Is cherry pie filling gluten free?

Not all cherry pie filling is gluten free, but luckily this one is! Some cherry pie fillings use flour or other gluten-containing starches as a thickener. But this recipe uses cornstarch, which is naturally gluten free. So if you follow a gluten free diet, you can make this cherry pie filling recipe as written. To make a gluten free cherry pie with crumble topping, you can use a gluten free pie crust and gluten free flour in the streusel. Just double check that your brand of baking powder is gluten free too.

What’s streusel vs crumble?

They are essentially the same thing: a shaggy combination of flour, sugar, and butter often used to top a cake or pie. Streusel is a German word, while a crumb topping or crumble is the British version.

Fresh Cherry Crumble Pie - Butter & Thyme

Name: Cherry Crumble Pie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 5-6 cups tart pitted cherries, fresh or frozen*; 1 ½ cups granulated sugar; ½ tsp vanilla extract; ½ tsp almond extract; ¼ cup lemon juice; ¼ cup cornstarch; ¾ cup all-purpose flour; ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon baking powder; pinch salt; 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and diced; 1 single pie crust, uncooked*

Cherry Crumble Pie

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This Cherry Crumble Pie recipe is bursting with fresh cherries suspended in a deliciously smooth and syrupy homemade filling, topped with an easy-to-make yet scrumptious crumble.

Author: Kelly @ Butter and Thyme
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: baking
Cuisine: British, American, German

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Cherry Pie Filling

5-6 cups tart pitted cherries, fresh or frozen*
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup cornstarch

For the Crumble Topping + Assembly

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and diced
1 single pie crust, uncooked*

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Instructions

Make the cherry pie filling: place the cherries + ½ cup of water* in a large pot and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add sugar and extracts and continue to cook until sugar is dissolved.
Mix together lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl, then add to the pot. Turn up the heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until bubbling and thickened.* Let the cherry filling mixture cool to room temperature.
Make crumble topping: in a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. Then add the diced butter and cut the butter into the flour mixture (using your hands or a pastry blender) until the mixture is crumbly.
Assemble the pie: preheat the oven to 350 °F. Roll out the pie dough to 1/4 inch thickness and place it into an ungreased pie dish. Then fill with the cooled cherry filling and sprinkle with the prepared crumb topping.
Bake for 65-75 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.* After about 45 minutes, cover the outer crust with a pie shield or aluminum foil to keep the edges from browning too much. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.

Notes

If using frozen cherries, defrost and drain excess liquid. Or, cook from frozen and decrease water by ¼ cup (start with ¼ cup water.) If using sweet cherries, decrease the sugar by 1/3 (use only 1 cup of sugar).
Use refrigerated pie crust or your favorite single pie crust recipe for the bottom crust.
Cornstarch is activated above 180-190 °F. Once it reaches that temperature, the mixture will begin to thicken rapidly. When that happens, remove the pot from the heat, and continue to stir until it cools down a little to avoid sticking or scorching.
Cook time will vary based on the type of pan (glass and metal pans will cook the pie faster than ceramic). Keep a close eye on it after about 50 minutes and rely on visual cues (deep golden brown color, bubbling through the surface).

Find it online: https://butterandthyme.com/cherry-crumble-pie/