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Cherry Pie Filling can be so much better homemade than standard canned or store-bought pie fillings. This cooked filling is at the ready for all kinds of uses, especially cherry pie in your favorite crust.
Cherry is the first fresh fruit filling I ever cooked first before adding it to a pie. I was inspired by my sister-in-law Amara, who likes to cook her fillings (apple, cherry, peach) before baking the pie. She likes the control this gives her in determining if the filling is properly thickened and flavored. I agree! Her special flair with cherries in my filling recipe here.
Whether you’re baking a classic cherry pie or utilizing this luscious filling in various desserts, understanding how to make it from scratch can elevate any recipe you use it in.
The Role of Ingredients
- Fresh Cherries: The foundation of any great cherry pie filling, sour cherries bring out a more authentic cherry flavor. So this is not the filling for bing cherries or other sweet cherry varieties Fresh cherries are wonderful but also require some doing by pitting them before cooking. Frozen sour cherries are a time-saving alternative because they are already pitted. They are just as good as fresh tart cherries for making pie filling.
- Sugar Mixture: Granulated sugar or cane sugar are my go-tos for sweetening pie filling. You can sub in some brown sugar if you like. And if you prefer less sugar, you can adjust the amount by starting with half, stirring it in, tasting, and adding more as needed to suit your tastes.
- Cornstarch Slurry: This acts as a necessary thickener, giving your cherry filling a glossy finish.
- Flavor Enhancers: Adding a splash of almond extract will impart that classic cherry pie flavor many are after in their cherry treats. Cherry pie filling tastes amazing with a whipser of rose water too, such a fit. You can use vanilla extract, orange extract, or lemon extract. Fresh Lemon juice or, my favorite, lime juice and lime zest, is crucial for brightening the taste. Lime zest combined with a little sugar sprinkled on top of a pie is a delicious twist!
Tips for success
Homemade pie filling is not difficult! Here’s how to do it:
- Preparation: If you’re using fresh sour cherries, pit them in advance. This is my favorite cherry pitter for this purpose, one that pits several at the same time. You can always freeze the pitted cherries to have them at the ready, or use frozen purchased sour cherries. No need to thaw them before cooking.
- Making the Slurry: In a small bowl, combine corn starch with cold water to form a cornstarch slurry.
- Cooking the Cherries: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the pitted cherries, sugar, and the lemon or lime juice. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Thickening the Mixture: Once the cherries release their juice and the mixture becomes warm, allow it to cool slightly before slowly stirring in the slurry. This will thicken the mixture.
- Enhancing the Flavor: Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in any additional flavorings (extracts, flower waters, zest). Taste and adjust for overall flavor. Allow the filling to cool to room temperature.
Storage
Once your cherry filling is prepared, store it in an airtight container or a mason jar. This can be kept in the refrigerator if you’re planning to use it soon, or frozen for long-time storage. I love to freeze fillings so I can bake a pie much faster when the spirit moves me!
Ways to use it
This very easy homemade cherry pie filling goes so many places!!
- Cherry Pie: Who doesn’t want a piece of warm cherry pie?! Choose your favorite pie crust, be it store-bought pie crusts or homemade pie crust. My favorite crust is oil pie crust, which my mother made exclusively, but butter pie crust or coconut oil pie crust are wonderful. Make a double crust pie, lattice pie, or cherry slab pie (for my slab pie recipe, double the filling recipe here).
- Cherry Galette: Make a rustic galette with the filling. Simply replace the uncooked sugared cherries in my galette recipe with some or all of the cherry pie filling that is already cooked. The recipe remains the same otherwise. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
- Yogurt Parfaits or Ice Cream Sundaes: Layer cherry pie filling with morning yogurt for a total treat. Or, add some to a yogurt smoothie.
- Black Forest Cake: Incorporate the filling as the traditional cake filling in black forest cakes.
Cherry Pie Filling Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups sour cherries, pitted, from fresh or frozen
- 1 cup granulated sugar, or cane sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 lime
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon rose water
Instructions
- In a medium heavy pot, cook the cherries and sugar over medium high heat until the cherries have burst and released their juices, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low to cool the mixture slightly.
- In a small bowl, stir to combine the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water. Stir this mixture into the cherries along with the juice and zest of the lime, almond extract, and rose water. Cook until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator or freezer. Or, use immediately in a 9-inch pie, galette, or other recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
