Small Cherry Pie

a single serving cherry pie in a square dish

5 from 9 votes

This small cherry pie is made from scratch with fresh cherries, baked in a small baking dish with a shortbread crust and a cinnamon crumb topping. It's sized for one or two.

Prep Time10

Cook Time55

Total Time1 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: cherry pie, crumb topping, pie, small cherry pie

Servings: servings

Author: Joanie Zisk

Equipment

Ingredients

For the crust

2 ½ tablespoons salted butter - softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon salt

For the filling

2 ½ cups pitted cherries
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the topping

¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons salted butter - softened

US - Metric

Instructions

Make the crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
In a medium bowl, beat 2½ tablespoons softened butter and 2 tablespoons sugar with a hand mixer until smooth.
Add ¼ cup flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Mix until a soft dough forms.
Press the dough evenly into a buttered 5x5-inch baking dish with your fingertips or the back of a spoon.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Set aside to cool for about 20 minutes.

Make the filling

In a 2-quart saucepan, stir together the cherries, 4 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and the lemon juice.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Spoon the cherries and sauce evenly over the cooled crust.

Make the topping

In a small bowl, stir together ¼ cup flour, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon.
Add 3 tablespoons softened butter and mix with a fork until crumbly.
Scatter the topping over the cherries and set the dish on a baking sheet.
Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the topping is golden and the fulling bubbles at the edges.
Let the pie cool for a few minutes, or serve it warm with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Notes

Use the right size dish. A 5×5-inch baking dish is ideal, and a 5×7 or 6.5×5-inch dish works too. In a larger dish the crust presses out too thin and bakes faster, so it can overbake before the filling is ready.

Soften the butter, don't melt it. Both the crust and the streusel need softened salted butter. Leave it on the counter for about 30 minutes, or microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds and watch it closely. It's ready when it's cool to the touch but holds a fingerprint.

Press the crust in an even layer. Work the shortbread across the bottom and into the corners so it's the same thickness all over. Even thickness bakes evenly; thin spots brown and firm up faster than the rest.

Bake the crust just until golden the first time. This crust bakes twice, once on its own and again under the filling. Pull it at lightly golden the first time, even if it looks a touch underdone. It sets during the second bake, and stopping early keeps it from overbaking by the time the pie is done.

If doubling the recipe use a 6x8-inch baking dish.

Nutrition

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