Strawberry Pistachio Crumble Pie

I made two crumble pies in a matter of weeks; it wasn’t planned at all, but it was a good idea. We started with a cranberry-ginger-pear pie, which was very good! Everyone ate some. If you make it, I’d recommend that you omit the candied ginger in the crumble, make sure your pears are quite ripe, and perhaps tent the pie with foil while it’s baking.


Then there was strawberry pistachio crumble pie from Sister Pie in Bon Appétit. This one was an absolute winner! Everyone ate it happily. It would be even better with seasonal strawberries this summer! I’d consider adding some rhubarb, too.

For the crust
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. sugar
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. ice water
nonstick vegetable oil spray

For the crumble
¼ cup raw pistachios
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup old-fashioned oats
¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. poppy seeds
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
¼ tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine, chilled, cut into pieces

For the filling
2 lbs. strawberries, hulled, halved if large (about 6 cups)
5 Tbsp. tapioca starch
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. lactose-free cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. chopped pistachios

For the crust
Pulse salt, sugar, and 1¼ cups flour in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until largest pieces are pea-size. Transfer to a medium bowl and freeze about 5 minutes.

Combine vinegar and ice water in a small bowl and sprinkle over flour mixture; toss with a fork to incorporate. Knead until dough comes together with just a few dry spots remaining. (I did this in the food processor.) Flatten into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill at least 2 hours.

Let dough sit at room temperature 5 minutes to soften. Roll out on a lightly floured surface, rotating often and dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, to a 12" round. Fold dough in half and transfer to a glass 9" pie dish. Lift up edges and allow dough to slump down into dish. You should have about a 1" overhang. Fold edges under and crimp. Place pie dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and freeze 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 °F. Lightly coat a sheet of foil with nonstick spray and place in pie crust, coated side down, pressing into bottom and sides. Fill with pie weights and bake until edge is pale golden, 15–20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and pie weights and bake crust until bottom is light golden, 7–12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

For the crumble
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Toast ¼ cup pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Let cool, then finely grind in a spice mill, or finely chop with a knife.

Mix pistachios, flour, oats, brown sugar, lemon zest, poppy seeds, cardamom, and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, work in butter until no dry spots remain and crumble holds together when squeezed. Chill while you make the pie filling.

For the filling and assembly
Toss strawberries, tapioca starch, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt in a large bowl to combine.

Using a small offset spatula, spread cream cheese in an even layer over bottom of crust. Scrape strawberry mixture into crust, mounding into a dome. Sprinkle crumble evenly over top, breaking up any very large pieces.

Place pie dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (to catch any rogue juices) and bake pie, tenting with foil if crumble starts to get too dark before filling is done, until crumble is brown and strawberry filling is bubbling around edges, 1½–1¾ hours. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before slicing, at least 4 hours.

Top pie with chopped pistachios just before serving.