21 Sweet And Savory Recipes That Use Canned Fruit

Fruit shows its best qualities in its fresh form, but when those juicy summer peaches and plump cherries are not in season, canned versions are the most reliable alternatives. Canning is usually performed when the fruit is at its peak, which means that those unassuming cans usually hide fruit packed with flavor that preserves most of its good qualities and nutrients. Canned fruit also promises consistency, so you'll never be surprised with flavorless pineapple or faulty and blemished fruit.

Among the numerous qualities, canned fruit is most appreciated for its convenience. As it has a relatively long shelf life, you can always stash a can in the pantry and fetch it whenever needed. And the best thing is that all the prep work has already been done. The fruit was peeled, pitted, and sometimes even sliced or crushed. Of course, you can dig in straight into the can and eat the fruit any time a sweet craving hits, but canned fruit is best used as a cooking ingredient where it can show its maximum potential.

We've rounded up the best recipes featuring this precious pantry staple. Most of them fall into the dessert section, but several savory items make use of its fruity sweetness as well. Most recipes are easy to follow, and as they use canned goods, they tend to be easy to assemble. Fruit is canned in juice, water, or syrup, so always check which variety the recipe suggests.

The name immediately tells you this is an effortless recipe you can whip up with minimum effort. Despite the breezy preparation, you will be rewarded with a flavorful cake packed with juicy peaches.

The cake is assembled in layers, starting with canned peaches that are topped with a cake mix and sealed with sliced butter. Vanilla and cinnamon provide the aromatics, while a sprinkle of slivered almonds gives this treat a fantastic crunchy finish. Peachy dump cake is best served warm, preferably with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on the side.

Recipe: Peachy Dump Cake

Ambrosia is a retro dessert with a timeless character that is especially appreciated for its easy preparation. This recipe features chewy maraschino cherries, pineapple, and mandarin oranges. All the fruit is canned and only needs to be drained before it is folded with a subtly tangy sour cream. Pecans, marshmallows, and shredded coconut add extra texture and crunch.

As it is assembled in one bowl, this is an ideal recipe for large family gatherings that you can serve immediately or stack in the fridge. When ready to serve, garnish each portion with a cute maraschino cherry.

Recipe: Ambrosia

In this recipe, canned peaches are nestled inside a tender loaf that can serve as a classic dessert or as an amazing breakfast option, especially if paired with a slab of butter and coffee.

The recipe features a classic cake batter enriched with eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, and baking powder. When all the ingredients are assembled, canned peaches are added last and should be evenly distributed. The cake is baked inside a loaf pan, which makes it convenient for slicing. It has a wonderful golden brown crust, while the center stays moist and tender thanks to the juicy peaches.

Recipe: Peach Bread

This recipe features canned pineapple and a subtly sweet batter that gets its sweetness from brown sugar and has a subtly tangy profile due to the addition of sour cream. The resulting combination is tender, soft, and particularly pleasing due to the sweet pineapple chunks. The recipe is great for novice bakers and assembles in no time.

Pineapple bread can wear many hats. The subdued sweetness makes it an excellent choice for breakfast, but you can also have it as a light dessert and a perfect afternoon snack that will perfectly pair with coffee.

Recipe: Pineapple Bread

This recipe is a colorful fusion where pineapple mingles with crispy fried chicken, peppers, and onions. The star is undoubtedly the potent sauce built with pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, and garlic that perfectly blends sweet and sour flavors. The chicken is fried until crisp before it is partnered with other ingredients and then generously coated in the tangy sauce, resulting in glossy chicken bits with the perfect amount of crunch.

This classic is best served over rice, garnished with fresh scallions.

Recipe: Sweet And Sour Chicken

Massive glazed ham takes the spotlight in this recipe, while canned pineapple plays a supporting role. The recipe writer suggests making a thick glaze with brown sugar, stock, pineapple juice, mustard, and cloves but encourages creativity and customization. Before it's glazed, the ham is decorated with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries. During baking, it needs to be basted several times to attain a distinctive glossy look.

This dish is worthy of any festive table, and best agrees with roasted veggies.

Recipe: Glazed Pineapple Ham

This old-school casserole is built with slightly unusual ingredients, but the combination yields a delectable and comforting treat that can work as a weekday dish or an excellent option for a dinner party.

It starts with a thick batter infused with pineapple juice, crushed pineapple, and some pineapple chunks. The fruity foundation gets a cheesy topping — best made with strong-flavored cheddar — while the mix of melted butter and crumbled butter crackers adds the crunchy finishing touch. This casserole is best served warm while the cheese is still gooey.

Recipe: Baked Pineapple Casserole

This recipe gives the classic pineapple upside-down cake a new look by replacing the rectangular shape with a decorative bundt pan.

The cake features a classic butter and egg batter amped up with pineapple juice. In addition to pineapple rings neatly assembled at the bottom of the pan, the recipe also suggests adding a few maraschino cherries for a nice splash of color and bursts of sweetness. The cake bakes into a tall, impressive dessert with a tender, moist crumb. Just make sure to leave it to cool completely before serving. 

Recipe: Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake

As the name suggests, this crisp is spruced up with juicy pineapple chunks and sweet maraschino cherries that amp up the flavor and give the dessert a nice chew. The author also suggests tweaking it with double crumble for extra decadent results.

The crisp starts with an aromatic crumble laced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla and uses oats and brown sugar for better texture and flavor. Fruit is nestled between the layers, and the dish is finished with a crumbly topping for the perfect crunchy finish. This sweet treat is best enjoyed warm, preferably with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe: Pineapple Cherry Crisp

This recipe is one you should always have on hand for impromptu situations that call for something sweet. It features only four ingredients, all of which you probably already have in your pantry.

Canned peaches are the star and are used as a base that will provide sweetness and a lot of fruity flavors. They are topped with a cake mix and sliced butter and go straight to the oven. The genius tip here is to amp up the cake mix with ground ginger and serve this cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe: Ginger Peach Dump Cake

Cobbler is a perfect dessert for a home setting that does not require much time or effort but always yields lip-smacking results. In this recipe, the preparation gets even easier with the use of canned peaches.

Ideally, you want to use peaches packed in juice or light syrup, as all the content goes into the baking dish. Optionally, sprinkle some cinnamon for more flavor, and then top the peaches with a yellow cake mix and slabs of butter. The cobbler will come out of the oven with the perfect amount of sweetness. Serve warm or chilled.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Peach Cobbler

In this recipe, juicy peaches are partnered with a flaky pastry. This classic peach tart turns into an effortless dessert with canned peaches and pre-made pastry. To avoid a soggy bottom, drain the peaches thoroughly and spruce them with sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt for more balance. Make the classic round tart and assemble the fruit in the middle, partially covering it with the dough. The tart will bake into a flaky, fruity delight.

The peach tart does not store well, so serve it immediately.

Recipe: Peach Tart

The title of this recipe suggests that it is a hassle-free dessert that you'll want to prep when the sugar craving hits, and you can't be bothered with lengthy or complicated bakes.

The recipe recommends cherry pie filling as the ideal fruity base, while the top layer is assembled with cake mix and melted butter. As it bakes, the cake mix will turn into a crispy and flaky topping that perfectly pairs with the cherry filling. This cobbler calls for vanilla ice cream, but you can also sprinkle nuts or granola for extra crunch.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Cherry Cobbler

Peach Melba is a traditional French dessert created by the legendary Escoffier in the 19th century. Despite its impressive historical background, it does not call for many ingredients or complicated techniques, and this recipe makes the whole process easier with canned peaches and fruit jam. Peach halves and a scoop of vanilla ice cream are the main components, while the sweet and tangy raspberry sauce is added as a finishing touch.

Besides the amazing flavors, Peach Melba is an attractive and elegant dessert that can be a great addition to any festive table.

Recipe: Peach Melba

If you're a fan of cranberries, this dessert salad is right up your alley. The recipe is simple and can be assembled in one bowl, so it's perfect for novice chefs. You make the base with dissolved Jell-O and amp it up with whole-berry cranberry sauce, crushed pineapple, and diced apples. Roughly chopped walnuts are added on top to give the salad some crunch.

Cranberry salad assembles quickly but needs to be refrigerated for a couple of hours, preferably overnight. When it sets, garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and serve.

Recipe: Cranberry Salad

This crumble blends sweet pears and tangy blueberries with a buttery topping to give you the perfect fruit dessert. The recipe suggests using canned pears that are thoroughly drained and fresh or frozen blackberries. The crumbly topping is assembled with cold butter, flour, and oats for a chunkier texture. The fruit is dressed with more sugar to create a syrup-like sauce that perfectly pairs with the crispy crumble.

Serve the crumble while it's still warm, and pair it with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream.

Recipe: Pear And Blackberry Crumble

In its original form, angel food cake is a perfect dessert and an all-time favorite, but this recipe suggests an easy pineapple upgrade to give it more flavor and character.

The recipe starts with a regular angel food cake mix and crushed pineapple that blends into a light, airy batter. There are not many rules for this dessert, but you should use pineapple preserved in the juice and refrain from overmixing so the cake attains that light and tender crumb. Bake the cake in a classic bundt pan and serve with whipped topping.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Pineapple Angel Food Cake

If you're looking for the perfect summer recipe, this no-bake creation is ideal for hot days that call for something light and refreshing, and it can be whipped up in no time.

Besides crushed pineapple, this salad includes roughly chopped fresh cranberries and marshmallows that blend into the luscious cream made with sugar, cream cheese, and whipped cream. The result is a perfect blend of creaminess and chew with just enough sweetness. This fruit salad needs to be well chilled and is best served as a dessert.

Recipe: Cranberry Pineapple Marshmallow Salad

In whichever form it appears, apple cake will remain the ultimate favorite among fruit desserts. This recipe suggests the unfussy option by swapping apples with a convenient apple pie filling.

As the filling is already sweetened, you'll only have to add eggs and store-bought cake mix. The fruity batter assembles in minutes and bakes into a tall, golden-colored cake with an airy center dotted with apple bits. This is a great breakfast cake, but you can also serve it as a classic dessert or a satisfying afternoon treat paired with coffee.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Apple Cake

Stuffed French toast is a decadent breakfast you can easily whip up at home for lazy mornings that call for something extra comforting. The recipe starts with classic white toast smothered in cream cheese and stuffed with juicy canned peaches. Neatly packed rolls are dipped into the cinnamon-laced egg mix and then go straight to the butter-coated frying pan until they attain a nice golden-brown color and perfect crisp. As the final touch, they get coated with a cinnamon sugar mix.

Serve these rolls while still warm, ideally garnished with more canned peaches.

Recipe: Stuffed French Toast

This recipe mixes candy corn, fresh pineapple, and canned mandarin oranges with creamy yogurt to make a delicious parfait that is best enjoyed as breakfast or a light snack. It is also a perfect treat for Halloween.

Candy corn parfait requires minimal effort and skill and can be made in under ten minutes. Start by layering fresh pineapple chunks in a wide mason jar. Top with a handful of canned mandarin oranges and a generous scoop of tangy yogurt, and garnish with candy corn. This parfait is best assembled in mason jars, but you can use any wide jar you have on hand.

Recipe: Candy Corn Parfait