Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Sour Cherry Filling
- 800 g sour cherries, pitted
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 30 g cornstarch
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Walnut Whole Wheat Streusel
- 100 g whole wheat flour
- 50 g rolled oats
- 100 g brown sugar, packed
- 60 g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g fine sea salt
- 85 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 503 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 82 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 53 g
- Sodium
- 142 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 30 mg
- Potassium
- 400 mg
- Calcium
- 63 mg
- Iron
- 1.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 61 mg
- Phosphorus
- 148 mg
- Zinc
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 182 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.11 mg
- Niacin
- 1.6 mg
- Folate
- 26 mcg
- Water
- 121 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) and set a rack in the middle position.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the pitted sour cherries with granulated sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract until the fruit is evenly coated and no dry pockets of starch remain.
Transfer the cherry mixture into the baking dish, spreading it into an even layer.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse, wet sand with some pea-sized clumps remaining.
Scatter the crumble topping generously over the fruit layer, squeezing some handfuls to create larger clusters for texture.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the topping is deep golden brown and the cherry filling is vigorously bubbling around the edges and in the center.
Remove from the oven and let the crumble rest on a wire rack for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set and thicken.
Chef's Notes
- Sour cherries have a high acid content which pairs beautifully with the earthy, nutty flavor of whole wheat flour and walnuts.
- If using sweet cherries (Bing or Rainier) instead of sour, reduce the sugar in the filling by 30-50g and add 15ml lemon juice to balance the acidity.
- For extra crunch, toast the walnuts briefly in a dry pan before adding them to the crumble topping.
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a pour of cold heavy cream to cut through the richness.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Cover tightly; reheat to restore crispness.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze unbaked for best results, or baked and cooled.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175°C (350°F) oven for 10-15 minutes to re-crisp the topping.
Troubleshooting
Filling is too runny after serving
Cause: The crumble was not baked long enough for the cornstarch to activate, or it was served too hot.
Fix: Let it cool completely; the pectin and starch will continue to gel as temperature drops.
Prevention: Ensure the fruit juices boil in the very center of the dish before removing from the oven.
Cultural Context
While fruit crumbles originated in Britain during World War II as a flour-rationing alternative to pies, the use of sour cherries (often Montmorency) is distinctly tied to American baking traditions, particularly in the Midwest regions like Michigan.
