Kissed with whiskey and a hint of cinnamon and chile and nestled in a gluten-free, whole-grain crust, this wildly flavorful gluten-free cherry pie will make all your dessert dreams come true. Adapted from my cookbook Alternative Baker: Reinventing Dessert with Gluten-Free Grains and Flours.
This pie is inspired by one of my favorite people in the world, my niece Cierra, who's about to enter her senior year at Marymount Manhattan where she's studying musical theater. My sister and I visited NYC this past spring and one of the highlights was seeing the musical Waitress, written by and starring Sara Bareilles. My sister and I were so moved by the music, plot, and characters that it took us a good 15 minutes after the lights came up of dabbing our eyes, looking at each other and laughing, then bursting into tears again, before we could get up and leave.
But phenomenal singing, dancing, acting, songwriting, and production quality aside, the thing that impressed me the most was when Sara Bareilles MADE PIE CRUST ONSTAGE. This gifted goddess casually rolled out the dough, pressed it into the pan, trimmed and crimped it, all while reciting lines in a southern accent in front of hundreds of people.
Not gonna lie: if I had to make my pie dough in front of hundreds of people, I would cry even harder and longer than I did after Waitress's stirring finale.
While I'm fond of my gluten-free pie dough's abundance of flavor from oat, millet, and chia, its lack of xanthan gum, and its fabulously flaky finish, it's undeniably a beast to make. It contains 3 flours, 2 starches, and ground chia seed in addition to the usual suspects – butter and a bit of salt and sugar. It also uses buttermilk, which I keep around pretty much for the sole purpose of making pie dough – luckily it keeps FOREVER, much longer than the expiration date lets on. While all of these ingredients add up to big flavor and flake, putting it together can be as daunting as singing karaoke to a 3-octave Sara Bareilles song (which is something I did not attempt while in NYC despite having the opportunity).
Next, there's the whole cutting in the cold butter thing, then adding just the right amount of liquid to form a dough that holds together but doesn't get overly sticky and tough. This mixture chills, and then in order to get a workable dough, you have to laminate it in the manner of croissant dough, by rolling it out and folding it up a couple of times. At first, the dough is nightmarishly crumbly to roll. As the rolling pin glides over dough that wants to break apart like the universe accelerating into entropy, it will begin to stick to the work surface. Heaven forbid you try to flip the dough over – it will give an evil chuckle before dissolving into particles between your fingers. Instead, use a bench scraper to move the dough off to the side, dust some flour on your work surface, and move the dough back.
When you've made it through one "turn" (folding the dough in thirds like a letter, then in thirds again the other way), the hard work is done. The second time you roll the dough it will be far more pliant and smooth, and after the second turn, you'll be able to work it *almost* like wheat dough. You still won't want to shape this crust before a large audience of Broadway theater-goers, but trust me – you'll be able to muscle it into the pan only shouting a few expletives (in a southern accent or otherwise) along the way.
I've managed to streamline my pie dough process a bit by making the initial dough in the food processor. The trick to keeping the butter in large enough chunks is to cut the dough into slices, not cubes, and only begin to pulse the mixer as you add the liquid down the feed tube in a slow and steady stream. If done correctly, this will result in evenly moistened dough with butter chunks that vary from tiny peas to large lima beans, which is just what we want. Since this dough is free from gluten, it can handle more liquid than wheat dough. It benefits from being a bit on the wet side which makes it easier to work.
My niece has a fierce love for cherry pie, so I decided to make this spiced bourbon cherry pie recipe in her honor, adapted from the cut-out pies in Alternative Baker. It's got a kick of booze because Cierra is a connoisseur of craft cocktails. It's got a hint of fire and spice because so does she. And it's topped with stars because that's what she is. (We call her Diva.)
Sweet, dark cherries bake into a chunky jam studded with juicy fruit. The bourbon and spices add beguiling depth of flavor while letting the fruit hog the limelight, and just enough sugar and cornstarch thicken it into a sliceable consistency. All of this burgundy goodness contrasts the aforementioned flavorful, flaky pastry which I showered in a sprinkling of smoked sugar (though any coarse sugar will do the trick).
Bite into a slice of this spiced bourbon cherry pie topped with a drippy scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you'll forget within seconds all the effort that went into making it.
More Cherry Recipes:
- Apricot Cherry Clafoutis
- Sweet Cherry Manhattans
- Roasted Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream with Bourbon and Chocolate
- Chocolate Cherry Skillet Blondie + Vanilla Bourbon Frozen Yogurt {Gluten-Free}
*Thanks for reading! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this bourbon cherry pie, I’d love to see! Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Spiced Bourbon Cherry Pie {gluten-free}
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Crust:
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) ice water
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) well-shaken buttermilk
- 3/4 cup (110 g) sweet white rice flour
- 1/2 cup (55 g) GF oat flour
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (50 g) millet flour
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (45 g) cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons (25 g) tapioca flour
- 4 tablespoons (25 g) finely ground white chia seed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 g) organic granulated cane sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 12 tablespoons (170 g) cold, unsalted butter, sliced 1⁄4" (6 mm) thick
Filling:
- 6 cups pitted sweet cherries (fresh or frozen and not defrosted; about 2 ½ pounds [1,120 g])
- 3/4 cup (150 g) organic granulated cane sugar
- 1/4 cup (30 g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) bourbon whiskey (GF such as Queen Jennie if highly sensitive, or GF brandy)
For Finishing:
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) milk or cream
- 1 tbsp (15 g) smoked sugar or coarse sugar (demerara or turbinado)
- vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Combine the ice water and buttermilk in a small pitcher and chill until needed. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sweet rice, oat, and millet flours with the cornstarch, tapioca flour, ground chia seed, sugar, and salt. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and place the lid on the food processor, but don’t process yet! Simultaneously pour the cold buttermilk mixture through the feed tube in a slow and steady stream while pulsing the food processor all the while until all the liquid is added and the butter is broken down into chunks of varying sizes from tiny peas to lima beans. The dough should hold together when squeezed; if it needs more liquid to come together, gently pulse in a tablespoon or two more ice water.
- Press the dough into a ball, flatten into a disc in a large piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly, and chill for up to 3 days.
- Let the dough soften at room temperature for 10 – 20 minutes to make it easier to roll. On a surface dusted lightly with oat flour, roll the chilled dough out into a rough square that is about ¼" thick. As you work, dust the top of the dough with oat flour, using a dry pastry brush to sweep away the excess. If the dough begins to stick to the work surface, use a bench scraper to move it to one side, dust the surface with more flour, and return the dough to the surface to continue rolling. Don’t worry if the dough crumbles and wants to fall apart, just press it back together. Once the dough is rolled out, fold it in thirds like folding a letter, then roll it up from a skinny end into a loose spiral. Gently press to flatten it slightly, and chill for 30 minutes. Optionally (preferably), repeat this step once more. The dough will get smoother and easier to work with as you make these turns.
- Divide the dough into two portions of approximately two-thirds and one third. Roll the larger piece of dough into a 12-inch round, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking, and ease the dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the dough to a ¾-inch overhang and fold it under itself. Crimp the crust with your thumbs and forefingers, and prick the bottom all over with the tines of a fork. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes, or wrap and chill for up to 1 day.
- On a surface dusted lightly with oat flour, roll out the smaller piece of dough to a 9-inch (23-cm) round about 1⁄4-inch (6-mm) thick. Use a fluted cookie cutter or biscuit cutter (or small glass) to cut out shapes measuring about 2-inches in diameter. Place the dough shapes on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill until firm, 20 minutes. Optionally, press the dough scraps together, wrap and chill until firm, and repeat the rolling/cutting process once more.
Make the pie:
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, top with a baking stone if you’ve got one and preheat to 425ºF (220ºC). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- To make the filling, in a large bowl whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt to combine. Add the cherries and bourbon, tossing to combine, and let sit 10-20 minutes to draw out the juices a bit.
- Spoon the fruit and juices into the chilled crust, smoothing it flat. Place the chilled dough shapes over the top of the fruit, overlapping them slightly and leaving lots of windows for the steam to escape. Brush the rounds with the cream or milk and sprinkle with the smoked or coarse sugar.
- Place the pie on the lined baking sheet and slide into the oven on the baking stone. Bake at 425ºF (220ºC) for 15 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 375ºF (190ºC) and continue baking until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling thickly, 35–50 more minutes. (Err on the side of overbaking lest you wind up with soupy filling that doesn't set.) Let the pie cool completely to set the fruit, at least 2 hours, then cut into wedges and serve at room temperature with ice cream. The pie is best shortly after baking and will keep at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Sabrina B. says
what a beautiful pie, both as a subject of your photographs and as a recipe, what a nice twist with the bourbon, lovely and sophisticated, thank you for this recipe!
Leigh says
You made that dough sound way hard. Not a great way to promote your product. I made your dough for the first time last weekend, and it was pretty easy. It was only the third time I've ever made pie dough. One died before it began, one was okay but not flavorful, and this one was almost as compliant as a gluten dough but way more flavorful, even after being over baked in a suspect quiche recipe. You're right it does like to be hydrated. That was the one issue I ran into. After resting the dough overnight in the refrigerator, the flours had taken up all the moisture and made the dough too dry. I had to add in more water. It was still tender thanks to the lack of gluten, and it flaked well with only one folding.
When we get Twin Peaks season 3, I'll be making this pie.
Alanna says
I'm so glad you like the recipe and that you don't find it too much of a pain to make - I really appreciate the feedback! Yes, this'll be perfect for Twin Peaks, haha.
Leigh says
It looks like I addictenaly replied to your comment instead of the post. Sorry! Hopefully the moderator can take care of that...
Baykan Kombi Servisi says
It looks delicious.
Rachael @ Rachael's Foodie Life says
wow you have taken two my favourite things, cherry pie & bourbon and made them better! i am absolutely making this pie as soon as i can get good cherries here in Aus!
Alanna says
Aw, thank you Rachael! Sounds like you have excellent taste! ;)
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
This is cherry pie perfection! And I love your pretty star cut-outs! :)
Alanna says
Aw, thank you Laura!! Your cut-out pie crust and baking method is THE BEST - thanks for showing me the way. <3
Claire Miller says
Do you think this would work with lard? I'm cooking for celiacs with egg and dairy issues.
Your blog is just great by the way. As someone in the food industry, I appreciate the thoroughness of your recipe testing. Nice work, lady!
Alanna says
Hi Claire! Thanks so much for the kind words - that means a lot to me! I've never worked with lard so I can't be sure. I've made this crust with coconut oil, and it's a little more crumbly and difficult to work with than the butter version. Some readers have had good success using a vegan butter - you'll want to decrease the salt if using something salty. Please let me know what you try!
Anita says
What a magnificent recipe! Can you tell me how to make a dairy-free version? What to substitute for the buttermilk and the butter?
Alanna says
Aw thanks Anita! You can use vegan butter in place of the dairy butter (I love Miyoko's if you can get your hands on some). In place of the buttermilk, just use additional ice water plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Please let me know if you try it!
Xander says
I would like to make this for my future brother-in-law this Thanksgiving, but buying all the different flours feels like it might get expensive. If I used a gluten free mix would this recipe still work?
Alanna says
Hi Xander, that's a really good question (and I totally understand not wanting to buy all those flours for the first time, haha!) I *think* I tried making this with Pamela's a couple of years ago and it was AWFUL. I like their mix for cakes and things, but didn't have good luck with it here. That said, Cup 4 Cup or Bob's 1 to 1 might be good ones to try. Please let me know if you experiment!
Kamisha says
Hi Xander, if you have a good food processor or thermomix you can easily mill your own flours, I'm sure you are more than likely to have rice at home and possibly oats. I put the rice, oats, chia seeds and millet all in together :)
Alison Marie says
This is such a helpful comment, Kamisha! I can't find millet flour but I have hulled millet and a Vitamix , so I am almost there.
Jon s says
Only issue i see is that most celiacs will get reactions from the bourbon ... even if tbe slvohol cookd out the gluten proteins can have a reactive affect...
Alanna says
Absolutely, that's why I specified in the recipe that you can use a GF whiskey such as Queen Jennie sorghum whiskey, or brandy instead. :)