I can’t seem to get enough of cherries lately! Not only am I loving the dark bing cherries in the Old Fashions I’ve been enjoying, but I have made 3 different cherry pies too! Vegan Chocolate Cherry Pie, dairy free Cherry Cream Pie and this dairy free Cherry Crumb Pie with a gluten free graham cracker crust. My colleague at work, Lauren, gave me the latest pie idea. She told me that she loves a graham cracker crust with cherry pie. I had never had that before, so I had to give it a shot. Let me just say- Lauren has awesome recipe ideas! She was also the inspiration for my gluten and dairy free Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Crunch Frosting. Yummm!
Must Have Crust
The contrast between the crunch and flavor of the graham crust with the sweet-tart, juicy filling and the crumbly topping is what makes this pie so special. So you must try this crust! I know that a pastry crust is the traditional option and as much as I love tradition, mixing things up can be really tasty and fun too. I use Pamela’s gluten free Honey Grahams for this crust and it doesn’t get soggy, has awesome flavor and crunch. If you need a dairy free option, Kinnikinnick has graham style crackers and crumbs that will work great as well.
Fill it Up!
The filling will come together in about 10 minutes if your cherries are frozen. Less than 10 minutes if they are defrosted or fresh. The most important thing to keep in mind for the filling is to dissolve the cornstarch in the Amaretto before adding it to the cherries. This will prevent lumps from forming.
Top it with Crumbles
I love crumble toppings. The added flavor, texture and sometimes spice makes a muffin, bread or pie that much more delicious. They are so easy to make too. Just combine the dry ingredients, then slowly add the fat (butter, dairy free alternative, coconut oil). The oven does the rest of the work. The crumble topping for this recipe has almond flour in it. If you can’t have almonds, just increase the gluten free instant oats to replace the almond flour.
Ingredients
For the gluten free Graham Crust:
- 2 cups gluten free graham cracker crumbs - I used 16 of Pamela's Honey Grahams
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup melted butter or dairy free alternative
For the Cherry Pie Filling:
- 5 cups fresh or frozen pitted dark cherries
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup Amaretto
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Crumble Topping:
- 1 cup gluten free instant oats - I use Bob's Red Mill
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup gluten free flour blend - I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour
- ½ cup almond flour - sub additional ½ cup instant oats for nut free
- ½ cup melted butter or dairy free alternative - may need a little more or less depending on flours used
- sprinkle of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 inch diameter deep pie plate.
- Prepare the crumb topping by placing all dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir with a large spoon to combine them well. Gradually add the melted butter until it begins to form pea size crumbs and resembles damp sand. You may not need all of the butter. If it gets too wet, add a little of one of the flours or the oats until you get the right consistency. Set the mixture aside while you work on the crust and filling.
- In a small bowl or cup, combine Amaretto and cornstarch until there are no lumps.
- In a medium saucepan, combine cherries with sugar and cornstarch mixture. Turn heat on the stove to medium low. Let it come to a boil and thicken slightly, making sure to stir frequently to keep it from sticking to the pan. Once the liquid turns from pink and cloudy to reddish-purple and clear, it is done. Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly at room temp while you prepare the crust.
- Crush graham crackers to very fine crumbs. Combine with sugar in a medium bowl. Then gradually add the melted butter until it resembles damp sand and holds when you press it to the side of the bowl. You may not need all of the butter, it depends on the type of cracker you are using and the butter (dairy free or not).
- Press crust mixture into a pie pan along the bottom and sides as evenly as possible. Pour filling into the crust and top with crumb topping.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until crumb topping is slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool some before cutting. It can be stored at room temp until you are ready to serve. Serve with your favorite dairy or non-dairy ice cream or whipped cream.
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