Tart Cherry Pie has a buttery shortcrust base, a thick sour cherry filling that wobbles when you shake the pan, and a rough crumble topping scattered with sliced almonds. The whole thing bakes at 350°F for about 35 minutes, so the kitchen fills with the smell of warm cinnamon and toasted nuts while you wait.
@ikosun_kitchen on Instagram shared this recipe, and I loved how different it is from a standard American cherry pie because the crust is kneaded like cookie dough instead of cut with cold butter. The filling uses jarred sour cherries thickened with cornstarch on the stovetop before it goes into the pan, which means you control exactly how thick or loose it sets.
Cooking the filling separately before baking is the move here, since raw cherry juice would soak into the crust and make it soggy. Heating two thirds of the juice with sugar first and then whisking in the cornstarch slurry gives you a glossy, thick base that holds its shape once you slice.
Tart Cherry Pie Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings25
minutes35
minutes320
kcal1
hourKneaded shortcrust dough pressed into a tart pan, filled with a stovetop sour cherry compote seasoned with cinnamon, then finished with a rough almond crumble topping and baked until golden.
Ingredients
- For the Dough
150 g butter, at room temperature for 30 minutes
100 g sugar
280 g all-purpose flour
1 egg (size M)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 packet vanilla sugar
1 pinch of salt
- For the Cherry Filling
1 jar sour cherries, drained (about 380 g)
350 ml cherry juice from the jar
20 g cornstarch (1 1/2 heaping tablespoons)
2 to 2.5 tbsp sugar
Cinnamon to taste
Sliced almonds as needed (optional)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour for kneading the crumble
Directions
- Place the butter, sugar, flour, egg, baking powder, vanilla sugar, and salt in a large bowl and knead into a smooth, soft dough. It will seem crumbly at first but comes together as you work it.
- Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a small orange and set it in the refrigerator. Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface and press it into a tart pan or springform pan, pushing the edges up about 2 to 3 cm.
- Prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork and refrigerate the lined pan while you prepare the filling.
- Drain the sour cherries and reserve all the juice. Heat two thirds of the juice in a small saucepan with the sugar over medium heat.
- Stir the remaining third of the juice with the cornstarch until completely smooth.
- Pour the cornstarch mixture into the boiling juice while stirring constantly until the liquid thickens into a glossy sauce. Remove from heat, fold in the drained cherries, and season with cinnamon. Let cool slightly.
- Spread the cherry filling evenly over the prepared crust.
- Knead the reserved piece of dough with 2 tablespoons of flour, crumble it roughly by hand, and toss with sliced almonds if using. Scatter the crumbles over the filling.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) with top and bottom heat for about 35 minutes until the top is lightly golden. Let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream.
FAQs
Can I use fresh sour cherries instead of jarred ones?
Fresh sour cherries work well, though you will need to pit them first and simmer them briefly to release enough juice for the filling. Aim for about 350 ml of juice total, so add water if the cherries do not produce enough on their own. The flavor will be brighter and slightly more tart than jarred, which is why you might want an extra half tablespoon of sugar.
Why does the dough feel crumbly at first?
This dough has no liquid beyond one egg, so it starts dry and shaggy before the butter and egg bind everything together. Keep kneading for about two minutes and it will turn smooth and pliable, since the warmth of your hands softens the butter and brings the flour together. If it stays too dry after that, press it firmly with your palms instead of pulling because stretching makes crumbly dough worse.
What can I use instead of vanilla sugar?
One teaspoon of pure vanilla extract mixed into the dry ingredients works as a direct swap, though the flavor is slightly more intense than a packet of vanilla sugar. You could also scrape half a vanilla bean into the dough for a more natural speckled look, which pairs nicely with the Apple Almond Cake technique. Either option gives you that warm vanilla note without changing the texture of the crust.
How do I know when the filling is thick enough on the stove?
The cornstarch mixture thickens fast once it hits the boiling juice, so stir constantly and watch for it to coat the back of a spoon without dripping off. If you can draw a line through the sauce on the spoon and it holds for a second, it is ready to come off the heat. Undercooking the filling here means a runny pie later, since the oven alone will not thicken it enough.
Can I make this pie ahead of time?
You can bake it a full day ahead and store it covered at room temperature, though the crumble topping loses some crunch overnight. Reheat uncovered at 300°F for about 10 minutes to crisp it back up before serving, because a warm slice with ice cream is how this pie tastes best. For a make-ahead dessert that skips the oven entirely, the No Bake Lotus Cheesecake is another great option.
Can I swap the sour cherries for sweet cherries?
Sweet cherries will work but you should cut the sugar in the filling down to about one tablespoon, since sweet varieties carry much more natural sweetness than sour ones. The filling will also taste less tangy, so adding a squeeze of lemon juice brings back some of that bright tartness you get from sour cherries. The pie will still bake and set the same way because the cornstarch does the thickening regardless of cherry type.
