When sweet cherries are in season, it’s time to make Homemade Cherry Pie. Pick up a cherry pitter, and the rest is a snap. Use the easy pie crust for the bottom layer, and then make a nice lattice design on the top with a second batch of dough, and you’ll have a cherry pie fit for the best county fair in the country!
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🍒 The Ingredients
This classic recipe relies on simple baking staples to craft a brightly balanced, perfectly thickened fruit filling wrapped in a flaky, sugar-dusted double crust. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
📝 Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Pie Dough: Homemade dough yields the flakiest crust, but store-bought chilled dough is a shortcut. Gluten-free 1-to-1 dough also works well.
- Cherries: Use fresh or frozen (do not thaw) sweet cherries. If using sour cherries, add 2 to 4 extra tablespoons of sugar.
- Lemon Juice: Brightens the sweet fruit flavor. Fresh is best, but bottled juice or apple cider vinegar works in a pinch.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens and draws out juices. Adjust the amount based on how sweet your cherries are.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the filling. Swap 1:1 with arrowroot starch, or use 1.5x as much quick-cooking tapioca. Avoid flour, which can make the filling cloudy.
- Vanilla & Almond Extracts: Almond extract naturally enhances cherry flavor, while vanilla adds warmth. Swap almond with extra vanilla for a nut-free option.
- Egg & Milk (Wash): Creates a golden, shiny crust. For an egg-free option, brush the top crust with plain milk or melted butter.
- Turbinado Sugar: Adds a bakery-style crunch to the top. Demerara, sparkling sugar, or regular granulated sugar make easy substitutes.
Refer to the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📌 Tips and Tricks for Perfect Cherry Pie
- Keep Everything Cold: Cold dough equals a flaky crust. If your dough strips get too soft or sticky while weaving the lattice, pop the pie in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking to help it hold its shape.
- Prevent a Soggy Bottom: Preheat a rimmed baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and bake the pie directly on top of it. The instant transfer of heat cooks the bottom crust quickly, keeping it crisp and preventing a soggy bottom.
- Easy Cherry Pitting: A dedicated cherry pitter makes quick work of fresh cherries, but in a pinch, you can place a cherry on the neck of a glass bottle and push the pit through using a chopstick or metal straw.
- Protect the Edges: Cherry pie needs a long bake time to fully activate the cornstarch. If the crust edges are browning too quickly, loosely tent the pie with foil or use a pie shield after the first 20–25 minutes.
- Look for Big Bubbles: You’ll know the filling is fully cooked and thickened when thick, slow bubbles burst through the center of the lattice (not just around the edges).
- Cool Completely Before Slicing: Resist the urge to cut into a hot pie! Let it cool at room temperature for at least 3 to 4 hours. The cornstarch needs this time to cool down and fully set into a sliceable, glossy filling rather than a runny puddle.
How To Make Homemade Cherry Pie
- Step 1: Remove the stems and pits from the cherries.
- Step 2: In a large bowl, gently mix the cherries with the lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and both extracts.
- Step 3: Fit one pie dough in your pie dish and then fill it with the cherry mixture.
- Step 4: Cut the other pie dough into strips and space half of them evenly on the top of the pie.
- Step 5: Use the remaining slices to create a lattice. Brush with an egg wash, and sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top.
- Step 6: Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, lower the heat to 350°F, and bake for another 40 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack before slicing.
👨🍳 How To Make a Lattice Pie Topping
- As mentioned, when you make the pie dough, be sure to make two batches so you can have a topping for the pie as well.
- To create a lattice topping, simply use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 10 to 12 1-inch strips.
- Place 5 of the strips across the pie, spacing them slightly. Fold every other strip all the way back to the edge of the pie. Place a strip, perpendicular to the previously placed strips, right next to the strips that have been folded back.
- Carefully return the folded strips to their normal position. Now, repeat this process with the other strips. You are braiding, or overlapping, the strips. See video for reference.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! There is no need to thaw the fruit first; simply toss it directly with the dry ingredients. You may just need to add a few extra minutes to the total bake time to account for the colder starting temperature.
This usually happens for two reasons: either the filling wasn’t cooked long enough to activate the thickener (look for heavy, slow bubbles bursting in the center), or it was cut into while still warm. Letting it cool completely at room temperature allows the natural juices and cornstarch to fully set.
A fully baked dish can be made a day ahead and kept tightly covered at room temperature. Alternatively, you can prepare the dough discs and pitted fruit filling a few days in advance separately, storing them in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble and bake.
Cover the dish loosely with foil or plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature for up to two days. For longer storage, keep it in the refrigerator for up to five days, and re-warm individual slices in a low oven to crisp the crust back up before serving.
🥧 More Amazing Homemade Pie Recipes
Ready to make the best pie this side of the County Fair? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Homemade Cherry Pie
Video
Equipment
- 9 or 10-inch pie dish
Ingredients
- 2 pie doughs
- 2 lbs sweet cherries pitted, about 5 to 6 cups
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon water or milk
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
Do Ahead
- Make two of the pie doughs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.2 pie doughs
Make the Pie
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, gently mix together the cherries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and both extracts. Set aside.2 lbs sweet cherries, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ⅔ cup sugar, ¼ cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Roll the first disc of dough out on a floured surface to a 13-inch diameter. Gently roll the dough over your rolling pin and then unroll it over the pie dish. The dough should overhang the sides of the dish.
- Transfer the cherry mixture into the pie dish with the dough.
- Roll the 2nd dough disc out on a floured surface to a 12 to 13-inch diameter. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough into 10 to 11 1-inch strips.
- Place 5 to 6 strips over the top of the pie, spacing them slightly. Fold every other strip all the way back to the edge of the dish. Place one of the remaining strips perpendicular to the strips on the pie, right next to where the folded strips are folded back. Return the folded strips to their normal position. Fold back the other strips and continue until the pie is covered with the dough in a lattice formation. (See video for reference).
- Use a small, sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut away the excess dough hanging over the edges. Be sure to leave enough dough that you can use to crimp the edges (see video for reference).
- Make an egg wash by mixing together the beaten egg with the water or milk in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash all over the top layer of dough. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top of the pie.1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
- Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pie once. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden on top. Cover the edges of the pie with foil or a pie crust shield if it's getting too brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving, usually 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This post was originally published in August 2014, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography, and a fabulous new video in June 2021!
Sandy says
Delicious! Now here’s a tip! Re-Roll the left over pastry scraps, sprinkle with granulated sugar and cinnamon. Roll up like a jelly roll. slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Place seam side down and bake for about 10 minutes when the oven is at 410 degrees or about 20 min. at 350. Mini cinnamon rolls! We love them. Eat them while you are waiting for the pie to cool!~
Kris Longwell says
Fabulous!! LOVE IT!! We’ll do that next time for sure! Thanks so much for the fun tip!! xoxo