Impossible Cherry Pie
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This vintage cherry pie recipe came straight from my husband’s grandmother, handwritten and taped to her fridge for who knows how many years. After she passed away, we found it, took it home, and made it just the way she had written it.
I’m not going to lie… I have questions. But we followed it anyway.
Is this a pie or a cobbler?
Now, to be clear, this isn’t really pie in the traditional sense. There’s no crust. It’s not quite a cobbler. It’s also not cake. But it does somehow turn into sliceable layers when it bakes, so I guess the name “Impossible Pie” kind of makes sense after all.
It came together quickly and baked up beautifully. I was nearly certain I’d be scooping it out like a cobbler, but to my surprise, I got clean pie slices the next morning after it cooled completely at room temp. A win in my book.
Ingredients
Pie Filling:
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Bisquick
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
Streusel Topping:
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/4 cup Bisquick
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
My pie plate is 9.5 inches, not 10.5 like the original recipe called for and it worked just fine.
How to make Impossible Cherry Pie
Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9.5-inch glass pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, add butter, sugar, Bisquick, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well with a hand mixer. It’s okay if a few small butter clumps remain.
NOTE: I think my softened butter hit the cold milk too fast, so there were a few butter clumps in the batter, despite Grandma’s note to “beat until smooth.” It didn’t mess anything up, but next time, I’ll make sure everything is at room temp just to be safe.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate.
Spoon the cherry pie filling over the top, distributing it as evenly as you can.
Bake for 25 minutes.
While the pie is baking, prepare the streusel topping. In a separate bowl, combine butter, Bisquick, brown sugar, and cinnamon using a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Set aside.
After 25 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the streusel evenly on top. Return the pie to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Let the pie cool completely before slicing and serving.
It slices more cleanly after resting for several hours or overnight.
More Ways to Bake with Cherry Pie Filling
If you’re as into cherry desserts as I am, here are a few more to try next. This homemade cherry cobbler is a warm, buttery classic with a golden topping that’s perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
For something a little richer, try this crockpot chocolate cherry cake, it’s a dump-and-go dessert that’s super chocolatey with gooey cherry pockets throughout.
And if you’re a fan of creamy fillings, this cherry cream cheese dump cake gives you a cheesecake-meets-cobbler vibe that’s always a crowd favorite.
- I think my husband’s grandma would be absolutely tickled to know people are still making and enjoying her cherry impossible pie.
Impossible Cherry Pie with Canned Filling
Ingredients
For the Pie:
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Bisquick
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 21 oz. canned cherry pie filling
For the Streusel Topping:
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1/4 cup Bisquick
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9.5″ glass pie plate with nonstick spray. (The original recipe mentioned a 10.5″ plate, but 9.5″ worked great for us, just keep in mind if yours is smaller or larger, it may affect baking time slightly.)
- In a mixing bowl, combine softened butter, sugar, Bisquick, eggs, milk, and vanilla. For best results, let your milk and eggs come to room temperature before mixing so the butter doesn’t seize up when combined. Beat well with a hand mixer until mostly smooth. A few butter chunks may remain and that’s OK.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pie plate. Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the top in dollops. It won’t cover completely, but it spreads during baking.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- While the pie bakes, prepare the streusel topping by combining softened butter, Bisquick, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Use a pastry blender or fork to work the mixture into coarse crumbs.
- After 25 minutes, carefully remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the streusel topping evenly across the surface.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the topping is golden and set.
- Let the pie cool completely before slicing. You may be surprised (like we were) that it does slice like a pie instead of scooping like cobbler, but either way is ok.
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
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