Chukar Cherries - Practicing Recipes for the Holidays

As the run-up to the holidays begins, National Dessert Month (AKA October) is a good excuse to order treats or test new recipes to use during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Chukar Cherries’ purpose has always been crafting tasty treats from local Northwest cherries, and over the past several years Chukar has added cakes and pies to the list. 

Mail order baked goods often focus on presentation rather than good eating. As a small, family-owned company, placing appearance ahead of flavor has never been Chukar’s way. It took some time for the company to move from dried cherries, chocolates, and sauces into baked goods. Chukar’s founder Pam Montgomery agonized over the recipes for years before offering a sour cream Bundt cake followed by a chocolate Bundt and then sweet and sour cherry pies. 

“It was important to us that our cakes and pies taste like grandma’s,” remarks Montgomery. “And that’s been the overwhelming feedback from our customers since launching the baked goods line.” Chukar only offers pies and cakes during the holiday season. All are freshly made and ship for free. Upon arrival, customers can pop the pies in the oven, enjoy the cakes immediately, or keep the baked goods in the freezer to enjoy up to 3 months later—making them ideal for either immediate entertaining or keeping on hand for holiday events. 

For the baking-inclined, Chukar also hosts a variety of recipes on chukar.com/recipes. The company has perfected the cherry-forward recipes over the course of 30 years of living and working in the center of Washington’s cherry-growing region. Fan favorites include Northwest Cherry Cobbler, Jubilee Dessert Parfaits, and Cherry Thumbprint Cookies—all of which are ideal for #NationalDessertMonth celebrations.