Craving a cherry dessert that’s effortless 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 magic. It’s not quite a bar, cherry cobbler or crisp, but this sweet treat is amazingly good. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight and will also make a wonderful addition to any holiday dessert table.
Enjoyed cold or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (our favorite way), this scrumptious Cherry Crunch will be going…going…gone fast!
Why We Love It
I have always been obsessed with cherry fie filling. It’s super sweet and delicious, and although canned pie fillings are not normally my thing, I’ve always had a sweet spot for the cherry.
If you’ve ever tried to bake with real cherries, you know there’s a lot of work involved with pitting and stemming them. They taste great, but they always translate to a lot of time being spent in the kitchen.
Sometimes it’s nice to take a delicious, sweet shortcut. And sometimes it’s also fun to use cherry pie filling in desserts other than a pie. Have you tried Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake yet?
This Cherry Crunch dessert was born on one of those days where I was craving cherry flavor without all the work, and craving a cherry dessert without needing a pie. It’s not quite a cherry crunch bar (though close) nor a cherry crumble or a crisp, but Cherry Crunch 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 8×8 pan, spread on the cherry pie filling, and then top it with the remaining mixture. After baking for 40 minutes, you have the perfect cherry treat.
Cherry Crunch tastes great and is so easy to make. The only question now is….Do you have your vanilla ice cream?
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?” Cherry Crunch is the answer and will not disappoint. 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. |
Cherry Crunch Ingredients
- 2 & 1/4 cups Rice Chex, crushed to 1 cup
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
How to Make Cherry Crunch
You’ll want to gather the following equipment:
- freezer bag (quart size)
- 1 large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing spoon
- pastry cutter
- can opener
- 8×8 inch square pan, lightly greased
Getting Started
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 8×8 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.
Cherry Crunch Leftovers?
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.
Cherry Crunch
Description
It's not quite a bar (though close), cherry cobbler or crisp, but Cherry Crunch is amazingly delicious. 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. After baking for 40 minutes, you have the perfect cherry treat.
Cherry Crisp
How to Make Cherry Crunch:
-
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.
The longer Cherry Crunch sits, the soggier it gets (but it still tastes great!).
Note
I always use a freezer bag to crush the Chex. Freezer bags are thicker and less likely to puncture.
Because the cherry pie filling gets super hot in the oven, you definitely want to let the dessert cool for 15 minutes before serving.
After a day or so, the base starts to get soggy. If you're making this for a gathering, try not to make it no more than one day ahead, but preferably the day of if you can.
