CHERRY PIE FILLING
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Homemade cherry pie filling is rich, thick and delicious! This bakery staple is a great way to enjoy fresh summer cherries. On stovetop, cook this easy recipe in 8 to 10 minutes. It yields enough filling for one 9-inch cherry pie.
Pair cherry pie filling with our easy homemade pie crust. It makes the best cherry pie you’ve ever tasted. Or use the filling to assemble a batch of cherry turnovers, cherry crumble, cherry pop tarts, or cherry pie bars. This filling is also a topping for cheesecake, waffles, yogurt and crepes.
INGREDIENTS
All you need for this scrumptious fruit filling is a few pounds of farm-fresh cherries and some basic pantry staples.
- Fresh cherries
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon juice
- Sea salt
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Pure vanilla extract OR almond extract
KITCHEN SMARTS: No fresh cherries on hand? No problem! Make this easy recipe with two 15-ounce cans or jars of whole pitted cherries. Find instructions for this option in the RECIPE FAQ section of this post.
BEST METHOD FOR PITTING CHERRIES
Put away the kitchen knife! The best way to pit cherries is with a cherry pitter. For making cherry pie filling, the OXO Cherry Pitter is a game changer! It gets the job done quickly and easily.
HOW TO MAKE CHERRY PIE FILLING
RECIPE PREP: Prepare an ice water bath. In a broiler pan or a large oversized bowl, add cool water and ice cubes. Pull out an aluminum pie dish or a medium/large stainless steel bowl. Put them aside.
- STEP 1: Remove cherry stems and pits.
- STEP 2: In a ramekin, mix cornstarch and water until it’s dissolved and milky looking. Set the cornstarch slurry aside.
- STEP 3: In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine cherries, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
- STEP 4: Stir in the corn starch slurry. Cook mixture 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until fruit softens and juices thicken. Remove pot from heat. Gently stir in vanilla or almond extract.
ICE WATER BATH: Transfer cherry pie filling to the aluminum pie pie plate (or stainless steel bowl). Set it over the ice water bath. Let it shed heat and chill for 20 minutes. Use it for your favorite desserts!
food storage tip
No glass jar to store cherry pie filling? Transfer it to a Zip Top container.
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RECIPE FAQ
Use a stainless steel straw, a chopstick, or a metal decorating tip! These are common items you may already have in your kitchen.
Remove cherry stems. At the spot where the stem was, use your tool of choice to push out the pit.
When stored in an air-tight container in the fridge, cherry pie filling will stay fresh up to 1 week. For longer storage, just freeze it!
Canned and jarred cherries are already softened. So the cook time will be shorter. In a large pot, whisk together sugar, salt, and cornstarch slurry. Add lemon juice and liquid from the cans / jars.
Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture boils. Reduce heat to low and continue stirring until thickened. Stir in the cherries. Remove from heat. Add vanilla or almond extract. Cool completely.
Absolutely! Start by thawing the fruit. Reserve the juice. Mix cherries, sugar, salt, lemon juice and juices from the thawed cherries.
On stovetop, cook over medium heat until bubbly. Stir in cornstarch slurry. Lower the heat to simmer. Stir constantly until liquid is thickened. Add vanilla extract or almond extract. Cool and use as desired.
BEST SUMMER DESSERTS
If you enjoyed this scrumptious cherry pie filling, you’re ready to make more summer recipes! Each is a delicious time-tested favorite.
- YOGURT FRUIT ICE POPS
- DANISH PASTRY
- STRAWBERRY JELLO PIE
- BANANA PUDDING PIE
- WATERGATE SALAD
- TRIPLE BERRY TRIFLE
- KEY LIME PIE
RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Friends say this is the best cherry pie filling recipe! The taste, aroma, and texture is delightful trip down memory lane. It’s reminiscent of all-natural fruit fillings grandmothers made for award-winning pies.
If you love this recipe too, give it a 5-star rating in the comments.
CHERRY PIE FILLING
- Total Time: 30 Minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
Description
Cherry pie filling is quick and easy to make. This is Grandma’s recipe for an award-winning cherry pie! Enjoy this delicious fruit filling over cheesecake, waffles and vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 rounded cups fresh cherries (about 3 pounds)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (or more to taste!)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly-squeezed)
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons water
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
RECIPE PREP: Prepare an ice water bath. In a broiler pan or a large oversized bowl, add cool water and ice cubes. Pull out an aluminum pie dish or a medium/large stainless steel bowl. Put them aside.
- Remove stems and pits from the cherries.
- In a ramekin, mix cornstarch and water until it’s dissolved. Set cornstarch slurry aside.
- In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine cherries, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
- Stir in the corn starch slurry. Cook mixture 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until fruit softens and juices thicken. Remove pot from heat. Gently stir in vanilla.
- Transfer cherry pie filling to the aluminum pie pie plate (or stainless steel bowl). Set it over the ice water bath. Let it shed heat and chill for 20 minutes. Use as desired, or refrigerate.
Notes
TART CHERRIES: If the batch of cherries are tart, add more granulated sugar to balance out the tartness.
HOW LONG WILL THE FILLING STAY FRESH IN THE FRIDGE? When stored in an air-tight container, the cherry pie filling will stay fresh for up to 1 week. But the texture is best within the first 3 to 5 days.
CAN CHERRY PIE FILLING BE FROZEN? Yes! This summer fruit filling freezes very well. Store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
CHERRY PIE FILLING > JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Do you love delicious cherry pie filling? Would you like to make this easy recipe for pies and desserts? In the comments below, share the ways you and your family will enjoy this tasty summer treat!
Woah! I love this! This is heaven sent. My family loves cherry pie! We used to order online but I think making this at home will be so much fun. Thanks for this!
I’m not typically a pie person, but this cherry pie filling looks so fantastic there’s no way I can’t make it! Thanks for the tips about tools for de-pitting the cherries, that will definitely save me a whole lot of time!
We just picked some of our fresh cherries and I can’t wait to make this pie filling! Excited to make a pie soon!
I love that this will help me take care of all the cherries I end up buying during cherry season. Thank you!
I’m all about cherries right now. I just made this yummy recipe and it’s so delicious. I plan to make another batch this sometime this week! I love super-easy recipes like this that can have so many uses!