Tart Cherry Crisp with Panko-Pistachio Topping

I just returned home from a lovely week in Northern Michigan. My family visits the Traverse City area every year, and one of our favorite activities is cherry picking. We always seem to be overly ambitious with our picking, and this year we came back with around 50 pounds of cherries. We picked a combination of dark sweet cherries and tart cherries, specifically Balatons.

I have been very eager to start baking with the tart cherries. The first thing I made was cherry crisp! It just screams summer comfort. The warm, jammy fruit. The golden, buttery topping. The contrast of tart and sweet in every bite. And while there are many versions of this classic dessert, this tart cherry crisp with a panko-pistachio topping has become a staple in my kitchen—for its texture, flavor, and the way it makes the whole house smell like something magical is about to come out of the oven.

Let’s Talk Cherries

There are so many varieties of both sweet and sour cherries out there. Montmorency, Balaton, Morello, Rainier, Bing—each brings its own nuance. But this recipe is written specifically for tart cherries, which offer a bright, tangy flavor that balances beautifully with the sweet crumble topping. You can absolutely use frozen tart cherries if that’s what you have—just make sure to thaw them fully and drain off any excess juice before starting the recipe.

Why We Macerate

The first step in the recipe is to macerate the cherries, which is just a fancy way of saying I toss them with sugar, cornstarch, and a splash of almond extract and let them sit for a bit—at least 10 minutes, or up to an hour. This step draws out the natural juices in the cherries and creates a luscious syrup that enhances the flavor and softens the fruit. 

A Note on Thickening

No one wants a cherry crisp that’s more like cherry soup. To keep the filling from being too runny, I use cornstarch as a thickener. One tip: mix the cornstarch with the sugar before adding it to the fruit. This helps prevent any clumping. And here’s the important part: for cornstarch to do its job, the filling needs to bubble in the oven and reach around 203 degrees Fahrenheit. So don’t pull it out too soon! If the topping starts to get too dark before the filling is cooked all the way, tent the crisp with aluminum foil.

The Crisp Secret: Cold Butter

The topping starts with cold butter. Why cold? Because when small pieces of butter melt during baking, they create steam, which gives you that dreamy crisp and crumbly texture. If the butter is too soft, it just melts into the topping and leaves you with a greasy topping instead of a crisp one.

Why Panko?

Now for the fun twist: panko breadcrumbs. Unlike flour traditional breadcrumbs, panko stays light and crunchy even after baking. It resists sogginess better than flour-based toppings, adding a texture that holds up beautifully against the juicy fruit.

The Magic of Pistachios

To finish it off, I add chopped pistachios to the topping. They bring a sweet, buttery, and slightly earthy flavor that plays perfectly with the tart cherries, plus they add extra crunch. Don’t love pistachios? Feel free to swap in your favorite nut—or leave them out altogether.

This cherry crisp is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but my husband has been known to sneak a spoonful cold from the fridge the next morning, too. However you serve it, it’s one of those desserts that just feels like summer—no matter the season.

Tart Cherry Pistachio Crisp

Yield: 8–10 servings

Prep time: ABout 15 minutes

Bake time: About 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the filling

• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar 
• 4 tablespoons (32 grams) cornstarch 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 cups (900 grams) pitted fresh or frozen tart cherries
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

For the topping

• 1 cup (80 grams) rolled oats 
• 1 cup (60 grams) panko bread crumbs 
• 3/4 cup (160 grams) brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (30 grams) shelled, unsalted pistachios, chopped 
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 Tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter, diced
• Optional: Sparkling sugar for added crunch

Directions

For the filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch or 9-inch pie pan.
2. Mix together sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
3. Add cherries and almond extract and mix well to combine. Set aside to let cherries macerate while making topping.

For the topping

1. Combine oats, panko bread crumbs, brown sugar, pistachios, cardamom, cinnamon and salt.
2. Add butter and rub into dry mixture until combined and crumbly.
3. Sprinkle topping evenly over cherries. Sprinkle optional sparkling sugar on top.
4. Bake 45-50 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and topping is golden brown. Filling should register around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Rest for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy room temperature or warm with vanilla ice cream.

Storage Instructions

• Room temperature: Cover and keep for 1 day.
• Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 4 days; re-crisp in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes.
• Freezer: Freeze unbaked crisp for up to 1 month; bake from frozen with 10–15 extra minutes.

Zapple Crisp

 

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

It’s zucchini season and you or someone you know is probably overloaded with zucchini. Fortunately, it is an incredibly versatile ingredient. So versatile, in fact, that it makes a great apple substitute in apple crisp. I first saw “zapple crisp” on TikTok and thought “No way!” But it actually works really well. I can almost guarantee no one would notice the substitution (I tricked my own family). Zucchini slices even look like apple slices once the seeds are removed!

I don’t recommend doing a straight substitute of zucchini using your favorite apple crisp recipe. There are a few changes you need to make in order for it to taste more like apple. You definitely need to use lemon juice to make it a little tart. Additionally, I used a little cream of tartar, which is an acidic ingredient and it gives baked goods a slightly sour, tangy taste (that’s what gives snickerdoodles their unique flavor).

Additionally, how you slice the zucchini is very important. You have to remove the peel and the seeds.. When you do those two things, the zucchini slices really look like apple slices.

One more thing I want to point out—I baked this in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. It would certainly fit in an 8x8 or 9x9, but you get a better crisp topping to zucchini filling ratio when you spread it out in a larger dish.

I also want to point out that I used melted butter in the crisp topping. If you use cold butter pieces crumbled into the oats and flour, the topping won't crisp and the texture isn't as good. It's called zapple CRISP for a reason! But if you start with melted butter, the topping will brown and crisp better on top of the filling. I use Challenge unsalted butter in this recipe because it's churned daily from the freshest 100% real pasteurized sweet cream.

Zapple Crisp

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the zucchini filling

• 2 pounds zucchini
• 105 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 8 grams (1 Tablespoon) all-purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the crisp topping

• 210 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
• 120 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour 
• 90 grams (1 cup) rolled oats
• 8 Tablespoons (1/2 cup) Challenge unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

For the zucchini filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 11x7-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Peel zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Remove seeds from center of zucchini and slice into 1/8-inch pieces. They should resemble apple slices. Place in large bowl.
3. Mix remaining filling ingredients and add to bowl with zucchini slices. Mix until slices are evenly coated. Spread evenly in baking dish.

For the crisp topping

1. Mix all topping ingredients and spread evenly over zucchini filling.
2. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crisp topping is golden brown.
3. Zapple crisp is best served hot with vanilla ice cream.