My cherry pie filling recipe is the thick, juicy cherry pie filling of your dreams ~ just 3 ingredients and a few minutes to make it!
what you’ll need for homemade cherry pie filling
The ultimate cherry pie filling is so simple you won’t believe it…
- pitted cherries
- you can use fresh or frozen cherries. I used frozen sour (or tart) cherries today.
- sugar
- sweet cherries will take a little less than sour cherries.
- cornstarch
optional ingredients
- vanilla or almond extract
- added after cooking if you’d like an extra layer of flavor in your filling.
- lemon juice
- if you are not using tart or sour cherries, a touch of lemon juice will help give you that pop of acidity which brings out the cherry flavor.
fresh or frozen cherries?
This is one of those times when I actually prefer to use frozen rather than fresh fruit. Fresh cherries take a lot of prep work to remove the pits, so I reserve them for eating out of hand. Frozen fruit is perfect for this homemade cherry pie filling. There’s no need to thaw first, just use from the freezer.
how to make cherry pie filling
- Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together until well combined.
- Add the cherries, sugar mixture, and 1/4 cup of water to a medium large non-reactive pan. Stir to combine and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch. As the cherries heat they will start to release their juices.
- Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat and continue to simmer and stir for a few minutes until the filling is thick and glossy. Some of the cherries will break down, but many will remain whole.
- I like to taste the filling (be careful, it’s hot!) to see if it needs a squeeze of lemon.
- Let the filling cool completely before refrigerating. It will thicken further as it chills.
- Keep refrigerated, and plan to use your filling within 10 days.
- I store my cherry pie filling in Weck glass jars.
why my cherry pie filling recipe is better than canned
One obvious reason is that you control the ingredients, in this case, just 3: cherries, sugar, cornstarch. Canned fillings can contain high fructose corn syrup, chemicals like erythorbic acid, preservatives, and artificial colorings.
I don’t know about you, but canned pie filling always disappoints me. It’s too goopy, too sweet, and doesn’t have the zippy fruit flavor I’m after. This recipe delivers that bright tart cherry flavor I crave.
cherry pie filling can do more than pie!
This recipe will fill a 9 inch pie for cherry pie, but there are so many other things you can do with this cherry pie filling!
Spoon it over French toast for a special breakfast.
This would make a fabulous filling for Dutch babies!
Heat it up and serve hot, over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Use it as a filling for cherry crumb bars.
Make a cherry trifle with leftover cubes of cake.
Spoon it over cheesecake.
Spoon it over pound cake.
Swirl it into your morning yogurt.
Use it as the base for a simple crumble or crisp, using my Make Ahead Crumble Topping Recipe for the Freezer!
cherry mania
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Cherry Pie Filling Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 lbs frozen cherries
- a squeeze of lemon, optional
Instructions
- Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together until well combined.
- Add the cherries, sugar mixture, and 1/4 cup of water to a medium large non-reactive pan. Stir to combine and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch. As the cherries heat they will start to release their juices.
- Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat and continue to simmer and stir for a few minutes until the filling has thickened to your desired consistency. Keep in mind your filling will thicken further as it cools.
- I like to taste the filling (be careful, it's hot!) to see if it needs any more sugar, or a squeeze of lemon.
- Let the filling cool to room temperature and then refrigerate in an airtight container until needed.
Notes
- This recipe will fill a 9 inch pie.
- If you use sweet cherries you might need to reduce the sugar and increase the lemon juice.Â
I am looking forward to trying this recipe using fresh cherries from the market. How many cups of seeded, cut up cherries does two pounds of cherries make? The cherries were in a pouch that was not pre-weighed, so I do not know the weight of the cherries so that I can adjust the recipe for the amount of cherries that I have.
It would be about 5-6 cups Lou.