Classic Cherry Pie Recipe (VIDEO) (2024)

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.

Classic Cherry Pie Recipe (VIDEO) (1)

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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.

Watch How to Make Cherry Pie

If you enjoyed this Cherry Pie video tutorial, you can check out all of our video recipes on our Youtube Channel. I hope you’re pumped and inspired to bake your own cherry pie while cherries are in season, or you can use frozen when the craving strikes (see instructions below).

Classic Cherry Pie Recipe (VIDEO) (2)

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.
Classic Cherry Pie Recipe (VIDEO) (3)

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.

  1. Roll the first pie crust to a 13″ diameter circle
  2. Roll the crust onto your rolling pin
  3. Unroll crust over your deep dish pie pan
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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 amplifies the flavor of the cherries. The resulting filling is bubbly and saucy like our Cherry Sauce.

  1. Stir together cherries and lemon juice.
  2. Whisk together cornstarch, sugar, and cinnamon and combine with cherries.
Classic Cherry Pie Recipe (VIDEO) (5)

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.

  1. Place 5 strips of dough horizontally over the pie filling, with the longer strips in the center and shorter strips towards the edges.
  2. Fold back the 2nd and 4th strips halfway and place a long vertical strip of dough in the center.
  3. 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.
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How to Crimp Pie Crust

Your fingers are all you need to make a beautiful crimped or scalloped pie crust.

  1. Tuck in excess dough behind the bottom pie crust.
  2. 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
  3. Repeat all the way around the edge.
Classic Cherry Pie Recipe (VIDEO) (7)

Pro Tips for the Best Cherry Pie

  • Freeze the unbaked pie 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats (keeps 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 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.
Classic Cherry Pie Recipe (VIDEO) (8)

I hope you take full advantage of cherry season with your own homemade cherry pie. Cherries have to be my favorite stone fruit and I’ve always loved them fresh and especially baked into desserts. From the flaky buttery crust to the juicy cherries that burst with every bite – this pie has your name written all over it!

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More Cherry Recipes

We are wild about cherry recipes and take full advantage of those juicy sweet cherries in Summer. These are a must-try:

  • Black Forest Cake
  • Cherry Smoothies
  • Chocolate Cherry Cake
  • Cherry Upside-Down Cake
  • Cherry Crumble
  • Sparkling Cherry Lemonade

Classic Cherry Pie Recipe

4.97 from 154 votes

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Classic Cherry Pie Recipe (VIDEO) (11)

There's nothing like a homemade 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.

SavePinReviewPrint

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Dough Cooling Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

Servings: 8 people

Cherry Pie Ingredients:

  • 6 cups sweet cherries, pitted (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 lbs)
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 cups sugar, use 1 cup for sour cherries
  • 5 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced, to dot the top
  • 1 Recipe for Double Pie Crust

Egg Wash:

Instructions

  • Make pie crusts and refrigerate 1 hour before using. Arrange oven rack in the lower third of the oven.

  • In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup sugar, 5 Tbsp corn starch and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

  • Pit cherries and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Sprinkle on sugar/cornstarch mixture and stir together until evenly moist.

  • Roll the first pie crust disk into a 13" circle and transfer to a 9" wide, deep pie pan. The edges should hang a little over the edge of the pan. Pour the cherry mixture over the bottom crust along with any accumulated juices. Dot with Butter.

  • Roll the second crust into a 12" circle and use a pizza cutter to slice into ten 1-inch strips. Using the 10 strips of dough, create a lattice crust over the top (see photo tutorial on Natasha's Kitchen). Tuck in the excess dough at edges then pinch the edges to seal or crimp edges if desired. Refrigerate pie 30 minutes (or freeze 15 minutes) while preheating oven to 425˚F.

  • Beat together 1 egg and 1 Tbsp milk or water and brush the egg wash over the lattice crust and edges. Sprinkle the top with 1 Tbsp coarse sugar. Bake in the lower third of the oven at 425 ˚F for 25 minutes.

  • Place a sheet of foil or baking sheet beneath the pie, reduce oven temperature to 350˚F, and bake additional 30-35 minutes, or until crust is golden and cherry juice is bubbling through the lattice top.

Nutrition Per Serving

317kcal Calories55g Carbs3g Protein10g Fat3g Saturated Fat24mg Cholesterol122mg Sodium263mg Potassium3g Fiber34g Sugar140IU Vitamin A8mg Vitamin C26mg Calcium1.1mg Iron

  • Full Nutrition Label
  • Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Classic Cherry Pie Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

317

% Daily Value*

Fat

10

g

15

%

Saturated Fat

3

g

19

%

Cholesterol

24

mg

8

%

Potassium

263

mg

8

%

Carbohydrates

55

g

18

%

Fiber

3

g

13

%

Sugar

34

g

38

%

Protein

3

g

6

%

Vitamin A

140

IU

3

%

Vitamin C

8

mg

10

%

Calcium

26

mg

3

%

Iron

1.1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cherry pie

Skill Level: Easy/Medium

Cost to Make: $$

Calories: 317

Natasha Kravchuk

Classic Cherry Pie Recipe (VIDEO) (12)

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Classic Cherry Pie Recipe (VIDEO) (2024)

FAQs

Should you prebake the bottom crust of a cherry pie? ›

You do not need to par-bake or blind bake this bottom pie crust. Reducing the filling's juice on the stove keeps excess liquid off the bottom pie dough, plus we bake the pie for long enough that the bottom crust sufficiently cooks through.

What is the best pie cherry? ›

Cherries for Baking
  • Bing Cherries. Bing cherries tend to be the most popular. ...
  • Rainier Cherries. These are the yellowish-red cherries. ...
  • Morello Cherries. This cherry type is well-loved by everyone, and they tend to be the best cherries for baking when it comes to the creation of cherry pie. ...
  • Queen Anne Cherries.

How do you keep a cherry pie from being runny? ›

How to avoid a runny pie filling
  1. Do not adjust the amount of fruit, sugar and thickener (flour, cornstarch, etc.) listed in the recipe. ...
  2. Bake the pie completely. Cornstarch specifically won't activate until it reaches a boil, so wait till you see the filling bubbling in the center of your pie.
  3. Let the pie cool.
Jan 24, 2017

How do you doctor up a canned cherry pie filling? ›

A quick and simple way to give your canned cherry pie filling a homemade taste is to add more flavor. Use dried spices or flavor extracts to up the flavor without adding more sugar. Start with a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract. From there, get creative with cinnamon, ginger, cloves or nutmeg.

How do you keep the bottom crust of a cherry pie from getting soggy? ›

Crust dust is a 1:1 mixture of flour and granulated sugar. When baking a pie, especially a fruit pie, a couple of teaspoons of crust dust sprinkled into the bottom of the crust will help prevent the crust from becoming saturated with juicy filling as it bakes.

What is the best thickener for cherry pie? ›

We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies. Arrowroot, unlike cornstarch, is not broken down by the acid in the fruit you are using so it is a good choice for fruit with a higher content of acidity such as strawberries or blackberries.

What pan is best for cherry pie? ›

Metal pie pans bake up the most even crusts, since metal is a great thermal conductor. While stoneware can bake up a good pie, the material isn't as conductive and retains heat better, which can result in less evenly browned crusts.

Are canned or frozen cherries better for pie? ›

Even whole, pitted cherries from a can often sit in dye-tinted heavy syrup, which can taste artificial and saccharine. For many bakers, frozen fruit is the ideal option for baking.

How do you know when a cherry pie is done? ›

In an oven preheated to 375 degrees F, the cherry pie should be perfectly baked in 45-55 minutes. You'll know the pie is done when the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Should you refrigerate cherry pie after baking? ›

Pies that do not contain dairy products, such as fruit pies can be stored, loosely covered at room temperature for up to two days. Additionally, to keep the fruit pies a few extra days, they can be stored in the refrigerator.

Why won't my cherry pie filling thicken? ›

Bake the pie fully.

Most thickeners activate after maintaining a certain temperature long enough. If you don't leave the pie in the oven long enough your thickener doesn't get to the necessary temperature and time to thicken your filling. You want to see thick bubbling!

How to enhance cherry flavor? ›

When used with great moderation, almond extract and rose water can improve the flavor and aroma of cherries without contributing a distinctive flavor of their own.

Can I use canned cherries instead of fresh? ›

Can you use frozen or canned/bottled cherries? Yes! At least partially thaw the cherries before you use them, or if you use canned/bottled cherries reserve a ½ cup of juice to use in place of water. I reduce salt, lemon juice and sugar if I'm using canned.

What temperature should fruit pies be baked at? ›

1. Preheat the oven to the temperature that your recipe recommends. Most fruit pies bake at a temperature between 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Some recipes call for baking the pie in a 450 degree F oven to begin with, then turning down the oven to about 350 degrees F.

Should you pre cook bottom pie crust? ›

You need a par-baked or fully baked crust if you're making quiche, no-bake pie, custard pie, cream pie, pudding pie, or simply want an extra-crisp pie crust. If you're making a pie that doesn't require a baked filling, you still need a baked crust.

Do you prebake pie crust for fruit pies? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

How do you bake an apple pie so the bottom crust is not soggy? ›

Blind Bake the Crust

One of the fool-proof ways to ensure a crisp bottom pie crust is to do what is called blind baking. This simply means that you bake the crust—either fully if you are adding a custard or cream that won't be cooked, or partially if the whole pie needs to bake—before adding the filling.

How do you make a bottom pie not soggy? ›

5 Ways to Prevent Soggy Pie Crust
  1. Blind Bake. The most common way to ward off a soggy pie crust is by a process called blind baking. ...
  2. Brush With Egg. ...
  3. Brush With Chocolate. ...
  4. Bake on a Hot Baking Sheet. ...
  5. Keep Moisture Out.
May 1, 2019

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