Easy Homemade Cherry Pie
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Nothing says summer like a homemade cherry pie. It's gooey, tart, sweet, and will stay on your mind as long as there's still some in the fridge. The best part is, it doesn't have to be this long, hard process to make homemade pie. This is the easy version for people who want their pie and they want it now!
Also, try this delightful peach pie!
Homemade pie is no longer reserved for grandmothers or people who have lots of time on their hands. This homemade cherry pie is ā at the risk of sounding cheesy ā easy as pie to make! And it's delectable! It takes half an hour of prep time and the rest is oven time, so you'll be in cherry pie heaven in no time. Let's do it!
Ingredients for homemade cherry pie filling
For this homemade cherry pie recipe you'll need 1 double pie crust (homemade or store bought) + this short list of ingredients:
- Cherries: Have 2 lb of cherries on hand to make this cherry pie. You will need to wash them and remove the stems and pits.
- Granulated sugar: 1 cup of granulated sugar will add a balance of sweetness to the cherry pie. Yum!
- Cornstarch: ā cup of cornstarch will help gel the cherries and give a shiny, glossy texture to the fruit filling.
- AmarettoĀ (or vanilla): You can use 1 tablespoon of amaretto liqueur for a hint of almond in the pie, or if you wish, you can use vanilla extract.
- LargeĀ egg + a splash of waterĀ (optional): You can mix an egg with some water to brush over the pie crust top for a shiny, golden brown finish.
How to make easy homemade cherry pie
Follow these step-by-step instructions to make your easy, homemade cherry pie:
- Make the cherry filling: Prep the cherries by washing, pitting, and cutting them into halves or quarters. Add the cherry filling ingredients to a pan and cook until they become that sticky, syrupy filling consistency.
- Prepare the pie dough: Roll out the pie dough and gently press it into the pie dish. Trim and crimp the edges of the pie and poke a few holes in the bottom with a fork.
- Make the pie top: Roll the remaining pie dough out and use the alphabet cookie cutters to cut the letters to spell the word cherry several times.
- Assemble & bake: Pour the cherry pie filling into the bottom pie crust and then arrange the letters on top. Pop the pie in the oven for 45 minutes ā 1 hour, or until golden and bubbling.
- **Important**: Cool the pie completely! Then, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
What's the best crust for homemade pie?
There are lots of options when it comes to pie crusts, and if you want to, you can dive deep into the world of crusts. For simplicity's sake, however, let's weigh just a couple of options here:
- Homemade VS. Store-bought: When it comes to homemade pie crust, it's a delicious labor of love and a source of pride. If you want to go the homemade way for this cherry pie, you can try this recipe for homemade crust. Store-bought pie crust will save you time and most people eating this homemade cherry pie won't even know! For this recipe, you can absolutely opt for the store-bought crust.
- Pie crust design: To achieve the look in the images here, a cookie cutter was used to cut and spell ācherryā a handful of times using the crust dough. You can also choose to cover the pie completely, create a lattice top, or use cookie cutters to create other shapes to your liking or suitable for the occasion, like hearts or leaves.
Homemade cherry pie filling
Homemade cherry pie filling uses tart or sweet cherries that, when baked, creates this deep-red, gooey wonderland. You may have a couple of questions about how to get it just right:
Should I use tart cherries or sweet cherries to make the pie filling?
You can use either variety of cherries. The sweet ones will give a sweeter taste overall, whereas the tart or sour cherries are often called āpie cherriesā since they lend themselves to being baked into treats. If you're going to use sweet cherries, consider reducing the sugar by a little so your pie isn't too sweet, and/or add a bit of lemon juice.
How to prepare cherries to make cherry pie filling
To make homemade cherry pie filling you can use fresh cherries that have been washed, with the stems removed and pitted.
When it comes to removing the cherry pits, you have two options:
- You can use a tool like a cherry pitter.
- Or, you can do this by hand by using a metal straw or chopstick to push each pit out of the cherries.
Once you've removed the pits from the cherries, the hardest part's behind you!
Pro tips for the perfect homemade cherry pie
- When you're baking the pie, put aĀ pie shield on the crust after the first 15 minutes of baking so that the edges don't get too brown. If you don't have a pie shield, you can make one using aluminium foil. Just remember you don't want to cover the pie, just the edges.
- When you remove the pie from the oven, it needs to cool. It's like watching paint dry, but it is a necessary step. Let it cool for 3 hours before cutting into the pie. If you go in too soon it'll be all runny instead of that wonderful gooey center we know and love.
- If you don't want to make your own crust but you still want to have the best crust ever, check to see if your local bakery sells frozen pie crust. They often do and it tastes better than what you'll find in the freezer section of most grocery stores.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use frozen cherries when making a cherry pie from scratch?
You can use frozen cherries (bonus that they're already pitted), just make sure to thaw them before incorporating.
How to store leftover cherry pie?
You can store leftover pie in the pie dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil or a reusable wax cover. You can also slice it up and store it in airtight containers. It will keep in the fridge for 4 days.
Can I freeze this pie?
Yes! You can either freeze this pie whole or in slices. Either way, wrap it tightly with wax paper or parchment paper then transfer it to a freezer bag. It will keep in the freezer for at least 3 months.
More fruit pie recipes
Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb cherries (washed, stems removed and pitted)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ā cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon amaretto (or vanilla)
- 1 double pie crust (homemade or storebought)
- 1 large egg + a splash of water (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pit the cherries and then cut half of them in half and cut the other half into quarters. Add the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and amaretto or vanilla to a pot and mix well. Let the cherries sit for 10 minutes so their juices release and then bring the pot to a boil just until the cherries thicken. Set aside while you roll the dough.2 lb cherries, 1 cup granulated sugar, ā cup cornstarch, 1 tablespoon amaretto
- Roll the pie dough until it is ā inch thick and about 2 inches larger than your pie pan. Transfer the dough to your pie pan and gently press it into the pan. Trim and crimp the edges of the pie and poke a few holes in the bottom with a fork. Put the pie into the fridge.1 double pie crust
- Roll the remaining pie dough until it is ā inch thick. Use alphabet cookie cutters to cut the letters to spell the word cherry several times. (You can also roll the dough into a circle to cover the top of the pie completely if you prefer.)
- Whisk the egg with a small splash of water and brush some of it over the letters. (Save the rest to make scrambled eggs tomorrow morning.) Sprinkle some sugar over the letters.1 large egg + a splash of water
- Pour the cherry pie filling into the pie crust and then arrange the letters over the top.
- Bake the pie for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to bake the pie for another 35-45 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cherries are bubbling. RECOMMENDED: put a pie shield on the crust after the first 15 minutes of baking so that the edges don't get too brown. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for at least 3 hours before you cut into it. (It's hard to wait but the pie will be runny if you don't let it cool properly.)
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our pie recipes!
