Summertime means warmer weather, vacations, and an abundance of seasonal produce, including one of our favorites: fresh, sweet cherries. We love baking with cherries—using them in traditional pie and crisp recipes—but they're also delicious with more simple preparations, such as dipping them in melted chocolate.
You may be surprised that cherries work so well in savory dishes, such as a fruit salad dressed with balsamic vinegar and cracked black pepper or as a topping on crostini with a creamy goat cheese. You can also serve cherries over grilled or sautéed fish, which provides a pop of color and burst of sweetness.
Here we're bringing summer's finest sweet cherries centerstage with a handful of scrumptious fresh cherry recipes.
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Martha's Sour Cherry Pie
We'd argue that summer isn't complete until you make this sour cherry pie, which is one of Martha's personal favorites. The tang of fresh sour cherries combined with a sweet filling and a buttery pate brisee crust makes each bite delightful.
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Pear and Sour Cherry Flat Pie
Bursts of cherry, pear, and spices come together in this cherry recipe that's perfect for summer get-togethers. It uses store-bought puff pastry to cut down on prep time and incorporates fresh lemon juice for a nice zing. This recipe technically calls for dried cherries, but you can substitute fresh cherries when they're in season.
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Cherry-Raspberry Semifreddo
Chill out with this frozen dessert made with a combination of sweet cherries and frozen raspberries, as well as elderflower liqueur, which lends a light floral flavor.
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Roasted Cherries With Tofu "Panna Cotta"
Panna cotta is a traditional gelatin-based Italian dessert, but this vegan version gets its body from silken tofu. We dress the protein-packed ingredient up with a luscious fruit topping made from roasted cherries and fresh raspberries tossed in a combination of honey and lemon juice.
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Rustic Cherry-Apricot Tart
Looking for a more casual dessert that's just as delicious and appealing as a fruit pie? Try this galette, which is filled with a combination of sliced apricots and fresh sweet cherries; the fruits are tossed with sugar for sweetness and cornstarch to thicken their juices.
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Cherry Cobbler
The biscuit topping on this classic cherry cobbler is extra rich and tender thanks to the addition of heavy cream. If you're making the recipe after cherry season, feel free to use frozen.
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Berries-and-Cherries Ice Cream Cake
Talk about a showstopper! Fresh cherries pull double duty here: they're folded into the vanilla ice cream layer and left whole to garnish the top.
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Baked Cherry Crisp
Store-bought phyllo dough is dressed up with cinnamon sugar, topped with cherries, and baked in this simple but scrumptious dessert.
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Heirloom Tomatoes With Cherries, Balsamic, and Hyssop
Quality is key in this five-ingredient fresh cherry recipe, so splurge on the best heirloom and cherry tomatoes, Bing cherries, balsamic vinegar, and herbs (we used fresh anise-hyssop leaves and flowers) you can find.
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Cherry-Cheese Strudel Pie
This crowd-pleasing fresh cherry recipe showcases a custard-like combination of cream cheese, ricotta, and egg marbled with a homemade tart cherry sauce. The blind baking technique and strategic scoring makes for a feather-light puff pastry crust.
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Coconut-Cherry Smoothie
You only need three ingredients—frozen cherries, coconut water, and fresh lime juice—to whip up this refreshing, not-too-sweet treat.
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Cherry and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
Cherries baked with thyme make a spectacular topping for thick slices of toast slathered with fresh goat cheese.
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Chocolate Cherry Cake
A splash of kirsch (cherry brandy) intensifies the flavor of the cherry topping for this decadent chocolate cake.
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Rustic Cherry Tart With Ricotta and Almonds
A crisp almond pastry crust is spread with creamy ricotta and topped with macerated cherries in this sensational summer dessert.
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Whole-Grain Strawberry-Cherry Crisp
Two of our favorite summer fruits come together under a crunchy oat-and-coconut topping in this better-for-you crisp.
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Drunken Cherries With Mascarpone Cream
Toss fresh cherries with grappa, lemon zest and juice, fennel seeds, and pepper, then let the flavors mingle in the fridge. Serve with vanilla-scented mascarpone cream and homemade Lemon-Almond Biscotti.
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Sweet Cherry Pie
Bing cherries need little more than a homemade crust to shine in this summer pie—just add a touch of sugar, cornstarch, and fresh lemon juice.
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No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake
Balsamic vinegar and cinnamon add a tangy, spicy depth to the fresh cherry topping for this cheesecake.
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Grilled Tilapia With Cherry Salsa
Firm, meaty tilapia is a great choice for the grill. This sweet-and-spicy salsa made with Bing cherries, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice takes the flame-kissed fillets to the next level.
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