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Looking for a way to use all of those fresh summer cherries? Make homemade my Cherry Pie Filling recipe! My recipe is so easy and you only need five ingredients! Use this easy filling for pie or use it to create other delicious cherry desserts. Once you try making homemade pie filling, I can promise that you will never want to buy canned store-bought pie filling again. Using fresh cherries makes a huge difference – Perfectly sweet with just the right amount of sugar this pie filling is all about that fresh cherry flavor. 

cherry pie in a clear mason jar surrounded by cherries.


Recipe Notes

  • You can use sweet cherries or tart cherries – the key is in the lemon juice.
  • This recipe is for pie filling – not the whole pie. Sometimes you want to use pie filling for topping a cherry cheesecake or to use on pancakes or in cherry ice cream.
  • Use my cherry pie recipe to turn this pie filling into a full pie – with double crust or crumble topping. Just note that it takes a bit of time to make a full pie – you need to make this pie filling and let it cool, make the homemade pie crust, then bake the full pie and let it cool.
Bowl of cherries in a cherry decorated bowl

Ingredients Needed

  • Cherries: Pitting cherries can be a chore but the easiest way to pit a cherry is with a cherry pitter. You will also need to remove the stems. Don’t have a cherry pitter? Learn how to pit a cherry with a straw.
  • Water: When you cook the cherries, you will need to add some water. Cooking the cherries in water helps break them down and release the cherry juices.
  • Sugar: You will need some granulated sugar to sweeten the pie filling.
  • Cornstarch: To thicken your filling, you will add a slurry which is made with cornstarch and cold water.
  • Lemon Juice: You will also need some lemon juice which helps balance out the sweetness from the sugar.

What are the best cherries to use for pie filling?

  • Sweet Cherries: if you’re using all sweet cherries you’ll want to be sure and use the lemon juice.
  • Tart Cherries (also called sour cherries): if you’re using all tart cherries you can omit the lemon juice (or add it after tasting during cooking.
  • Combination of cherries: be sure and taste during cooking and adjust the amount of lemon juice accordingly.
cherries in saucepan with clear lid.
boiled cherries in saucepan with sugar
boiling cherries in saucepan.
cherries in saucepan with slurry.

How to make cherry pie filling

  1. Cook Cherries: Place the prepped cherries and water in a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil and cook the cherries for 10 to 15 minutes or until they have softened and released their juices.
  2. Mix and Boil: Add the sugar to the cherries followed by a cornstarch slurry. Stir continuously. The mixture will thicken quickly at which point you can take it off the heat.
  3. Taste: At this point, taste the filling (carefully- it will be hot!) and if it’s too sweet you can add lemon juice to balance it out.
  4. Cool: Transfer the filling to a bowl or large bowl. Let it cool to room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator until you ready to use it.

Storing Homemade Cherry Pie Filling

Make this Easy Cherry Pie Filling Ahead or Freeze It!

Storing: Make this filling and keep it in the fridge for four days.

Freezing: Place in a freezer safe container and freeze it up to 3 months.

Canning: I do not recommend canning this recipe because it uses cornstarch.

cherry pie in a clear mason jar surrounded by cherries.

Tips & Variations

  • You can add some vanilla or almond extracts to the pie filling – stir it in after you’ve removed it from the heat.
  • If making a full pie, be sure to brush the pie dough with egg wash so it will get golden brown.

FAQ

Can I use canned cherries instead of fresh?

Canned cherries are a little different – for those they’re already soft from being canned. In that instance, you’d thicken the liquid first, then stir in the cherries.

Ways to use Cherry Pie Filling

cherry pie in a clear mason jar surrounded by cherries.

Cherry Pie Filling Recipe

5 from 45 votes
This easy Cherry Pie Filling can be made with tart or sweet cherries and is perfect for a no bake pie or any cherry dessert. Plus the filling is gluten-free!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Yield 8 servings
Serving Size 1 serving
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Ingredients
 

  • 4 ½ – 5 cups fresh cherries (about 1¾ pounds) pitted
  • ¼ cup water
  • ⅔ cup (133g) sugar
  • ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice see note
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Instructions

  • Pit your cherries and place them in a medium saucepan with the water. Place over medium-low heat and cover. Bring to a boil and cook until the cherries start to soften and release their juices, about 10-15 minutes.
  • Make a cornstarch slurry: add the cornstarch with an additional 1/4 cup of COLD water to a small bowl and stir with a spoon.
  • Add the lemon juice if you feel the mixture is too sweet (see note).
  • Stir the sugar into the cherries, then add the cornstarch slurry. Stir continuously while the mixture thickens, which will happen fast.
  • Remove the cherries from the heat and place in a bowl or large jar. Cool to room temperature then chill until ready to use. You can also freeze. Will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• You can use all tart or all sweet or a combination of cherries. If using sweet cherries, be sure to add the lemon juice. If you’re using tart cherries, you may not need it (the lemon juice cuts the sweetness) so it depends on how sweet you want your pie filling.
Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin C: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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Favorite Cherry Recipes



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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5 from 45 votes (34 ratings without comment)

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33 Comments

  1. Iv’e made homemade pies since I was about 11(a long time ago). I love fresh cherries and always wanted to make a fresh cherry pie. Your recipe has refreshed this desire. I make my pie crusts from scratch. It’s an old recipe from the mid West. My question is how do I set up the crust. I do know how to make a 2 crust apple pie. However what’s an easy way to put a top crust on this recipe, what temperature to bake it and for how long?

    Reply

  2. The national center for food preservation does NOT recommend using cornstarch when canning. To do so one is asking for BOTULISM. I would strongly encourage you to research this matter and encourage your followers to use Clear Jel when choosing to can using your recipe.

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  4. The very best cherry pie filling recipe I have ever made in all the 30 – plus years I’ve bee making it.I did cut the lemon juice in half because cherries usually have enough tartness on their own especially if your picking from your own trees. I keep all the cherries from bright red to with a tinge of yellow on them and just love the natural tartness I get every time. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’m putting this one in my recipes, it’s definitely a keeper!

    Reply