A strawberry and cherry crumble is the perfect dessert for the summer. It is easy to make and takes advantage of the seasonal fruit. Fresh strawberries and cherries are seasoned with cardamom and balsamic vinegar and topped with a seasoned crumble. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect summer treat.
Cherries and strawberries are the perfect summer combination, and this strawberry and cherry crumble is a perfect way to use them without having to do a lot of work. You only need a bowl, food processor and baking dish for this recipe and a whole bunch of hungry people to dig in. Top this crumble with a little bit of vanilla ice cream for a perfect ending to your summer meals, or if you are like me and have a sweet tooth in the morning perfect with a cup of coffee.
Table of Contents
What is in this?
Not a whole lot and that is why it is such a great dessert. The ingredient list is small and easy to get ahold of in the summer.
Strawberries: use fresh strawberries for this recipe, they are the star of the show.
Cherries: Bing, Ranier and other sweet cherries are best for this recipe.
Balsamic vinegar: it adds acidity to help with the sweetness and the vinegar gives the dessert depth of flavor.
Cardamom: like cinnamon it is a warming spice that goes well with berries. If you don’t have any cinnamon works well too.
Why should I use fresh strawberries?
The reason for this is mainly due to the structure of the berries. When you freeze the strawberries and then they thaw they will be very mushy and hardly hold their shape. Once they are cooked and they break down, the consistency of the crumble will be more like a jelly or soup than a luxurious pie filling. Cherries do not break down as easily so in a pinch you can use them from frozen.
Making a strawberry and cherry crumble
This recipe takes only about 15 minutes to prepare and then the oven does the rest. The biggest issues with this recipe are finding the right sized baking dish and preventing oven spills. You will want a 2-quart baking dish for this recipe. This will be bigger than an 8×8 inch baking dish. If you are using a 9×9 or an oval shaped dish you will want to fill it with 2 quarts of water to be sure that it will fit. This will help with the crumble from bubbling over. If you want to make these individual servings, then bake in oven safe ramekins that are 6-8 ounces in size.
The other thing you will want to do is to put the baking dish on a sheet pan. In case some down bubble over this will prevent the filling from burning on the bottom of the oven and the smoke ruining the dish. If it does start bubbling over, you can easily replace the sheet pan and continue baking without ruining the dish or creating a lot of clean up once the oven cools.
How do I store it afterwards?
You can cover the baking dish with cling film and store in the refrigerator. However, when I want a single serving, I will store it in small mason jars and then I can easily reheat that one serving whenever I have a little craving. If you are serving in individual ramekins, then you will want to cover each with cling film and refrigerate for up to a week. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months if stored in an airtight freezable container.
Looking for other strawberry and cherry recipes?
Strawberry and Cherry Crumble
Equipment
- 2 quart baking dish
- Mixing Bowl
- Food processor
- Spoon or spatula
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
Crumble topping
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
Strawberry cherry filling
- 2 pounds strawberries hulled and quartered
- 1 pound cherries pitted
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, 177°C, or gas mark 4.
- In the food processor add the flour, butter, salt, cardamom, and sugar. Pulse until the butter is pea-sized or smaller. Set aside.1 cup flour, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup butter, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cardamom
- In a mixing bowl combine the strawberries, sugar, cherries, balsamic vinegar, and cornstarch. Mix until everything is evenly coated and pour into the baking dish.2 pounds strawberries, 1 pound cherries, ½ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Top the filling with the crumble topping evenly.
- Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 45 minutes or until golden.
Notes
Nutrition
