Here’s a classic homemade cherry pie recipe that’s simple, tart-sweet, and perfect with a flaky crust:
Ingredients
For the crust (makes a double crust):
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 6–8 tbsp ice water
For the filling:
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
- 1 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste if cherries are very tart)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional, enhances cherry flavor)
- Pinch of salt
For topping:
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- 1 tbsp sugar (for sprinkling on top)
Instructions
- Make the crust:
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.
- Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add ice water 1 tbsp at a time, mixing gently until dough just comes together.
- Divide into 2 discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Prepare the filling:
- In a bowl, combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, almond extract, and salt. Mix gently.
- Let sit for 10–15 minutes to macerate.
- Assemble the pie:
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Roll out one disc of dough and fit into a 9-inch pie pan.
- Pour in the cherry filling.
- Roll out the second disc for the top crust. You can cover fully or make a lattice pattern.
- Trim excess dough and crimp edges to seal.
- Brush top with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake:
- Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 375°F (190°C) and bake 35–40 minutes more, until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.
- If the edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil.
- Cool and serve:
- Let the pie cool at least 2 hours for the filling to set.
- Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally with vanilla ice cream.
If you want, I can also give a shortcut version using store-bought pie crust that’s almost as good and much faster.
Do you want me to show that version too?
