This fresh cherry cobbler is made from scratch with sweet cherries, a simple buttery topping, and just the right amount of tartness. It’s an easy cherry cobbler with fresh cherries that works great with sour cherries or bing cherries too. You’ll love having one of the best homemade cobbler recipes for quick summer desserts that are light, healthy, and full of flavor. Pin this cherry dessert now to keep your favorite easy summer recipes right at your fingertips!

easy cherry cobbler with fresh cherries and a golden crust in a white baking dish

Why this is the best easy cherry cobbler with fresh cherries

This is an easy dessert. Cook the fresh cherry filling, mix the crust, layer them, then bake. That's all there is to it!

This fresh cherry dessert is delicious! The combination of juicy cherries, rich vanilla, sweet almond extract makes this a treat that will will delight both kids and adults alike. The contrast between the syrupy cherry filling and the crunchy texture of the cobbler topping is sublime. You won't want to stop at one serving!

Most of the ingredients for this easy recipe are common and easy to find. You probably have most of the simple ingredients to make this easy cherry cobbler recipe already in your pantry. I prefer to use vanilla bean paste in baked goods, which I buy on Amazon, but you can substitute vanilla extract if you need to.

The ingredients for fresh cherry cobbler are inexpensive. Flour, sugar, butter - these are super cheap ingredients! The cherries might cost a bit more, but if you buy them from a local farmer, they'll be cheap, too!

Easy cherry cobbler is allergy-friendly. As written, this recipe is soy-free and egg-free. Using a non-dairy milk and a vegan butter will make it dairy-free. Using a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking mix will make it gluten-free. Leaving out the almond extract will make it nut-free. Any or all of these substitutions would still make a great-tasting cherry cobbler.

What you'll need to make fresh cherry cobbler

Equipment

Cherry pitter - I think a cherry pitter is a handy little gadget to have, but if you don't buy fresh cherries a lot, it's probably not worth it to buy one. (Though you can also use it for olives, if you buy them from time to time.) At any rate, there are instructions below for pitting cherries with a paring knife instead of a cherry pitter.
Citrus juicer - You need something to get the lemon juice out of your lemon. I suggest a handy citrus press, but you can do it with a fork in a pinch. Search for how to juice a lemon using a fork on YouTube.
Sifter - You will need to sift the dry ingredients together. If you don't have a sifter, you can use a metal colander.
2½ quart baking dish or an 8x8 baking dish - The important thing is that you need a 2½ quart baking dish. The shape doesn't matter. An 8x8 pan is just the right size, but a 9x9 would also work, or a round or oval shape, as I have used.

Ingredients

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

Cherry Filling

Fresh sweet cherries - This recipe was written for fresh dark sweet cherries, but you can also use sour cherries or bing cherries. If you are using sour or tart cherries, do everything the same, but taste the cherry filling mixture before you put it in the baking pan. If it's too tart, double the white sugar and heat it until the sugar is melted. Taste it again and make sure it's sweet enough. You shouldn't have to add sugar a third time, but you can if you think you need to. Taste it often.
Granulated white sugar - This is plain old white sugar. Nothing fancy. I have never made this recipe with a sugar substitute, so I can't say how that will turn out.
Water - This helps to make the filling by melting the sugar and creating a sauce.
Fresh lemon juice - I am a huge proponent of fresh citrus. The stuff in the plastic lemon is not the same and will not taste the same in your recipe. You shouldn't notice the flavor of lemon juice in your cooked cherry filling, but if you're using sweet cherries, you need the tart acidity of the lemon juice to balance out the sweet flavors. If you're using sour cherries, do not add lemon juice.
Cornstarch - This helps thicken the sauce. You can't leave it out unless you use all-purpose flour. If you're nervous about the cornstarch getting clumpy in your sauce, you can mix it with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and then add the slurry to your cherry mixture.
Vanilla bean paste - I love vanilla bean paste for its strong, rich vanilla flavor. Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol for a long time and then removing the beans and using just the liquid. Vanilla bean paste is made from highly concentrated vanilla extract, then crushed vanilla beans are added to the thick, syrupy paste. Vanilla bean paste has an intense vanilla flavor that I love in baked goods, ice cream, and everything in between.
Almond extract - This is optional but adds a delicious sweet note to the cherries. Almond and cherry is one of my favorite flavor combinations for a reason - it tastes amazing!

one serving of fresh cherry cobbler topped with whipped cream

Cobbler Topping

All-purpose flour - This is the foundation of your cobbler topping. You can use a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking mix if you need to make a gluten-free cherry cobbler.
Granulated white sugar - This is necessary to sweeten the cobbler crust. You can use a sugar substitute here. Refer to the package for conversion instructions.
Baking powder - This is a leavening agent that will take your flour and sugar mixture and turn it into a beautiful, golden crust.
Table salt - Just plain old table salt here. Nothing fancy. This is also a leavening agent, in addition to balancing out the sweetness from the sugar and the cherries.
Butter - It doesn't matter whether you use salted or unsalted butter. Salted butter contains less than a teaspoon of salt per pound of butter, so it rarely matters which one you use. The amount of added salt is negligible.
Milk - I use whole milk, but you can use whatever milk you want, dairy or non-dairy. This is just for making the crust mixture into a paste that you can spread on top of the cherry filling.

For serving

Vanilla ice cream - This link goes to my homemade vanilla ice cream recipe. It's way better than store-bought, but you can buy some if you prefer.
Whipped topping

How to make easy cherry cobbler with fresh cherries

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Rub a 2½ quart pan with butter (or spray with cooking spray) and set aside.
Prepare the cherries by removing the stems, rinsing, and patting them dry. Pit the cherries and cut each one in half. If you don't have a cherry pitter, see below for instructions to remove the seeds with a paring knife.
Stir together cherries, ⅓ cup sugar, water, lemon juice, cornstarch (prepare a slurry if you prefer, see note in the ingredients section above), and vanilla bean paste in a medium saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil.
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Reduce to medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. When the mixture is thick and syrupy, remove it from the heat and allow to cool slightly while preparing the topping.
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Sift together flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.
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Cut the butter in with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture is uniformly crumbly.
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Add the milk, and mix until combined.
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Pour the cherry filling into the prepared pan.
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Sprinkle topping crumbles over the cherry filling, using a spoon to spread it out to the edges..
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Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until cobbler crust is golden brown and cherries are bubbly around the edges. If the crust starts to brown too much, cover it with aluminum foil.
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The cherry sauce will be very thin when it is freshly out of the oven, but it will thicken as it cools. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Top with whipped topping and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Variations & substitutions

This cherry cobbler can easily be made into a raspberry cobbler, a blueberry cobbler, a peach cobbler, or almost any fruit. You get the idea. The process to make the fruit filling is largely the same. (Here's my fresh blueberry cobbler recipe which is a big different - and easier - but equally delicious!) Or you can use any fruit pie filling from the grocery store.

To make fresh cherry cobbler gluten-free, use cornstarch to thicken the cherry filling and use a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking mix for the crust.

fresh cherry cobbler with a golden crust and fresh cherries in a white baking dish

You can use frozen cherries in place of the fresh ones. Simply omit the water and heat them as directed.

You can use an equal amount of vanilla extract in place of the vanilla bean paste.

If you're in a pinch, you can use cherry pie filling instead of cooking the fresh cherry filling.

You can add walnuts, pecans, or aliced almonds to the crust mixture.

a close up of one serving of easy cherry cobbler with fresh cherries on a white plate with a fork

How to pit cherries without a cherry pitter

A cherry pitter is a handy tool to have, but if you rarely buy fresh cherries, it's not entirely necessary. Follow these instructions to pit the cherries with a paring knife instead. It will take you about 20 minutes to pit 1½ pounds of cherries using this method.

Remove pits from cherries by slicing with a paring knife all around the center of the cherry. Twist each side of the cherry to open. Using the tip of the knife, carefully pry out the pit from the bottom of the cherry (not near the stem), and the pit will pop out. If the pit is hard to remove, use your thumb instead.

fresh cherry cobbler with fresh cherries and a golden crust in a white baking dish

Storing leftovers

Allow leftover cherry cobbler to cool to room temperature before covering tightly with plastic wrap and storing in the refrigerator. It will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Since you want to serve cherry cobbler warm, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave or the whole pan in a 325ºF oven.

Cherry cobbler can be stored for 2-4 weeks in the freezer. When fully cooled, wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil or transfer to an airtight container and freeze. To serve frozen cobbler, move it to the fridge overnight to thaw and then heat in a 325ºF oven until heated through.

Easy Cherry Cobbler with Fresh Cherries

Why this is the best easy cherry cobbler with fresh cherries