I had never baked with sweet cherries until just a few years ago, when our daughter found a picture of a fresh cherry pie in my Bon Appetit magazine. As much as I had wanted to just pluck the stems from the cherries I had brought home and pop them in my mouth, one by one…I couldn’t deny Hatti’s zeal for that pie she found. So we made our first fresh sweet cherry pie.
And what a treat that pie turned out to be! It is now a summer tradition at our house.
This summer I came up with a new way to enjoy baked sweet cherries. This time in individual form, which I think is so much fun.
These Island Cherry Crumbles with Creamy Lime Whip are nothing short of amazing. With a touch of coconut and a whipped topping that is not only ultra creamy, but also bright and zesty with fresh lime, I am transported to an island of sweet cherry bliss.
Add another sweet cherry summer tradition to our family’s recipe list!
Island Cherry Crumbles with Creamy Lime Whip
Ingredients
- for the filling:
- ½ c. sugar
- 2 T. cornstarch
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- 4 c. pitted fresh dark sweet cherries left whole
- 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
- for the crumble topping:
- ⅓ c. shredded coconut
- ⅓ c. all-purpose flour
- ⅓ c. rolled oats not quick cooking oats
- ⅓ c. brown sugar
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 5 T. unsalted butter at room temperature (do not melt), cut into 1/2″ pieces
- for the creamy lime whip:
- 1 c. whipping cream
- 4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- ¾ c. powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
- 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- optional garnish:
- ¼ c. sliced almonds toasted
- ¼ c. coconut toasted
- fresh lime slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Place six 1-cup ramekins or half-pint canning jars on a large rimmed baking pan. Set aside.
for the filling:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in cherries, lemon juice, and vanilla. Set aside.
for the crumble topping:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut, flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until you have large pea-size crumbs.
- Stir the cherry filling well and then divide between the six ramekins. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the cherry filling and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until crumble topping is golden and the cherry filling is bubbling. Remove to wire rack to cool.
for the creamy lime whip:
- Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Then remove the whipped cream to another bowl and set aside. Using the same bowl and beater(s) as you used with the cream, beat the cream cheese until completely smooth and creamy (no lumps!). Add powdered sugar, lime zest, and lime juice. Beat again until smooth.
- Gently fold the whipped cream back into the cream cheese mixture until fully incorporated.
to assemble the island cherry crumbles:
- I like to eat these while they are still just a bit warm from the oven. Add a dollop of creamy lime whip to the tops of each crumble and then sprinkle with toasted almonds and coconut. Finish with a fresh lime slice.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Once you are in this position, take a deep breath and keep your back straight while moving
forward with one leg. The other way to reduce the fat on
your inner thighs is to walk or run outdoors as much as you can.
If you think you’re going to lose it with a quick weight loss pill or crazy fad diet then you’re dead
wrong.
Brenda, I found your blog through our shared Pinterest board. I’ve been seeing your pins / posts and have always been tempted with your creations – that’s why I cam over here! This looks absolutely delicious! Cherries are a fave, so I always like to save nice recipes like this!
Oh my lands! The lime and coconut with the cherries sounds amazing. :)
This look amazing!!
These look amazing! I love love love the cherry recipes right now. I can’t get enough of them.
I love the addition of fresh lime in the topping!
Gorgeous!! I have never been a big an of cherries, but I have a feeling that if I tried this I would change my mind! You are such a gifted and creative baker!!
Love the crumble in jars! Once again your made me drool on my keyboard
You’re killin’ me Smalls!
Oh Brenda, these look and sound so yummy! Love the idea of the cherry/coconut/ lime combo.
I’m enjoying all these fruity treats you’ve been posting! And these are so adorable all nestled in little jars – very cool!
Besides the warmer weather, I think the best thing about summer is all the beautiful fruits and veggies. We’ve been enjoying the cherries lately, for sure. Love, love, love!!
Cherry pie is my husband’s favourite. I’m pretty sure if I made him this scrumptious looking cherry crumble he would be hard pressed not to put it on the top of his list of favourite cherry desserts.
I would always say my mom’s peach pie is my #1 pie. But after making fresh cherry pie, it gives the peach a run for the money. So good!!
Individual crumbles are the best. I can never say no to anything with sweet cherries! :)
This sounds fantastic…the crumble topping is divine over a bed of sweet cherries!!
This looks and sounds amazing. I love that you used coconut and lime to top it all off for the tropical island feel. I love this flavor combination. :)
I love sweet cherries or tart cherries for that matter–I just LOVE cherries. This recipe sounds awesome. My question is can you make it in a baking pan instead of the cute individual containers, like you did? I don’t have those and want to try this NOW! :-)
Yes, this could definitely be made in a pan. It will be more loose, but you’d still get the same effect. If you use a 9″ square pan or a pie pan, I would increase all ingredients, though. I would for sure add another 1/2 recipe. Maybe even double it, depending on how thick you want it. If you try it, please let me know what you did, thanks!
You’ve made me realize that I don’t think I have ever baked with fresh cherries either! This recipe may just change that though!
Baked cherry desserts are an amazing revelation!! Have a great weekend, Mercedes!
I love that you put these crumbles in mason jars!