This easy cherry pie recipe is made from scratch with 8 ingredients! A fresh cherry pie filling is baked between two layers of homemade pie crust for a delicious dessert, best served, a la mode of course.
Put the dry crust ingredients in the container of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade and pulse to combine.
Add butter and ice-cold water and pulse until the dough just holds together when pinched.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour, and up to one day, before using.
Place ½ of the dough on floured surface and roll into a 12” circle (you may need to let it rest for a few minutes to soften enough to roll it).
Transfer to 9” round pie plate and store covered in fridge until ready to use. Repeat with the rest of the dough and form into your desired top shape (lattice, cookie cutter shapes, etc.). Put all of the dough in the refrigerator as you move on to making the filling.
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 & Bake the Cherry Pie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour the cherry mixture into the prepared pie crust. Then place your prepared top crust and on the top of the cherry filling.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream and 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 45-50minutes, 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 at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Ingredient 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). 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.
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.
*Using Frozen CherriesIf you are using frozen cherries, put them in a colander in the sink (or over a smaller bowl) and let them thaw until cool (no longer frozen). Excess liquid will drain off as they thaw. Then use them in the recipe. StoreStore any leftover cherry pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. To Freeze
Freeze the entire pie. bake and chill the pie, then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cutting and serving.
Freeze individual slices. If you have a few leftover slices you want to freeze, place them on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer to flash-freeze them. Then, once they're frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 6 hours.