Bourbon Cherry Pie is here and it is filled with a delicious, sweet (but not too sweet), easy homemade cherry filling that’s spiked with a bit of bourbon. The crumble topping is super simple – and it shows off the beautiful cherry filling! Serve with a heap of vanilla ice cream. This pie is INSANELY delicious!
One of our friends described this pie as – and I quote – “dynamite” – so I don’t think I need to write anything else, right? You’re probably already convinced that this pie deserves a place at your Thanksgiving – it’s got CHERRIES and BOURBON. I mean, what else do we need? Plus, this pie is super easy because it’s got a crumble topping, which is always easier than doing a full top crust.
This pie does require a blind bake on the bottom crust but it’s SUPER easy – promise. I’ve done it a zillion times and it’s not scary like you might think it is. The recipe below will walk you through the process! Basically, you’re just prepping the bottom crust and chilling it like normal, then covering it with foil, pouring in some rice/beans/sugar to weigh it down, and baking for about 25 minutes. (I personally don’t feel that pie weights are worth the money when you can use things you already have in your pantry, but you can of course use pie weights if you already have them.) Then, you let it cool while you mix up the filling and topping. See? Simple. Not scary. 🙂
Oh, and you can most definitely use frozen (thawed and drained) cherries for this! In fact, that’s probably your only option this time of year.
Pro tip: Don’t pour all the juice from your filling into the pie or it will be WAYYY too wet and runny and no one wants a soggy bottom on their pie. I always hear “soggy bottom” in a British accent thanks to The Great British Baking Show. Hehe.
I mean, look at that beauty!! She was just made to shine on your Thanksgiving table.
Serve with coffee (my dad would be proud!) and ice cream or whipped cream. I kinda feel like this type of pie requires ice cream more so than whipped cream, but YOU DO YOU. I know Cherry Pie isn’t a traditional Thanksgiving pie, but I so hope you’ll give it a try – it really is fantastic and we’ll be having it for our Thanksgiving this year! I sense the beginning of a new tradition.
Happy Thanksgiving! Er, happy two weeks before Thanksgiving!
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Bourbon Cherry Pie with Crumble Topping
Ingredients
For the Cherry Pie Filling:
- 2 and 1/2 pounds sour cherries stemmed and pitted (can use frozen - thaw in the fridge overnight and drain excess liquid)
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- ¾ tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp orange zest
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp tapioca starch Can substitute corn starch at half the amount - 3 TBSP
For the Crust:Â
- 1/2 my pie crust recipe
- 2 TBSP cream cheese 1 ounce, at room temp
For the Crumble Topping:
- 1 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 10 tbsp salted butter, cold
Instructions
- Prep:Â Read through all the directions before beginning! Making pie doesn't have to be complicated but when I don't walk myself through the recipe first, I often make mistakes that I could have avoided! Don't be scared by the long total time - that includes all the time that the pie dough has to chill - that is NOT hands on time!
- Prepare the Crust:Â Prepare 1/2 of my crust recipe, found in my perfect pie crust post. (You can also prepare the full amount of dough, you'll just have half left over for another pie - it can be stored in the fridge or freezer as directed in that post). Prepare the dough through step 7 - placing the dough in the pan, crimping, and freezing it for at least 15 minutes. Don't egg wash it yet.
- Par-Bake the Crust: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Par bake the crust as directed in step 7 of my "how to make perfect pie crust" post. Let the crust cool completely before adding the filling.
- Mix up the Crumble:Â Combine all crumble ingredients except the butter in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cut the cold butter into large chunks and add the bowl, tossing to coat in the mixture. Begin cutting the butter in using a pastry cutter, and continue until you have chunks of butter that are pea sized and smaller. Cover and place in the fridge while you prep the filling.
- Mix up the Cherry Filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together all the filling ingredients.
- Assemble the Pie: Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Beat an egg in a small bowl for your egg wash. Brush the edges of the crust with this egg wash. Spoon the cherry filling into the pie, leaving the liquid in the mixing bowl - we don't want the filing to be a watery mess! Sprinkle the crumble over the top of the pie, leaving a small circle open in the middle for steam to vent and for visual effect. Don't be afraid to pile the crumble on high!
- Bake:Â Place the pie on a baking sheet (to catch any filling drips). Bake for 50 - 60 minutes. The crumble will be golden brown and the cherry filling will be bubbly.
- Serve + Store:Â Allow the pie to cool 4-6 hours before serving, or overnight. (Let it cool completely at room temperature, then cover tightly and refrigerate. Let stand at room temp for a 20-30 minutes before serving). Enjoy with ice cream or whipped cream! Store leftovers, tightly covered, in the fridge for 5-6 days.
Notes
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