There’s nothing like a fresh Cherry Pie bubbling through a rich, flaky crust. Learn how to make the best cherry pie from scratch with our easy, go-to Pie Crust and fresh or frozen cherries.
Homemade pies are easy to make and so satisfying to eat. We change up the fruit with the seasons and make Apple Pie in the cooler months, then Blueberry Pie, juicy Peach Pie and of course this sweet cherry pie in Summer.
Homemade Cherry Pie
Memories are made around homemade pies, and there’s something so satisfying about creating a pie from scratch. The only downside to a homemade pie is in waiting for it to cool before enjoying it. For easier serving, let the pie cool almost to room temperature so the juices thicken. If you slice into a hot pie, the filling will slide out.
Don’t forget to top each slice with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. It will melt slightly into the slice, making it irresistibly good.
Ingredients for Cherry Pie
- Cherries – we love sweet red cherries here, but you can use a variety of cherries and even a combination of different cherries.
- Lemon juice – balances the sweetness and adds some juiciness to the filling
- Sugar – amps up the natural sweetness of the cherries. You can adjust sugar to taste depending on the sweetness of your cherries.
- Corn Starch – helps to thicken the cherry pie filling
- Butter – we use unsalted butter to dot the cherry pie filling before applying the crust.
- Pie Crust – you will need two disks or 1 recipe for Pie Dough, to make the base and lattice top.
Variations
- Frozen Cherries – cherries from the freezer work great since they are already pitted. Make sure frozen cherries are well thawed. Lightly rinse them and let them sit in a colander to drain well. Use 2 1/2 lbs of frozen cherries for this recipe.
- For a Sour Cherry Pie – Since sour cherries are generally smaller, you will need about 2 1/2 to 3 lbs (or 6 cups, pitted) sour cherries. Since sour cherries are more tart, use 1 cup of sugar.
How to Transfer a Pie Crust to the Pan
Transferring pie crust to a pie pan is easy. Flour your work surface before rolling out the dough to prevent sticking.
- Roll the first pie crust to a 13″ diameter circle
- Roll the crust onto your rolling pin
- Unroll crust over your pie pan
The Best Cherry Pie Filling
A homemade cherry pie filling is easy to make and takes just a few ingredients. The cornstarch creates a thick bubbly cherry filling while the cinnamon and lemon juice amplify the flavor of the cherries. The resulting filling is bubbly and saucy like our Cherry Sauce.
- Stir together cherries and lemon juice.
- Whisk together cornstarch, sugar, and cinnamon and combine with cherries.
How to Make a Lattice Crust
Here’s a quick visual reference for making a lattice pie crust for cherry pie. I still use this visual reference when making pie because I can move through the steps at my own pace.
- Place 5 strips of dough horizontally over the pie filling, with the longer strips in the center and shorter strips towards the edges.
- Fold back the 2nd and 4th strips halfway and place a long vertical strip of dough in the center.
- Fold the strips back over the new line then fold back the alternate strips (1st, 3rd, and 5th). Continue adding and alternating strips then switch to the other side of the pie until the lattice is complete.
How to Crimp Pie Crust
Your fingers are all you need to make a beautiful crimped or scalloped pie crust.
- Tuck in excess dough behind the bottom pie crust.
- Crimp the crust edges by pushing the dough out with your index finger and at the same time pushing/pinching the dough around it with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand
- Repeat all the way around the edge.
Pro Tips for the Best Cherry Pie
- Freeze the unbaked pie 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats (keeps the crust from browning too fast).
- Brush the pie crust with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp milk or water) and sprinkle with coarse sugar just before baking.
- Arrange the oven rack to the lower third of the oven.
- For easier cleanup: place a sheet of foil (or slide a sheet pan) under the pie once you turn the heat down to 350˚F.
