best results
- flour
- brown sugar- light or dark brown is fine; dark brown will give the topping a richer flavor
- cinnamon
- salt
- butter
- cherry pie filling- avoid light cherry pie filling for this recipe as it's too runny
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Start making Cherry Crunch by crushing the Rice Chex. Place the Chex in a freezer bag, seal it, and then gently crush the cereal by lightly squeezing it from the outside with your fingers.
Place the crushed cereal, along with all the other dry ingredients, in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
Add the softened butter to the bowl. Use a pastry blender to fully incorporate it with the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Press half of the crumb mixture into the prepared 8x8 pan.
Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the crumbs.
Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until crumbs are lightly browned.
Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
We enjoy Cherry Crunch served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's also good cold right out of the fridge.
Equipment
- freezer bag (quart size)
- 1 large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing spoon
- pastry cutter
- can opener
- 8x8 inch square pan, lightly greased
Storage
Cover with foil or store in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Just know that the longer Cherry Crunch sits, the soggier it gets (but it still tastes great!).
To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and place in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
📋Recipe
Cherry Crunch
Ingredients
- 2 & ¼ cups Rice Chex, crushed to 1 cup
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Place the Chex in a freezer bag, seal it, and then gently crush the cereal by lightly squeezing it from the outside with your fingers.
- Place the crushed cereal, along with all the other dry ingredients, in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add the softened butter to the bowl. Use a pastry blender to fully incorporate it with the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press half of the crumb mixture into the prepared 8x8 pan.
- Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the crumbs. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until crumbs are lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
- Cover leftovers with foil or store in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and place in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Gail V. says
I really like how easy this recipe is. Cherry pie filling is my favorite and it's nice to have a different way to enjoy it.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
Thanks for your feedback! I agree, it's so easy to make and eat!