If summer was a fruit, it’d be sweet cherries. Sweet cherries are juicy, delicious, and make for the perfect summer treat. You can eat them plain or bake them into a delicious pie. But did you know sweet cherries are also linked to reducing stress?

Sweet cherries are high in serotonin, which helps keep your mood elevated. They are also high in melatonin, which enables you to fall asleep. Beyond just that, sweet cherries have also been found to reduce inflammation. They can even speed up your recovery time after working out. So, if you’re looking for an excellent post-workout snack, a big bowl of sweet cherries might be it.

Not only are sweet cherries absolutely delicious, but they are also one of the most nutritious fruits. These are the best ways you can enjoy sweet cherries all summer long:

Bake with cherries
Imagine eating a delicious slice of sweet cherry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a warm summer day. Does anything sound better than that? You can bake a lot of recipes with sweet cherries, but my favorite is definitely pie.

Make cherry jelly
Homemade cherry jelly is a must-have for the summer. You can use it on PB&J sandwiches, on crackers, or even warm it up and put it on top of ice cream or waffles. Homemade jelly is way better than the store-bought stuff, and way better for you, too!

Freeze cherries
If you accidentally went overboard with the cherries and bought too many, don’t throw them out. Just pit and freeze them! You can use frozen cherries to make homemade ice cream or even blend it up with cacao powder for a cherry chocolate shake.

Eat them plain
Quite possibly the best way to eat sweet cherries is right out the bag. They’re sweet enough to taste like a dessert that can be enjoyed at any time. You can even add them to a fruit salad for a delicious summer snack.

Put them on a cheeseboard
Because cheese boards and sweet cherries are two summer staples. The best cheese boards have an element of both sweet and salty, and sweet cherries are the perfect fruit to add. They taste great on a cracker with some brie cheese spread on top. Bring your cheeseboard to the next level and add some sweet cherries.