Vegan Cherry Pie! Juicy summer cherries nestled inside a gluten-free crust and topped with crumbly oat streusel. Ice cream on top, required!
Please tell me you are spending unjustifiable (but honestly, WORTH IT) amounts on fresh cherries every time you go to the grocery store too. Because they are just too yummy and won’t be around long. And the dark sweet ones are so so good, but the Rainier are kinda your favorite too. And you keep planning to bake/make something with them, but despite your Pinterest-inspired plans you end up just eating them all one by one.
Yeah…this is a good time of year.
So good news. You do not have to put your fresh cherry munching on pause for even a second to make this pie. Munch on! We are using the frozen ones here, because easy and cheap and not having to pit six cups of cherries sounds like my kinda pie.
The whole “LAZY summer days” thing applies to summer recipes too, right?
Admittedly there are quite a few steps involved here. But your crust-pressing and cherry-chopping and streusel-crumbling efforts will be worth it when you’re slicing into that perfect pie.
There are 3 main components: press-in crust, cherry filling, oat crumble.
The crust. I need you to trust me when I say that this is one of those times when coconut oil is pretty much a must. Usually I try to keep it oil free around here, but when it comes to pie crusts, especially oat flour ones, they are gross and chewy without. There is a nut butter option included, but it’s not quite as perfectly tender. And I tried an almond flour crust too, but it didn’t hold up well to all that cherry juicy-ness.
In addition to the oat flour and coconut oil, the crust is lightly sweetened with maple syrup and generously salted to contrast the juicy sweet filling.
The filling. A.k.a. heaps of cherries jazzed up with vanilla and baked until soft and so juicy. You barely need to sweeten it, they are so naturally sweet already. But you do need some sort of starch or you will be sipping your pie out of the pan. I used arrowroot starch, it works really well for these sorts of thickening jobs, but cornstarch or tapioca starch will work too.
I highly recommend slicing the cherries in half too, that makes the pie slicing much easier later.
The crumble. If you also find weaving dough into a lattice intimidating, this is for you. Sure, you could make double the amount of crust, roll, slice into strips, and weave away. Or you could make a sweet oat streusel and crumble that goodness all over your pie until just little bits of cherry peak through. It’s up to you (MAKE THE CRUMBLE).
And don’t you dare eat a slice without something creamy on top.
Yogurt – I guess, if it’s before 11am.
Whipped cream – eh okay, but there’s room for improvement.
Ice cream – yesssssss! I approve of your life choices.
Vegan Cherry Pie
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
Vegan Cherry Pie! Juicy summer cherries nestled inside a gluten-free crust and topped with crumbly oat streusel. Ice cream on top, required!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cup (180g) oat flour
- 1/3 cup (65g) coconut oil*
- 1/4 cup (80g) maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
Filling
- 6 cups (840g) frozen cherries
- 1/4 cup (80g) maple syrup
- 1/3 cup (40g) arrowroot starch**
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Crumble
- 1 cup (85g) quick oats (or rolled oats pulsed in the blender)
- 1/4 cup (30g) oat flour
- 1/4 cup (50g) coconut oil***
- 2 tbsp (40g) maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- For the crust, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to form a sticky ball of dough. Add a little bit of water if necessary.
- Press evenly into a pie pan, and crimp the edges if desired. Set aside.
- For the filling, slice the still frozen cherries in half.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to evenly coat.
- Pour into the pie crust.
- For the crumble, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork until clumpy and crumbly.
- Sprinkle over the top of the pie.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 400F. Reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 30-35 minutes until golden brown on top and no longer jiggly in the center.
- Remove from the oven. Cool for at least 2-3 hours before slicing otherwise it won’t set properly. Or chill and serve cold, it’s delicious both ways!
Notes
*For an oil free crust, use 1/2 cup nut/seed butter instead and add water as necessary to get a sticky dough consistency. It will be more chewy, not as tender.
**Can substitute with tapioca or corn starch.
***Or use 1/3-1/2 cup nut/seed butter to make it oil free.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 477
- Sugar: 25g
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 7g
Keywords: summer, vegan, healthy, gluten-free, baking, easy, cherry, berry
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Thank you!! Love your recipes!!! Just made the grain free chocolate vegan granola the other day and it was perfect!;; Thank you very much!
Oooh yay! I am so happy you loved that one, I just made more today actually 🙂 Thanks for the feedback, Ricardo!
Looks like another winner! My father in law & I kinda low key stalk your website! We are able to constantly impress our non vegan friends!
With regards to the crust – have you used with success any other binders in lieu of the coconut oil/nut butter? Applesauce, flax/chia egg, or something else?
Thank you!!
Haha stalk away, I am so happy you and your friends enjoy the recipes🤗 You can try applesauce but in my experience with past pies oat crusts become hard/chewy/gross really easily without a fat source so I don’t recommend it. Sorry!
Can I use fresh cherries? If so,how would that change the recipe?
I haven’t tested it with fresh, but you are welcome to try it as long as you pit them all first. I would recommend just subbing them 1-for-1 for the frozen 🙂
I, too, have been buying copious amounts of cherries from our local co-op, every time I shop lately. (Even when I’m not intending to, and I think I’ll buy other fruits for the sake of variety, they just look so darn good I can’t resist!) We’re all about the dark red cherries in our house. I haven’t even bothered to get Rainier this year because they just pale in comparison. As for the pie, that gorgeous looking pie, I love the color of the filling, such a deep, rich red that is so much more visually appealing than ye olde can of cherry pie filling. I bet the taste is off the charts better as well. And the crumble is definitely more my style: easy and quick. In fact, I’ve never made a lattice-topped pie or basic crust-topped pie for that matter. I can only ever recall making one pie, a pecan one at Christmastime, about twenty years ago or so when I was still living with my parents and the crimped crust edge was far from stellar. You know, I don’t think I even own a pie pan! Thanks for another drool-worthy recipe. 🙂
Oh local cherries sound even better! I can’t pick a favorite kind, but the sweeter the better for me too🍒 I love how naturally sweet they are, you could almost get away without the maple syrup in the filling, it’s so yummy. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever lattice-d a pie, but honestly a crumble/streusel is yummier to me anyways😋 Ha well perhaps this is the time to invest in one and get back into the summery fruit pies! And pumpkin season is just around the corner to put it to yummy use again🤗
I need the biggest slice of this with VANILLA NADAMOO ON TOP!!! I love everything about this, particularly the fact that I don’t have to stain my fingers a nearly permanent red pitting cherries all day 😉 Thanks for another superb recipe that gives me an excuse to eat more ice cream!
★★★★★
Oh you know I’ve got Nadamoo going on on top here too, it’s the creamy dreamy best! If frozen cherries didn’t exist, this pie would not have happened–ain’t nobody got time for that😂 When it comes to ice cream, you know I’ve ALAWYS got your back👊
Hi Natalie!
Another awesome recipe! But can I sub dates on all maple syrup?
Thanks!
Hmm you could try date paste to sweeten the filling, that should be okay. But for the crust it will make it quite tough and chewy. You can just skip the sweetener in the crust though and use more coconut oil or nut butter 🙂
Date paste it is! Thanks!
Hello Natalie, such a great recipe!
Can i sub maple syrup with something else or skip it at all? Because i can’t eat anything related to sugar/honey etc.
Thank you very much
★★★★★
You could just skip it in the filing, I think it will be plenty sweet with just the fruit sweetness. And for the crust, just use more coconut oil or nut butter in place of the maple syrup. Should be fine, enjoy!
Such the perfect summer dessert Natalie! So pretty too and I laughed at your comment about the yogurt before 11 am, lol! Looks like you nailed the filling, it looks nice and plump and moist, but not wet. Wet pies are just gross! I wish I was a fruit pie person but you know me and fruit, haha, but they are so beautiful I wish I could eat them. I love cherries when they are pureed and baked into something or dried cherries really cold out of the fridge or in cookies. I can’t eat them as is though, I KNOW I’m crazy. I hate my tastebuds sometimes, haha. But I bet my hubby would love this, especially with a huge blob of ice cream on top, yes, ice cream for sure! He LOVES cherries and it sure is one of the prettiest pies ever! So perfect!
Oh trust me, round #1 was a wet soupy mess😝 So yes, very gross indeed lol. I am actually much more of a cream pie than fruit pie person too, plus a good crumble usually satisfies my baked fruit dessert cravings. But I feel like pie is a classic when it comes to baking with cherries so here we are🍒 Ha not crazy, you just know what you like and are damn good at making it😊 Thanks Brandi!
This is the BEST Cherry pie I’ve ever tasted. It’s so delicious! I love the taste of the rich almond butter in the crust and the pie is not bitter or falls apart at all. Thanks so much for this recipe!
★★★★★
Omg I am SO happy you loved it🍒🤗 Thank you for the awesome feedback, Kathleen!
Hi Natalie,
What size pie plate do you use for this recipe? I thought I only had a 9 inch pie plate, but I have an 8 inch too! I guess I’ve been making 8 inch pies and didn’t know it! haha Can’t wait to try this one! Yum!
Hahaha sounds like something I would do😆 But yes I did use a 9 inch here, although I imagine an 8 inch would be okay too you may just have a little bit of extra crust!
I am oil free and I was wondering if I could also substitute apple sauce in the crust. Would that make it less chewy or would it not work? This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it!!
Applesauce will actually make the crust MORE chewy unfortunately. I really don’t like the texture of low fat crusts, so I don’t recommend it. But you could use nut butter like I mentioned in the notes to make it oil-free😊
I was wondering — you keep talking about “oil free” in your baking, by putting nut/seed butter in. But nut/seed butters had oils in them. They have less oil, because the oil hasn’t been separated yet, but it’s still oil, just with protein and fiber added in. And, while this is preferable, it’s still not technically oil-free. Not criticizing, you do great work, just an observation.
Pie looks amazing. I adore cherries.
★★★★★
Yes, nut/seeds definitely do contain natural oils! But what’s so bad about that? And oil-free just refers to recipes that do not contain refined oils that have been separated from their source. Calling this low-fat would be false, but it is oil-free 🙂
Ah, yes, that makes more sense. Sorry, I’m not very experienced in the world of vegan/healthy baking.
Oh my! It looks so delicious! I want to make it but I was wondering if I could substitute the oat flour for almond flour?
★★★★★
Oat and almond aren’t 1-for-1 subs for each other, but you could try this crust recipe instead with the same cherry filling: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/pumpkin-pie-cups/
How big is this pie?
I used a standard 9 inch pie pan 🙂
HI Natalie! This pie looks delicious! I’m planning on making this soon and wanted to add some blueberries and raspberries(maybe) along with the cherries. Do you think this may have an effect on the texture possibly? Don’t want it to get too liquidy?
Also I’ve never had cherry pie before so I’m really excited to try this. But I know cherries sometimes have a slightly bad reputation since there may be a medicine like after taste and I’m a little reluctant about that lol. I guess that depends on each person’s taste but would it be ok to add more maple syrup to make it a bit more sweeter? Thank you!
Adding in other berries will be fine! Won’t affect the texture as long as you keep the total fruit amount to the same 6 cups. Cherries are actually sweeter than most other berries in my opinion, so I don’t think you will need it but I guess that depends on what type of cherries you use. Look for the dark sweet kind as opposed to the bright red ones and I don’t think you will need any extra sweetener 🙂
Thank You! I made this for my Mom yesterday on Mother’s Day…it was delicious! I ended up just going with all cherries and I’m glad I did. I misread the instructions and let the cherries defrost so by the time I put them in the crust, there was a lot of liquid so I was like “oh crap.” But it still worked out perfectly thanks to the tapioca starch! I am now officially obsessed with pies… especially ones topped off with icecream! 🙂
★★★★★
I am so happy it turned out well, what a perfect springy/mothers day treat! My mom love cherries too, you’re making me feel like a bad daughter now haha. And could not agree more with the necessity of ICE CREAM ON TOP when it comes to any and all fruit pies!
Hi Natalie!
Just had to say that this recipe is amazing!! The oat flour crust is perfection. It held up so well! I’ve tried countless recipes for oat flour, almond flour crust and nothing held up, this was awesome. Thank you!!
I couldn’t wait to try the pie so I had to cut a slice, I could eat the entire thing.
Your recipes are awesome. I cannot wait do make more! 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
I am so happy to hear the pie was such a success, Rachael! Thanks for the feedback and I hope you do try more very soon🤗
is the nutrition information for the whole pie or a slice of it?
It’s for a slice😊
This recipe looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it! Btw, I love the small plates you photographed on, where are they from? Thanks!
They are from Crate and Barrel! Love them too and use them ALL the time❤️
Hey Natalie
That looks like a great pie. Can I know the size of the pie dish you used?
Mine was 9 inch!
This pie was SO amazing!!!
★★★★★
YAY! I am so happy you enjoyed it, Lilly❤️
Hello Natalie, how are you? Id’ like to combine this crust with your filling from your pecan pie bar recipe 🙂 So, I’d like to know some things: can I put the pie crust in the fridge to ‘set’ before baking like a regular pie crust or it isn’t necessary? Do I need to pre-bake the crust before filling it (like also, a traditional pie crust) or is it also unnecessary? Anyway, thanks again, your site really helps me to eat healthier sweets and can’t wait for the pie! 😉
(also, do you need to grease the pan for that kind of crust with a glass pan? -pyrex- thanks a lot!)
Hmm so I haven’t tried it and the crust certainly won’t be as crispy as this one, but it could work! You do not need to chill it, and I’m going to lean towards no on pre-baking as well since this pie already baked so long with the filling. You could do 10 minutes baking for just the crust, but that might dry it out too much. And yes I do recommend lightly greasing the pan, otherwise it will stick since the crust itself is very low fat. Greasing makes it a little trickier to press in, but possible with the sticky dates. Curious to hear how this turns out…🤗🍒
Hello again! 🙂 I think you may have misunderstood me 😉 I wanted to make this particular crust with the filling from the pecan pie bars (it seems you gave me instructions for the pecan pie bar base and the cherry filling but no worry 😉 ) so I trusted my guts and pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes and add the filling after that. I made it for two servings though 🙂 as I love to share recipes for one or two on my website, I’d like to share what I made from your two recipes, is that okay? I’ll put the links for the original recipes of course 😀 (I’m not doing that right now because too busy but in a few weeks maybe^^) thanks again Natalie 🙂 <3
★★★★★
Ohhhhhhh!! Yes I read that completely opposite, so sorry🙈 But I actually like this idea much better! I am so happy it worked out, sounds delicious🍒😋 As for reposting the recipes on your site, you are welcome to share your own photos and link to my recipes but I ask that you do not reprint the recipes on your own blog😊
Yes yes of course 😉 I created kind of something new and of course took my fair share of pictures 😉 I meant that, like most of us bakers, I got inspired by you and made my own thing but what I made is mainly mainly inspired by you so I’ll put links to your two pages in the article to tell where the ideas come from 🙂 as a thank you if you well! Thanks for replying, and Happy Birthday if I’m not mistaken? Enjoy 😀
Sure that’s fine, as long as it is inspired by not exactly the same! And yes it was my bday yesterday, thank you💞
I have a pie crust ready to go (however it’s “baked” from a different recipe that was a fail) – is it possible to use my already baked pie crust for your recipe and add in the filling and crumble then bake per your recipe? Im guessing it’s not possible but any recommendations to help me salvage this pie crust to make this recipe come out would be much appreciated.
Thanks!!
Hmm how long did you bake the crust for? Is it like fully baked golden brown? I am afraid it will burn while the cherry filling is cooking if its already browned, but if you just baked it for like 15-20 then could work!
Thats what I was afraid of as well. It is fully baked – brown and baked for about 20min.
With your expertise, would you recommend me (1) thawing the berries first (I have frozen blueberries I would like to use) to avoid cooking the pie longer (if that makes a difference) and (2) how long would you recommend me baking final pie for – 15min? Shorter/longer?
Thank you Natalie, it’s much appreciated.
You can try it, thawing will help a little bit, but I still think the filling will turn out soupy if you don’t bake it for the full amount of time. You could try cooking the filling stovetop to thicken it that way first and then putting in the crust and baking for 15-20, but I really can’t guarantee it will work. Sorry!
can I make this with blackberrys
★★★★
Sure! Blackberries do have all those little seeds so just be ready for that in the filling texture. Blueberries or strawberries might be better but of course up to you 🙂
This turned out SO SO GOOD.
I used fresh cherries (i know, not fun to pit 6 cups of cherries, but that’s what I’ve been doing whole weekend, pitting kilos of cherries to freeze them so I had lots of practice, LOL) and instead of the crumble, I sprinkled chopped pecan nuts (it would have been too heavy in oats for me).
The crust is delicious, really! I freaked out a bit when i assembled it in the pie pan because it was very oily, but I should have measured it again after I melted the oil (when I weighed it, it was soft coconut oil, not liquid). But this was not an issue afterall and the crust held SO well! Wow! And alltogether, it’s delicious!
I knew I hit the jackpot when my boyfriend asked for a second slice. I thought I misheard, i gave him a shocked look 🤣 (he never asks for a second piece of anything GF/DF/healthy thing I make).
Honestly, I am looking forward to remake this and possibly even try other fruits.
❤️
★★★★★
YAY!! I am so happy you both loved it, boyfriend approved is always the highest praise tbh haha😂 I respect your cherry pitting patience, I bet it is extra delish with fresh🍒🍒 Appreciate your feedback and I hope you enjoy many more remakes!
Simple to make and it looks amazing! We can’t wait to try it!
★★★★★