Apricot, Cherry, and Graham Cracker Crumble

From the kitchen of Carly

Warm apricots and cherries collapse into jammy sweetness, while a buttery graham cracker and almond crumble turns golden overhead. Vanilla and a whisper of salt keep things balanced. Bake until the fruit bubbles, then serve with cream.

Apricot, Cherry, and Graham Cracker Crumble

Stone fruit crumbles live or die by their topping, and graham crackers with roasted almonds are the salty-sweet answer to fruit that sings. Apricots give you jammy depth, cherries bring brightness, and vanilla carries both forward without drowning them. The cornstarch thickens the filling just enough so it doesn't run all over the plate, but the fruit stays loose and open.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 1/2 lbapricots, halved, pitted
  • 10 ozfresh sweet cherries, pitted
  • 2 tbspcornstarch
  • 4 tbsplight brown sugar, divided
  • 1Kosher salt
  • 1/2vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 4graham crackers, finely crushed
  • 3 tbspunsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
  • 1/3 cupunsalted
  • 1roasted almonds
  • 1coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. Set the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the apricots, cherries, cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape the seeds in, and save the pod for another use. Toss everything together, then tip the fruit into a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish.

  2. For the topping, drop the crushed graham crackers, butter, and a pinch of salt into a medium bowl. Use your fingers to press and squeeze the butter into the cracker crumbs until the mixture clumps together. Work in the almonds and the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar the same way, then scatter the crumble evenly over the fruit.

  3. Into the oven it goes. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until the topping is deep golden brown and the fruit is bubbling up around the edges. Give it a few minutes to cool before serving.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Crush the graham crackers by hand or in a food processor, but keep pieces uneven. Large crumbs toast better and stay crisp longer than fine dust.
  • Make sure butter is soft before you work it in. Cold butter won't distribute evenly, and you'll end up with soggy patches and hard knots.
  • If your cherries are tart, taste the fruit mixture before it goes in the oven and add a pinch more sugar if needed. Sweet fruit is forgiving; sour fruit ruins a good crumble.

Variations

  • Swap peaches for apricots in equal amounts. The flavor softens and the texture becomes looser, which some people prefer.
  • Use pistachios instead of almonds for a greener, more delicate nuttiness that pairs especially well with cherries.
  • Skip the vanilla and add a small pinch of cardamom to the fruit. It's subtle but changes everything about how the dish tastes.

Make ahead and storage

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes to re-crisp the topping before serving. The crumble does not freeze well once baked because the filling becomes watery.