By Becky Hardin
Updated Feb 20, 2025
There’s nothing better than a tasty homemade cherry pie, and today I’m sharing a recipe that takes only 15 minutes to prep! I make my own cherry pie filling at home with a few shortcuts to keep it simple. This easy, sweet pie is packed full of cherries and is best served with a generous helping of ice cream!
5-Star Review
“Everyone at my house was impressed with this pie! Such an amazing dessert!” -Toni
Cherry Pie Recipe
This cherry pie recipe has all the summery flavors—with a delicious almond flavored cherry pie filling and buttery flaky crust. I use a premade pie crust and canned cherries (skip the tedious pitting) to make this pie recipe so easy! It’s one of the best summer desserts because it’s fruity, simple, and delicious!
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 15 ounces refrigerated pre-made pie crust 425 grams (1 package; 2 crusts)
- ▢ 43.5 ounces Red Tart Cherries packed in water* 1,233 grams (3 cans)
- ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- ▢ 3 tablespoons cornstarch 21 grams
- ▢ 1 cup cherry juice 227 grams, from the canned cherries
- ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 14 grams (⅛ stick)
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 gram
- ▢ ½ lemon juiced and zested
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cold milk or cream 14 grams
- ▢ Demerara sugar coarse raw sugar or coarse white sugar, optional, for sprinkling on top
Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and arrange the bottom pie dough into the pie pan. Use a small fork to prick holes in the dough; set aside until ready to fill. 15 ounces refrigerated pre-made pie crust
- Drain the cherries, reserving 1 cup of cherry juice. 43.5 ounces Red Tart Cherries packed in water*
- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Slowly, while still whisking, add reserved cherry juice. Stir until smooth. 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup cherry juice
- Add salt and cinnamon, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a low boil. Simmer the mixture, stirring often, for about 7-9 minutes or until it has thickened. ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Remove the mixture from the heat and add the butter, almond extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir well. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and allow the mixture to cool slightly. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, ½ lemon
- Pour the cooled pie filling into the prepared pie crust and cover the filling with a vented or lattice top crust.
- To make your own lattice crust, see my step-by-step instructions in my blueberry pie recipe .
- Use a pastry brush to brush the crust with milk. Sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar, if desired. 1 tablespoon cold milk or cream, Demerara sugar
- Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake another 35-45 minutes (covering the edges when needed with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield). The crust should be a beautiful caramel brown and the juices should bubble up through the lattice top.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Pie Pan
Becky’s Tips
- I use Oregon Fruit canned Tart Red Cherries in water or Trader Joe’s Pitted Dark Morello Cherries in Light Syrup (stems removed).
- If you have time to make your own pie crust , give this recipe a go!
- Regular sweet cherries will also work if tart cherries are not available.
- I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to make The Best Homemade Cherry Pie Step by Step
Preheat oven to 425°F and arrange the 15 ounces refrigerated pre-made pie crust into the pie pan. Use a small fork to prick holes in the dough. Set aside until ready to fill.
Prepare the cherry pie filling: Drain the 43.5 ounces Red Tart Cherries (packed in water), reserving 1 cup of cherry juice.
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, whisk 1 cup granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons cornstarch together. Slowly, while still whisking, add reserved 1 cup of cherry juice. Stir until smooth.
Add ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a low boil. Simmer the mixture, stirring often, for about 7-9 minutes or until it has thickened.
Remove the mixture from the heat and add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, ½ lemon and lemon zest. Stir well.
Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Combine cherry pie filling and pie crust: Pour the cooled pie filling into the prepared pie crust and cover the filling with a vented or lattice top crust.
To make your own lattice crust, see my step-by-step instructions in my blueberry pie recipe .
Use a pastry brush to brush the crust with 1 tablespoon cold milk or cream. Sprinkle liberally with Demerara sugar (coarse sugar).
Bake and let it rest: Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake for another 35-45 minutes (covering the edges when needed with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield).
Bake until the crust is a beautiful caramel brown and the juices bubble up through the lattice top.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
How to Store
This homemade pie stays at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also keep it covered in the fridge for 4-5 days.
This pie also freezes really well. To freeze a baked pie, simply let the baked pie cool to room temperature and wrap it with foil or plastic wrap and place in a large freezer bag. You can also freeze the unbaked pie, then cook from frozen.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this homemade cherry pie straight out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream that slowly melts! Or add a dollop of fresh whipped cream .
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Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Pie Pan
Ingredients
- 15 ounces refrigerated pre-made pie crust 425 grams (1 package; 2 crusts)
- 43.5 ounces Red Tart Cherries packed in water* 1,233 grams (3 cans)
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch 21 grams
- 1 cup cherry juice 227 grams, from the canned cherries
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 14 grams (⅛ stick)
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 gram
- ½ lemon juiced and zested
- 1 tablespoon cold milk or cream 14 grams
- Demerara sugar coarse raw sugar or coarse white sugar, optional, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and arrange the bottom pie dough into the pie pan. Use a small fork to prick holes in the dough; set aside until ready to fill. 15 ounces refrigerated pre-made pie crust
- Drain the cherries, reserving 1 cup of cherry juice. 43.5 ounces Red Tart Cherries packed in water*
- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Slowly, while still whisking, add reserved cherry juice. Stir until smooth. 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup cherry juice
- Add salt and cinnamon, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a low boil. Simmer the mixture, stirring often, for about 7-9 minutes or until it has thickened. ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Remove the mixture from the heat and add the butter, almond extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir well. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and allow the mixture to cool slightly. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, ½ lemon
- Pour the cooled pie filling into the prepared pie crust and cover the filling with a vented or lattice top crust.
- To make your own lattice crust, see my step-by-step instructions in my blueberry pie recipe .
- Use a pastry brush to brush the crust with milk. Sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar, if desired. 1 tablespoon cold milk or cream, Demerara sugar
- Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake another 35-45 minutes (covering the edges when needed with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield). The crust should be a beautiful caramel brown and the juices should bubble up through the lattice top.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Video
Notes
- I use Oregon Fruit canned Tart Red Cherries in water or Trader Joe’s Pitted Dark Morello Cherries in Light Syrup (stems removed).
- If you have time to make your own pie crust , give this recipe a go!
- Regular sweet cherries will also work if tart cherries are not available.
- I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
