This Sour Cherry Pie recipe is amazing. This pie starts with a golden brown flaky all-butter pie crust (I show you the secret to getting all those beautiful flaky layers). The cherry filling has the perfect balance of sweet and tart and sets up perfectly for beautiful slices. And the buttery almond crumble topping has the right amount of sweetness and crunch that pairs well with the tart cherry filling.
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About This Sour Cherry Pie Recipe
I love sour cherry pie and I'm excited to share this recipe with you. I've tested this homemade cherry pie recipe for two years to get it right. A cherry filling with the right amount of sweetness, a flaky buttery pie crust, and a crumble topping that is tender but perfectly crisp. Your friends and family will be impressed when you present them with this delicious pie
It goes without saying that homemade pie is a labor of love. I learned how to make pies from mom and one of the important things I learned was to take your time. The homemade pie dough will need time to chill and once the pie is baked it will need time to cool completely before slicing so the filling is not soupy.
While the sour cherries are of course the star of the show, you'll love the vanilla and almond notes in the filling. The vanilla extract adds an aromatic and sweet note to the cherries. And since cherries like almonds contain the compound benzaldehyde, that natural almond flavor is released and intensified as the cherries bake. Serve this pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The pie dough is laminated to create flaky tender layers as the pie bakes. I tested the filling multiple times to figure out the right cherry-to-sugar ratio - so the cherry filling is sweet, tart, and jammy. The filling has the right amount of thickener so it's syrupy and not rubbery.
For more sour cherry recipes and desserts check out my Sour Cherry Galette and my Sour Cherry Mascarpone Ice Cream.
Key Ingredients for Sour Cherry Pie
This recipe consists of 3 recipes: the pie crust, the cherry filling, and the crumble topping. The crumble topping is the same recipe for my Marionberry Pie and Peach Crumble Pie, except for this recipe I use almonds in the topping because they pair so well with the sour cherries.
Sour Pie Cherry Filling
- Fresh Sour Cherries: Sour cherries are also known as pie cherries. They're bright red and have a delicious tart flavor. There is also the Montmorency variety which is dark red and not as tart as bright red pie cherries. You can also use frozen cherries for this pie recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: Obviously you need sugar for this recipe, but don't hesitate to adjust the amount of sugar for your own tastes. For this amount of cherries you need at least 3/4 cup so the filling thickens and the pie isn't too sour, but if you want a sweeter pie you can add more sugar.
- Tapioca Flour: Use finely ground tapioca flour. I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill brand. Tapioca flour and tapioca pearls are not the same thing. Make sure you get the flour. If you can't find tapioca flour, use an equal amount of cornstarch by volume.
- Lemon Juice: The lemon juice brightens the flavor of the cherries and helps accentuate the natural tartness.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: I consider vanilla extract the garlic of the baking world, which does wonders for this recipe. It adds a floral and aromatic taste to the pie. A lot of sour cherry pie recipes use almond extract, but when testing this recipe the almond flavor was overwhelming even when adding as little as 1/2 teaspoon.
- Prepared Pie Crust: Homemade Pie Crust will work a lot better than store-bought pie crust. Store-bought will brown easier and become drier when baked at this temperature and length of time. Keep the pie dough for crust chilled before you roll it out and while you make the pie filling.
Crumble Topping
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: The flour is necessary for the crumbly texture and for the crumble to hold its shape during baking:
- Unsalted Butter: Butter holds all the other ingredients together. Using cold butter ensures that the crumble holds its shape when baked and helps maintain the crispy texture.
- Granulated Sugar: I used granulated sugar instead of brown sugar so the molasses flavor from the brown sugar didn't compete with the flavor of the cherry filling. I also liked the lighter color crumble against the red of the cherry filling.
- Almonds: The crunch of the almonds is perfect with cherry filling and the flavor pairs well with the natural almond flavor in the baked cherries. If you're allergic to nuts you can leave them out.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Sour Cherry Pie
I love pie, especially crumble pie. Double-crust pies are great, but crumble-topped pies are even better. That crunchy sweet topping combined with a juicy, sweet tart filling is just about perfect in my opinion.
Step 1: Use this all-butter pie crust recipe to make the dough. There are instructions for making it by hand or using a food processor but I think using your hands will yield the best results. Wrap the pie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 45 minutes and up to two days.
Step 2: While the pie is chilling, pit the cherries and place the cherries in a large bowl.
Step 3: Roll out the pie dough to a 12-inch circle and transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the edge of the dough, fold the edges under, and crimp the edges. Refrigerate the dough for 60 minutes or freeze it for at least 30 minutes.
Step 4: For the crumble topping, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl
Step 5: Add the butter to the dry ingredients and use either a pastry blender to cut the butter in the flour mixture. You can also use your hands to smush the butter into the flour mixture.
Step 6: Cut the butter in the flour mixture. You can also use your hands to smush the butter into the flour mixture.
Step 7: Add the chopped almonds to the crumble mixture. Store the crumble topping in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the cherry pie.
Step 8: For the pie filling whisk together the sugar, tapioca flour, and kosher salt in a small bowl.
Step 9: Stir together the pitted pie cherries and the sugar tapioca mixture in a large bowl.
Step 10: Spoon the cherry filling into the prepared pie shell.
Step 11: Spread the crumble topping on top of the cherries.
Step 12: Bake the pie at 400°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake until the juices in the pie are bubbly all the way around the pie, about 50-60 minutes.
At some point the edge of the crust may start to get too brown, add a pie shield to protect the crust.
Step 13: Remove the pie from the oven and let it completely cool on a wire rack until it's at room temperature.
Baking Tip: If you want absolutely clean pie cuts, cool the pie completely, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for 60-90 minutes.
How to Serve Sour Cherry Pie
Give the pie time to cool to room temperature so the filling has time to set. I absolutely understand the temptation to eat warm pie, the trust me when I say it's best to wait until it's cooled.
Serve the pie plain, or with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. The vanilla flavor pairs really well with the natural almond flavor of the cherries.
How to Store Cherry Pie
The pie can sit at room temperature loosely covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 days because this is a fruit pie and the filling doesn’t contain egg, cream, or milk. If the weather is hot or humid, then refrigerate the pie after the first day. The pie can be refrigerated for 3-4 days covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Recommended Equipment
- Cherry Pitter: This cherry pitter from OXO Good Grips has a comfortable grip.
- Pie Plate: For this pie, I used the USA Pan Pie Pan. I get the best results with metal pie tins. The bottom crust browns beautifully and you can see the pie crust layers when you cut into it.
- Pastry Blender: The pastry blender is a great tool for cutting the butter into the dry ingredients. I think it's especially helpful if your hands tend to be warm, which can make the butter very soft if you're making the pie crust or crumble topping by hand.
Tips for Successfully Making This Pie
- For the homemade pie crust follow my tips in my blog post for making pie crust.
- Don't skimp on the thickener: Sour cherries are naturally juicy, so use enough thickener to ensure the filling sets properly.
- Taste the filling before baking: Adjust the amount of sugar to your liking.
- Don't overfill: A generous filling is tempting, but avoid overfilling the pie, which can lead to spills and a soggy crust when the filling expands and bubbles up.
- Bake on a preheated baking sheet: This ensures a crisp bottom crust.
- Let the pie cool completely before slicing: This allows the filling to set properly and you'll have pretty slices.
If you make this sour cherry pie please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Sour Cherry Pie with Almond Crumble Topping
Ingredients
Pie Dough
- 1-1/4 cups + 3 tablespoons (177 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting your work surface
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 tablespoons (142 grams) cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup ice-cold water
Almond Crumble Topping
- 1 cup (125 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter cold
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) almonds toasted and roughly chopped
Sour Cherry Pie Filling
- 2 pound (908 grams) fresh sour cherries (aka pie cherries) washed and pitted or frozen
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1-1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4-1/2 tablespoons (36 grams) Bob’s Red Mill finely ground tapioca flour
Instructions
Make the Pie Dough
- Cut the cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter pieces are about the size of lima beans.
- Add the ice water and use a rubber spatula to toss together. The dough will feel and look wet but that is okay.
- Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press the dough together. Use your fingers to press it out to a 6x4-inch rectangle with the short end facing you. Fold the top third towards the center and then fold the bottom third over the top half. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so the short edge is facing you. The edges won’t be smooth or completely even which is okay. If the dough is sticking to the work surface, add more flour.
- Again, with your fingers press the dough out to. 6x4-inch rectangle. Fold the top third towards the center and then fold the bottom third over the top half. Press the dough together and shape it into a circle about 1-inch thick. We’re shaping it into a circle because we will roll it out into a circle for the pie.
- Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and frozen for up to 2 months (see the pie dough recipe with instructions how to freeze the dough).
- For a 9-inch pie plate roll the dough until is it 1/8-inch thick and 12-13 inches round. Fold the dough in half and then half again so that you have a quarter. Place the dough in the pie pan with the corner of the dough at the center of the pan. Gently unfold the dough so the pie plate is completely covered, and the dough is overhanging the edges of the pie plate.
- Trim the dough so that there is about a 1-inch overhang all the way around. Fold the dough under so that it rests on the edge of the pie plate. Crimp the dough using a fork or create your own design.
- Refrigerate the prepared dough for at least 60 minutes or freeze it for 30 minutes.
Make the Crumble Topping
- Cut the cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place it back in the refrigerator so it stays cold while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium size bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and toss the butter into the flour mixture with your hands until all the butter is well coated.
- Use the pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture, until the butter is pea sized. You can also you use your hands if you don’t have a pastry blender. To mix it with your hands take each piece of butter and smash it flat between your thumb and first two fingers. Continue to do this until the butter is pea sized.
- Cover the crumble with plastic and place it in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes. If not using the crumble the same day, place it in an airtight container (something with a lid) to keep it from drying out. The crumble can be made up to one week in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.
Prepare the Cherry Filling
- Pit the cherries. Be careful to ensure all the pits are removed. Place the cherries in a large bowl. If using frozen cherries, do not that let them thaw out. Don't remove them from the freezer until ready to mix them with the other ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a half baking sheet in the oven while it is heating. The hot baking sheet will help ensure the bottom the crust browns.
- Whisk together the the sugar, tapioca flour, and the salt in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract to the cherries and stir the ingredients together to coat the cherries. Add the sugar tapioca mixture to the cherries and gently fold the dry ingredients into the cherries. Taste a cherry and decide based on taste if you want to add more sugar. If adding more sugar, add it 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve the desired sweetness.
Assemble the Pie
- Remove the pie shell and crumble topping from the refrigerator. Pour the cherries into the prepared pie shell. Take a small handful of the almond crumble, squeeze it together, then break it up as you spread it over the cherries. Repeat this step until all the crumble is used up. Leave the edges of the cherry filling slightly exposed so you can see the cherry filling when it starts to bubble up.
Bake the Pie
- Place the in the oven on top of the half baking sheet. Bake the pie at 400°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and don’t open the oven door. Bake the pie for 15 minutes then rotate the pie to ensure even baking.
- Bake the pie for another 25-30 minutes until the crust is dark golden brown, and you see the filling bubbly up around the edges and breaking through the crumble in different spots. You will also see the center of pie rise as the filling expands. Check the pie crust after 30 minutes and If the crust starts to get too dark cover the edges of the crust with a pie shield.
- Remove the pie from the oven. Place it on a wire rack and allow to cool completely (about 3 hours) before serving.
Storing the Pie
- The pie can sit at room temperature for 2 days in a covered container (and for 1 day if the weather is hot and humid). Store the pie in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, covered with plastic wrap or foil.
Eric says
On the sour cherry pie, are you supposed to use sour cherries or sweet cherries and let the lemon juice provide the acid? Looking forward a good sweet cherry recipe because i cant find sour cherries
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Eric
Sorry for the lack of clarification in the ingredient list. I updated the ingredient list, it is sour cherries, also known as pie cherries.