Description
Homemade strawberry-almond crumble pie delivers a perfect balance of sweet and nutty flavors from classic French pastry techniques. Crisp almond streusel and juicy strawberries create an irresistible dessert that will delight seasonal baking enthusiasts.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (600 g/21.2 oz) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 unbaked 9-inch (23 cm) pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
- ½ cup (100 g/3.5 oz) brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g/3.5 oz) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (65 g/2.3 oz) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g/1.8 oz) rolled oats
- ½ cup (50 g/1.8 oz) sliced almonds
- 4 tbsps (60 g/2.1 oz) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3 tbsps cornstarch
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Position oven rack in center and heat to 375F (190C). Gently place pie crust into 9-inch pie dish, ensuring smooth coverage.
- Strawberry Filling: Combine strawberry slices with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and almond extract in a large bowl. Let mixture rest for 10 minutes to release natural juices and develop flavor intensity.
- Crumble Topping: Mix flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and sliced almonds in a separate bowl. Work cold butter into the dry ingredients using fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse, crumbly sand.
- Assembly: Pour macerated strawberry mixture into prepared pie crust, spreading evenly. Completely cover the fruit layer with the nutty almond crumble, ensuring full surface coverage.
- Baking Process: Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch potential overflow. Bake for 40-50 minutes until filling bubbles vigorously and topping turns deep golden brown. Protect pie edges with aluminum foil if browning too quickly.
- Cooling and Serving: Remove from oven and let pie rest for minimum 2 hours, allowing filling to set and flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, optionally accompanied by vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- Prevent Soggy Crust: Brush pie crust edges with egg wash or sprinkle cornstarch to create a moisture barrier, keeping the base crisp and preventing fruit juices from soaking through.
- Control Fruit Maceration: Don’t let strawberries sit in sugar longer than 15 minutes to prevent excess liquid release, which could make the pie filling too runny and compromise the texture.
- Adjust Topping Texture: Freeze butter cubes for 10 minutes before mixing to ensure a perfectly crumbly, sandy topping that creates delightful crispy layers when baked.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Swap regular flour with gluten-free flour blend, use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, and replace butter with cold plant-based margarine for vegan and gluten-sensitive variations.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg