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This delicious Cherry Crumble Pie is packed with fresh fruit and is topped with a crumble made from almonds and oats. This is a great dessert for any get together: for picnics in the summer to Halloween to Christmas!A lot of people have asked me how I balance my love of dessert with my passion for healthy eating. My answer is always the same: everything in moderation - a little bit of indulgence never hurt anyone 🙂
I never deprive myself, but instead I just focus on portion sizes. For example, when it comes to pies: instead of 1 piece of pumpkin pie, 1 piece of apple pie and some ice cream to top it off, I'll either take half a slice of each, or just stick to one small slice of pie. And I never scarf my desserts down, I always eat them mindfully, savoring every bite. That way it doesn't disappear in 5 seconds, and I'm satisfied after I'm done with my reasonably-sized portion.
Now, sometimes a recipe comes along that is somewhat guilt-free: either it's slightly lower in calories or fat than the traditional version of the dessert, or is higher in fiber/has more nutrients. Today's recipe is one of those desserts: A Cherry Crumble Pie with a homemade crust.
Tools and Equipment You'll Need
How To Make Cherry Crumble Pie - Step By Step
For The Crust:Step 1: Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Place all, but the water in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Using a pastry cutter, or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour to achieve a "pea" size crumble.
Step 3: Stir in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and gently form into a ball. Do not knead the dough.
Step 4: Place on a sheet of plastic wrap, top with another sheet of plastic wrap. Press down to flatten slightly and roll to a 10-inch diameter circle. Place dough (covered with the plastic wrap) on a dinner plate and refrigerate 15 minutes to chill quickly.
Step 5: Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap from the chilled dough and place dough in a 9-inch pie pan (plastic wrap side up). Remove the remaining plastic wrap, press down lightly to fit the dough into the pan, and set aside.
For The Crumble Topping:
Step 1: Combine finely chopped almonds, brown sugar, coarsely ground oatmeal and flour in a medium mixing bowl.
Step 2: Cut in butter until mixed and crumbly; set aside.
Step 1: To make filling, boil pomegranate cherry juice in a medium saucepan until reduced to 1/2 cup. Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup of reserved cherry juice drained from thawed cherries with cornstarch until blended.
Step 2: Stir cornstarch juice mixture into reduced juice in saucepan and whisk until blended and smooth. Stir in sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract. Mix hot liquid filling with cherries and dried blueberries. Pour fruit filling into pie crust. Sprinkle topping over filling.
Step 3: Place pie in preheated oven. Bake 12 minutes, and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Cool completely before serving.
Will kids enjoy this cherry crumble recipe?
This cherry crumble pie is perfectly sweet and kid will love it! Serve it with some vanilla ice cream and you've got a kid friendly dessert that even adults will love. If your child isn't a fan of cherries, you can replace the fruit with any fruit you like!
What is the difference between a crumble, a crisp, and a cobbler?
- A crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. The topping is typically made from flour, sugar and butter but can occasionally include oats and/or nuts. A crumble topping is typically more clumpy than a crisp topping, but not as clumpy or thick as a cobbler topping.
- A crisp is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping made from sugar, butter, oats, nuts, and flour. Spices like cinnamon and/or nutmeg may be added as well. The crisp topping is thinner and more evenly spread than a cobbler or crumble.
- A cobbler is a baked fruit filling poured into a large baking dish and covered with a topping made of biscuit / batter dough. Whereas pies have the pastry dough on the top and bottom of the dish, cobblers are just topped with the baked pastry/dough with the filling underneath.
How do you pit cherries?
The best way I've found to pit cherries is by using a handy tool like this OXO Cherry Pitter. Pitting cherries by hand can be a bit messier but it can be done! All you need is a sturdy straw, pastry tip, or chopsticks. Then, just push the straw (or tool you're using) into the spot where the stem attaches to the cherry, and push through until you feel the pit. Continue pushing until the pit pops out!
Are Cherries Healthy?
Cherries are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals including potassium, calcium and vitamin A and C. Cherries are low glycemic which means that they won't spike your blood sugar the way fruits like pineapples or mangoes might. Lastly, they're packed with anti-inflammatory antioxidants, which helps keep your body healthy.
How Long Does Cherry Crumble Last?
This crumble will last in an airtight container for up to 5-6 days in the fridge!
- Make sure the dough is kept cool at every step of prep. If you're worried about your kitchen being too warm, use a food processor to blitz the flour and butter (using short pulses) to get it combined.
- If you feel like the dough is warming up too much as you work with it, you can always pop it and all of your equipment into the fridge for about 10-20 minutes to cool it down before continuing to work with it.
- Aim for your butter pieces to be about the size of roughly chopped walnuts.
- Aim for under-mixing the dough vs. over-mixing.
- You can make the dough in advance, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days - or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To make this recipe healthier, cut the amount of sugar by 1/3 or 1/2. The pie might be slightly tart but will still taste pretty good!
- To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten free oats and this Gluten-Free Pie Crust Mix.
