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
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.
This turned out perfectly! I have so many cherries on my two trees this year it’s insane. I spend the mornings collecting fruit and the afternoons pitting, freezing, making jam and now making filling!
Wondering, have you tried freezing this filling?
I know I can always make a batch fairly quickly from my frozen cherries but I could make things super easy to whip up if I could have some of this ready to go! Thinking if I could freeze in half batches for tarts, cake fillings, turnovers, etc., I could be a champion of desserts.
Your busy life sounds dreamy! The filling will freeze well. Cool completely before freezing to prevent ice crystals
Store in airtight containers or freezer bags (leave a little headspace for expansion)
Label with the date—good for up to 6 months.
There is no baking directions! How hot an oven or cooking time! I think Cherry pies need a hot oven.
This recipe is for cherry pie filling, not the whole pie. I do have a delicious cherry pie recipe here.
So easy and SO good! YUM
You add the cherry filling to a unbaked pie crust correct? And bake how long and what temperature
My cherry crumble pie recipe is here.
I like to make my pies ahead of time and freeze until I’m ready to bake them. Does this recipe freeze well?
Yes, for sure!
My favorite from scratch cherry pie has a little bit of cinnamon in it. I love the little bit of unexpected warmth it gives it! I highly recommend it!
Love that idea, thanks!
I have a bag of dried Mortmorency( sp) cherries. I know they’re sour. Any idea how I could use them?
I would add them to a granola or muesli. You could use also them in my oatmeal cranberry cookies.
OK so when you do use a wreck jar if you were to Can this how many jars would you think you yield?
This recipe yields about 4 cups, so it depends on the specific weck jar. You’d need 2 of the large 3/4 litre jars, or 3 of the smaller ones.
?
WATERBATH? pressure can? How long
How mank wreck jars will recipe yield
Is the shelf life any different for pie filling that it is for jellies and jams ??? Yield wreck jars WB or PC
This recipe isn’t formulated for canning ~ it’s a small batch one pie deal.
Are these tart or sweet cherries?
They’re tart, or sour, cherries. They tend to be best for baking because the flavor really pops.