There’s nothing better than a tasty homemade cherry pie, and this really is the best recipe! This easy sweet pie is packed full of cherries and is best served with a generous helping of ice cream. This recipe uses canned canned cherries, so you can skip the tedious pitting!

A homemade cherry pie with two scoops of ice cream

Cherry pie is one of my favorite pies, they are so full of flavor and are perfect to serve all year round. The best thing about this recipe, is that with a few shortcuts, it only takes 15 minutes to prep, so it’s easy to satisfy that sweet craving in a hurry! It’s one of the best summer dessert ideas because it’s fruity, simple, and delicious!

How to make The Best Homemade Cherry Pie

For the Cherry Pie Filling

  • Heat oven to 425°F and arrange the bottom pie dough into the pie pan. Use a small fork to prick holes in the dough; set aside until ready to fill.
  • Drain the cherries reserving 1 cup of cherry juice.
  • In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Slowly, while still whisking, add reserved cherry juice. Stir until smooth. Add salt and cinnamon, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a low boil. Simmer the mixture, stirring often, about 7-9 minutes or until it has thickened.
  • Remove the mixture from the heat and add the butter, almond extract, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir well. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

For The Homemade Cherry Pie

  • Pour the cooled pie filling into the prepared pie crust and cover the filling with a vented or lattice top crust. Use a pastry brush to brush the crust with milk. Sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar.
  • Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake another 35-45 minutes (covering the edges when needed with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield).
  • Bake until the crust is a beautiful caramel brown and the juices bubble up through the lattice top.
  • Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and…
  • Enjoy!

A homemade cherry pie with a lattice top

A close up of the inside of the pie

Is This Pie Served Hot or Cold?

I love serving this homemade cherry pie straight out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream that slowly melts around it – pure heaven on a plate! You can also serve this warm, at room temperature, or even cold. Hot cherry pie is perfect for the winter months, but maybe in summer it’s best to opt for a cold dessert.

Can you freeze Homemade Cherry Pie?

This pie freezes really well. To freeze a baked pie, simply let the baked pie cool to room temperature and wrap it with foil or plastic wrap and place in a large freezer bag. You can also freeze the unbaked pie, which can be a better option, you can then cook the pie from frozen.

This cherry pie will also keep covered in the fridge for about 4-5 days.

Homemade cherry pie in a pan on a cake stand

Ice cream melting on the pie

Shortcuts to making a cherry pie

This recipe is perfect if you don’t have a tonne of time to spend in the kitchen pitting cherries and waiting for pie dough to rise.  The result is still a tasty fruit pie, but in no time at all!

  • Use canned cherries for the filling – Oregon Fruit canned Tart Red Cherries in water or Trader Joe’s Pitted Dark Morello Cherries in Light Syrup (stems removed) work well.
  • Use a prepared pie crust – you can chose a gluten-free one if anyone is sensitive.
  • A pre-made lattice crust delivers a pretty pie which make it look like you’ve spent hours slaving on it!

A slice of pie on a plate with ice cream

Top shot of homemade cherry pie with a slice cut out of it

Top tips for making The Best Homemade Cherry Pies

  • If you have time to make your own pie crust, give this recipe a go!
  • When you cook the pie, make sure your oven is pre-heated.
  • Keep any leftovers covered in the fridge for an easy to grab dessert later in the week.

A slice of homemade cherry pie with ice cream on top

Be sure to check out these other easy and tasty pie recipes!

Recipe Card

Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe

4.75 from 16 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 8 slices
Author: Becky Hardin
cherry pie topped with ice cream
There's nothing better than a tasty homemade cherry pie, and this really is the best recipe! This easy sweet pie is packed full of cherries and is best served with a generous helping of ice cream. This recipe uses canned canned cherries, so you can skip the tedious pitting!
Save this recipe!
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you, plus new recipes weekly!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 15 ounces refrigerated pre-made pie crust 425 grams (1 package; 2 crusts)
  • 43.5 ounces Red Tart Cherries packed in water 1,233 grams (3 cans - SEE NOTE)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch 21 grams
  • 1 cup cherry juice 227 grams, from the canned cherries
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 14 grams (⅛ stick)
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 gram
  • ½ lemon juiced and zested
  • 1 tablespoon cold milk or cream 14 grams
  • Demerara sugar coarse raw sugar or coarse white sugar, optional, for sprinkling on top

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F and arrange the bottom pie dough into the pie pan. Use a small fork to prick holes in the dough; set aside until ready to fill.
    15 ounces refrigerated pre-made pie crust
  • Drain the cherries, reserving 1 cup of cherry juice.
    43.5 ounces Red Tart Cherries packed in water
  • In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Slowly, while still whisking, add reserved cherry juice. Stir until smooth. Add salt and cinnamon, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a low boil. Simmer the mixture, stirring often, for about 7-9 minutes or until it has thickened.
    1 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup cherry juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Remove the mixture from the heat and add the butter, almond extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir well. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
    1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, ½ lemon
  • Pour the cooled pie filling into the prepared pie crust and cover the filling with a vented or lattice top crust. Use a pastry brush to brush the crust with milk. Sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar, if desired.
    1 tablespoon cold milk or cream, Demerara sugar
  • Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake another 35-45 minutes (covering the edges when needed with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield). The crust should be a beautiful caramel brown and the juices should bubble up through the lattice top.
  • Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Video

Becky's Tips

  • NOTE: Oregon Fruit canned Tart Red Cherries in water or Trader Joe’s Pitted Dark Morello Cherries in Light Syrup (stems removed) work well.
  • A pre-made lattice crust delivers a pretty pie which make it look like you've spent hours slaving on it!
  • If you have time to make your own pie crust, give this recipe a go!
  • When you cook the pie, make sure your oven is pre-heated.
  • Keep any leftovers covered in the fridge for an easy to grab dessert later in the week.
Storage: Store cherry pie in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 484kcalCarbohydrates: 84gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 367mgPotassium: 451mgFiber: 5gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 146IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.75 from 16 votes (10 ratings without comment)
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

13 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
catcart
catcart
November 2, 2019 11:55 am

Quick question ! do you pour the cooked filling over the cherries,or do you cook them with the filling ?

kim
kim
July 27, 2019 10:16 am

OMG… what deliciousness! Loving cherries right now and this is just perfect!5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
July 29, 2019 3:18 pm
Reply to  kim

Yay! You’re going to love it

Noreen Gamble
Noreen Gamble
July 12, 2019 2:24 pm

Hi Becky,
Just curious.. If you had both cherry options in front of you, which one is your favorite? Thank you

Kristyn
Kristyn
July 10, 2019 11:55 am

Oh, my.. I am wishing I had a slice right now! The crust looks crisp & that filling is delicious! We love cherries around here!5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
July 15, 2019 1:43 pm
Reply to  Kristyn

Time for you to make it!

Toni
Toni
July 10, 2019 11:50 am

Everyone at my house was impressed with this pie! Such an amazing dessert!5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
July 15, 2019 1:42 pm
Reply to  Toni

Thanks, Toni!

Eden
Eden
July 10, 2019 11:39 am

oh how I love a good cherry pie! This is delicious :)5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
July 15, 2019 1:42 pm
Reply to  Eden

Thanks, Eden!

Beth Pierce
Beth Pierce
July 10, 2019 10:59 am

What a savory dessert! This looks hands-down delicious; can’t wait to give this a try tonight after dinner! My family loves a good pie!5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
July 15, 2019 1:42 pm
Reply to  Beth Pierce

It’s one of the best!

lauren kelly
lauren kelly
July 10, 2019 10:50 am

This is such a delicious recipe! Cherry pie is such a classic favorite! Thank you!5 stars