This sour cherry crumble pie recipe features a golden brown flaky all-butter pie crust, and a syrupy cherry filling that has the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The filling is topped with a sweet, buttery almond crumble that pairs well with the tart cherry filling. Plus it sets up perfectly for beautiful slices that hold their shape.
I love sour cherry pie and I'm excited to share this recipe with you. I've tested this cherry pie recipe for two years to get it right. The main issue was getting the right amount of sugar, so the filling had the right amount of sweetness, and the right amount of thickener so the filling set up, but didn't have a rubbery texture.
For more sour cherry recipes and desserts check out my Sour Cherry Galette and my Sour Cherry Mascarpone Ice Cream.
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Cheryl's Baker's Notes
- Vanilla Extract Instead of Almond Extract: Cherries contain the same compound as almonds, benzaldehyde, which means a natural almond flavor is release as the cherries bake. So instead of adding almond extract to the filling, I added vanilla extract. The vanilla adds a sweet, aromatic note to the cherry filling that complements the natural almond flavor.
- Laminated Pie Makes a Difference: My pie dough is a laminated to create flaky tender layers as the pie bakes. I do three tri-fold which layers the butter between the flour. When it bakes the butter releases steam and the layers open up.
- Use a Metal Pie Pan: I've made pies with glass and metal pie pans, and metal gives me consistent results. The bottom of the crust browns beautifully. My results with glass pie pans have been hit or miss, so I don't recommend them for this recipe.
This Pie Takes Time to Make
I learned how to make pies from mom and I learned two things: homemade pie is a labor of love and you need to take your time. So plan to make this pie the day before you want to serve it.
The homemade pie dough will need time to chill, about 1 hour. Once the pie is baked it will need another 4 hours, preferably overnight, to finish setting and to cool completely so the slices hold their shape and the filling doesn't flow spill out as it's sliced.
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.
- 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.
- Tapioca Flour: I use tapioca flour because it creates a clear gel filling. 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.
- 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: The crumble topping starts with my base recipe of flour, unsalted butter, and granulated sugar to which I add toasted almosts for crunch and flavor.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Homemade Sour Cherry Crumble 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: 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 3: Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and add the cubed butter.
Step 4: Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or use your hands to smush the butter into the flour mixture.
Step 5: Add the chopped almonds to the crumble mixture. Store the crumble topping in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the cherry pie.
Step 6: Stir together the pitted pie cherries and the sugar tapioca mixture in a large bowl.
Step 7: Spoon the cherry filling into the prepared pie shell.
Step 8: Spread the crumble topping on top of the cherries.
Step 9: 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 10: 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 This 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.
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. Add the chopped almonds and use your fingers or a fork to mix them into crumble.
- 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.
Saf says
When do you add the almonds?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Saf
Thank you so much for asking. The almonds are added to the crumble topping after the butter is mixed in. I forgot to add that step, but I have corrected the recipe.