This easy homemade Cherry Pie recipe is made with a delicious homemade cherry pie filling and a buttery pie crust. Use fresh, frozen, or canned cherries to enjoy cherry pie year-round.
I have shared so many of my favorite pie recipes that I love to make throughout the year, like my Key Lime Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, and my sister-in-law’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie. They are delicious any time that you serve them! Now add this easy homemade Cherry Pie to the list of other favorites you’ll turn to repeatedly!
This Cherry Pie is always a stunning dessert featuring a butter pie crust with a flaky lattice pie crust topping. The bright homemade cherry pie filling peeks through the lattice topping and can be made using either fresh, frozen, or canned cherries.
Table of Contents
How to Make Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Pie Crust Recipe – I use my Grandmother’s pie crust recipe. It makes a perfect pie crust every time! You’ll want to double the recipe for a bottom crust and a top crust. You can also substitute with your favorite store-bought pie crust if needed.
- Sugar – granulated
- Cornstarch – to thicken the juices of the cherries for the cherry pie filling
- Salt – just a bit to balance the flavors
- Butter – I primarily use salted butter, but you can also use unsalted.
- Cherries – I love to use fresh pitted cherries when they are in season, but you can also use frozen and thawed pitted cherries or even canned cherries to make this pie a year-round favorite!
- Vanilla extract – Use a high-quality vanilla extract. I love to use my homemade. You can also substitute with almond extract!
- Egg white (optional) – for brushing the lattice crust
- Coarse sugar (optional) – for sprinkling on top of the egg white brushed lattice topping
What Kind of Cherries to Use in Cherry Pie
Tart cherries are traditionally used in making cherry pie rather than sweet cherries. But both tart and sweet cherries will work in this recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Remove one pie dough from the refrigerator and place it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Place into a 9-inch pie plate. Use a sharp paring knife and cut away any crust that overhangs beyond the lip of the pie plate. Set aside.
Make the Cherry Pie Filling. Add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, butter, lemon juice, and cherries to a large saucepan set over medium heat. Stir frequently as the cherry pie filling cooks and thickens. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and allow to cool slightly.
Add the Cherry Pie Filling. Pour the cherry pie filling into the unbaked pie crust.
Top with Lattice Pie Crust topping. Remove the second pie dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into about a 12-inch circle. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into about 16 evenly sized strips. Place half of the strips vertically on top of the pie and then the remaining half horizontally on top of the pie. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
Bake. Bake until golden brown, about 50 – 55 minutes.
Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and allow the pie to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Storage Tips
To Make ahead:
- Unbaked: The pie crusts and the cherry pie filling can be made a few days before use. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Baked: Wrap well with wrap and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze: Bake in a freezer-safe pie plate and cool. Cover it well with freezer-safe wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternately, freeze the pie dough and the cherry pie filling separately. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Roll the second pie dough into about a 12-inch circle and place it on top of the cherry pie. Crimp the bottom and top pie dough edges together to seal the crusts. Then, using a sharp knife, cut four slits on the top of the pie dough to allow the steam to escape as the pie bakes.
You can, but I do not. If you do, be sure to place a piece of parchment paper on top of the pie dough and then fill it with pie weights or dried beans so that the pie crust does not bubble up as it bakes.
You can, but I generally do not. Some ideas for additional flavorings include ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, or ground clove.
Yes! You can replace all of the vanilla extract with almond extract or you can use 1/2 vanilla extract and 1/2 almond extract for incredible cherry-almond flavor!
More Fruit Desserts
Here’s my Easy Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe. I hope you enjoy it!
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Easy Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 unbaked pie crust recipe
- 1 cup (198 g) sugar
- 3 tablespoons (21 g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) lemon juice
- 3 cups (438 g) cherries, fresh (pitted), frozen (thawed), or canned
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract, or almond extract
- 1 large (35 g) egg white, optional
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) coarse sugar, option
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Remove one pie dough from the refrigerator and place it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Place into a 9-inch pie plate. Use a sharp paring knife and cut away any crust that overhangs beyond the lip of the pie plate. Set aside.
- Make the Cherry Pie Filling. Add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, butter, lemon juice, and cherries to a large saucepan set over medium heat. Stir frequently as the cherry pie filling cooks and thickens. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and allow to cool slightly.
- Add the Cherry Pie Filling. Pour the cherry pie filling into the unbaked pie crust.
- Top with Lattice Pie Crust topping. Remove the second pie dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into about a 12-inch circle. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into about 16 evenly sized strips. Lay half of the strips of dough vertically across the top of the filling. Lay the remaining strips horizontally across the top of the pie and weave the strips into a lattice pattern. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
- Bake. Bake until golden brown, about 50 – 55 minutes.
- Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and allow the pie to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
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- Unbaked: The pie crusts and the cherry pie filling can be made a few days before use. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
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- Baked: Wrap well and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Are these sour cherries?
You can use either tart or sweet cherries in this recipe, Meg. I hope you enjoy.