It has gotten noticeably cooler here (and by “noticeably cooler,” I mean “not scorching hot”). While I would normally be jumping for joy at the first signs of cooler weather and the return of fall, I’m actually pretty bummed because this was one of the first years that I started to take advantage of the range of fresh fruit that’s available during the summer. I incorporated watermelon, mango, cherries, pears, and more fruit into recipes and meals this summer, and the loss of the fresh fruit is feeling like a real bummer.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to work with as many fresh fruits as possible, even if it’s just in small ways. Fruits can be added as really great accents to other recipes and main dishes. Oftentimes, you don’t even have to do anything fancy to them to make a really wonderful and impressive looking dish. Hopefully, this easy roasted cherries recipe can inspire your own creativity in making dishes that complement the fresh cherries you can find as the summer comes to an end!
This recipe is really quite simple: remove the pits from the cherries (I pulled mine out after cutting them in half) and quarter them, mix the pieces with lime juice and agave, and then roast for 15 minutes. The lime juice is really helpful in pulling out even more sweetness from these cherries, so I would definitely recommend including it.
I’ve also included a recipe for toasting almonds because 1) they pair really well with roasted cherries both in flavor and texture, and 2) they smell AMAZING. I honestly think toasted almonds are one of my favorite smells now. Seriously, toasting almonds is worth it for the smell alone. Anyways, you’ll want to be careful when toasting the almonds in the oven, as most nuts go from toasting to burning very easily. You’ll want to keep a careful eye on them during the last few minutes of toasting to ensure they aren’t burning.
I paired my almonds and cherries with Oatly vanilla ice cream, which I have to say is one of the best vanilla ice creams I’ve ever had. There are lots of things you could do with these, however:
- use different flavors of ice cream
- add the cherries to a smoothie or milkshake
- pour over cakes or sweet breads
- eat with hot oatmeal, overnight oats, or chia pudding
- mix with yogurt
- and so many more options
Roasted Cherries with Toasted Almonds
Ingredients
- ½ cup almonds slivered
- 1¾ cups cherries pitted and quartered
- ½ tbsp lime juice
- 1½ tbsp agave nectar
Instructions
- Toast the almonds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the oven on 350°F for 7-8mins. For the last 2 minutes, be sure to watch closely, as nuts in the oven go quickly from toasting to burning!
- While the almonds are toasting, quarter your cherries and mix them with the lime juice and agave nectar. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Once the almonds are done, place the cherries in the oven on 425°F and roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve over your favorite desserts or breakfast items.
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