15 Cherry Recipes, From A Fresh Summer Salad To A Decadent Chocolate Tart

This summer stonefruit is the literal cherry on top of seasonal produce.

Cherries are quite the summer delicacy. The fruit is bright, sweet and moreish. It’s not uncommon for small tiffs to arise over who gets the last in a shared bowl.

In this collection, deeper flavours are drawn out of the fruit through grilling, pickling and baking. They also provide a bit more drama and excitement for your visual appetite, with the dark purple-red colouring and long stem — one dessert tart bakes the fruit whole to showcase this attribute.

But, plenty of these recipes keep it simple, serving the fruit fresh alongside a white chocolate pavlova, mixed in a leafy salad or atop a reconstructed banoffee pie.

Cashew and coconut crumb on grilled fruit

A hot oven draws out plenty of caramel notes in this medley of sweet stonefruit. The warm fruits are topped with cashews, honey and a few tiny pieces of mint.

Sweet pickled cherries

Peanut butter clusters

Angela Casley suggests melding chopped cherries into these chocolatey treats, which are made up of dark chocolate, peanuts, chopped peanuts and crispy noodles.

Cardamom-infused rice pudding with almond milk

A simple rice pudding finds sweetness and lift in a scattering of cherries. A helping of nuts also provides crunch.

Dark chocolate cherry almond bark

This simple and treat-ish recipe makes a great lunchbox snack. Almonds, dried cherries and a touch of orange zest are joined by a blanket of dark chocolate.

Fruit hand pies

These comforting hand-pies encase melted and gooey stonefruits in a coconut-tinged pastry. Make sure to add those openings on the top of the pie. They’re sweet and cartoonish, but also help to release a build-up of steam.

Stonefruit and goat’s cheese salad

Cherries, peaches and nectarines, provide pops of sweetness in this salad. Goat’s cheese provides a creamy texture and tang.

Cherry almond tart with coconut sugar pastry

Leave the stems on your cherries for a dramatic effect with this tart. A few edible flowers will also make the plating feel elevated.

Peach and blackberry tarte tatin

This might be the prettiest and most golden tarte tatin in the recipe archives. Angela Casley suggests substituting peach for any stonefruit of your choosing — cherries would add a real punch.

Chocolate slab

This homemade chocolate bar melds white and dark chocolate with hazelnuts and dried fruit — cherries provide a pink and pleasant visual contrast.

Rolled chestnut and cherry pavlova

This pillowy pavlova is filled with a decadent chestnut puree, made of nuts and white chocolate. Cherries add a sense of freshness to the overwhelmingly delicious dessert.

Chocolate and berry lava cakes

These mini and melty cakes can be made on the barbecue and gain a myriad textures from this cooking method — think chewy, gooey and crunchy.

Chocolate and cherry tart

Cherries are suspended in a lush filling in this tart, which mixes dark chocolate, liqueur and almond essence.

Chocolate roulade with pomegranate molasses

This swirly and spongey chocolate dessert is slathered in cream cheese icing and sprinkled with icing sugar. Berries and cherries add lift to the luscious serving (as does a dab of yoghurt or cream).

Tropical banoffee

If you don’t have the time to commit to a full pie, this deconstructed version is a breezy and rewarding alternative. Barbecue-charred pineapple is a smokey and sweet addition to the plate.