Cherry Crumb Pie or Cherry Crumble Pie, a summer dessert made with fresh cherries and a homemade buttery, crumbly golden crust. It has a hint of almond extract which adds a fantastic flavour to an already delicious dessert. Super easy to whip up, a big hit every single time.
Seasonal fruit are such a treat! Take cherries, you can't possibly get a better taste than in summer when they are fully ripe, juicy and divinely sweet. And if they are amazing on their own, imagine how nice a cherry dessert can be!
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What is a crumb pie?
I am no stranger to baking pies, although it's the first time I try a crumb pie. Now, there is not a massive difference apart from the fact that the top is made by scattering buttery dough crumbs over the fruit rather than rolling it to a perfect shape.
But somehow, the deliberate untidy appearance is what makes this pie so amazing, and actually nicer looking than any other classic pie. When you have a bite, you know this is the dessert you are going to have again and again. And rightly so!
If you are a fan of sour cherries, do go for them too! You might not be able to go through lots of them on their own - or maybe you can, but in desserts, jams or any preserves they are absolute heaven.
Ingredients used for a cherry crumb pie
- cherries - ripe, sweet cherries are the best for this pie, as they are juicy and delicious
- flour - plain flour is the best
- cornflour - used to soak up the juices from the cherries, so they don't make the crust too soggy
- almond extract - it gives a nice touch to the crust
- sugar - I used granulated sugar, caster sugar is also good
- butter - unsalted butter works the best in sweet treats
Easy swaps
Apart from the almond extract, I wouldn't make any other swaps to the homemade crumb crust. It's got the perfect texture, taste and colour, and there is no need for anything extra.
But, when it comes to the filling, that's a completely different story - we can make any adjustments we like, as long as it's edible. I have already mentioned that cherries can be replaced with sour cherries. But even frozen cherries can be used too - let them thaw first, and you might need more sugar depending how sweet they are - frozen fruit are rarely sweet enough.
If you want to be adventurous, try any sort of berries, they should all work beautifully with this pie - strawberries, blueberries, gooseberries, blackberries, or any currants, and why not, the gold old rhubarb.
Any other combination of the above fruit would also work too - a fruit salad kind of pie sounds like an exquisite idea to me
Step-by-Step photos and instructions
Forget about ready-made pastries, this homemade crumbly pastry is the best you can possibly get. You don't even need that many ingredients, and there is nothing fancy here: butter, flour, sugar, a pinch of salt and almond extract. You can use any other extract you have around, the vanilla one would work quite well too.
- beat the soften butter with the sugar until it becomes light and fluffy - 1-2 minutes with the hand mixer or blender would do (see photo 1)
- add the flour, almond extract and a pinch of sugar, and use your hands to mix everything together get crumbs (see picture 4)
- add half of the crumbs to a pie/quiche dish, and press down well to create a crust, also pressing up the sides too
- cover the crust with kitchen foil, add add baking beans or dry pulses to blind bake it
- bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, remove the foil and beans, and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the crust is golden
- in a bowl, mix the pitted cherries with the sugar and cornflour, then add everything to the baked crust (I use a straw to pit the cherries, it's a brilliant method that works every single time)
- top with the remaining crumbs, and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until the top is golden too
Expert tips
Do use proper ripen cherries, they will be naturally sweet, so there will be no need to add tons of refined sugar. Plus, they taste better, thus creating a much better, tastier cherry pie with crumb topping.
The almond extract will make the difference between an ok dessert, and a scrumptious dessert. It's strong enough to give a unique flavour that comes through beautifully in every single bite, and pairs nicely with the cherries. So, I highly recommend using it!
Recipe FAQs
Serve the pie with a classic custard recipe, cream or just on its own, it's still amazing no matter your choice. Or, for an extra treat, my Mango Custard is to die for.
Ice creams are such a good addition here, and I have a whole range of yummy homemade ice cream to go with it: Homemade Ice Cream Recipes (No Churn).
Unless it's summer when cherries are at their best, you can also use frozen cherries. But unlike the fresh ones, they will have to be cooked beforehand, otherwise the filling will be too soggy and watery.
The pie can be left at room temperature for 1-2 days if it's covered with kitchen foil. Any longer than that, it will have to be refrigerated.
Other cherry recipes
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Cherry Crumb Pie
Ingredients
For the crust
- 375 g plain flour
- 250 g soften butter
- 100 g sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- a pinch of salt
For the filling
- 350 g pitted cherries
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
- To make the crust, beat the soften butter with the sugar for 1-2 minutes using an electric mixer - you should have a light, fluffy texture.
- Add the almond extract, flour and salt, and use you hands to rub all the ingredients together until you get crumbs.
- Use half of the crumbs to add to a pie or quiche dish - pressing the crumbs down and up the sides well to create a uniform crust.
- Cover the crust with kitchen foil, and fill the dish with baking beans or dry pulses.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, remove the foil and beans, and bake for a further 10 minutes until the crust is golden.
- In a large bowl, mix the pitted cherries with the sugar and cornflour, then add them to the baked crust.
- Scatter the remaining crumbs all over the cherries, and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until the top with golden.
- Allow the pie with cool before slicing it.
- Serve it with custard, cream or just on its own.
Video
Notes
- Click on the US Customary link to see the measurements displayed in cups and ounces.
- The servings can be adjusted by clicking the number next to Servings.
- Do use proper ripen cherries, they will be naturally sweet, so there will be no need to add tons of refined sugar. Plus, they taste better, thus creating a much better, tastier cherry pie with crumb topping.
- The almond extract will make the difference between an ok dessert, and a scrumptious dessert. It's strong enough to give a unique flavour that comes through beautifully in every single bite, and pairs nicely with the cherries. So, I highly recommend using it!
Nutrition
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