Sweet Cherry Pie Recipe
I make this Sweet Cherry Pie recipe every summer and it never disappoints. The filling sets up beautifully and the crust bakes up golden and flaky. It's fabulous for picnics and potlucks.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 Recipe for all-butter double crust pie dough
- 5 cups whole pitted cherries, dark sweet cherries or mixture of rainier, sliced in half
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar
Instructions
- Make all-butter double crust according to the recipe. Divide dough in two portions, with one half slightly larger than the other. Cover airtight, and chill until ready to use. Dough can be made 1-2 days in advance. When ready to use, let it rest at room temp a bit to soften for rolling out.
- Preheat oven to 425F with rack on lower middle position. In a bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and both extracts until well combined and smooth; be sure cornstarch is fully dissolved. Gently stir in the cherries to coat well. Set aside.
- Roll out the larger dough half to about 12 inches diameter. Press into a 9-inch glass pie pan. Roll out the smaller dough half similarly. Cut ten 3/4-inch wide strips out of it and set aside.
- Use rubber spatula to scrape all filling mixture into the dough-lined pie pan, mounding it slightly at the center. Arrange cut dough strips over the filling to form lattice top. Trim excess edges as needed, but leave enough dough at edges to fold up and crimp/seal well.
- Use pastry brush to evenly brush top crust with egg white; sprinkle evenly with coarse sugar. Place pie on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Tent entire pie loosely with foil to prevent over-browning and drop temperature to 375F.
- Continue baking about 1 hour more, or until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown. If needed, cover just the edges of crust and bake a bit longer for center to bubble up.
- Let pie cool completely at moderate room temp. Once it's set, slice and serve - vanilla bean ice cream highly recommended!
Notes
- Use sweet cherries like Bing or Rainier for the best flavor—no need to add too much sugar when the fruit is already naturally sweet.
- Make sure the cornstarch is fully dissolved in the sugar and lemon juice before adding cherries. This prevents clumps and helps the filling thicken evenly.
- Homemade all-butter pie crust makes a world of difference—its flaky, buttery texture is unparalleled. However, you can use store-bought crust in a pinch.
- Let the pie cool completely before slicing. It’s tempting to dig in early, but cooling time is key for the filling to fully set and hold its shape.
- This recipe is part of our Summer Recipes Collection.
- We love serving this sweet cherry pie with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 3mg