Classic Cherry Pie

Nothing says summer like classic cherry pie, and this is the best cherry pie! Made with fresh, sweet cherries tucked into a double crust, this easy homemade cherry pie is a delicious classic.

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Cherry pie is one of my favorite homemade pie recipes, along with the best blueberry galette and mixed berry pie.

The sweet cherry filling bakes up perfectly delicious in a flaky, all-butter crust and lattice top. Serve this perfect cherry pie topped with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate summer dessert!

If you love cherry pie, try my old fashioned cherry pie bars next!

The Best Classic Cherry Pie

Pie Dough – My go-to pie crust recipe is an all-butter pastry that comes together in less than 5 minutes in the food processor. You can make the pie dough up to 2 days in advance, and I always recommend making the dough ahead to give it time to chill for at least 1 hour before rolling out.

Cherries – Fresh, dark sweet cherries are my pick for this pie. I like baking with dark red varieties like Bing cherries. Out of season, you can use frozen cherries straight from the freezer (no need to thaw them before making the filling).

Filling – To ensure that the pie filling sets up nicely, combine half of the cherries (3 cups), granulated sugar, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Cook until the fruit has softened, then stir in lemon juice and gradually whisk in cornstarch until fully incorporated. Continue cooking until filling is thick and jammy, and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Transfer filling to a mixing bowl and stir in remaining 3 cups cherries. Let filling cool to room temperature before using (filling can be made ahead and chilled overnight).

Sugar – The recipe includes a range of 1 cup to 1 1/4 cups sugar. If your cherries are less sweet, use the full amount of sugar (1 1/4 cups). If your cherries are very sweet and flavorful, use 1 cup of sugar.

Bake – Bake the pie on a pre-heated rimmed baking sheet until the lattice is golden and fruit juices are bubbling slowly at the center of the pie, approximately 60-70 minutes. Let pie cool for at least 4 hours before serving (the pie filling continues to thicken as it cools).

Serve – Once the pie has completely cooled, slice into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream!

Make Ahead Tips

The pie dough and cherry pie filling can be made 1-2 days in advance and refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the pie.

You can also assemble the entire cherry pie in advance, and freeze up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, transfer the pie directly from the freezer to the oven and bake as directed.

General Pie Tips:

Pie Crust – If your food processor is small, I recommend making one crust at a time to distribute the butter evenly. To make a single pie crust, use:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 to 4 Tbsp ice water

Once you’ve made the pie crust, wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour before rolling out.

Chill – The best pies start with well-chilled pastry. Start with cold dough, and plan to chill the dough again briefly after you’ve rolled it out and lined the pie pan. You’ll also want to chill the lattice strips briefly before assembling the pie.

If your kitchen is at all warm/humid, or you feel that the dough is warming up too quickly, simply chill it for 10-15 minutes before proceeding with the next step. Pie dough is easiest to work with when it’s chilled and cool to the touch, but still pliable enough to weave a lattice or crimp.

Bake – For perfectly baked pies, place your pie pan on a pre-heated rimmed baking sheet. This helps ensure that the bottom crust bakes up nicely, and the baking sheet will keep your oven free of any juices that may bubble over.

More favorite cherry desserts:

• Cherry Crumb Cake
• Black Forest Sheet Cake
• Cherry Almond Galette

Did you try this Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!

Classic Cherry Pie

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

• Author: Laura Kasavan
• Prep Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 70 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes (plus cooling time)
• Yield: 1 9-inch pie, 8 servings
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Classic cherry pie is the BEST summer pie! The sweet cherry filling bakes up perfectly delicious in a flaky, all-butter crust and lattice top. Recipe makes one 9-inch pie.

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Ingredients

Crust

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Filling

• 6 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved, divided
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup cornstarch

Topping

• 1 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp coarse sugar

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Instructions

1. Prepare dough: For the crust, combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add cubed butter and process for 10 seconds, just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the food processor running, add 1/4 cup ice water in a steady stream through feed tube. If needed, add additional ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, and process just until dough holds together in large clumps (no more than 30 seconds). Divide dough into two equal portions. Wrap each portion in plastic and flatten slightly to form a disc. Chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days, or place in a freezer bag and freeze up to 1 month).
2. Prepare filling: Combine 3 cups cherries, sugar, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the fruit has softened (10-12 minutes). Add lemon juice. Gradually whisk in cornstarch until completely dissolved. Continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes, until filling is thick and jammy, and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Transfer filling to a mixing bowl and stir in remaining 3 cups cherries. Let filling cool to room temperature before using (filling can be made ahead and chilled overnight).
3. Roll dough: Place one disc of dough on a floured board and dust dough with flour. Roll out dough (roll dough in one direction, then lift up dough and rotate a quarter turn and roll, then repeat) until dough is a 12 to 13-inch circle. If dough starts to stick, use a bench scraper to lift dough from board. Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim overhang to 1 inch and chill for 10 minutes.
4. Repeat the rolling process with the second disc of dough, rolling out to just under a 1/4-inch thickness. Use a pastry wheel or sharp knife to cut dough into 1 1/2-inch strips for the lattice top. Chill the strips for 10 minutes.
5. Assemble the pie: Spoon cherry filling into chilled bottom crust and arrange dough strips over the top in a lattice pattern. Fold over dough overhang and crimp edges. Chill assembled pie in the freezer for at least 1 hour before baking, or overnight (if freezing overnight, lightly cover with plastic wrap).
6. Place a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil in the oven and preheat to 375°F. Brush lattice lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. Place pie on pre-heated baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
7. After 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking another 40-50 minutes (for a total baking time of 60-70 minutes), until crust is golden and fruit juices are bubbling slowly at the center of the pie. If pie is fully frozen, baking time may be up to 90-100 minutes. Check pie partway through – if crust is browning too quickly, shield edges or top with foil for remaining baking time.
8. Cool pie on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before serving (filling thickens as it cools). Once pie is cut, store leftovers in the refrigerator.

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Notes

Make ahead: The dough and cherry filling can be made 1-2 days in advance and refrigerated until ready to use. You can also assemble the entire pie in advance, and freeze up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, transfer the pie directly from the freezer to the oven and bake as directed.