20 Cherry Dessert Recipes To Celebrate National Cherry Month

According to Foodimentary, February is National Cherry Month. This might seem a bit early considering the cherry trees in Washington D.C. won't start blooming until the end of March, according to the Cherry Blossom Watch. However, it makes total sense when you consider that we celebrate the birthday of a certain, cherry tree-chopping first president this month. In any case, we think National Cherry Month is a wonderful excuse to brighten up wintry, February days with our favorite cherry-filled and cherry-flavored recipes. Plus, many of these desserts can pull double-duty as Valentine's Day treats.

We gathered 20 of our sweetest and most delicious cherry recipes, including cakes, pastries, and even a pretty, pink, cherry drink. Many of these recipes use maraschino cherries, the bright-red, candied fruits that are easy to find in jars at grocery stores, and conveniently have the pits already removed. If you want to use fresh cherries in recipes like clafoutis or Black Forest Cake, Spruce Eats has a few tricks for easily removing those pits. Frozen cherries, dried cherries, and canned, cherry pie filling are also options in these recipes, so it's easy to make fun cherry treats to celebrate this month. 

This pretty, red mocktail has been a favorite of kids (and grown-up kids) for over 90 years! It was created and named for the famous child star by a Beverly Hills bartender in 1930, according to USA Today.  A Shirley Temple consists of ginger ale or lemon-lime soda like 7-Up (or a blend of the two) with a splash of grenadine syrup to give it that beautiful color. The drink is served over ice and garnished with plenty of maraschino cherries. Our recipe also includes a squeeze of lime juice to balance the sweetness. Make it an adult Shirley Temple by adding vodka, or swap the grenadine for cherry liqueur. 

Recipe: Classic Shirley Temple

For cherry dessert lovers it doesn't get much better than a decadent Black Forest Cake, made of dark chocolate cake layers brushed with cherry syrup, layers of whipped cream, and sweetened cherries. For a boozier cake, take a tip from Mary Berry's recipe and use Kirsch liqueur-soaked cherries in the layers, or even just brush the cake with the liqueur. The cake is finished with whipped cream spread around the outside and topped with whole cherries and chocolate shavings. It's a really stunning and special dessert to celebrate National Cherry Month!

Recipe: Black Forest Cake

Craving something cherry-sweet but short on time? This dessert takes only 15 minutes from start to finish because it cooks up in the microwave! Fresh or frozen cherries are tossed with sugar and cinnamon, then spread over the bottom of a baking dish. A quick and easy cake mixture, blended together with a hand or stand mixer is spread over the cherries. After a short cooking time in the microwave, the cake is done: Invert it onto a serving platter and finish it with whipped cream and more cherries. P.S.: No one has to know the cake is this easy. Let your guests think you spent all day in the kitchen!

Recipe: 15-Minute Cherry Upside-Down Cake

This recipe is perfect for when you want something sweet but not too heavy. Plus, these parfaits can be made in advance to have on hand for dessert or to set out for guests. Choose cherry-flavored Jell-O mix to make the parfaits, and cherries for the topping too: fresh or frozen cherries, maraschino cherries, or even a spoonful of cherry pie filling. These treats get their two-toned look from a layer of Jell-O followed by a layer of Jell-O blended with Cool Whip.

Recipe: Mini Cherry Jell-O Parfaits

Sweet, salty, and drizzled in caramel: This recipe has all the comfort food bases covered! In this fruit and nut bread pudding cubes of French bread soak up an eggy batter made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and a generous sprinkling of dried cherries and chopped pecans. After baking the top has a crunchy texture while underneath it's soft and custard-like. A quick caramel topping comes together in less than 10 minutes, and makes a wonderful sauce to drizzle over warm slices of bread pudding. It's a decadent breakfast/brunch dish and a fine dessert, too.

Recipe: Cherry Pecan Bread Pudding

If you regularly stock up on boxes of Pop-Tarts, you should give this homemade version a try! One word of warning though: They're so delicious that you may decide to never buy the boxed version again. Copycat Pop-Tarts are made from a buttery pastry dough that's rolled out and filled with cherry pie filling. Once sealed, they bake up in only 20 minutes. Add your favorite colors and sprinkles to a simple powdered sugar glaze for the tops. The only lengthy part of the recipe is letting the dough chill before rolling and slicing, and you can always make it in advance: Keep the dough well-wrapped in the fridge for 1-2 days until you're ready to use it. 

Recipe: Copycat Cherry Pop-Tarts

Admittedly there are a lot of flavors going on inside a classic banana split sundae, but you'd have to agree that one of the best parts are the cherries on top! These cupcakes cleverly incorporate fresh banana into the cupcake batter. More toppings go on over the buttercream, like chocolate sauce, sprinkles, banana chips — and cherries! You can choose fresh cherries with stems attached or syrupy maraschino cherries just like you'd get at the ice cream shop. May we suggest stirring a little of the maraschino juice into the frosting for pink color and an extra dose of cherry in these sweet treats. 

Recipe: Banana Split Cupcakes

Here's a chance to incorporate some Piecaken-style fun, and lots of cherry flavor, into easy cupcakes. If you haven't heard of Piecaken, The New York Times shares that it was created by New York City chef Zac Young, and incorporates pie and cake into one, massive, three-tiered dessert. Our recipe takes a nod from Young's dessert by adding scoops of cherry pie to the center of chocolaty cupcakes, then finishing them with chocolate frosting and maraschino cherries. Because the recipe uses boxed cake mix, frozen cherry pie, and pre-made frosting, you'll be able to try these Piecaken cupcakes without having to spend all day in the kitchen.

Recipe: Piecaken Cupcakes

Tender crust, soft cake, and sweet cherries come together in one dessert, and the slices are delicious as an afternoon snack or late-night nosh. This recipe calls for butter and basic pantry ingredients to make first the base and then the batter that goes over the top. A generous amount of pitted sweet cherries rest in the batter, and become juicy and even sweeter after baking. If fresh cherries aren't available at your store, frozen sweet cherries can also be used to make these buttery bars. 

Recipe: Buttery Cherry Bars

According to Serious Eats, ambrosia is an old-fashioned treat that has evolved over the centuries from a dish of just oranges and coconut to this fluffy, creamy version. Maraschino cherries, orange segments, crushed pineapple, coconut, pecans, and mini marshmallows are combined with sour cream — and that's it! It's one of the simplest desserts to make. With fruity, sweet, and slightly tangy flavors in every bite it's no wonder it got the name "ambrosia," which means food of the gods. The fruits are in fairly equal proportion in this recipe, but feel free to make it more cherry-heavy to celebrate National Cherry Month! 

Recipe: Ambrosia