30 Sour Cherry Recipes That Will Actually Make Your Summer Sweeter (2024)

19 Fresh Cherry Recipes That Strike the Balance of Tart and Sweet

Garden Salad With Herbs and Sour Cherry Dressing

Tart cherries are swiftly marinated in an easy sherry vinaigrette then placed atop this salad full of greens and fennel.

Sour-Cherry Cobbler

Easy enough to cook over a camp stove, this cobbler recipe blends tangysour cherrieswith a warm, buttery cake. The fruit drops down as the cake rises, creating a mix of sweet and tart flavors.

Roasted Rhubarb-and-Sour-Cherry Compote

This sweet-tart condiment can be used as a topping for a bowl of yogurt, as a co*cktail mixer, and beyond. Sour cherries sweeten as they cook, while rhubarb imparts a tangy flavor—but both fruits keep their signature red color as they roast.

Sbriciolata di Millefoglie With Sour Cherry Preserves

Layered between spoonfuls of preserved sour cherries and pastry cream, the light, flaky pastry completes a delicious summertime dessert.

Homemade co*cktail Cherries

Soak sour cherries in a mixture of tart cherry juice, sugar, and maraschino liqueur, then add a vanilla bean and a bay leaf and let the flavors meld in the fridge for at least one week. Any co*cktail enthusiast will love the resulting treat, especially when paired with a bottle of nice whiskey.

Martha's Sour Cherry Pie

Sour cherries have a satisfying tartness and depth that their sweet counterparts can't imitate, making them a classic choice for pies. Small holes cut into the top crust give a sneak peek of the delicious filling underneath.

Sour-Cherry Mojitos

Macerate sour cherries and fresh basil with simple syrup and lemon juice, then combine with vodka and sparkling water for the ultimate big-batch summer co*cktail.

Sour Cherry and Rosemary Focaccia

This sweet, crisp-crusted version of everyone's favorite Italian bread combines fresh sour cherries with fragrant rosemary. The result is a summertime treat that works well as an appetizer or as a slightly savory dessert.

The Firecracker

With a blend of gin and rosé wine, this festive summer drink packs a real punch. Tart cherries liven up the mix.

Cherry Gelee

We love the combination of sour cherry and rich, lightly sweetened vanilla cream in this gelee. It's as refreshing as it is elegant.

Chilled Sour Cherry Soup

This chilled soup is best served as a side dish or as an appetizer. It's refreshing but jam-packed with that delectable sour cherry taste.

Yeasted Cheese and Sour Cherry Coffee Cake

In a nod to the cheese Danish, this coiled loaf is bursting with swirls of sweetened cream cheese and tart cherries.

Sour-Cherry and Lemon-Verbena Sherbet

A cup of milk adds just the right amount of richness to this tart, refreshing summer treat.

Albaloo Polo

This Persian side dish features saffron-infused rice layered with sour cherry preserves.

Sour Cherry Preserves

A dash of sugar makes this sour cherry preserve the perfect level of tart. Stir it into yogurt or add it to your vanilla ice cream for a delicious surprise.

Sour Cherry-and-Five-Spice-Lacquered Ribs

Baby-back ribs are glazed in this gingery soy glaze featuring sour cherries, making a main dish that's bursting with complementary flavors.

Sour Cherry Lemonade

Fresh sour cherries get simmered in a sweet syrup that's then stirred into tart sparkling lemonade.

Cherry Pie With Almond Crumble

No top crust here! This sour cherry pie is crowned with a sweet, buttery mixture of almonds instead.

Sour Cherry Cordials

We look forward to making this co*cktail every summer. Tart cherries are simmered with sweetened Muscat wine until syrupy, then topped with gin and seltzer. Garnish with fresh cherries and lemon zest.

Black Forest Upside-Down Cakes

Sour cherries are the perfect way to cut the richness of this decadent chocolate dessert.

Sour Cherry Frangipane Tart

In the style of French country tarts, fresh fruit is arranged in a filled tart shell before baking. The almonds in this frangipane-style filling complement the flavor of cherries perfectly. This is an easy summer tart to make; the crumbly crust doesn't require any rolling. Dust with confectioner's sugar just before serving.

Sour Cherry-Pistachio Crisp

Our crisp has more than 1 1/2 pounds of pitted sour cherries crowned with a brown-sugar-dusted oat-and-pistachio topping for lots of crunch.

Sour-Cherry Crumble Bars

This picnic-perfect handheld dessert combines the elements of cherry pie—crust and a rich filling—with the ease of a grab-and-go treat.

Cherry Orange Bourbon

Bourbon infused with tart cherries and a strip of orange zest makes a delicious co*cktail base. Simply add seltzer or ginger ale or use it in our Sour Cherry Old-Fashioned.

Rustic Three-Cherry Tart

Take advantage of cherry season with this easy-to-make tart that calls for three different varieties: Bing, golden, and sour cherries.

Cherry-Vanilla Milkshake With Root Beer Granita

Take your vanilla milkshake from plain to next-level by adding sour cherries to the mix and topping with shards of frozen root beer.

Sour Cherry Pie

The perfect combination of tart and sweet, this familiar dessert—crowned with an old-fashioned lattice crust—evokes an era when every afternoon included pie and coffee.

Sour Cherry Savarins

Take this classic French dessert for a summery spin by mounding plump sour cherries simmered in a sweet wine syrup on top of the airy, ring-shaped cakes.

Sour Cherry Charlotte

Thinly sliced bread is used instead of the traditional ladyfingers, and it's baked in a jumbo-muffin tin instead of a special mold. Fill it with all the sour cherries you can get your hands on and serve with a balsamic-laced cherry compote.

Sour Cherry Bounce

A rumored favorite of George Washington, the cherry-infused spirit needs to sit for at least a week and up to one month before being chilled and served ice-cold.