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Bourbon Cherry Pie with Crumble Topping

A sweet - but not too sweet - cherry filling inside a buttery, flaky pie crust and finished with a simple crumble topping that lets the beauty of the cherries peek through!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword Cherry Pie Recipes, Easy Thanksgiving Pies, Homemade Cherry Pie, Homemade Cherry Pie Filling
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8 to 10 slices
Author Stephanie Simmons

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: 

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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

Recipe adapted from the Sister Pie Cookbook.