There is something mighty comforting about a simple baked fruit dessert when the weather turns cool and the holiday table starts filling up. This easy cherry dessert leans on a bag of solid frozen unthawed dark sweet cherries and two pantry staples to make a cobbler-like treat with almost no fuss at all, the sort of practical recipe that feels right at home in a Midwestern kitchen where good desserts are often the easiest ones to pull together. It is especially handy for Thanksgiving when oven space is precious and you want one more warm, spoonable dessert without making a big production out of it.
Serve this warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a pour of cold heavy cream if you like the old-fashioned way. It also sits nicely beside a cup of coffee after the meal, and if your holiday spread is heavy with pumpkin and pecan, the bright cherry flavor gives folks something a little different to reach for.
3-Ingredient Oven Baked Cherry Dessert
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 bag (32 ounces) solid frozen unthawed dark sweet cherries
1 box (about 15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the solid frozen unthawed dark sweet cherries evenly in an oven-safe ceramic casserole dish.
2. Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the cherries, covering the fruit from edge to edge.
3. Drizzle the melted butter all over the top as evenly as you can, moistening most of the cake mix.
4. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the cherries are bubbling up around the edges. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Variations & Tips
Add a little spice: A light sprinkle of cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg over the cake mix gives this dessert a holiday note that fits right in on a Thanksgiving table.
Use a different cake mix: White cake mix, butter cake mix, or even spice cake mix all work nicely here. Spice cake will make it taste especially autumn-like.
Watch for dry spots: If you see a few patches of dry mix halfway through baking, drizzle over another spoonful or two of melted butter. That helps the topping brown more evenly.
Make serving easy: This dessert is soft and spoonable, more like a cobbler or dump cake than a slice-and-serve bar. A big serving spoon works better than a cake server.
Try a nut topping: If you do not mind making it a fourth ingredient, a handful of chopped pecans scattered over the buttered top adds a nice crunch and a true holiday feel.