This strawberry pistachio crumble pie is the perfect way to show off all those fresh summer strawberries. The epic pistachio crumble on top might be something you’d want to eat on its own with a spoon!
Happy Father’s Day!
This is always a special time of year for many reasons. One – it’s Father’s Day. Two – it’s my husband’s birthday. Fun fact: he was actually born on Father’s Day! While the two celebratory occasions don’t coincide this year, I still had to bake something to appreciate my husband.
As with our tradition, I let him pick whatever dessert he wants for both days. This year he chose this pie that he saw in our Bon Appetit magazine. The only ingredients I had to buy for this were pistachios and tapioca flour/starch (they are the same thing).
My husband absolutely loved this pie and couldn’t stop talking about it. He said that it wasn’t too sweet and even slightly tart from the strawberries that we had bought for the recipe. He’s been eating this with a scoop of ice cream on top too.
I’m not normally a nut type of person but also enjoyed the pie. It was nice to have a crunchy crumble on top of a sweet and tart fruit pie. We’re visiting my in-laws later this summer, and my husband is already lobbying for me to bake this for them as well. I’m sure he’ll find a way to make it happen.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, father figures and awesome men out there!
Strawberry pistachio crumble pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour plus more for surface
- 1 stick unsalted butter chilled and cut into pieces
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Crumble
- 1/4 cup unsalted toasted pistachios finely chopped
- 1/2 cup all-purpose four
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and cut into pieces
Filling
- 1 and 1/2 pounds strawberries hulled, and cut into halves or quarters
- 5 Tablespoons tapioca flour/starch
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Pie base and topping
- 2 Tablespoons cream cheese
- 2 Tablespoons chopped pistachios
Instructions
Make the pie crust
- In a food processor, pulse the salt, sugar and flour together to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer to a bowl and freeze for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and 3 Tablespoons ice water and sprinkle over flour mixture. Knead with your hands until the dough comes together. Flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 2 hours (dough can be frozen for up to a month).
- Let the dough thaw for at least 5 minutes at room temperature before rolling onto a lightly floured surface or parchment paper. Transfer the dough to a 9" pie dish. Fold edges under and crimp.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top and weigh it down with pie weights (or beans or rice). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges turn a pale golden color. Remove the pie weights and aluminum foil and bake for an additional 7-12 minutes or until light golden. Cool and set aside.
Make the crumble
- In a medium sized bowl, mix the chopped pistachios, flour, oats, brown sugar, lemon zest, poppy seeds, cardamom and salt together. Add the butter pieces and mix everything together with your hands until no dry ingredients remain. The crumble should hold its shape if you squeeze it. Chill in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
Make the filling
- In a large bowl, toss together the strawberries, tapioca starch, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Set aside.
Assemble the pie
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the cream cheese onto the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Add the strawberry mixture (minus the juices) and pile it into a dome shape. Then evenly spread the crumble on top. Be sure to place a rimmed baking sheet underneath the pie in case juices drip out. Bake in your preheated oven for about 1 and 1/2 hours or until the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Allow the pie to cool completely before serving, about 4 hours. Then top with the remaining chopped pistachios.