If you’re looking for a simple fruit dessert made from just a few basic ingredients, this gluten-free sour cherry bake is one of those recipes I keep coming back to. It has no gluten, no refined sugar and no dairy, and it’s made in a way that lets the natural sweetness of the fruit really shine.

Read this recipe in Slovenian →

A gluten-free sour cherry bake that stays soft, moist and full of flavor

I love baking it in summer, when sour cherries are in season, but it works beautifully with other fruit too. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or peaches each give it a slightly different character, so you can make it almost all year round. If you still have fruit from last season in your freezer, this is one of the nicest ways to use it up.

The recipe is very simple, but a few small details make the bake just right: soft, moist and full of flavor. Those little details are often what turns a good dessert into a really great one.

Why you’ll love this sour cherry bake

Before we get to the recipe, here’s why I bake this one again and again.

• It’s made from just a few basic ingredients.
• It has no gluten, refined sugar or dairy.
• Ripe bananas and fruit sweeten it naturally.
• It works great with frozen fruit.
• You can make it with different seasonal fruit all year round.

This is a recipe you can bake with whatever you have at home. No sour cherries right now? Swap them for blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches or a mix of different fruits. Sour cherries and rhubarb are especially good together.

Sonja Kramar

Gluten-Free Sour Cherry Bake

A soft, moist and naturally sweetened fruit bake made without gluten, refined sugar or dairy.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Ingredients  

• 100 g cornmeal
• 100 g unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 ripe bananas; grated apples can be used instead
• 200-300 ml rice milk
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 300 g pitted sour cherries fresh or frozen

Instructions

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Peel the bananas and mash them thoroughly with a fork.
3. Add the cornmeal, unsweetened shredded coconut, baking soda and rice milk. Mix well until evenly combined.
4. Spread the mixture evenly in a 26 × 26 cm baking dish.
5. Distribute the sour cherries evenly over the top.
6. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the bake is golden and feels firm to the touch.
7. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing so that it can set properly.

Notes

• Use regular unsweetened shredded coconut, not coconut flour. The shredded coconut helps balance the moisture in the bake and contributes to its soft, pleasant texture.
• Adjust the amount of rice milk according to the size and ripeness of the bananas. If your bananas are very large or very ripe, you may need slightly less milk.

Tips for the perfect gluten-free sour cherry bake

In gluten-free baking, every ingredient has a job to do. In this recipe the cornmeal and plain shredded coconut aren’t a random choice. Together they create the soft, moist texture.

Cornmeal gives the bake a tender structure and goes well with fruit. It soaks up a lot of liquid while baking, so it holds everything together without making the bake heavy.

To keep the batter from getting too wet, I add plain shredded coconut. It absorbs some of the extra moisture, adds flavor and keeps the bake moist the next day.

Understanding what each ingredient does is often what makes the biggest difference in gluten-free baking, which is why I like to explain not only what I use, but also why.

• Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor. They sweeten the bake naturally.
• You don’t need to thaw frozen sour cherries first.
• Adjust the amount of rice milk to the size of your bananas. Start with the smaller amount and add a little more if needed.
• Use plain shredded coconut, not coconut flour.
• The bake slices best once it has cooled a little.
• Keep leftovers in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Gluten-free sour cherry bake FAQ

Can I use other fruit?

Of course. You can swap the sour cherries for other seasonal fruit, such as plums, raspberries or apricots. Fresh and frozen fruit both work, so you can make this recipe all year round.

If you’re looking for another simple cornmeal dessert, try my apple cornmeal bake (in Slovenian for now).

Can I use apples instead of bananas?

Yes. Use grated apples instead. They add natural sweetness and moisture too.

Can I use a different plant-based milk?

Of course. Besides rice milk you can use oat milk, almond milk or any other plant-based milk.

Can I freeze this sour cherry bake?

Yes. Let it cool completely, cut it into pieces and put them in an airtight container. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.

Why is my sour cherry bake still soft after baking?

That’s completely normal. The bake keeps firming up as it cools. If it still seems really wet, bake it another 5 to 10 minutes at a slightly lower temperature so the extra moisture can slowly evaporate.

If you like simple gluten-free fruit desserts, you’ll probably also like my plum and walnut cake, one of the most popular fruit desserts on my Slovenian blog.