The Ultimate Easy Cherry Crumb Pie Recipe: Perfect with Fresh or Frozen Cherries & Buttery Streusel
There’s nothing quite like a homemade pie, and this easy cherry crumb pie is a true standout! Imagine a golden, flaky crust filled with a vibrant, juicy cherry filling, all crowned with a irresistible buttery streusel topping. Whether you prefer to use sweet fresh cherries bursting with summer flavor or the convenience of frozen cherries, this recipe promises a delightful dessert that’s surprisingly simple to master.
This isn’t just any cherry pie; it’s designed for perfection. We’ve crafted a sweet cherry pie filling that’s rich and flavorful, beautifully balanced with a hint of lemon and cinnamon, ensuring it sets up perfectly without any dreaded soggy bottom. The star of the show, however, might just be that golden, crunchy streusel. It adds a textural contrast and an extra layer of buttery goodness that elevates this pie from great to absolutely unforgettable.
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Craving more cherry delights? Be sure to explore my Cherry Coffee Cake, rich Amarena Cherry Chocolate Sauce, and elegant White Forest Cake for even more fruity indulgence!
Crafting the Best Cherry Crumb Pie: A Recipe for Success
Nothing evokes the essence of summer quite like a slice of homemade cherry pie, and this recipe takes that classic comfort to new heights. The secret to its undeniable charm lies in the marriage of a luscious, fruit-forward filling with a generous, buttery streusel topping. This particular cherry crumb pie recipe is incredibly straightforward, making it accessible for bakers of all skill levels, yet it delivers a depth of flavor that tastes anything but simple. If you’re a devoted cherry enthusiast, or know someone who is, this pie is an absolute must-try!
What makes this pie truly exceptional is its intense, authentic cherry flavor. We use an abundance of either fresh or frozen sweet cherries, ensuring every bite is bursting with fruity goodness. The cherry filling is meticulously crafted to be rich and wonderfully juicy, yet it’s expertly thickened to prevent any dreaded sogginess at the bottom of your pie crust. This means your pie will slice beautifully, holding its shape perfectly, and offering a delightful texture contrast. A subtle hint of cinnamon is woven into the filling, adding a warm, aromatic note that complements the bright cherries without overpowering them, creating a harmonious and utterly delicious experience.
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The Irresistible Streusel Topping for Your Cherry Pie
While the cherry filling is undoubtedly the heart of this pie, the crumb topping is arguably the soul! This buttery streusel adds a delightful crunch and an extra layer of sweet, rich flavor that perfectly complements the tart-sweet cherries below. It’s the element that truly transforms a simple cherry pie into a magnificent cherry crumb pie. The best part? This incredible streusel topping requires just a few basic ingredients and comes together in a matter of minutes, making it a quick and easy addition to your baking repertoire.
The beauty of a good streusel lies in its simplicity and the magical transformation of common ingredients into a textural masterpiece. Flour, brown sugar, and cold butter are all you need to create a crumbly mixture that bakes into a golden, slightly chewy, and wonderfully crisp layer. As it bakes, the butter melts and caramelizes with the brown sugar, infusing the top of your pie with an unparalleled aroma and a deep, comforting sweetness. This streusel isn’t just a garnish; it’s an integral part of the pie’s flavor profile, making every forkful a perfect symphony of textures and tastes.
Essential Ingredients for Your Perfect Cherry Crumb Pie
Gathering the right ingredients is the first step to creating this mouthwatering cherry crumb pie. Each component plays a crucial role in achieving the perfect balance of flavor and texture:
- All-Purpose Flour: This forms the structure for our crumb topping. For accurate baking results, especially with flour, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, employ the spoon-and-level method to avoid a dense topping.
- Light Brown Sugar: Essential for the streusel topping, light brown sugar contributes a rich, molasses-like sweetness and a tender, slightly chewy texture that contrasts beautifully with the pie’s fruit filling.
- Salted Butter (Cold & Cubed): Butter is key for both the filling’s richness and the crumb topping’s irresistible texture. For the streusel, it’s crucial that your butter is cold and cubed. This helps create those distinct, pea-sized crumbs that bake up flaky and crisp. My tip: remove butter from the fridge, cut into cubes, and then place it back in the fridge to keep it chilled while you prepare other ingredients. If using unsalted butter, simply add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients for the topping.
- Pie Crust: The foundation of our pie! While I’m partial to my go-to flaky, all-butter pie crust recipe for its incredible flavor and texture, feel free to use your favorite homemade version or a convenient store-bought pie crust for a quick shortcut.
- Pitted Sweet Cherries: The star fruit of our pie! Varieties like Bing cherries, known for their deep mahogany color and sweet taste when ripe, are absolutely perfect. They’re not only delicious fresh but also phenomenal when baked into desserts. This recipe works beautifully with fresh cherries, but for ultimate convenience and consistent results, I often make this cherry crumb pie with frozen cherries. Rainier cherries are another excellent sweet option. Ensure they are pitted for easy eating!
- Granulated Sugar: This provides the primary sweetness for the cherry filling. If you prefer a less sweet pie, you can easily reduce the amount to ½ cup to suit your taste.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is vital. It brightens the sweet cherry pie filling, adding a crucial touch of tartness that cuts through the richness and enhances the overall fruit flavor.
- Cornstarch: Our thickening agent! Cornstarch is essential for achieving a perfectly set, sliceable pie filling that isn’t too runny or watery. It ensures your pie holds its shape beautifully once cooled.
- Almond Extract and Vanilla Extract: These extracts are a cherry pie’s best friends! Almond extract beautifully amplifies the natural flavor of cherries, while high-quality pure vanilla extract adds a warm, comforting base note. For an extra special touch, consider making your own homemade vanilla extract with just two ingredients!
- Ground Cinnamon: Just a touch of ground cinnamon in the filling adds a wonderful layer of warm spice, complementing the cherries and giving the pie a cozy, inviting aroma.
- Salted Butter (for filling): A small amount of butter added to the cherry filling contributes a subtle richness and smooth texture, rounding out the flavors.
- Water: This ingredient is only necessary if you’re using fresh cherries. Fresh cherries typically release less liquid during cooking than frozen ones, so a bit of water helps create enough liquid to properly dissolve the cornstarch and get the filling simmering effectively.
For a delightful gluten-free alternative, you might enjoy this gluten-free cherry crisp!
Essential Equipment for Homemade Cherry Crumb Pie
Having the right tools can make your baking experience much smoother and more enjoyable. Here’s the essential equipment you’ll need for this delicious cherry crumb pie:
- Cherry Pitter: If you’re opting for fresh cherries, a cherry pitter is an invaluable tool. It significantly speeds up the process of preparing your fruit, making it much less messy and time-consuming.
- 9-inch Pie Pan: A standard pie pan is necessary for baking your pie to perfection. Ceramic, glass, or metal pans all work well.
- Medium Saucepan: You’ll use this for cooking down your cherry pie filling to achieve that perfect consistency before it goes into the crust.
- Mixing Bowls: Essential for combining your dry ingredients for the crumb topping and for preparing your filling.
- Pastry Blender (or Two Forks): This tool is incredibly helpful for cutting cold butter into the flour and brown sugar when making the streusel topping. It ensures you get those ideal pea-sized crumbs that create a light and crisp streusel. If you don’t have one, two forks can also do the trick, though it might take a little more effort.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: For accurately portioning all your ingredients.
- Kitchen Scale: Highly recommended for precise flour measurements, which can significantly impact the texture of your crumb topping and ensure consistent results.
- Baking Sheet: Placing your pie on a baking sheet lined with foil during baking catches any potential drips, preventing a messy oven cleanup.
Mastering the Art of a Buttery Crumb Topping for Your Pie
Creating the perfect crumb topping for this cherry pie is surprisingly easy and incredibly rewarding! It’s a simple process that yields a huge payoff in terms of texture and flavor.
To begin, you’ll want to combine your light brown sugar and all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl. Give them a good whisk to ensure they are evenly distributed. This dry mixture sets the stage for the buttery crumbs. Next, add your cold, cubed salted butter directly into this mixture. The key here is using cold butter; this prevents it from fully incorporating into the flour, which is what gives you those wonderful distinct crumbs.
Now, it’s time to “cut in” the butter. Using a pastry blender, or even two forks, work the butter into the flour and sugar mixture. Continue to cut and press until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, roughly the size of small peas. Some larger chunks of butter are absolutely fine, as they will melt and create pockets of deliciousness as the pie bakes. Once achieved, pop the bowl of crumb topping into the freezer for about 10 minutes. This quick chill helps the butter stay firm, resulting in an even crispier and more defined streusel after baking. It’s a small step that makes a big difference!
Expert Tips and Frequently Asked Questions for Your Cherry Crumb Pie
This particular pie recipe is specifically developed for sweet cherries, which offer a delightful sweetness balanced by a hint of tartness. If you’re using fresh cherries, the best options are popular sweet varieties such as Bing or Rainier. These cherries maintain their flavor and texture beautifully when baked. For an even more convenient option, you can easily make this cherry crumb pie with frozen cherries. Most supermarket freezer sections offer excellent quality dark, sweet pitted cherries that work perfectly and require no pitting.
Absolutely! While I adore making my flaky, all-butter pie crust recipe when time allows, a refrigerated store-bought pie crust is a fantastic and convenient alternative. It streamlines the baking process significantly, allowing you to enjoy your delicious cherry crumb pie with less effort.
I have not personally tested this cherry crumb pie recipe with canned cherries, as the texture and sweetness can vary significantly from fresh or frozen. Canned cherries often come in a syrup, which would drastically change the liquid content and sweetness of the filling, potentially making it too runny or overly sweet. For best results, I would strongly recommend sticking with frozen dark sweet cherries if fresh aren’t available, as they provide a more consistent and delicious outcome for this recipe.
Once your cherry crumb pie has completely cooled to room temperature, it’s best to store it in the refrigerator. Simply cover it well with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, and it will remain delicious for up to 4 days. If you’re looking to enjoy your pie for a longer period, it freezes exceptionally well! Wrap the cooled pie thoroughly in several layers of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. It can be frozen for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving, or gently reheat in a low oven for a warm, comforting slice.
During baking, the cherry filling should be visibly bubbling up through the streusel topping, especially around the edges. This indicates that the cornstarch has fully activated and thickened the filling. If it’s not bubbling, it may need a few more minutes in the oven. The bubbling should be slow and thick, not watery. Also, the streusel topping should be a deep golden brown, not just lightly colored.
Yes, absolutely! You can make the pie crust a day or two in advance and keep it chilled in the refrigerator. The streusel topping can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or even frozen for longer. For the filling, it’s best to make it just before assembling the pie to ensure optimal freshness and consistency, though you can pit fresh cherries a day ahead if using them.
If you try this delightful recipe, I would absolutely love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! Your feedback is incredibly wonderful and helps me continue to share these recipes! And don’t forget to share your beautiful creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
More Delicious Summer Recipes You’ll Love
As you savor this incredible cherry crumb pie, don’t forget to explore more of my favorite summer recipes that are perfect for warm weather gatherings or simply enjoying at home:
- No-Churn Oreo Ice Cream Recipe: A ridiculously easy and creamy ice cream that requires no special equipment.
- Stone Fruit Salad with Goat Cheese and Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette: A refreshing and elegant salad combining sweet fruits with tangy cheese.
- Zesty Key Lime Cookies: Bright, citrusy cookies that capture the essence of summer in every bite.
- Vibrant Vegan Couscous Salad with Chickpeas: A light, healthy, and flavorful salad perfect for picnics or a light lunch.
- Refreshing Peach Sorbet Recipe: A simple, naturally sweet sorbet that’s perfect for cooling down on a hot day.
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Cherry Crumb Pie
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Equipment you may need
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pie pans
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mixing bowls
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pastry blender
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measuring cups and spoons
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¾ sheet baking pan
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heavy-duty aluminum foil
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food scale
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pie crust – homemade or store-bought
Cherry Pie Filling
- 5 cups (690 g) fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries – pitted
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon (22 ml) fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup (32 g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon (2 ml) almond extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon (7 ml) pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) salted butter
- ¼ cup (59 g) water – if using fresh cherries
Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (147 g) light brown sugar – packed
- 6 tablespoon (84 g) salted butter – cold, cubed
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). For easy cleanup and to catch any potential drips, place a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil in the oven while it preheats.
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Carefully place your pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan and flute the edges decoratively. Transfer the pie crust to the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling and topping.1 9-inch pie crust
Prepare the Cherry Pie Filling
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In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all the cherry filling ingredients: pitted cherries, granulated sugar, fresh lemon juice, cornstarch, almond extract, pure vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and the 2 tablespoons of salted butter. If you are using fresh cherries, add up to ¼ cup of water to help the cornstarch dissolve and ensure the filling starts simmering smoothly.5 cups fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup cornstarch, ½ teaspoon almond extract, 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoon salted butter, ¼ cup water
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Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the filling has visibly thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before assembling the pie.
Prepare the Buttery Crumb Topping
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In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and light brown sugar until thoroughly combined.¾ cup all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup light brown sugar
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Add the cold, cubed salted butter to the flour and sugar mixture. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs. For best results, place the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill while you prepare the rest of the pie. This step helps ensure a perfectly crisp topping.6 tablespoon salted butter
Assemble and Bake Your Pie
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Retrieve the chilled pie crust from the refrigerator. Pour the completely cooled cherry pie filling evenly into the prepared crust. Then, generously sprinkle the chilled crumb topping over the filling, gently pressing with your fingers if you prefer to form larger, more substantial crumbs.
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Carefully place the assembled pie onto the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for approximately 45 minutes, or until the crumb topping is beautifully golden brown and the cherry filling is visibly bubbling through the crumbs, indicating it’s thoroughly cooked and set. If you notice the edges of your pie crust browning too quickly, loosely cover them with strips of aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning.
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Once baked, remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack. This cooling period is crucial, as it allows the filling to fully set, ensuring clean and perfect slices when you serve. Patience is key for the best pie experience!
Video: How to Make Cherry Crumb Pie
Chef’s Notes & Tips
Pie Crust Options: For a truly homemade touch, I highly recommend my own flaky, all-butter pie crust recipe – it’s a game-changer! However, for ultimate convenience without sacrificing quality, a good quality refrigerated store-bought pie crust is an excellent option that makes pie making incredibly easy and accessible.
Serving Suggestions: This cherry crumb pie is heavenly on its own, but it truly shines when served warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream that melts into the warm cherry filling, or a dollop of freshly whipped cream. For an extra touch of indulgence, a drizzle of Amarena Cherry Chocolate Sauce would be divine!
Nutrition Information
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