I'm Cherry OBSESSED & Wait All Year To Make These Recipes
The cherry on top of summer.
Summer is all about getting outside, chilling at the closest body of water, and enjoying fresh seasonal fruit… in my book, anyway. While I spread the love to all the summer fruit stars (I can’t say no to a fresh peach), cherries are what I stock up on every single summer. While I’ll enjoy them on their own anytime of day, I love incorporating them into easy desserts, snacks, cocktails (my personal favorite), and these 14 recipes are the best of the best.
I’m not just talking about fresh cherries here. I’ve been known to enjoy a maraschino cherry or two (or three or four), so I’ve included recipes that let those sticky-sweet jars shine. Ready to make the most of this sweet summer fruit? Grab a bowl for the seeds—it’s cherry time.
Cherry Cheesecake Icebox Cake
From childhood memories of my grandma's cherry cheesecake dessert lasagna comes a new classic: cherry cheesecake icebox cake. Cherry jam, whipped cheesecake, and graham crackers are layered in a loaf pan, chilled until set, then turned out and frosted with more whipped cheesecake for a cool, creamy modern dessert that still carries all the nostalgia of the original.
Frozen Cherry Coke Slushies
This childhood favorite is peak 7-Eleven nostalgia in the best possible way. Frozen cherries are blended with Coke (both frozen into cubes and straight up) with a splash of lime juice for a surprisingly balanced and totally drinkable frozen drink. The optional addition of a little booze makes for the perfect poolside or patio pounder on a sunny afternoon.
Get the Frozen Cherry Coke Slushies recipe.
Cherry Pie Slab Bars
With flaky crust and juicy-tart filling that sets just right, the classic cherry pie is the ultimate dessert for any summertime soiree, potluck, or BBQ. Best yet, the large slab format is big enough to feed a crowd of hungry party-goers; slice into bars and let folks have at it straight from the 13" x 9" pan.
Get the Cherry Pie Slab Bars recipe.
Sour Cherry Paloma
Sour cherries are an important part of the summer produce pantheon. We love using them in pies, cakes, and cobblers, but they also taste especially delicious in cocktails. We have tart cherry juice to thank for this—the sweet and sour blend isn’t just for sleepytime mocktails anymore! To celebrate summer, we present to you our favorite example: the sour cherry paloma.
Get the Sour Cherry Paloma recipe.
Peach & Cherry Shortcake Dessert Board
Strawberry shortcake is cool and all, but we’ve all done that dozens of times. Make the most of late-summer fruit with this peach and cherry shortcake. Serving everything on a large cutting board or platter makes this perfect easy dessert to share with a crowd. The best part is that you can tailor it to your favorite fruit all year round and get a unique and delicious result each time.
Cherry Pie
A homemade pie is always a worthwhile project, but taking the time to make your own cherry pie filling is something you truly won't regret. In this recipe, we use a mix of tart and sweet cherries for the best balance and ultimate cherry flavor. By cooking the filling first, you'll be sure to get a jammy filling with perfectly cooked cherries.
Get the Cherry Pie recipe.
Cherry Jam
Cherry season is always too short, so we love preserving them a little longer with this jam. Sure, you can put it on toast, but we love using this for topping thumbprint cookies or in between a layer cake.
Get the Cherry Jam recipe.
Cherry Coke Margarita Slushies
Cherry Coke? Yeah. Margarita? Uh-huh. Slushie? Yes please! These Cherry Coke margarita slushies are the official frozen drink of having it all. A Cherry Coke slushie and a frozen margarita combine in this grown-up favorite to create the most refreshing drink of the summer.
Cherry Cobbler
This easy cherry cobbler is adorned with a buttery, buttermilk biscuit topping. The cherries create their own sauce while baking, but hold their shape well and stay nice and tart.
Get the Cherry Cobbler recipe.
Cherry Dump Cake
Dump cakes: horrible name, but stupid easy and delicious. We love topping them off with slivered almonds to make this semi-homemade dessert a stunner.
Get the Cherry Dump Cake recipe.
Shirley Temple Float
Floats are our favorite low-lift summer treat and the easiest way to gussy up a pint of vanilla ice cream. With the Dirty Shirley being the drink of summer 2023, we thought, Why not float-ify it for summer 2024? The result was this foamy, fruit, smooth, and creamy confection that’s 50% drink, 50% dessert, and 100% a sweet tooth satisfier.
Get the Shirley Temple Float recipe.
Sweet 'N' Salty Chocolate Bark
The pop of tart dried cherries and salty pretzel pieces go perfectly in this bittersweet dark chocolate dessert.
Cherry Puff Pastry Pies
No cherry-pitter? No problem. Frozen cherries + store-bought puff pastry = best cherry pie shortcut ever.
Get the Cherry Puff Pastry Pies recipe.
Cherry-Lime Margarita
We used both cherry concentrate and the syrup from a maraschino cherry jar to achieve the perfect balance of tart and sweet. If desired, you can always add more maraschino syrup or regular simple syrup for an extra touch of sweetness. The glass gets rimmed with both lime zest and salt for added zing.
Get the Cherry-Lime Margarita recipe.
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