Cherry Crumb Pie

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/6/24
Tested by Tara Omidvar
Cherry crumb pie on a plate

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 70 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie

Cherry crumb pie is tart, and sweet, and is the perfect combination of a crisp and a pie. The crumble topping is much easier to make and assemble than a double pie crust—plus, it gives the pie a delicious, buttery crunch.

You can make this recipe from scratch with a crust and filling, or use canned filling and store-bought crust. If you’re using fresh or frozen cherries, we’ve outlined how to cook the filling ahead of time to avoid a watery pie. 

Serve this sweet and tart pie at your next gathering, no matter the time of year. Top the plates with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a tasty end to any meal.

Should I Blind Bake the Pie Crust?

You do not have to blind-bake the crust for this cherry pie. This is extra work that could result in droopy sides of the pie crust and overly baked edges. If your filling is cooked and the mixture is thick, you will not have any problems with a soggy bottom crust. Make sure to cook for the recommended time. Too little time baking will result in a pale bottom crust.

How Do I Make Canned Pie Filling Taste Better?

By adding vanilla extract and almond extract, canned pie filling can be taken up a notch If you want extra tang, you can also add lemon juice.

Tips for Making Cherry Crumb Pie

  • Tart cherries are best - The best cherries for pies are tart cherries. Sweet cherries are often too sweet and usually have quite a different texture than the typical cherry pie filling cherries. 
  • Any cherries! - You can use canned cherry pie filling, frozen cherries, or fresh cherries for this recipe. If you use canned filling, just stir in the lemon juice and extracts.
  • No salted butter, no problem - If you don't have salted butter, just add about 1/4 teaspoon salt to the crumb mixture.
What You'll Need to Make This Cherry Crumb Pie Recipe
Commerce Photo Composite
A Small Saucepan
best rolling pins group shot
A Good Rolling Pin
Pie Pans tested by The Spruce Eats
A Lovely Pie Pan

"A great no-fail pie recipe! If you like sour desserts, this is definitely one to try. This pie has an amazing mix of textures; soft, crunchy and flaky! Moreover, it’s a perfect combination of sweet and sour. If it's not cherry season, you can find frozen tart cherries in most grocery stores." —Tara Omidvar

Overhead of a Cherry Pie with Crumb Topping
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

For the Pie

  • 7 to 8 cups pitted tart cherries, thawed if frozen

  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

  • 1 pie crust

For the Streusel Crumb Topping

  • 6 tablespoons salted butter

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Crust

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    If your cherries are frozen, be sure to completely thaw and drain off most of the liquid. A little left behind is ok, but you want barely any.

    Ingredients for a cherry crumb pie gathered

    The Spruce Eats

  2. Add 7 to 8 cups tart cherries (pitted), 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, gently stirring, until the cornstarch and sugar dissolve, and the mixture is thick. Do not over-stir, or it will break up the cherries.

    Remove from the heat, stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extracts, and set aside.

    Cherry pie filling resting in a pot

    The Spruce Eats

  3. Roll out your pie crust until it is about 1-inch wider than your pie plate.

    A pie crust resting on a square of parchment paper

    The Spruce Eats

  4. Place the pie crust into the pie plate and crimp the edges. 

    Cherry pie crust on a pie plate with crimped edges

    The Spruce Eats

Prepare the Crumb Topping

  1. Gather your ingredients.

    Ingredients for streusel topping gathered

    The Spruce Eats

  2. Melt 6 tablespoons salted butter.

    Melted butter in a white bowl

    The Spruce Eats

  3. Stir 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon into the melted butter. Keep stirring until soft crumbs form.

    Brown sugar, flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon and melted butter mixed in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats

  4. Pour the cherry pie filling into the prepared crust.

    A cherry pie in an unbaked crust

    The Spruce Eats

  5. Top with the crumb mixture, breaking up into pea-sized balls as you sprinkle over the top.

    A cherry pie with a crumb mixture sprinkled on top

    The Spruce Eats

  6. Bake until the crumb topping is browned and the filling is bubbling, 50 to 60 minutes. Check on the pie while it cooks and if the top becomes too brown, cover with aluminum foil for the remaining cooking time.

    Let cool for 15 minutes to allow the juices to gel together. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!

    A baked cherry crumb pie

    The Spruce Eats

How to Store Cherry Crumb Pie

  • This pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  
  • You can wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then let come to room temperature before serving.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Canned filling - You can make this recipe with canned cherry pie filling. Add in the extracts and lemon juice to give the filling a little boost, but leave out the sugar and cornstarch. You do not need to heat the filling before adding it to the crust if you are using canned. 
  • Adjust the sugar depending on your cherries - If you are using sweet cherries, like Bing cherries, you need much less sugar. Use about 1/2 cup of sugar and up the lemon juice to 2 tablespoons. Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice, if needed.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
563 Calories
20g Fat
93g Carbs
5g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 563
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 257mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 93g 34%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 55g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 13mg 66%
Calcium 46mg 4%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 303mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)