This easy homemade classic cherry pie is a favorite in our family! The filling is easy to make, and you can use either sweet or sour cherries. Here are all the tips you need on how to make it perfect.
My best recipe for homemade cherry pie
This homemade cherry pie is my second favorite pie after apple pie, and it’s the best recipe out there. Trust me, I’ve tried quite a few. It has no fancy ingredients, and it tastes divine. Once you’ve pitted the cherries, the hard work is behind you and all that’s left is mixing the ingredients together.
How to make cherry pie
- Start by making the pie crust. I use my pie dough recipe for almost all my pies. It’s a classic recipe for a flaky, buttery crust that’s simply delicious. It will need to chill for at least an hour before rolling out the dough, so this should be done first. Check out my recipe for perfect pie crust to learn all my tips and tricks for making pie dough.
- Roll out the pie dough. Once your pie dough is chilled, roll it out to a ¼-inch thick circle, approximately 12-14-inch in diameter. Line a pie tin, leaving some excess around the edge to make a border. Then, place the pie tin in the refrigerator so it stays cold.
- Make the filling. This step involves pitting the cherries. If you don’t have a cherry pitter, read about other tricks here and choose your favorite one. I use a small round tip and it works like a charm. Combine the cherries with the rest of the filling ingredients and place into your pie shell. Top with another layer of pie dough and use a knife to make a few slits in the top so the steam can escape, or make a lattice pie crust.
- Bake. I recommend baking your cherry pie on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper in case any cherry juice spills over during baking. This can happen as the fruit cooks and bubbles, so baking the pie on a sheet pan just saves you from any unnecessary clean up. Remove from the oven after 40-50 minutes and allow to completely cool before cutting.
Tips for making delicious cherry pie
- Don’t overwork the pie dough, which can result in dense pie crust. Instead, gently combined the liquid with the butter-flour mixture gently just until it comes together.
- Always chill your pie dough before rolling it out. Otherwise, the butter will melt and it will be very soft, making it very sticky.
- I always prefer using fresh cherries for the best flavor and texture, but if you can’t, use thawed frozen cherries or a canned jar and drain the juices well.
- For this cherry pie filling recipe, you can use either sweet cherries for a sweet cherry pie or tart cherries for a sour cherry pie. As you’ll see in the recipe, the only difference between them is the amount of sugar and lemon juice.
- Adjust the sugar to your taste. I use 1 cup for sour cherries and ¾ cup for sweet cherries. Once all the ingredients for the filling are mixed, you can taste it and decide if you want to add more sugar.
- Serve each slice with whipped cream or ice cream for the ultimate treat.
Commonly asked questions
Why do I start baking the pie at a higher temperature and then lower it?
We do this because baking the pie at 425°F for the first 20 minutes allows the crust to set up and solidify so it doesn’t get soggy from the cherry juices. It also activates the cornstarch in the filling. The recipe then calls to finish the baking process at 375°F so the crust doesn’t burn and everything cooks evenly.
Can I freeze cherry pie?
Absolutely, fruit pies like cherry pie and caramel apple pie freeze very well. Once completely cooled, wrap the entire pie in a double layer of plastic wrap and place in the freezer for up to three months. To thaw, put it in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.
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Should I par bake the the crust at all?
There’s no need to pre-bake or par bake the crust at all for this pie. It will bake completely in the oven with the filling inside.
What is Kirsch?
Schwarzwälder Kirsch is a German cherry liqueur. Schwarzwäld is a mountain range in Germany where the liqueur is distilled. It translates to the Black Forest mountain rage, which is where Black Forest Cake gets it’s name. Black forest cake is an indulgent cake of cherries, chocolate, and whipped cream. I highly recommend making this cake if you have Kirsch on hand!
More of my favorite cherry recipes:
- Chocolate Cherry Cake: Moist chocolate cake, rich chocolate chips, and juicy cherries make an exquisite combo.
- Almond Cherry Muffins: These muffins are filled with sweet cherries and have a lovely almond scent
- Almond Cherry Cake: Made with almond flour and baked with fresh cherries, this cake is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.
- Tropical Cherry Rum Cocktail: Made with cherry syrup, pineapple juice and blood oranges, topped with fresh whipped cream!
Cherry Pie
This amazing pie has flaky, buttery pie crust and is filled with sweet cherry filling.
Ingredients
- one recipe double-crust pie dough
Filling:
- 5 cups stemmed and pitted fresh dark sweet or sour cherries (that’s about 2 pounds whole unpitted cherries)
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar for sweet cherries, or 1 cup (200g) for sour cherries
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice for sweet cherries , or 1½ teaspoons for sour cherries
- Grated zest from ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kirsch , optional
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into mini cubes
- Cream or milk , for brushing the top crust
- Coarse or granulated sugar , for sprinkling
Instructions
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Roll out the dough: Take one disc of dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften slightly for easy rolling. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Place the dough gently into a 9-inch pie pan; you can do this by flouring a rolling pin and rolling the dough loosely around it, then unrolling it into the pan. Brush away any excess flour on the surface. With a sharp knife, trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Cover pan with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Roll out the other disc in the same fashion, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
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Make the cherry filling: In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in cherries. Add lemon juice and zest, vanilla extract, and Kirsch and mix to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 425F/220C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place in the lower third of the oven.
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Spread cherry filling in an even layer onto pie crust, and dot with butter on top. If you choose to make a lattice pie,
this is howyou do it. Otherwise, place the second crust over the filling. Tuck any excess overhang pastry under the bottom crust, then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Make 4 slits in the center to let steam escape while baking. Brush the crust with a thin coating of milk or cream, then sprinkle with sugar.
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Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375F/190C and continue baking until the crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling through the slits, about 40-50 minutes longer. Cover the edges of the pie loosely with foil if it starts browning too much while baking.
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Allow pie to cool for at least 4 hours before serving so that the filling can set. Store pie in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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Serve warm or at room temperature.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
cherry pie is my favourite! i adore these photos – especially with all that juicy cherry insides! just lovely Xx
Shiran says
Thank you so much, Thalia! xx
Amanda @ Cookie Named Desire says
This pie came out just incredibly! Love all the tips, I will use them as I work on my pie skills this summer!
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says
That juicy cherry filling looks outrageously delicious – and your crust is perfect! I’ve never made a proper fruit pie and this really makes me feel like I should get onto that… so gorgeous!
Shiran says
Thank you so much, Claudia! It takes practice but it’s worth it 🙂
Sue says
Don’t you mean pitted cherries? Unpitted cherries have pitts in them.
Shiran says
You need to use 5 cups of unpitted cherries. If you want to weigh them before pitting them or when buying them in the store, then you need about 2 pounds.
William Deade says
Can this be stored in the fridge be for cooking?
Shiran says
Hi William, you’ll need to bake it right away. You can keep it in the fridge after baking.
Fran says
Have just made this pie. Cut back a little on the sugar, and no vanilla (not a fan) but this cherry pie is uber-delish
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
So glad you enjoyed this pie, Fran!
rosemary merirll says
do you drain the sour cherries after pitting them
Shiran says
I don’t drain the cherries.
rosemary merirll says
Thank you…….
Chinner says
? If you are using canned cherries you say to drain them. Why wouldn’t you drain them if using fresh also?
Ellie Johnson says
Fresh cherries will give out lovely cherry juice and the cornstarch turns that into a sauce for the pie. Canned cherries are likely in syrup.
Līna says
can you still use canned cherries though?
claudia says
hey. i was wondering if you need to make the filling over the stove or just combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl?
Shiran says
Hi Claudia, detailed info can be found in the recipe instructions. You just need to mix the ingredients without using the stove.
Logan says
This was my first ever pie; worked amazingly and I’ve got so many comments on how delicious it is! Your instructions were so easy and helpful to follow! Thank you!!
Any tips on how to make it less runny?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Logan, you could leave out the cubes of butter on top of the cherry filling or add a bit more cornstarch to the filling.
Kelly says
This looks stunning! So beautiful!
Minerva says
I made this pie recipe yesterday and it was amazing!!! I have never made a pie before so this was my first attempt. This recipe was really easy! No cooking the pie filling on the stove or anything like that. Just toss the pie filling in the pie crust and bake! Very easy!
Scarey says
Should i cut the cherries in half if they are large??? they just seem big for the filling
Shiran says
Usually there’s no need to cut them, but if you think they’re too big, you can cut them in half.
Linda D says
Can this pie be frozen first and then baked later?
Shiran says
Hi Linda, I recommend freezing the dough and filling separately. You can roll out the pie dough, place in the pan, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Then make the filling, place in an airtight container and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Magic says
The pie looks wonderful. How deep is your pie pan?
Shiran says
Mine is about 2-inch deep.
Lauren says
I made this for my boyfriend’s birthday “cake” and it came out amazing! I’m not a baker at all, but this recipe was easy to follow and came out perfectly. Now we’re thinking of all the other pies we want to make!
Larissa S With says
If using frozen cherries, which do you prefer.. the sweet or the sour? It’s hard to find cherries this time of year that won’t cost an arm and a leg!
Shiran says
Both options are delicious, so just choose your favorite.
Pam says
I’m the type of cook that try’s to follow a recipe to the letter. I am unable to find fresh cherries only frozen. So my first question is can I use frozen and I am assuming that I need to thaw them out completely and drain all the excess liquid? Next I found frozen mixed sweet and tart cherries….is this something that would work?
Shiran says
Hi Pam, fresh cherries are my favorite but if aren’t available, use thawed frozen cherries or a canned jar and drain the juices well. You can use a mix of sweet and sour cherries, and use 3/4 to 1 cup sugar depending on the sweetness you like. I prefer it sweet so I’d use 1 cup.
Elaine says
If you want the pie warm do you still let it cook for 4 hours and then reheat or can you just serve it from the oven? If reheat then what temperature etc? Thanks
Shiran says
Hi Elaine, let the pie cool completely first so it will set, then reheat it right before serving. To reheat the entire pie, warm it in the oven at 350°F for several minutes until warm (the warm filling can be quite soft when you cut the pie into pieces). You can reheat individual slices in the microwave for several seconds.
Sean Parliment says
Wow this pie looks amazing! I’m going to make this pie for this upcoming thanksgiving 2018 along with an apple and pumpkin pie. Yum I cannot wait! Thank you for sharing your awesome recipes. I’m leaving 5 stars now because I know this will come out great!!
Brittani says
Excited to try this recipe out! Cherry pie is my aunts absolute favorite and I only just found out! I’ve been in charge of the pies every Thanksgiving so I feel like I just HAVE to make this for her! My question is regarding the frozen cherries.m, as that’s all available to me right now..would you still say 5 cups of frozen cherries or does them being frozen change the amount at all?
Shiran says
Hi Brittani! Use an equal amount of frozen cherries, thawed until softened (if there’s a lot of cherry juice after thawing, you can add some of it to the filling, about 1/4 cup, and drain the rest). I hope you enjoy it!
Brittani says
Thank you!
Linda B says
I have this pie cooking as we speak. I made it for Easter and the family loved it, so adding it to my pie choices this Thanksgiving also.
Roni zagoria says
Hello! I am in Denver and I will be making this with your homemade pie crust for Thanksgiving! Does any of the recipe change for high altitude? I got all-purpose flour…
Shiran says
Hi Roni, I’m sorry but I don’t have experience baking in high altitude.
Heather Neill says
Roni I am in Denver too and made this recipe as is and it came out great! The high altitude baking (in my experience doesn’t really affect pies, just cakes and cookies. 🙂
Daniel Yoakum says
I made this for Thanksgiving yesterday. I used frozen cherries. Unfortunately, I failed to see the “thaw and drain” so I had a beautifully latticed cherry soup. I’ll have to withhold rating until I’ve tried again.
Monica Davidson says
Same. I didn’t thaw and drain. And my husband thinks it’s undercooked, and he bakes more than I do so he’s probably right lol.
Josh L. says
Can you explain why you don’t need to blind bake the bottom crust? I trust your judgment because the recipe & pics look spot-on, but I’ve learned to blind bake my bottom crusts for apple pie , otherwise it comes out underbaked. I want to try your cherry pie recipe as is, but I’m curious how you get it perfectly baked
Shiran says
Hi Josh, I like to prebake the crust for single crust pies. I don’t do this for apple pies or other pies with crust on top.
Nir says
Great recipe, turned out perfectly 🙂
Jon Bridges says
Thank you Shiran! I’m not a baker, but had the mad idea that I wanted to make a cherry pie for the family and found this recipe which worked perfectly. We’re in NZ so cherries are in season (still expensive at $30 for the kg needed). There were no surprises, and even this novice turned out a perfect pie which looked like the pictures here and tasted amazing. We are all sitting here chocka-block with cherry pie.
kat says
this is the first time I ever made a pie and it turned out perfectly, your instructions are very clear, thank you
Theqom says
Made this pie yesterday, but the inside was very liquid after it was cooked, even after letting it set for several hours. I used fresh cherries. Were they just too juicy? I cooked it according to the recipe.
Shiran says
Hi Theqom, even if the cherries were juicy, the cornstarch should thicken it, so make sure to measure it correctly or add another tablespoon next time, and chill it overnight in the fridge.
Dan says
Where can I purchase cherries? Everyone wants to sell me pie filling!
Thanks!
Danielle Richards says
Would it be possible to assemble the pie and freeze it to bake at a later date? I’m doing a pie bar st my wedding instead of a cake and I love to make pies so I really wanted to make most of them my self it just takes so much time.
Shiran says
Fresh pie is the best, but here are my freezing instructions: The pie dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the freezer.You can also make the filling and freeze it, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. Or, you can freeze the baked pie and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Joe Bt says
I’m in the process of making this pie which sounds most appetizing. You didn’t include in your instructions what/how to do with the corn starch (thickener). I’m using Arrowroot instead as my preference. I’m thinking you need to add some water to the thickener and slowly add to the entire cherry mixture. Should this be done over heat to make a reduction or just mix it in until the mixture thickens?
Shiran says
Hi Joe. I don’t have any experience baking with arrowroot, sorry. When to add the cornstarch is included in the instructions.
Nelly says
I made this pie last night. After making pies for over 40 years, my husband said this is the best pie I have ever made. The flavour was awesome. I don’t know if it was the lemon rind or the kirsch but it is definitely fabulous.
Cindy Walker-Watson says
I normally follow a recipe the first time, and then in 99.9% of recipes, I tweak this or that. THIS pie was utterly brilliant, as is. It’s the only cherry pie I’ve ever made that is going to move me to buy a cherry pitter. WOW – well done!!!
Lucy says
Wow I just made the pie, it tastes ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Such an easy recipe as well. Highly recommend!!
Karen says
This was my first ever cherry pie, and it was lovely. The crust was amazing, the pie was delicious. I added a pinch of cinnamon, but otherwise followed the recipe. I was thrilled when I cut into it and it was firm. Thank you for your easy to follow instructions!
Yolanda says
Worked so well!! Used store bought pie crust with lattice! Family loved it
Monica Davidson says
I made this, and it ended up with way too much juice. Did I maybe add too many cherries? I used frozen?
Gene Engelhard says
Shiran, Really like the pictures of your cherry pie — anxious to try this recipe. I’m not into baking, but have my taster set to try your cherry pie.
Your recipe describes “steamed cherries” . What is the purpose of steaming, and how is this done??
Sorry for my lack of baking knowledge, but my wife did all the baking in the past, and now with her dementia I’ve taken over the task.
Shiran says
Thank you, Gene 🙂 All you need to do is removing the stem from the cherry, and not steaming.
Y says
Can you refrigerate and/or freeze the cherry pie filling before using it? If so, how long will it last in the refrigerator or freezer? How long should it thaw afterwards? Thank you!
Shiran says
Yes! Place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator/freezer. If freezing, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. The sooner you use it, the better. I would keep it for up to 3 days in the fridge, if it’s longer than that, place in the freezer.
Catherine says
First time. Followed every step for perfect result. Absolutely delicious!
Leanna Cleaver says
Hello, do you blind bake the crust first?
Shiran says
No 🙂
Andrea says
This is the most amazing pie I have ever done. Thanks a lot for all your recipes, I’m your big fan 🙂
Shiran says
Thank you so much, Andrea! 🙂
Francois says
I don’t live in a country with lots of cherries available, but found some black tinned ones going cheap and bought a bunch. I was wondering what to do with them, when I remembered Twin Peaks, and Google gave me your recipe, amongst many others. I chose yours because the instructions made sense, and the quantities and amounts were translateable easily into metric, and off I went into my lockdown baking frenzy.
I used three tins of cherries, which turned out to be too much. Two 425 gram tins would work just fine with my pie dish size. My first near blunder was to dump corn flour straight into the hot syrup, but fortunately it clumped straight up and I was able to fish it out and start again, dissolving the corn flour in cold water. The cherries gelled straight up, ready to dump into the pie casing.
The dough was reasonably easy, given ‘d stripped the gears in our ancient food processor by dropping a spoon into it, and had just received a new one. Your recipe turned out a perfect pastry. I used plain shortening. There was enough left over to make six small mince pies, good timing as it’s just past mid winter and for once they’ll be “in season” rather than being eaten in mid summer.
My second blunder was to ignore the step about reducing the temperature after 15 minutes, so my edges were extra brown, but not quite black after 40 minutes.
Despite all this, the two recipes – pastry and pie, worked like a charm. It’s the best cherry pie I’ve ever tasted, and my wife agrees! I’m going to stock up on tins of cherries while they’re still available, less than $1-00 a tin. Normally they’re two or three times that.
Thanks – I’ll be doing this again and again (depending how many tins I can nab), and I’ll be giving the pecan nut pie a go as soon as I can crack two and a half cup fulls!
IAN P says
Only one small problem. The filling rose quite a lot during baking and started pouring out, it wasn’t such a big deal, but maybe I can look out for something next time? I don’t think I put too much filling in, but maybe you can give me a tip, perhaps I did put too much although it didn’t seem so? Thanks for the recipe! Cheers!
Shiran says
It could be that the oven temperature was too hot or that the pan wasn’t tall enough. But if the end result was fine, then it’s not an issue 🙂 Sometimes it happens and can look rustic and pretty. I’m glad you still liked it!
Jakub says
Being in lockdown during Covid-19, this brings a lot of joy when making it and eating it! So good! Cheers Shiran
Shiran says
Thank you so much!
Mack says
Further in the recipe you say add vanilla extract and Kirsch. How mush vanilla?
What is Kirsch? and how mush?
Shiran says
The quantities are listed in the ingredient list above the instructions 🙂
Jane says
I see you used a metal pan ? Does it make a difference if I use a regular deep glass dish to bake it ? My pie bottoms often up up soggy and wondered if the metal helps?
Shiran says
You can use any dish you have 🙂 A glass dish is great.
Ana says
Hi 🙂 Could you please tell me what exactly happens in step 3? “Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place in the lower third of the oven.” What goes on that baking sheet? Should I place the pie pan on it in step 5? (PS: really excited to make this! I discovered your blog when trying to make chocolate babka and I was so happy with how it turned out!)
Shiran says
Exactly 🙂 Place the pie on the prepared baking sheet and bake!
Gayatri Dravid says
During the lockdown, I tried my hand at baking my very first pie (evah!) using this recipe…and I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am! It was so delicious that it gave me the confidence to try other new things; things that I used to think were too complicated for me. Absolutely love all of your recipes that I’ve tried so far – just baked the caramel apple pie today and it looks brill. 😍
Ava says
If some of you want to have a crusted under dough for the pie i have a trick that we use here in France. Almond powder and flour on top of the mold and on the dough before putting the cherrys. It will take the humidity and it will be super crusty 😊
Saara says
I have tried so many of your recipes multiple times and every single recipe turns out great. Your page is my go to recipe now
Shiran says
Hi Saara, thank you so much! That is so kind of you and so great to hear 🙂
Selina says
Hi, this recipe looks delicious and I am going to be making it this weekend, I am just a little unsure what step 3 is for and why you line a baking sheet with Parchment paper if the pie is baked in the pie dish? Please could you clarify 🙂
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Selina! Great question. The parchment paper on the baking sheet is simply to catch any drips from the pie filling as it bakes. Otherwise, the drippings would fall to the bottom of the oven and not only make a mess, but would burn and cause smoke to fill the oven.
HRose says
Hello. I have a frozen combo bag of sweet and sour cherries. I am wondering if you have any thoughts to using the same amount of sugar. Maybe I should taste test and adjust. First time making cherry pie. Thanks for your time!
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi there! Of the cherries don’t have any added sugar, I would stick with the recipe as written:)
HRose says
Thank you!!!
Viv says
Absolutely fabulous, the pie crust is the best I’ve ever made
Thanks for the great recipe
Paula says
I made this pie as an act of love for my husband. I’ve never cared for cherry pie… not only was this pie delicious, it was the best pie that I’ve ever made! This is a wonderful recipe! I used almond flavoring in place of the Kirsh. Delish!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you so much for your kind review, Paula! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed this cherry pie!
jay friedman says
This is the worst pie ever. Sour lemon taste, no cherry flavor. Used tons of frozen cherries but didn’t make a difference. Lemon juice and zest ruined it. Needs more sugar and no lemon.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Jay, the recipe does state to adjust the amount of lemon juice based on the sweetness of the cherries. If you had sour frozen cherries, the recipe states to adjust for this with only 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice. It sounds like you may have used Tablespoons.
Linda Harvey says
Love this recipe so much, made it at least 6 times , pasty doesn’t go soggy with the fruit and it’s perfect to the last bite,
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
So glad you love this recipe, Linda!