Impossible Cherry Pie

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.

Looking for more cherry pie filling ideas? Check out all my favorite cherry pie filling recipes here!