Searching for great tart cherry recipes? No problem, we’ve got you covered. Our list of red tart cherry recipes will give you a whole new appreciation for the summer fruit!
Cherries are a summer fruit that comes in deliciously sweet, sour, and tart varieties.
The stone fruit comes in a variety of colors, too.
The popular choice—sweet cherry—is commonly eaten as a snack and often added to sweet treats such as mini-tarts, scones, and cheesecakes.
Meanwhile, the tart cherry varieties (Prunus cerasus), like Montmorency and Morello, are extremely bitter and only enjoyed in their dried, concentrate, or frozen form.
Considered underrated, tart cherries are versatile—once you include them in both sweet and savory dishes, you won’t be able to stop eating them, and soon you’ll end up adding the edible fruits to everything!
Turned into chewy Gummies, fillings, and pies. Churned into Mint Sorbet, blended into a Chocolate Smoothie, or tossed in savory recipes—we’ve got plenty of ways for you to eat all the tart cherries this season.
#23 is my favorite!
Want more cherry sweets? Try our favorite cherry desserts as well!

This decadent dessert features two types of fresh cherries, giving the overall dish that perfectly-balanced sweet-sour flavor.
To create the treat, mix the filling ingredients, create the topping, and sprinkle it over the top.
You’re welcome!
Did you know you can make your yummy gummy bears with tart cherry juice? You heard it right!
In this recipe, the only thing you need to get in advance is the gummy bear mold.
And not only do the kids love eating these gummy bears, but they’ll also love helping to make them, too!
This sweet delight is fully loaded with tart cherry pie filling and thick buttery crumble topping.
The perfect sweetness of brown sugar crumble with the tart cherries and flaky pie crust is top-notch.
Serve it with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream to get a fall-worthy dessert.

These bars will become your new favorite treat–laden with shortbread-style crust, tart cherry pie filling, and a luscious cheesecake layer.
You can keep these crumble bars fresh by storing them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Oatmeal and sour cherries are an unexpected combo, but these chewy cookies prove that these two ingredients taste great when combined.
And warn you–you’re going to love these cookies so much that you might end up hating yourself because you can’t stop munching them.
Looking for underrated yet delectable tart cherry recipes? Look no further than these blondies!
Though the treats highlight tart-dried cherries, the inclusion of white chocolate chips also adds a rich taste to these blondies.
They’re designed to be super fudgy, so be careful when adding flour as too much of it can make these cakey.
What to do with tart cherries? First things first, turn them into a juice concentrate.
Then combine it with sparkling water and lime juice to create this refreshing drink to wind down at night!
For a variation, use citrus-flavored sparkling water instead of the plain one.
Cookies? Pie? Meh. I know you want this tart cherry and mint sorbet.
With just five ingredients, you can make this sweet, tart, and minty summer dessert.
The best part? No ice cream maker is required!
The tart cherries, along with lemon juice, mint, coconut milk, and maple syrup, are tossed in a high-speed blender, blended until smooth and thick, and then frozen overnight.
You can find tons of scrumptious and fresh tart cherry recipes on the web right now. But in case you haven’t, start with these sour cherry muffins.
Perfect for breakfast, each bite of these cherry-based muffins offers a wonderful tart flavor with sweetness coming from the sanding sugar toppings.

This homemade sour cherry sauce is packed with tart juicy cherries.
Straightforward to make, you’ll love serving this cherry topping on pancakes, waffles, and vanilla ice cream!
The only challenge of making the sauce is pitting the cherries, but once it’s done—this top-rated sauce comes together in minutes.
Don’t miss out on our version of the holiday cranberry sauce, too!

When it comes to heavenly tart cherry desserts (or snacks), nothing beats these tart cherry fat bombs.
They taste like a cheesecake without the crust!
They bite-sized fat bombs explode with sweet-tart flavor and creaminess from cream cheese, whipped cream, and heavy cream.
It’s possible to make and serve this Italian ice dessert anytime, but it’s best enjoyed during the summer-cherry season, to be exact.
Toss fresh or frozen pitted tart cherries, sugar, and lime juice in a food processor, blend until smooth, freeze, and indulge in.
The ingredients seem simple—tart cherry juice, lime juice, coconut water, and salt—but the flavor is anything but ordinary.
Sugar? Not needed!
Make this limeade by whisking all ingredients together into a pitcher. Add ice cubes if desired.
Fizzy, refreshing, and packed with tart cherries, mint, and lime, get ready to whip up this boozy drink at your upcoming summer party!
A word of warning—this cocktail is super easy to make: combine the ingredients and stir.
Fill the glass with ice, top up with the club soda then stir again and serve.
This German-inspired cake is one of the few cherry dessert recipes that are truly simple but extra-flavorful!
Make it with just nine ingredients that are likely already in your pantry.
This cake is even better when it’s finished with powdered sugar and whipped cream on top.
You won’t believe quick it is to create this delicious granola recipe featuring Montmorency tart cherries and honey. It comes together in just an hour!
The dried fruits are stirred after the oat mixture comes out of the oven to avoid getting burned.
The honey helps balance the tartness of the cherries.
Frozen Montmorency tart cherries, avocado, cacao powder, and Medjool dates fuse to make this thick and creamy smoothie super delectable!
Tastes like dessert, add this tart cherry chocolate smoothie to your breakfast meal list ASAP.
Sour cherries might be a default in many luscious desserts, but they complement wonderfully in savory dishes as well.
Tart cherry juice in this slow cooker dish goes well with the spicy chipotles.
The crowd-pleasing barbacoa beef is best served in tacos, burritos, salads, and even in sandwiches.
Fresh sour cherry recipes aren’t just limited to cookies and pies, you can add the tart fruit into your BBQ chicken, too!
The spicy dry rub, made with ground aromatic spices, contrasts perfectly with the tart-sweet flavors of the barbecue sauce.
The ingredients may look intimidating, but everything is worth trying, especially when you see the sauce caramelizes over the chicken legs in the final minutes of grilling
This salad has a great interplay of flavors and textures. It features chewy sweet-tart cherries, crunchy walnuts, and sweet green apples.
Toss some maple dressing over the salad and serve it whether at dinner parties, family gatherings, or special holidays.
You’ll love this pearl couscous recipe loaded with flavor and texture from leeks, dried tart cherries, walnuts, and herbs.
It makes a great lunch or light supper with not much prep work and very little cooking required.
Play around with the recipe; feel free to add sauteed mushrooms!
Use all those frozen tart cherries to make your jam at home.
All you need is maple syrup, chia seeds, lemon juice, vanilla, and maple syrup.
Perfect for spreading onto homemade biscuits, sandwiches, or in addition to yogurt and oatmeal, this cherry jam lasts a few weeks in the fridge.
Just ensure to store it in an airtight container.
Grilled chicken, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, dried tart cherries, and spinach on pizza? Mama mia!
This crowd-pleasing pizza recipe starts with naan bread and comes together in just 15 minutes.
The punch of sour from cherries is great with oozing cheese, BBQ chicken, and onions.
This duck dish is marinated then pan-seared before being covered with special sauce made from fresh sour cherries, lemon juice, Sherry, maple syrup, and butter.
Aside from the cherry sauce, the recipe is also served alongside Persian-inspired farro with saffron and pistachio.
Don’t forget the red wine!

This moon milk is ultimately dreamy!
It’s made with honey, tart cherry juice, and steamed almond milk, which can be substituted with whole or cashew milk.
To add more dose of calm, feel free to add ashwagandha (Indian ginseng), and powdered valerian root. Use a handheld frother for a frothy finish.
You’ll love these tart cherry bars; they’re layered with raw date crust, colorful tart cherry filling, and topped with nuts, seeds, or coconut.
Before cutting and serving the treat into bars, ensure to freeze it for at least two hours.
Store the bars in the fridge to enjoy them for a few days.
This refreshing summer beverage is made with a fantastic combination of tart cherry juice, fresh ginger, and ginger ale.
Got excess tart cherries? Make a big pitcher and keep sipping the cooler all day long.
If you prefer it sweeter, add maple syrup.
The bottom line
Our compilation of tart cherry recipes isn’t limited to cookies, pies, and tarts.
They work in cakes, drinks, ice cream, salads, and even main entries—the possibilities are endless!
And oh, in case you’ve bought a lot of tart cherries from your previous farmer’s market visit, it’s best to learn how to store cherries like a pro to make the product last for a long time.

27 Ways To Cook With Tart Cherry
Looking for delicious tart cherry recipes? This compilation gives you more good reasons to adore the versatile fruit.
Ingredients
- Double Crust Cherry Crisp
- Cherry Gummies
- Sour Cherry Crumble Pie
- Cherry Cheesecake Crumble Bars
- Oatmeal Cherry Cookies
- White Chocolate Cherry Blondies
- Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate Spritzer
- Tart Cherry & Mint Sorbet
- Sour Cherry Muffins
- Sour Cherry Sauce
- Tart Cherry Fat Bombs
- Tart Cherry Lime Granita
- Tart Cherry Limeade
- Tart Cherry Mint Mojito
- German Sour Cherry Cake
- Tart Cherry Honey Granola
- Tart Cherry Chocolate Smoothie
- Cherry Chipotle Slow Cooker Barbacoa
- Tart Cherry BBQ Chicken
- Apple, Cherry, And Walnut Salad
- Pearl Couscous With Leeks And Dried Tart Cherries
- Tart Cherry Chia Jam
- Grilled BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza
- Duck With Cherry Sauce
- Tart Cherry Moon Milk
- No-Bake Tart Cherry Bars
- Tart Cherry Ginger Cooler
Instructions
- Choose one or more options from our list of tart cherry recipes here!
- Create your new favorite tart cherry recipe.
- Pat yourself on the back for making good food at home!
- Enjoy and share your insights on our Facebook page.