Posted May 04, 2022, Updated Jun 10, 2024 My favorite time of year is farmer’s market season – during which we always buy cherries from local farmers to both eat fresh and use to bake this cherry pie recipe – also cherry bars and chocolate chip cherry muffins too! This cherry pie is homemade from scratch with 8 simple ingredients. You can use fresh or frozen sweet cherries to make the cherry pie filling, and follow our flaky butter pie crust recipe to make the best homemade crust, or use store bought. This cherry pie is best served a la mode (of course), and we suggest making this homemade vanilla ice cream! Or, serve it with a dollop of homemade whipped cream. A delicious Thanksgiving or Christmas pie, too.
Cherry Pie Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
Pie crust. I give instructions on how to make a double all butter pie crust in this post as well as in the recipe card. You can use store bought, if preferred. Sweet Cherries: I recommend using fresh, sweet cherries in this recipe. Use this cherry pitter to make using fresh cherries easier (my kids love helping with this). If you only have frozen cherries, thaw them first. 1 pound of fresh cherries equals about 1 ½ cups pitted, so you will need about 4 pounds of fresh cherries. 16 oz frozen cherries equals about 3 cups, so you will need 2 pounds frozen cherries. Or, try these recipes: strawberry pie, raspberry pie, blueberry pie and peach pie. All-purpose flour: you can use an all-purpose gluten-free flour in the filling, as well as cornstarch or tapioca flour. Granulated sugar: I prefer organic cane sugar, but regular white sugar or any other granulated sugar works well. Lemon Juice. The acidity of the lemon juice really makes this cherry pie pop. I don’t recommend omitting it. Vanilla extract. use pure vanilla extract for best results. Egg wash. This is optional, but recommended for a golden-brown crust. You can simply brush heavy cream on the crust instead to help the sugar stick.
How to make Cherry Pie
Let’s walk through this recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Make the Pie Crust
When I make pie filled with fresh fruit (like peach pie, strawberry pie, blueberry pie, apple pie, etc.), I always opt for an all-butter pie crust. The rich, slightly sweet, salty, buttery flavor of the crust compliments the fruit so well. Whether you use a food processor or a pastry cutter, making this all-butter pie crust literally takes 5 minutes. It is easy and tastes so much better than the store-bought crusts. I wrote a post and made a video on making the best all butter pie crust! Check it out for all the tips and tricks. Just remember it needs an hour (at least) to chill in the refrigerator before using, so plan accordingly.
Make the Cherry Pie Filling
In a small bowl mix together granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and sea salt set aside. In a large bowl mix together cherries, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the dry mixture to the cherries and gently stir to combine.
Assemble the Cherry Pie
Pour the cherry mixture into the prepared pie crust. Then place the prepared top crust and on the top of the cherry filling. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream. Then, lightly brush the entire pie crust with the egg wash. Place a pie crust shield or aluminum foil over the outer crust of your pie to protect it from burning. Bake the cherry pie in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the filling begins to bubble and the crust/top is lightly browned. Remove shield in the last 10 minutes of baking if it doesn’t begin to brown under the shield) Place the baked pie on a wire rack to cool for at least 3 hours.
Serve
Serve this fresh cherry pie room temperature with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
Store
Store any leftover cherry pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
To Freeze
This cherry pie freezes very well. There are 2 ways to freeze this recipe: If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
