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A juicy, sliceable homemade cherry pie recipe from a professional pastry chef. Flavored with a touch of almond extract, butter, cherries and sugar, and is baked in flakey all butter pie crust.
This Cherry Pie is thick, juicy and delicious! The almond extract in the filling enhances the cherry flavor and pulls the whole pie together. I have baked this pie in an all butter pie crust, my vodka pie crust and also an almond flour pie crust. It is delicious in any crust you choose.
The butter pie crust is easier to lattice, which is why I show you how to layer the almond pie crust strips in an asymmetrical pattern that is both beautiful and functional! No matter the crust you choose, you should absolutely serve this pie with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Why You Will Love this Cherry Pie
- An easy, no fuss filling! This cherry filling is thick and perfectly sweetened. You can even make the same recipe using frozen cherries to skip the pitting all together.
- A thick, sliceable pie. The tapioca makes a thick filling that will slice beautifully after cooling.
- Foolproof baking for a thick filling and flaky crust. Beginning the baking process at 425°F for 30 minutes ensures the filling gets hot enough to boil and the bottom crust has enough heat to brown.
Professional Tips for Making Thick Cherry Pie
- Use a cherry pitter. A cherry pitter will make quick work of pitting the cherries for this recipe or for cherry preserves. If you don’t have one, I find slicing the cherries in half then pulling out the pit with my nail works quicker than using a straw or skewer.
- Taste the filling before adding the tapioca. Use either sweet or tart cherries in this cherry pie recipe. I personally love to use a mix of both if I can find them, or use frozen cherries!
- For extra thick cherry pie filling pre-cook it. This pie filling bakes thick and sliceable, but for the thickest possible filling, cook it on the stovetop. You will need to cool it before assembling the pie.
Ingredients Needed
- Almond Pie Crust: I use this almond flour pie crust in this recipe, but it would also be fantastic with an all butter pie crust or a Crisco pie crust. The shortening homemade pie crust will have a similar crumbly texture to the almond crust.
- Cherries: You can make this pie with sweet cherries, sour cherries, or tart cherries or a mixture of both. If you have maraschinos in your cupboard, they’re not the best for this, but they’re perfect for cherry cookies!
- Quick Cooking Tapioca: This recipe calls for quick cooking tapioca, but if you can’t find it, you can use tapioca flour or small tapioca pearls. I usually grind the pearls in a spice grinder to make them fine. Let the mixed filling sit for 30 minutes to allow the tapioca pearls to hydrate. You don’t have to let tapioca flour or quick cooking tapioca sit before baking. Save your cornstarch for a lemon meringue pie!
- Granulated Sugar: The granulated sugar is here for sweetness but also to aid in the thickening process. Sugar absorbs moisture as the filling bakes, which results in a thicker fruit filling.
- Unsalted Butter: The unsalted butter lends a little richness to the filling and makes it extra silky smooth.
- Almond Extract: Did you know that cherry pits taste and smell like almond extract? This means that little almond extract will complement and enhance the cherry flavor!
- Kosher salt
- Heavy Cream
- Turbinado Sugar
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Use fresh or frozen cherries: You can use fresh or frozen cherries in this pie; however, if using frozen, I recommend allowing them to thaw before baking.
- Change the flavors: Add a little orange zest, lemon juice or vanilla extract to the filling.
- Add alcohol: Do you know what tastes amazing with cherries? Bourbon. And also dark rum, Cointreau, or brandy. You’re welcome. You could also forgo the booze in the pie filling and add a few tablespoons to this vanilla crème anglaise recipe instead!
How to Make Homemade Cherry Pie
Use these instructions to make the perfect pie every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Rolling & latticing the dough
Step 1: Using a rolling pin, roll out both top and bottom crusts to ¼ inch thick. If it cracks, it is a little too cold. Let it sit out for 5-8 minutes. If using an all butter pie crust or this vodka pie crust, roll thinner to 1/8th inch.
Step 2: You can lattice like I did in this strawberry rhubarb pie or you can just use a sharp knife to cut a few vent holes like in this peach pie. You can also just lay the strips on top of the filling without weaving. Follow this full tutorial on any method for how to lattice pie crust.
If you are using the almond flour pie crust, I strongly suggest latticing on top of the filled bottom crust. This crust is more tender and does not take kindly to pre-weaving on parchment and transferring like I do in this blueberry pie, for example.
Make filling & assemble
Step 3: Preheat oven to 425°F.
Step 4: Mix quick cooking tapioca, sugar, salt, cherries, extract and butter in a bowl. Pour into lined 9-inch pie dish.
Step 5: Cover with top crust, lattice the crust decoratively, or simply layer the pieces asymmetrically like I have done here.
Step 6: Trim the excess dough off the edges and roll them under or simply cut to fit the pie dish.
Step 7: Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado or coarse sugar. Chill 30 minutes.
Step 8: Place dish on rimmed baking sheet and bake in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325°F and bake until the filling is bubbly in the center.
If the crust is getting too dark, tent the whole top of the pie with foil or make 3 strips of foil and fold them around the edges.
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
If you cannot find quick cooking tapioca, buy the small pearled tapioca and grind them in a spice grinder or food processor. Mix the filling and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. This will hydrate the tapioca and allow it to reach its thickening potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the baked, cooled pie well wrapped at room temperature for 3 days, in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. This pie freezes beautifully.
Unwrap pie and allow to thaw at room temperature. Gently warm pie in a 325°F oven to re-crisp the crust prior to serving.
There are several easy things you can do to keep the bottom crust from getting soggy in a double crust pie. Begin baking the pie at a higher heat like 425°F; pre-cook and cool the filling; use a glass or metal baking dish; and allow the pie ample time to bake.
You do not need to pre-bake the bottom crust for cherry pie. Initially baking the pie at 425°F will allow the crust enough time to brown and become flakey not soggy. Pre-baking a double crust pie is also a logistical challenge because you will then need to add filling and a top crust to a bottom crust that is already baked.
If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Cherry Pie
Ingredients
For the cherry pie filling:
- 2 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 ½ cups cherries pitted and halved
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons butter chopped in small pieces
For Assembly:
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- turbinado sugar
- 2 Single Pie Crusts Homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425F.
- Mix quick cooking tapioca, sugar, salt, cherries, extract and butter. Set aside. I like to give the tapioca 20-30 minutes to hydrate so that it dissolves and thickens the filling nicely.
- Roll out bottom crust and line an ungreased pie pan with the dough.
- Arrange filling in bottom crust.
- Add the top crust. If not using a lattice crust, make sure you cut some vent holes! This pie dough is fragile and is very challenging to lattice. An alternative to a woven lattice would be to layer the pieces asymmetrically.
- The cut the excess off the edges and roll them under or simply cut to fit the pie dish.
- Chill 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Brush the top of the dough with the whipping cream and then sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, periodically checking to make sure you don’t need to cover your top crust to keep it from getting too brown. Turn down heat to 350 and continue baking until crust is brown and filling is bubbling.
- Cool before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed pie recipes or peruse the 20 Best Thanksgiving Pies, complete with one of my faves: Easy Chocolate Pie!
This is confusing- the pie crust is for a bottom only, but the recipe calls for top and bottom?
HI Emily! You are right, the recipe for the almond crust makes a single crust, so you would need to double it to make a double crust pie. Sorry for the confusion! Happy baking!
This looks delicious! I cant wait to try making it this weekend, I love cherry pie and anything thats almond flavored.
I just found your site today, and I already know that I’ll be trying out a lot of the recipes I’ve seen 🙂
I am so glad that you found me! This pie is ah-mazing! And the almond crust is my favorite crust right now. Let me know if you like it!
Cherries and almonds are just made for each other!
I couldn’t agree more!
Do you use the quick cooking tapioca powder or the round pebbles?
I use the little round pebbles. Let me know how it goes! I’ve never used the powder but I might have to give that a try.
I like the almond cruse….very unique!!
*crust 🙂 I can’t spell today
I can’t spell any day! The almond crust is todiefor!
Beautiful pie! I’m glad to see you adopted that cute little kitty.
Thanks!
Your pie looks wonderful….so easy to make….thank you for posting…..loved your sweet story about You and Mom 🙂
I sometimes make a Cherry pie open faced…then on top scatter sliced almonds for the **crust*…
Keep baking and enjoy your day…..
Thanks! It certainly was easy to make! I’ll have to try almonds for the “crust”. It would definitely be a healthier alternative.