Bing Cherry Pie With Streusel Topping

I love pie. Pie is the best. But for a holiday where pie plays a major role, I don’t really love Thanksgiving pies. Thanksgiving’s a big deal in my family. We always come home. We get together not only all day on Thanksgiving, but pretty much every other day that weekend. We play football. We play cards. There are glorious sunsets. There is SO much food. This year I think we actually set a record.

[Note: I edited and republished this in December 2019 with refreshed photos]

Every year I make a fruit pie or two, because pumpkin, German chocolate, and chocolate chip pie are just not for me. There’s usually a pear-apple pie with streusel topping, or some similar combination (I’ve been on a roll with this bourbon pear crumble pie). A couple years ago, though, I was really at a loss for what else to make, and then my mom found a bag of dark cherries in the freezer.

After looking up a number of recipes on Pinterest, I had to basically make up the recipe and hope it would work (I had visions of it just being this giant pool of juice, the soggiest pie ever). It was actually super simple and so easy to throw together.

This bing cherry pie ended up being my favorite dessert that year, and I had it for lunch, dinner, breakfast the next morning, and the tiny sliver that was left the next morning as well. This pie is my everything. I have no idea why, but it’s amazing.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Take a bag of frozen, pitted bing or dark sweet cherries, and thaw them. They’ll gain a lot of juice, which is good. Pour the cherries into a bowl and add the almond extract, 1/4 cup of sugar (I used brown, but you can use whatever you prefer), and the cornstarch. Stir together until both the cornstarch and sugar are totally combined.

Place the pie crust in your pie pan, crimping the edges (or however you roll). Pour the mixture into the pie crust.

Combine the dry ingredients, then add the butter or oil, using a fork or your fingers to combine into a crumbly topping. You can make less or more, depending on how much you need (just keep the 1-1-1 ratio for flour, sugar, and oats). Sprinkle the streusel on top of the cherry filling.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the filling is solidified and the topping is golden and crispy. Make sure to let it cool and set for at least an hour before serving (it’s great to make the night before as well).

This bing cherry pie seriously couldn’t be simpler or more delicious!

Other easy pies you’ll love:

Pie filling

14+ ounces of frozen, pitted bing or sweet dark cherries (the amount is flexible)
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
1/4 cup of sugar (any kind is fine, I used brown)
1 teaspoon of almond extract
I used my favorite whole wheat pie crust recipe (9-inch)

Versatile streusel topping

1/2 cup of flour (I use white whole wheat)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of quick oats
Liberal sprinkle of cinnamon (probably 1-2 teaspoons)
4 tablespoons of melted or softened butter, or equivalent of olive oil
You can also get creative, adding a tiny bit of other spices (ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Thaw the cherries, making sure to keep the juices. Stir in the cornstarch, sugar, and almond extract.
Place the pie crust in your pie pan, crimping the edges (or however you roll). Pour the mixture into the pie crust.
Combine the dry ingredients, then add the butter or oil, using a fork or your fingers to combine into a crumbly topping. You can make less or more, depending on how much you need (just keep the 1-1-1 ratio for flour, sugar, and oats).
Sprinkle the streusel on top of the cherry filling. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the filling is solidified and the topping is golden and crispy. Make sure to let it cool and set for at least an hour before serving (it’s great to make the night before as well).

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