Easy Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe 

This cherry pie recipe is the one I reach for every June when our local Ohio pick-your-own farms open and the trees are loaded with sweet-tart sour cherries. Fresh from the farm to the oven. There is nothing quite like it. And the best part? This recipe works just as beautifully with frozen or canned cherries when fresh aren’t in season, so you can make it all year long.

Cherry pie is one of my go-to pies when we have company for dinner. Most people love it but rarely make it themselves — which means when you bring one to the table, everyone is thrilled. I start making cherry pies as soon as the pick-your-own farms near us open in June. Cherries are in season in Ohio from June to mid-July, and those weeks are busy in my kitchen.

Love pie season? You will also want to try my Perfect Flaky Pie Crust Recipe and Easy Strawberry Pie Recipe. Both are summer staples in our house.

Why You’ll Love This Cherry Pie Recipe

• Works with fresh, frozen, or canned cherries. Make it in June with fresh-picked fruit or in December with canned. It is always delicious.
• Sweet-tart filling with a buttery flaky crust. The combination of bright cherries and rich pastry is completely irresistible.
• Beautiful in any season. Stunning at a summer picnic, gorgeous on a Thanksgiving table, spectacular at Christmas with its deep red filling.
• Simple ingredients, big results. No complicated techniques, just a beautiful homemade cherry pie that looks bakery-made.
• Always the first slice gone. This easy cherry pie disappears faster than any other pie on the table, every single time.

George Washington & the Cherry Tree

Every time I think of Cherry Pie, I think of George Washington.  The stories I learned in grade school about honesty and truthfulness come to mind as soon as I start planning to make a Cherry Pie.  If you do a little research, you will find that perhaps the story is not all that accurate, but the lasting principle will last the test of time.

The moral of the story is classic and timeless. Always be truthful in all you do, and you will not go wrong.  George was given a hatchet when he was 6 years old.  Strange enough my Mother in the early 1920s was given a hatchet as her first camping tool, and I have it to this day. Hatchets must have been a gift for a young person in the 1800s and 1900s, as giving a pocket knife became popular in the 1950″s.  Ok, back to the story…

George was a typical boy as a young person, and if you are a mother of a young boy you know how they are very active and like to build and take things apart. He took his new hatchet and wanted to cut things, as I am sure he saw his father doing.  I am sure on hikes or on the farm when a branch or small tree needed to be removed, his father used his hatchet he had been given as a young boy.  Well, George took his hatchet and started to hack away at a family favorite cherry tree.

When later his father saw the damage to the tree he asked George if he had done the damage.  At this point, George realized that this tree was not one to be disturbed and perhaps should have asked permission first. George being a boy of virtue and truthfulness he told his father, “I can not tell a lie, I did cut down the cherry tree”.  This started the long tradition when trying to teach young children the importance of telling the truth, to use our first President as an example.

We all make mistakes even George Washington, and as he did at 6 years old, the best way to resolve a mistake is to start with the truth. You can read all about George Washington at the Mount Vernon site by clicking here.

Why Fresh Cherries Make the Best Cherry Pie

There is something truly special about making cherry pie with cherries you picked yourself. Our family heads to the pick-your-own farms every June, the kids love wandering the rows, tasting a few right off the tree, and coming home with a big bucket of gorgeous sour cherries.

Sour cherries, also called tart cherries or Montmorency cherries, are the classic choice for cherry pie. Their bright, tangy flavor balances perfectly with the sugar and creates that iconic sweet-tart filling. Fresh cherry season is short, so when it’s here, we bake.

No fresh cherries? Frozen tart cherries work wonderfully; just thaw and drain them well. Canned tart cherries in water (not syrup) are a great option for fall and winter baking. Both make a beautiful homemade cherry pie with that classic flavor.

Ingredients for Cherry Pie

Cherry Filling:

• 4 cups fresh tart/sour cherries, pitted (or 4 cups frozen tart cherries, thawed and well-drained; or 2 cans tart cherries in water, drained and patted dry)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (reduce to ½ cup if your cherries are very sweet)
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional but highly recommended)
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces for dotting on top

Double Pie Crust:

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 6–8 tablespoons ice water
• Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, plus coarse sugar for sprinkling on top.
• Shortcut: A store-bought refrigerated pie crust works great here. The cherry filling is the star.

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Supplies Needed:

• Rolling Pin
• Pie Crust Rolling Mat
• Pastry Cutter
• Pastry Brush
• Pie Pan 

Make a Double Pie Crust

You will need to make a double pie crust for one cherry pie.  If you are making more than one you need a double for each pie. I have the recipe I have just had for years.  Check it out the Pie Crust Recipe here.

How to Make Cherry Pie

Step 1: Make the Pie Crust
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar. Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just comes together, it should hold when pinched but not feel wet. Divide into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Pro tip: Cold butter is the secret to a flaky crust. If your kitchen is warm, pop the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes before you start.

Step 2: Make the Cherry Filling
Combine the pitted cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and almond extract in a large bowl. Stir gently to coat the cherries evenly. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes, the cherries will release their juice, and the filling will look glossy.

Pro tip: Taste the filling before it goes in the pie. Fresh cherries vary in sweetness, adjust sugar up or down a few tablespoons based on your cherries.

Step 3: Roll Out the Crust
Preheat oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to your 9-inch pie pan, pressing it gently into the bottom and sides. Trim the overhang to about ½ inch. Roll the second disk for the top crust.

Step 4: Fill and Top the Pie
Pour the cherry filling into the pie shell and dot the top with small pieces of butter. Lay the top crust over the filling and crimp the edges tightly to seal. Cut 5–6 slits in the top crust for steam to escape. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Step 5: Bake
Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and bake 30–40 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let cool at least 3 hours before slicing, the filling sets as it cools.

Variations

• Lattice top crust, cut the top crust into strips and weave them over the filling for a classic, gorgeous presentation.
• Cherry almond pie, increase almond extract to ½ teaspoon and scatter ¼ cup slivered almonds over the filling before topping.
• Mini cherry pies, use a muffin tin to make individual cherry pies, perfect for parties and picnics.
• Holiday cherry pie, use frozen or canned tart cherries in the off-season. The deep red filling looks beautiful on any holiday table.
• Cherry crumble pie, skip the top crust and add a brown sugar oat crumble instead for a different but equally delicious twist.

Storing and Serving

• Room temperature: Cover loosely and store up to 2 days.
• Refrigerator: Cover and refrigerate up to 5 days. Warm slightly before serving.
• Freezer: Baked cherry pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil.

Frequently Asked Questions

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I know you’re going to love this recipe. The inspiration came from Sally’s Baking Addiction for the Cherry Pie.  My first attempt at the crust did not turn out at all, and I tossed it before I even baked it.  I then made the second try with just butter, as I have always done.  I did cut back on the sugar as our cherries were very sweet.