There were a lot of yeses for my cherry pie recipe, so here it is!
Cherry pie is my all-time favorite dessert.
Chocolate is up there but doesn’t surpass a good homemade cherry pie in my mind. I used to request cherry pie instead of cake for my birthdays when I was growing up and still make it whenever I get the craving for the sweet-tart fruity goodness. Mmm…
I’ve fiddled with various recipes over the years and have finally settled on a version that is THE BEST CHERRY PIE RECIPE ever. Period. It is adapted from a combination of others—primarily from the recipes in The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum and The Best Recipe by the Cook’s Illustrated folks.
It’s a canned cherry pie recipe, as canned cherries are readily available year round and I don’t have a cherry tree in my backyard (even though I tried!). However, please note that this cherry pie recipe uses cherries canned in water NOT that dreadful canned cherry pie filling.
The Best Cherry Pie Recipe
Click here for the printable version of the Best Cherry Pie Recipe.
First, make your pie crust
(I’ll forgive you if you want to buy yours premade, but it’s really not hard to make). Note: I used to use butter and Crisco and still think it makes the flakiest crust, but now use Earth Balance instead of Crisco just because it’s so much better for you. I buy it in sticks, like butter, from the natural foods store and keep them in the freezer. You can also make the pie crust with all butter and it turns out just fine.
Crust Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
- 8 tablespoons Earth Balance, or comparable vegetable shortening, chilled (or simply use more butter)
- 8 tablespoons ice water
Crust Instructions
1. Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Cut butter into smaller pieces and add to food processor. Pulse a few times. Cut Earth Balance into smaller pieces and add to food processor. Pulse a few more times, until butter and Earth Balance are the size of peas or smaller. Transfer to a large bowl. (Note: You can do all this with a pastry blender instead if you don’t have a food processor.)
2. Sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of ice water over the dough mixture at a time, mixing and pressing with a sturdy rubber spatula until the dough comes together. Divide into two and wrap each half in plastic wrap. (I usually dump the semi-formed dough onto plastic, wrap it up, then knead it with my hands a bit until it forms a ball, then flatten it somewhat into a disk.) Refrigerate until ready to use.
Next, make and assemble the cherry pie
Filling Ingredients
- 3 cans tart cherries in water (I buy Oregon Fruit Products Red Tart Cherries which are often with the canned fruit rather than in the baking aisle of the grocery store; you can also order them online)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- scant 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Filling and Pie Instructions
1. Make the pie filling by mixing the 3 cans of cherries plus the juice from 1 1/2 cans with sugar, cornstarch, salt, and almond extract in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, or until the liquid is thick and bubbly (partially jelled). Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place on a lower rack (to catch any potential drips).
3. Sprinkle the counter with flour and roll out the bottom pie crust. Arrange in pie pan. Pour your cooled pie filling in the pan.
4. Roll out the top crust. Use a sharp knife to cut the top crust into strips for a lattice crust or use a cookie cutter to make other designs.
Either drape your top crust over the pie, if you used a cookie cutter design, or weave your traditional lattice crust (if you need instructions for weaving the lattice, here’s a YouTube video).
5. Trim the edges of the top and bottom crust to 1/2 – 1 inch beyond the pie pan and then fold under. Either press around the perimeter with the tines of a fork or crimp it with your fingers.
6. If desired (and I always do), brush the crust with a beaten egg white (or cream) and sprinkle sugar on top.
7. Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F then lower the oven temperature to 375 F and add a pie crust shield (or a foil tent with the center cut out) to protect the outer edges of the crust from burning. Bake for another 30-40 minutes, until the crust looks nicely browned and the juices bubble up thickly.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for 3 hours or so before eating. This is the hard part but it really helps to have the filling gel properly. Plus it looks and smells so nice sitting on the table!
9. Eat and enjoy… This cherry pie is delicious with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Click here for the printable version of the Best Cherry Pie Recipe.
P.S. Cherry hand pies are delicious, too. :)
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Can’t wait to try it! Thanks!
Cherry pie wins in our house too. The almond extract is totally the key! I usually do my grandmothers crisco crust but will have to try your combination butter-shortening crust. Thanks.
You’re welcome!
Is that a typo or really 12 TBSP of butter and 8 TBSP of earth balance in one crust? Wowza, I suppose that would be tasty, but wow.
sorry about the “printable recipe” link not working. i’m traveling today but will look into it when i get home.
Not a typo. there’s a lot of butter in pie crust!
Yummy!
I love it with almond extract, too, but it can be easily overdone!
Okay, it should be working now! I set up a new one in Google Docs.
Where do you get canned cherries in water? I have never seen that in New England. Yum, I love cherry pie!!
I’ve found them at both the whole foods stores and at the regular chain grocery stores. THey are generally with the canned fruit rather than in the baking aisle.
I was able to find them when I lived in New England, but that was years ago now.
Do you think it would work with frozen cherries too? My dad often has a huge bucket of frozen cherries for the jam he makes. Also, due to my allergies (grr) I’d probably have to substitute something for the almond extract. I wonder if I could get away with imitation almond…
Yes, I’m sure it would work for fresh or frozen cherries. I’d probably thaw the cherries first (although I’ve never made a pie with frozen cherries — you might just need to experiment or talk to someone who has). I’d make sure there’s enough juice, but maybe fresh and frozen cherries would have more juice naturally that would cook out of them…
Cherry pie is still great without almond extract.
instead of almond extract i usually throw in a splash of almond or cherry liquor. it adds that dubious cherry-almond flavor without that perfumy tinge that can come from a little too much xtract.
your recipe looks great though. i think i will use it this christmas!
i like that u use oregon cherries.. i live in cherry country in oregon.. so i am sure u are using the cherries from my town.. and cherry pie yummmmmy
Can you freeze and reheat this pie?
Not sure, Courtney! Sorry. I’ve never tried it. I know people freeze pies all the time so I imagine this one freezes as well as the next one.
What are the measurements for the cherries and the liquid if you don’t use the Oregon 14 oz cans? Thank you, it looks delicious!!!
I always use the Oregon 14 oz cans, so I can’t answer that. Sorry!
Could you just measure the juice you end up with?
1/2 cup per can
i have two questions, as I have just put this pie in the oven. first, i was confused about the amount of canned juice. i had about a cup of liquid after draining two cans and measuring for one and a half of the total amount. then i mixed the filling and it sat for half an hour. i have a 9 1/2 inch pie dish. i had too much filling/liquid so used all the cherries and as much liquid as i could, but i am worried that the extra dissolved sugar and starch included in the waste should have gone into the pie. what did I do wrong? thanks, Jennifer
It had way too much liquid with the amount of juice from the cans written in the recipe. I had to drain most of it out as the liquid was overflowing the top of the pie.
I’ve adjusted the recipe to pre-jel the liquid with the cherries before baking. Good luck!
My question is about the juice. Do you pour out one can of juice in a container, then add 1/2 of that it to the other can of juice? Thank you.
I use all the liquid from one can of cherries and half of the liquid from the other can, Barbara. I add the liquid to the cherries and other ingredients in the saucepan and simmer everything together.
I hope you like the pie!
I’ve looked and perhaps missed it but I need to know if your best cherry pie is for a 9 1/2 or 10 inch pie pan. Deep dish? Exactly the recipe I have been looking for. To me, the almond extract does make all the difference!
Thanks so much for your reply
I use a regular 9 inch pie pan, Patty. Not deep dish. But there’s enough filling that I think a 10 inch would be fine if that’s what you have. The almond extract is key! I agree. But don’t overdo it. :) I’ve accidentally put too much and you only need a little bit or it can be a bit overwhelming.
The next time you make this would you measure the exact amount of juice that you use for those of us using frozen cherries? thank you
Yes, I will. I’ll let you know…
My cans had 2/3 cup of liquid, but it sounds like others have had 1/2 cup. I would think anywhere from 3/4 to 1 cup would work. Emilu
I needed a cherry filling recipe that o could adapt for a sugar free pie, and oh my goodness this was fantastic. I used a sugar alternative and you couldn’t even tell, phenomenal filling!
I’m SO glad, Brooke! Just out of curiosity, what kind of sugar alternative did you use?
I love this recipe. My mother always used almond extract in her cherry pies. Can you dehydrated dry cherries in the juice to use along with the other cherries?
Trying out your recipe today. I didn’t have Almond extract but a splash of Frangelico was a nice substitute.
I can only find the Dark Sweet Cherries here where I live. I like it more tart so I think I should cut the sugar down. Also can I add lemon juice to make the pie more tart?
It will definitely taste different, but you can also order the tart cherries online (Amazon sells them) if you want them.
I’ve made this pie the last two Thanksgivings and it has been requested yet again. It’s delicious and so easy.
Awesome! So glad!
Would it work to make up the pie a day before Thanksgiving, then freeze the pie and then bake the pie on Thanksgiving?
When I want to make it a day ahead, I make the cherry pie filling and the pie crust and keep them both separate in the fridge. Then, the next day, I simply add the filling to the pie crust and bake. I haven’t tried freezing them together, but if you do, will you let me know how it works for you?
Thank you so much for this recipe- one quick question.. does the filling need to be completely cooled before adding it to the pie crust?
Maybe not completely, but I cool it so it doesn’t melt the butter in the crust prematurely.
So first time making this filling with canned cherries. I got the exact kind you suggested, but they are so pale! How do yours looks so bright?? Does that just happen after it bakes?
I was wondering the same thing about the color.
I guess so. Or maybe that’s just how it appears when the cherries are in the pie. It always looks and tastes delicious to me. :) I don’t add food coloring or anything.
I tried it… There is none left…. They loved it!!!!!
Awesome! I’m so glad!
This pie was fantastic! I made it on Thanksgiving and because it was so good and I was dreaming about it, I’m making it again for Christmas. I didn’t have almond extract so I used double the amount of vanilla and it was still excellent. This time I accidentally bought tart cherries in light syrup because they didn’t have the Oregon canned ones I found last time. I’m going to taste the syrup and if it’s too sweet I’ll probably just mix some of it with water and use a little less sugar.
Hi I’m hoping to make this pie for my class for pi day and was wondering how many people does it serve? -also love how this was posted almost 6 years ago and people are still loving it!!!
I generally cut 12 pieces from this for a party or 8 for a family event.
It’s a tasty pie! :)
Can you sub vanilla for the almond extract? We have a tree nut allergy in the family.
Thanks!
Hi Sara. This is Melissa, the Artful Parent Project Manager. Jean hasn’t tried it with a vanilla substitution, but the extract is just for flavor, so it shouldn’t affect the overall consistency of the pie. I bet it will be scrumptious with vanilla! If you try it, let us know how it turns out :)
My mother made a pie with the same cherries when I was a kid. She didn’t have her recipe wrote down. I made your recipe for Christmas and all my siblings were so excited to try it. It got ate before dinner. It was so nostalgic for all 4 of us. Almost made some cry. Thank you so much for taking us back to the good old days.
Oh my goodness! Thanks for sharing, Kandy! It’s amazing how food can bring back such memories!
Any suggestions as an alternative to the Oregon cherries? I can’t find them at my local store and not enough time to order them!
Any sour cherry that is canned in water/juice would work. You could also try fresh or frozen sour Montmorency cherries and pre-cook them with water instead of the juice from the can.
I made the pie today and it was very runny,I rechecked the recipe and it says one and a half can of juice.I only had one can so I added a half can of water,is that what did it.
Did you use the cornstarch as a thickener? And did the cherry mixture thicken when you pre-cooked it? Also, did you have enough cherries for the amount of liquid you used? (I’m just asking since you said you only had one can of the cherry juice.) Also, I always (usually) let my pie cool and set for a few hours before eating it. If you cut into it too soon, it’s runnier.
Thanks for the printable version! Can’t wait to try it.