by: Kate McMillan
Cook Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
30 minutes
Refrigeration Time
90 minutes
Yield
8 servings
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
30 minutes
Yield
8 servings
summary
Fresh cherry pie straight from the oven is an American summer classic! For this cherry bourbon crumble pie recipe, we’ve mixed bourbon into the filling for a deep rich flavor and added a crumb topping that can’t be beat.
ingredients
- Pie Crust Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoons sugar
- 8 tablespoons very cold, unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons ice-cold water
- Filling Ingredients
- 5 heaping cups halved and pitted fresh cherries
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ¼ cup bourbon
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Crumble Topping Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup oats
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold butter cut into small pieces
directions
- To make the pie crust, place the flour, salt and sugar in the base of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse several times to mix together. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the food processor, pulsing until you have very small pieces of butter. With the motor running, add the water. Don’t worry if the dough doesn’t come together at this point. Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted work surface and knead a few times to pull the dough together. Form the dough into a disc. Cover the disc in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- To make the pie filling, combine the cherries, sugar, lemon juice and bourbon in a saucepan and set over medium heat. Stirring a few times, cook just until the cherries begin to release their juices, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the cherries to a bowl.
- Pour the cherry juices left in the saucepan into a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add the cornstarch to the jar, seal tightly and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan on set over medium-high heat. Stirring often, bring this mixture to a low boil and cook just until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Stir in the butter until it melts and then pour this over the cherries in the bowl and stir to combine. Transfer, uncovered, to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch circle. Place this in a 9-inch fluted pie dish leaving an overhang of dough and then crimp the edges. Pour the cherry filing into the pie dish.
- To make the crumble topping, place the flour, sugar, oats, salt and butter into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium until the mixture looks slightly wet and the butter is in very small pieces. Pile this on top of the pie.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumble is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Check the pie after 20 minutes and if the edges are getting too brown, carefully cover with aluminum foil.
notes
You will need about 2 pounds of fresh cherries.
A cherry pitter makes fast work of pitting cherries. But if you don’t have one, you can use the flat side of a paring knife to press down on the cherry, which will loosen the pit which you can then remove with your hands.
We suggest making and baking a pie in the morning when it is cooler so ingredients stay nice and cold in order to achieve that perfect flakey crust.
Allowing time for the pie to fully cool is important to ensure that the filling thickens as it cools.
Serve this cherry bourbon crumble pie recipe as is or top with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
