There’s nothing like a fresh Cherry Pie with juicy cherries bubbling through a rich, flaky crust. Watch the video tutorial and learn how to make the best cherry pie from scratch with our easy, homemade Pie Crust and fresh or frozen cherries. I’m also sharing my best tip to ensure you have a perfectly thickened and saucy cherry pie filling.
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Helpful Reader Review
“That was THE most amazing pie I have ever made. The crust was easy and turned out perfect. Cherry pie filling was delicious (used a mix of 1 can and 1 frozen bag). This will be my forever crust recipe and my family is happy I make pie!” – Lori-Anne ★★★★★
Cherry Pie Video
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).
Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe
I love cherry season – I look forward to it every year and I take full advantage of cherry recipes, from Cherry Clafoutis to Cherry Sauce, and my absolute favorite has to be this sweet cherry pie. The cherries become jammy, coated in a sweet and thick sauce that makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
Memories are made around homemade pies and there’s something so satisfying about creating a pie from scratch. We change up the fruit with the seasons and make Apple Pie in the cooler months, then Blueberry Pie and juicy Peach Pie as the summer stone fruits ripen in our yard.
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 (you’ll thank me later). This tried-and-true cherry pie recipe has been well-loved by beginner and expert bakers over the years, and I hope it becomes a favorite for you!
Ingredients
- Cherries: We love sweet red cherries here but you can use a variety of cherries and even a combination of different cherries.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice balances the sweetness and adds some juiciness to the filling. Use less or omit if you are using a tart cherry.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar amplifies the natural sweetness of the cherries. You can adjust sugar to taste depending on the sweetness of your cherries. Add more for tart cherries.
- Corn Starch: This helps to thicken the cherry pie filling to create a bubbly saucy center just like in our Cherry Sauce.
- 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 bottom crust and lattice top.
The Best Way to Pit Cherries:
To be safe, double-check that every pit exits the cherries. There are the cherry pitters I use and love:
- For big batches of cherries – use a countertop pitter. You can get through a lot of cherries faster.
- For small projects (like cherry pie!) – you can use a hand-held cherry pitter.
Can I use Frozen Cherries for Cherry Pie?
Cherries from the freezer work great when cherries aren’t in season. Using frozen cherries can be even easier 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.
Can I make a Sour Cherry Pie?
Since sour cherries are generally smaller, you will need about 2 1/2 to 3 lbs (or 6 cups, pitted) of 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.
- Roll the first pie crust to a 13″ diameter circle
- Roll the crust onto your rolling pin
- Unroll crust over your deep dish pie pan
How to Make Cherry Pie
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.
- Stir together cherries and lemon juice.
- Whisk together cornstarch, sugar, and cinnamon and combine with cherries. Stir until the cherries are saucy and evenly coated.
How to Make a Lattice Pie 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.
- Place 5 strips of dough horizontally over the pie filling, with the longer strips in the center and shorter strips towards the edges.
- Fold back the 2nd and 4th strips halfway and place a long vertical strip of dough in the center.
- 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.
How to Crimp a Pie Crust
Your fingers are all you need to make a beautiful crimped or scalloped pie crust.
- Tuck in excess dough behind the bottom pie crust.
- 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. Repeat all the way around the edge.
Pro Tips for the Best Cherry Pie
- Freeze the unbaked pie for 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats (this keeps crust from sagging in the oven and 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 the oven rack to the lower third of the oven to keep the crust from getting too brown.
- For easier cleanup, place a sheet of foil under the pie once you turn the heat down to 350˚F.
- For cherry juices to thicken – once you see the juices bubbling through the lattice, let it bubble for at least 5 minutes – this is necessary to activate the corn starch and also for the fruit to release pectin, which helps thicken the filling.
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!
See those thick juices bubbling through the crust – that’s what I call a perfect cherry pie! Don’t forget to serve each slice with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. It will melt slightly into the slice, making it irresistibly good.
Cherry Pie
Ingredients
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:
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp milk, or water
- 1 Tbsp coarse sugar
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 on the bottom rack to catch drips, reduce oven temperature to 350˚F, and bake an additional 35-40 minutes, or until crust is golden and cherry juice has been bubbling through the lattice top for at least 5 minutes.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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
I just made this pie and it looks delish! Can’t wait to try it!
I hope you love it, Jen!
Hi Natasha,
I want to make your cherry pie recipe for Thanksgiving. Do I par bake the bottom crust before adding in the cherry filling? I don’t want the bottom crust to be soggy.
Thanks
Hi Jeanie! I do not pre-bake it and don’t have a problem with a soggy bottom. But you could if you wanted to.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use pitted morello cherries from the jar as a substitute?
Thank you!
Hi Annie, I have not tested that to advise.
I just made this pie with two jars of morello cherries from Aldi. Worked great. I did. let the juice run off first, before making the filling.
Thank you for sharing, Susan!
Susan I used morello cherries from Aldi. In a saucepan I added 3 jars of Morello cherries, added the cornstartch and sugar. Cooked on medium heat until the sauce thickedned. Place the saucepan in a large container filled with ice water to let it all cool, then I made the dough. Used a large spoon with open bottom to take out the cherries in the saucepan without so much of the liquid. Baked perfect without soggy liquid in the pie. It was perfect 🙂 !
Hi,
Thank you so much for this recipe, I can’t wait to try it. Do you have a link for the cherry pitter that you used in the video?
Hi Megan! Yes, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
As other reviews stated, the pie didn’t thicken. Is there too much lemon juice? Or did it not get hot enough? I used fresh cherries.
Hi Kelly, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t thicken. Maybe check that the proportions were correct (not too many cherries). Also, sometimes cherries can be juicier. Lastly, let the pie rest before cutting into it so the filling can thicken up and set; otherwise, if you cut into it too soon, it will be soupy.
I’ve found that oven temps vary greatly from oven to oven. Make sure that the interior of the pie is bubbling before pulling it. The thickeners won’t work until they boil.
It didn’t thicken up when it cooked . It was to juicy. I added the suggested amount of corn starch.
Hi Laure! It could depend on the type of cherries but did you reduce the sugar or make any substitutions? We used fresh cherries. Sometimes when the pie isn’t baked long enough the filing will be thinner because it didn’t have time to set so be sure to let this bake completely. I would look over the process and instructions again to see if you missed anything. 5tbsp of cornstarch should be plenty but a general rule of thumb is about 1tbsp of cornstarch for every cup of fruit. You can try adding another 1/2-1tbsp if you’d like. I hope that helps.
Wondering if you have ever mixed up the filling and frozen it for use in pie later. Do you think it should be cooked before freezing and do you think it will freeze well? Lots of cherries now and looking to preserve some for future use. Love the recipe! Thanks.
Hi Terri, it’s best used after making it since it will get juicy from the sugar but will still work to make it ahead.
The Facebook page Fox 11 Living with Amy has your pie picture posted and a different pie recipe attached.
Are the cooking times and temps the same if I use a regular (not lattice) pie crust for the top and put the vent holes in it?
Hi Barbara, yes, the cooking time should be fairly close. I would watch it closely towards the end to ensure it’s not overdone.
Yuuuummmmy! Love this cherry pie recipe. Husband and kiddo approved! Made it with your butter pie crust recipe. Everything come out delicious! Thank you and God bless you!
So glad it was enjoyed! Thank you for sharing. Cass!
Pie turned out wonderful. Yum. Did you list a link for the cherry putter?
Hi Lynn! you can find it and our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
This cherry pie was amazing when I baked it for thanksgiving!! One question: what kind of cherries do you prefer in this pie? Thank you!!
Hi Rakhi, we use our favorite classic sweet red cherries (bing cherries). It’s fun to mix together Bing and Rainier when we have them both.
Can i make this a day in advance and reheat? Will it still be good?
Hi Mary, You could keep it overnight at room temp and just serve it at room temperature and if you want it warm, reheat just until warm. I would estimate 15 minutes at
May you please do a blackberry raspberry (mixed berry) pie?
Thanks for your suggestion, I’ll try to add that to the list.
Hi — I love your recipes and this pie looks great — can I make it up and then before baking it, freeze it for a few days (company coming in next week)? If so, do I need to thaw before baking or are there different instructions for baking from frozen?
Hi Angie, I haven’t tried freezing this before baking so I’m not sure if that would make the bottom crust soggy or not. You will also need to adjust the bake time if baking from freezing and would definitely want a pie shield to keep it from browning too much. You might google search some instructions for baking a frozen cherry pie for reference. I wish I could be more helpful with that question, I just haven’t tested it.
It took a little longer to bake, but turned out great – delicious cherry pie and yummy crust!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Angie!
Hey there, I’m about to make this recipe and wondered if I could add any almond and vanilla extract? If so would I mix it with the lemon and toss with the cherries?
Thanks for the recipe!
Hello Terrie, while that sounds like a good idea, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you do an experiment, we’d love to know how it goes.
Hi Angie. Did you bake it from frozen or did you thaw it first?
So, did a few cheats with the crust and it didn’t turn out great. Store bought crusts and didn’t use a lattice. I suspect that contributed to the soupy filling and soggy bottom. Next I cheat , I plan to prebake the bottom and pre cook the filling. Hopefully that fixes it. The flavor was great.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jennifer. It’s a bummer it didn’t turn out great, that’s the risk with substitutions but I hope it turns out great next time for you!
My husband loves Graham cracker crusts. Can this filling be used successfully with a Graham cracker crust? Thanks!
Hi Betsey, I haven’t tested that. If you happen to, I’d love to know how it goes!
How much sugar do you add for sour cherry 🍒?
Hi, please see the section titled: “For a Sour Cherry Pie:”
Wow Natasha my friends visited from South America and the guy ate my whole pie in 2 days. I had 1 slice for myself. Cherries have been on sale here so you know what I’m doing again. Follow this recipe exactly and it will be amazing.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Amy!
Hi Natasha ,
Can you substitute a can of cherries 425 grams for your cherry pie . How many tins would you use?your recipe used just over 1kg which is 21/2 pound . I’m thinking 2to three tins and thickened with cornflour you have used .
Hi Liz, we prefer this with fresh cherry and haven’t experimented with canned cherry to advise. If you experiment with canned, please let us know how you like it. For reference, we used 6 cups of fresh cherries pitted (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 lbs).
I made this with fresh cherries and the flavor was amazing. However, it was soupy for me as well. We let it set per the instructions. Any idea what I might have done wrong? Soupy or not, it has amazing flavor!
Hi Debbie, maybe check that the proportions were correct (not too many cherries). Also, sometimes cherries can be juicier. Lastly, make sure to let the pie rest before cutting into it so the filling can thicken up and set, otherwise if you cut into it too soon, it will be soupy.
I would LOVE to try this recipe as our fresh cherries are now in the stores/markets. Where is your cherry pitter gadget found? I want the exact one which you are using….. Thank you!
Hello Kim, you can try checking our Amazon Affiliate Shop for the kitchen tools that I use.
Hey Natasha!
I’m a VERY NEW pie baker. I’ll admit…. a very scared one too. I’ve made 3 pies, yet my last ended up with a bottom crust that disappeared!!!
I’m guna try your crust recipe next. I’m guns try this cherry pie recipe for my 1st cherry pie attempt. It looks like you always answer questions, so here’s one please. I plan on following this recipe EXACTLY. But when other recipes talk about canned cherries…. should I be buying canned cherries in WATER or LIGHT SYRUP????? Thanks. But I hope I’m mostly a fresh cherry baker. I only ask cuz I can’t find fresh Sour cherries ANYWHERE. So when I make a Sour cherry pie, I may have to use canned.
Also….. often people mention their fresh cherries come out too watery. Is this a problem with your recipe? How can I prevent that? ALSO (Sorry)….. I have a DEEP DISH cherry pie recipe that calls for 4 cups of fresh cherries. But yours calls for SIX in a standard pie pan!!! Is that correct? Won’t I not have enough space in a standard? THANKS! -A new fan!
We prefer this with fresh cherry and haven’t experimented with canned cherry to advise. If you experiment with canned, please let us know how you like it. For reference, we used 6 cups of fresh cherries pitted (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 lbs).