Cherry Crumble Pie
Enjoy this fabulous cherry pie all year round by using fresh, frozen or even jarred cherries with this easy and adaptable recipe. It’s the best homemade cherry pie filling topped with a buttery brown sugar crumble and wrapped in a flaky pie crust.
There is a local farm market and bakery near my house that makes the best savory and sweet pies. During the holidays they have people lined up around their building waiting to purchase their pies. I recently had their sour cherry crumble pie and oh my goodness – best thing on earth! And I’ve been craving cherry pie since.
Obviously it’s not cherry season anymore, but even when it is, it’s a pretty short season and sour cherries are hard to come by. I’ve never actually been able to get my hands on fresh sour cherries. Maybe I’ve been looking in all the wrong places. Now jarred sour cherries, I can get my hands on, so that’s what I used in this recipe.
I simply cooked up a whole jar of cherries, syrup and all, with some sugar and cornstarch to get a nice thick jam-like cherry filling. I added some vanilla and a touch of almond extract for flavor. Then I prepared a quick crumb topping made with rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Then I prepared my 4-ingredient flaky pie crust. I assembled all my pieces together, baked it for 45 minutes and voila, the most beautiful and delicious cherry pie. Made from scratch and a whole lot of love.
This cherry pie is loaded with chunks of juicy tart cherries in a thick sweet jam filling. It’s topped with a crunchy, buttery and nutty rolled oat streusel. The pie crust is flaky and tender. The taste is fruity and tart with just the right amount of sweetness. It has floral notes of almond and vanilla with warm hints of cinnamon and brown sugar.
Cherry Crumble Pie
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8-10
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is the best homemade cherry pie filling topped with a buttery brown sugar crumble and wrapped in a flaky pie crust.
Ingredients
Filling
- 24–28oz jar sour pitted cherries in light syrup (see notes for fresh or frozen cherries)
- 5–6 tbsp (42-50g) cornstarch (use 5 tbsp for 24oz jar of cherries and 6 tbsp for 28 oz jar)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
Crumble
- 1/2 cup (45g) rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (64g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (70g) packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsp (90ml) unsalted butter, melted
Crust
- 2 cups (256g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp (2.5g) salt
- ½ cup (125ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (62ml) milk (any kind)
Instructions
Prepare the filling:
- Drain the syrup from the jar of cherries into a medium saucepan. Whisk in the cornstarch and sugar.
- On the stovetop over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Add in the cherries and continue to cook until the filling thickens again.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Set aside to cool while preparing the crumble and pie crust.
- Preheat oven to 425F and arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven. Set aside a 9″ pie plate.
Prepare the crumble:
- In a medium bowl, mix together the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon (breaking apart any clumps of brown sugar). Add in the melted butter and mix again until everything is moistened. Set aside.
Prepare the crust:
- Sift the flour twice, then whisk in the salt and create a well in the center.
- Pour in the oil, then milk and stir everything together. If the dough seems too dry, add 1-2 tbsp of milk.
- Once the dough starts to form, finish working it by gently kneading it on a sheet of wax paper.
- Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of wax paper to about 11-12″ in diameter. It should overhang your pie plate about 1 cm.
- Fit the dough onto your pie plate. Fold the excess pastry underneath and crimp the edges.
- Pour the pie filling into the pie crust and sprinkle the crumb topping evenly on top.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425F, then turn down the heat to 375F and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. Loosely cover with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent the edges of the crust from over browning.
Notes
For fresh or frozen cherries:
4 cups pitted cherries
2 tbsp water
4-6 tbsp cornstarch (depending on how much juice is released)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
Place cherries and water in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cover. After the cherries lose considerable juice, which may take a few minutes, remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Pour this mixture into the hot cherries and mix well. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Set aside to cool while preparing the rest of the pie.
Can I make the crust a day/2 days before and refrigerate it before baking the rest of the pie ahead of time? I’m wondering so I can save time.
Yes, double wrap it in plastic and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to use, remove from the fridge for about 30-60 minutes to bring to room temperature, roll it out, and proceed as instructed. Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!
I can’t find tart cherries in light syrup. Any recommendations on how I can use tart cherries in water instead?
Hey Lynn,
I would simply add another 1/2 cup of sugar to the cherry filling, so a total of 1 & 1/2 cups of sugar. I hope that helps and let me know if you have any further questions.
easy to make. can you freeze it before you bake it?
No, it’s better to freeze it after it’s baked. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks and have a wonderful day!
Great recipe! Â Unlike store bought “cherry” pies which are mostly sauce with hardly any cherries, this pie has an abundance of cherries proportionate to the sauce. Â The crumble is just the right amount. Â My husband loves pies and I prefer crumbles so this makes us both happy : Â ) Â Â Delicious. Â My only addition was some lemon juice in the filling but that was my personal preference. Â Would be delicious without it. Â Thanks for a super easy and yummy recipe! Â
You’re very welcome, Gloria! So glad you and your husband think it’s delicious:) Enjoy and have a great evening!
Super tasty! Love it!
Hi Lily, I love sour cherry pie but sadly haven’t been able to make one for myself yet. This looks delicious. Have a good weekend 🙂