Cherry cobbler: a dessert borrowing the reputation of tart cherry supplements

Across 10 randomized trials outside exercise settings, tart cherry juices, concentrates and supplements lowered C-reactive protein, an inflammation marker in blood, by 0.55 mg/L (95% CI 0.06 to 1.03), and the abstract names neither dose nor duration. Interleukin 6 did not change significantly. A separate trial in 28 adults aged 40 to 60 found that four weeks of cherry concentrate left C-reactive protein unchanged. That small trial and the pooled result point different ways, so the size of the drop is not settled. Every cherry study on this page tested a drink or a capsule. We found none that tested cherries baked under batter. What the dessert itself brings comes from the USDA survey database. One cup, about 250 g, carries about 590 calories and 54 g of total sugars with 4.5 g of fiber, recalculated from a single survey recipe, and home and restaurant cobblers differ in dough and sugar.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g, USDA lists cherry cobbler at 21.7 g total sugars, 8.7 g fat of which 2.8 g saturated, 179 mg sodium and only 1.8 g fiber, so one cup holds about 54 g of sugars. — USDA survey food Cobbler, cherry (FNDDS food code 53410500) Evidence E source
  Total sugars 21.68 g, carbohydrate 38.07 g, fat 8.69 g, saturated fat 2.796 g, sodium 179 mg, fiber 1.8 g per 3.5 oz (100 g); per cup (250 g) sugars 54.2 g, fat 21.7 g, sodium 447.5 mg, fiber 4.5 g

What a real portion looks like

• One cup of cherry cobbler weighs about 8.8 oz (250 g) in the USDA survey database and carries about 590 calories, and the survey's default 4.4 oz (125 g) serving, used when no size is stated, is close to 300 calories. — USDA survey food Cobbler, cherry (FNDDS food code 53410500), household measures Evidence E source
  237 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g); 1 cup 250 g = 592.5 calories; quantity not specified 125 g = 296.2 calories; 1 cubic inch 15 g = 35.5 calories

What your body absorbs

• In 15 men with early hypertension, a 2 fl oz (60 mL) dose of tart cherry concentrate cut systolic pressure by a peak of 7 mm Hg at 2 hours, in step with blood phenolic acids that rose at 1 to 2 hours. — 15 men with early hypertension, single 2 fl oz (60 mL) dose, crossover (n = 15) Evidence B source
  Peak SBP reduction 7 +/- 3 mm Hg at 2 h vs placebo; protocatechuic and vanillic acid rose at 1-2 h

What cooking and storage change

• Baking fresh fruit keeps most of its minerals but costs part of the heat-sensitive vitamins: the USDA retention table keeps 80% of vitamin C and 60% of folate in baked fruit. — USDA retention factors for the group Fruits and Fruit Juices, method fresh non-citrus fruit baked; cherries belong to this group Evidence E source
  Retained after baking: vitamin C 80%, folate 60%, thiamin 80%, potassium 90%, copper 90%, iron, magnesium, zinc 100%
• Heating juice from two sour cherry varieties for 4 hours at 90 C destroyed 38 to 46 percent of its anthocyanins, against 18 to 19 percent at 70 C. — juice of sour cherry cultivars Erdi botermo and Kantorjanosi 3, heated at 70, 80 and 90 C for 4 h (n = 2 cultivars) Evidence D source
  Anthocyanin loss 38 and 46 percent at 90 C, 29 percent at 80 C, 18 and 19 percent at 70 C
• Making blueberry-filled pastries, from cooking the filling to baking, cut total anthocyanins by 48 to 53 percent, while flavonols lost only 11 to 16 percent. — blueberry filling and pastries prepared by stir-frying the filling and baking Evidence D source
  Total anthocyanins -48 to -53 percent; flavonols -11 to -16 percent; cyanidin -38 to -41 percent, delphinidin -61 to -67 percent

What it does to your health

• Across 10 randomized trials outside exercise settings, tart cherry products lowered C-reactive protein by 0.55 mg/L on average and left interleukin 6 unchanged. — adults in 10 non-exercise randomized clinical trials of tart cherry (n = 10 RCTs) Evidence A source
  CRP WMD -0.55 mg/L (95% CI -1.03 to -0.06); IL-6 WMD 0.08 pg/mL (95% CI -0.02 to 0.17), not significant
• Pooling 14 studies, tart cherry supplements sped recovery of muscle strength after strenuous exercise with a moderate effect size of -0.78 and eased soreness with a small effect size of -0.44. — participants in 14 studies of tart cherry supplementation after strenuous exercise (n = 14 studies) Evidence A source
  Strength recovery ES -0.78 (95% CI -1.11 to -0.46); soreness ES -0.44 (95% CI -0.87 to -0.02)
• In 28 adults aged 40 to 60, four weeks of Montmorency cherry concentrate against an energy-matched placebo did not change the gut microbiome, glucose control, IL-6 or C-reactive protein. — 28 adults aged 40-60 years, daily concentrate or glucose and energy-matched placebo for 4 weeks (n = 28) Evidence B source
  No change in microbiome richness or diversity, HOMA-IR, IL-6 or CRP

Safety, limits and interactions

• The 2025-2030 US Dietary Guidelines say no amount of added sugar is recommended as part of a healthy diet, and one meal should hold no more than 10 g of added sugars. — US general population Evidence E source
  No amount of added sugars recommended; at most 10 g added sugars per meal
• The 2025-2030 US Dietary Guidelines tell parents to avoid added sugars for babies and children up to age 4, and say no amount of added sugars is recommended for children aged 5 to 10. — infants and children from birth to 10 years Evidence E source
  Birth to 4 years: avoid added sugars; 5 to 10 years: no amount recommended

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU refused to authorize the claim that tart or sour cherries help support a healthy heart. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, substance Cherries (Prunus cerasus) Evidence E source
  Status Non-authorized
• The EU also refused the claim that tart or sour cherries provide a rich source of antioxidants. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, substance Cherries (Prunus cerasus) Evidence E source
  Status Non-authorized
• In 44 healthy adults, 30 days of Montmorency tart cherry juice or capsules changed neither sleep time nor sleep quality against placebo. — 44 healthy adults, two 8.1 fl oz (240 ml) bottles of juice or two capsules daily for 30 days (n = 44) Evidence B source
  No between-group difference in sleep time or sleep quality

What is still unknown

• Four randomized trials with 392 participants show tart cherry lowering serum uric acid only modestly, by a standardized mean difference of 0.22, with substantial heterogeneity between trials. — 392 participants in 4 randomized trials (8 comparisons) of tart cherry against placebo or usual diet (n = 392) Evidence A source
  SMD -0.22 (95% CI -0.43 to -0.01), substantial heterogeneity

The bottom line

Per 100 g, USDA lists cherry cobbler at 237 calories, 21.7 g total sugars, 8.7 g fat of which 2.8 g is saturated, 179 mg sodium and 1.8 g fiber. The survey gives total sugars only, with no split for added sugar, and no second table has a value to compare. A serving with no stated size is counted as 125 g, about 296 calories. Baking costs the fruit part of its vitamins. The USDA retention factor for fresh non-citrus fruit that is baked keeps 80% of vitamin C and 60% of folate, 90% of potassium, and all the iron, magnesium and zinc. It is a group factor from a 1975 table, and it holds no values for anthocyanins, the red pigments the cherry studies are about. Two laboratory studies cover part of that gap. Juice from two sour cherry varieties held at 90 C for 4 hours lost 38 to 46 percent of its anthocyanins, against 18 to 19 percent at 70 C. That was juice, and an oven runs hotter for a shorter time, so the loss in a cobbler filling cannot be read from it. In blueberry pastries, cooking the filling and then baking cut total anthocyanins by 48 to 53 percent, with most of the loss put down to cooking the filling. Neither study measured what the body absorbs afterward. The rest of the cherry research also used concentrates or supplements. Pooling 14 studies after strenuous exercise, tart cherry supplements sped recovery of muscle strength with an effect size of 0.78 (95% CI 0.46 to 1.11) and eased soreness with an effect size of 0.44 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.87). Four randomized trials with 392 people found serum uric acid lower by a standardized mean difference of 0.22 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.43), a modest drop with substantial heterogeneity between trials. In 15 men with early hypertension, a single 2 fl oz (60 mL) dose of concentrate cut systolic pressure by a peak of 7 mm Hg at 2 hours against placebo. That was one dose, measured over hours. The cherry and sleep idea has been tested. In 44 healthy adults, 30 days of Montmorency tart cherry juice or capsules gave no significant difference in sleep time or sleep quality against placebo, and both groups improved over the month. The EU refused the claim that tart cherries help support a healthy heart and the claim that they are a rich source of antioxidants. A refusal means the evidence fell short when it was assessed. On who should be careful, the only cards we have are about sugar. The 2025-2030 US Dietary Guidelines recommend no amount of added sugar and cap one meal at 10 g of added sugars. For children the line is stricter, with added sugars to be avoided from birth to age 4 and no amount recommended from 5 to 10. The 54 g in a cup is total sugars, part of it from the fruit, and USDA does not say how much was added, so how far a serving goes past that cap cannot be read from our data. The guidelines do not name cobbler. We have no card on allergy, pregnancy or medicines for this dessert, and that gap tells you nothing either way.

Sources

1. ccob-r1-02 · USDA FNDDS survey food, dataset
   Cobbler, cherry (fdc_id 2708021): Total Sugars 21.68 g, Carbohydrate by difference 38.07 g, Total lipid (fat) 8.69 g, Fatty acids total saturated 2.796 g, Sodium 179 mg, Fiber total dietary 1.8 g per 100 g; 1 cup 250 g: Total Sugars 54.2 g, fat 21.7 g, Sodium 447.5 mg, Fiber 4.5 g
   USDA FoodData Central survey (FNDDS), release 2024-10-31, food code 53410500, fdc_id 2708021 · checked 2026-09-29
2. ccob-r1-01 · USDA FNDDS survey food, dataset
   Cobbler, cherry (fdc_id 2708021, FNDDS food code 53410500, WWEIA Cakes and pies): Energy 237 kcal per 100 g; 1 cup 250 g = 592.5 kcal; 1 cubic inch 15 g = 35.5 kcal; Quantity not specified 125 g = 296.2 kcal
   USDA FoodData Central survey (FNDDS), release 2024-10-31, food code 53410500, fdc_id 2708021 · checked 2026-09-29
3. ccob-r1-09 · randomized crossover trial
   MC consumption significantly lowered SBP (P < 0.05) over a period of 3 h, with peak reductions of mean ± SEM 7 ± 3 mm Hg 2 h after MC consumption relative to the placebo. Improvements in cardiovascular disease risk factors were closely linked to increases in circulating protocatechuic and vanillic acid at 1-2 h.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2016 · checked 2026-09-29
4. ccob-r1-03 · USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:151 FRUITS,FRESH(NOT CITRUS),BAKED, group Fruits and Fruit Juices: folate_total_ug 60% retained, vitamin_c_mg 80%, thiamin_mg 80%, potassium_mg 90%, copper_mg 90%, niacin_mg 90%, iron_mg 100%, magnesium_mg 100%, zinc_mg 100%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, Retn_Code 151 · checked 2026-09-29
5. ccob-r1-12 · laboratory food chemistry study
   The greatest heat sensitivity of anthocyanins was measured at 90 °C, while the treatments at 80 and 70 °C caused lower thermal degradation. The loss of anthocyanins in Érdi bőtermő juice after treatment was 38, 29 and 18%, respectively, while in Kántorjánosi 3 juice losses of 46, 29 and 19% were observed, respectively.
   Food Technol Biotechnol 2015;53(3):354-360 · checked 2026-09-29
6. ccob-r1-13 · laboratory food chemistry study
   Anthocyanins (48%-53% reduction in total) were more susceptible to thermal processing than flavonols (11%-16%). Among anthocyanins, delphinidin glycosides (61%-67% reduction) were the most unstable, followed by malvidin (52%-58%), petunidin (40%-45%), and cyanidin (38%-41%).
   Food Chem 2019;287:167-175 · checked 2026-09-29
7. ccob-r1-06 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Ten RCTs were included in this study. The results demonstrated that TC had a significant decreasing effect on plasma CRP level compared with the comparison group (weighted mean differences (WMD) = -0.55 mg/L; 95% confidence interval (CI): - 1.03, - 0.06; p = 0.029), but had no significant effect on plasma IL-6 compared with comparison group (WMD = 0.08 pg/mL; 95% CI: -0.02, 0.17; p = 0.10).
   Complement Ther Med, 2022 · checked 2026-09-29
8. ccob-r1-08 · meta-analysis
   Tart cherry supplementation had a small beneficial effect in reducing muscle soreness (effect size [ES] = -0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.87, -0.02]). A moderate beneficial effect was observed for recovery of muscular strength (ES = -0.78, 95% CI [-1.11, -0.46]).
   Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
9. ccob-r1-11 · randomized controlled trial
   Therefore, 4 weeks of MC supplementation did not alter the gut microbiome, glycaemic control or systemic concentrations of IL-6 and CRP in a middle-aged population.
   Nutrients, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
10. ccob-dga-01 · agency guideline
    While no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners is recommended or considered part of a healthy or nutritious diet, one meal should contain no more than 10 grams of added sugars.
    USDA/HHS, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 (published 2026-01-07), p. 4 · checked 2026-09-29
11. ccob-dga-02 · agency guideline
    Infancy & Early Childhood (Birth–4 Years) ... Avoid added sugars during infancy and early childhood. ... Middle Childhood (5–10 Years) ... No amount of added sugars is recommended.
    USDA/HHS, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 (published 2026-01-07), p. 6-7 · checked 2026-09-29
12. ccob-r1-04 · EU health claim register
    POL-HC-6907 Cherries (Prunus cerasus), including Montmorency, Balaton or other sour/tart cherry varieties [Tart/sour] cherries help support a healthy heart Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6907, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
13. ccob-r1-05 · EU health claim register
    POL-HC-6909 Cherries (Prunus cerasus), including Montmorency, Balaton or other sour/tart cherry varieties [Tart/sour] cherries provide a rich source of antioxidants. Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6909, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
14. ccob-r1-10 · randomized controlled trial
    Participants consumed either two 240 ml bottles per day of Montmorency tart cherry (MTC) juice or placebo or two capsules per day of powdered MTC or placebo for 30 days. ... There were no significant differences in sleep time or quality between groups, though both increased over 30 days.
    Nutr Health, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
15. ccob-r1-07 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Four randomized trials (eight comparisons; 392 participants) were included. Tart cherry intake was associated with a modest reduction in serum uric acid concentration compared with control (standardized mean difference -0.22; 95% confidence interval -0.43 to -0.01), with substantial heterogeneity.
    Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29