Dark sweet cherries are nestled in an all-butter pie crust and topped with a perfectly golden streusel in this this cherry streusel pie.
Pie season is off and running, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. A cherry pie has long been on my list to create, because I truly love cherries. Our neighbors at my childhood home had a giant cherry tree that hung over into our yard, and they told us to help ourselves to whatever we wanted. My dad and I would pick fresh cherries, give them a wash, and then sit on the porch having seed splitting contests together. It was such a fun childhood memory, and I cherished those times I had in simplicity hanging out with my folks. This cherry pie reminded me of those days, and I am so happy to be sharing both the memory and this recipe with you today! In this recipe, Oregon Fruit Dark Sweet Cherries are briefly cooked with sugar and cornstarch, then added to an all-butter pie crust and topped with THE perfect streusel for this cherry streusel pie. I added some extra pie crust “cookies” for a festive Thanksgiving look, and this entire pie comes together in about 30 minutes + bakes for 45. Now that’s an easy peasy holiday dessert.
What you’ll need to make this Cherry Streusel Pie:
All purpose flour
Salt
Salted Butter
Granulated Sugar
Cold Water
Oregon Dark Sweet Cherries, 2 cans
Cornstarch
Pure Vanilla Extract
Dark Brown Sugar (light or golden is fine if you have that on hand)
Old Fashioned Oats
Gluten Free flour and dairy free butter are perfectly acceptable substitutions in this pie. See below for full list of gluten free, dairy free, and vegan options.
The Crust
This all-butter crust is a staple in my baked goods. I procured this years ago and love the perfect texture, the slightly sweet + buttery flavor, and the ease of it all coming together. You will start by adding your flour, sugar, and salt to a mixer or a medium to large sized bowl. Give that a good toss, and then add the cold cubes of butter. Mix this on low with the paddle attachment (alternatively you can cut the butter in by hand using a pastry cutter) until a wet-sand consistency forms. Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time, ensuring that you mix the dough well until the desired consistency is reached. My ideal water amount is 5 Tablespoons, as this creates a dough that is firm but soft, and not at all sticky. This crust dough is no-chill, meaning that you can roll it right out and bake it immediately!
Roll out the dough in a large circle for your 9” pie pan of choice, fit it to the pan, and trim any edges if desired. For this pie, I added a few pie crust “cookie” cutouts because it really looked wonderful on our Thanksgiving day practice pie. 😉
The Filling
This filling is insanely easy to make thanks to the Oregon Fruit Sweet Dark Cherries. You will use two cans, and strain one, using the syrup from one of the two cans. You will add your cherries and the syrup to a medium sized saucepan, and place that on the stovetop on medium heat to high heat. To the saucepan add your sugar and the cornstarch. This will cook for about 5-7 minutes, and you will see it thicken up nicely in that time.
Remove the mixture from the heat, and stir in the butter and the vanilla. Set aside and allow it to cool slightly while you make the streusel.
The Streusel + Putting it All Together
This streusel is buttery, sweet, and absolutely a delightful compliment to the tart cherries in this pie. Add your dry ingredients, the flour, brown sugar, and oats, to a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter, and either by hand or with a fork, mix until you get crumbly chunks of buttery sugary streusel. (Try not to eat too much before putting the pie together, it’s very hard not to!).
To the prepared pie crust, add your cherry filling mixture and top with the streusel. Add your pie crust decor around the edges or in the middle, or wherever you’d like! Bake this pie at 375° F for 40 to 45 minutes. You will check it at the 30-minute mark to ensure that the top isn’t too brown. If it is a nice golden color at this point, cover the top of the pie with foil for the last 15 minutes of the bake time.
Remove the pie and allow it to cool completely so that the pie filling fully thickens. You can serve this pie cold or warm it up (place the whole pie covered with foil in the oven at 350° F and warm for 15-20 minutes).
Top it with fresh whipped cream, cold vanilla bean ice cream, or just enjoy it as is! Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to five days.
The Dietary Substitutions
I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest.
As always, here is a list of tried-and-true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy.
Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is a wonderful all-purpose sub, and it’s cup for cup, so use the same measurements as you would all-purpose flour.
If you want to ensure that your oats are gluten free, Bob’s Red Mill makes a certified gluten free old-fashioned oat as well.
Miyokos butter is a plant-based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.
I hope you love this wonderful Cherry Streusel Pie! It’s perfect for the holidays, and sure to be a crowd pleaser this season. A big thank you to Oregon Fruit Products for sponsoring this recipe. Be sure to visit Oregonfruit.com for the full lineup of their products and a wonderful array of recipes!
If you loved this recipe I’d be so grateful for you to leave a 5 star rating + review!
Tag @heathershomebakery on Instagram if you upload a pic too, because I want to see your creations. 😊
Lastly, post this recipe to any of your boards by tapping the Pinterest icon and clicking on your favorite photo. Save and enjoy!
XO,
Heather
PS- Try my Butter Pecan Pie if you’re a diehard pie lover… it won’t disappoint!
Cherry Streusel Pie
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- ⅔ Cup Salted Butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 5-6 Tablespoons Cold Water
FOR THE FILLING:
- 2 15 Ounce Cans Oregon Fruit Dark Sweet Cherries
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
- 1 ½ Cups Dark Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
- ¾ Cup Salted Butter, softened
Instructions
- In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, or by hand, combine your dry ingredients, and then cut your butter in until a wet, sand-like consistency forms.
- Adding your water one tablespoon at a time, mix until dough forms. Dough should be soft and moldable, not dry or sticky. Roll the dough out and fit it to your 9-inch pie pan, reserving a small amount for some cut out pie crust “cookies” on the top if desired.
- In a medium saucepan combine one full can of Oregon Fruit Dark Sweet Cherries {including liquid} and one can of drained Oregon Fruit Dark Sweet Cherries {discarding the second count of liquid}, sugar, and cornstarch on medium to high heat. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
- Remove cherry mixture from the heat. Mix in vanilla and butter and set aside to cool slightly while you make the streusel.
- Mix up the dry streusel ingredients in a small bowl and whisk. Combine with the butter by hand or with a fork until a crumble streusel forms.
- Gently pour your cherry mixture into the prepared pie crust, and top with streusel and pie crust cookies if desired.
- Bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes, checking at the 30 minute mark to ensure that the top isn’t browning too fast. If it is a nice golden color at this point, cover the top with foil for the last 15 minutes of the bake time.
- Remove and allow to cool completely so the pie filling fully thickens. Serve cold or warm. Top with fresh whipped cream or cold vanilla bean ice cream. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. Enjoy!
Notes
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