Classic Homemade Cherry Pie
Based on the pie shown in your image, this is a classic deep-dish cherry pie with a flaky, buttery double crust and a rich, glossy cherry filling. It’s sweet, slightly tart, and perfect with vanilla ice cream.
Prep: 30 minutes + chilling
Bake: 55–65 minutes
Cooling: 3–4 hours
Servings: 8 slices
🥧 Ingredients
For the pie crust
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 6–8 tablespoons ice water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
For the cherry filling
- 5 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract, optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the top
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water or milk
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, optional
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Make the pie dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add the cold cubed butter.
- Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Mix the ice water with the lemon juice.
- Add the liquid 1 tablespoon at a time, gently mixing until the dough just comes together.
- Divide the dough into two portions and shape each into a disk.
- Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Prepare the cherry filling
- Place the cherries in a large saucepan.
- Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, almond extract, salt, and cinnamon.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Cook over medium heat for about 6–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cherries release their juices and the mixture becomes thick and glossy.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
- Let the filling cool for about 20–30 minutes.
Tip: If using frozen cherries, there’s no need to thaw them completely, but expect the filling to take a few extra minutes to thicken.
3. Assemble the pie
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Lightly flour your work surface.
- Roll one dough disk into a circle about 12 inches wide.
- Carefully place it into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, leaving some dough hanging over the edges.
- Pour the cooled cherry filling into the crust and spread it evenly.
- Dot the top with the 2 tablespoons of butter.
4. Add the top crust
Roll out the second dough disk and place it over the cherries.
You can:
- Cut several decorative vents in the center, as shown in the photo, or
- Cut the dough into strips and create a lattice crust.
Trim excess dough, then fold the edges underneath and crimp them with your fingers or a fork.
5. Egg wash
Whisk together the egg and water or milk.
Brush the top crust lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
6. Bake
Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any bubbling filling.
Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes.
Then reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for 35–45 minutes, or until:
- The crust is deeply golden brown
- The cherry filling is bubbling
- The edges are crisp and browned
If the crust starts browning too quickly, loosely cover the edges with aluminum foil.
7. Cool completely
Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a cooling rack.
Let it cool for at least 3–4 hours before slicing. This allows the cherry filling to set properly.
🍨 Serving Suggestion
Serve thick slices slightly warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The contrast between the buttery crust, tart-sweet cherries, and creamy ice cream is hard to beat.
⭐ Recipe Notes
- Fresh cherries: Best during cherry season.
- Frozen cherries: Work beautifully year-round.
- Tart cherries: Use closer to 1 cup of sugar if your cherries are very sour.
- Sweet cherries: Reduce the sugar to about ½–⅔ cup.
- For an especially flaky crust, keep the butter very cold and avoid overworking the dough.