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+ servings

Sour Cherry Pie

A classic American delicacy, this Sour Cherry Pie is the ultimate summer dessert! It can be made with fresh, frozen or canned cherries, making this a recipe to have on hand all year round!
5 from 2 votes

Ingredients  

For the all-butter crust:

  • 300 grams (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 285 grams (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled and cut in cubes
  • ¼ cup to ½ cup ice water
  • Egg wash (one egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water)

For the cherry pie filling:

  • 1 kg (2.2 pounds or about 6 cups) sour cherries, pitted
  • 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 25 grams (about 3 tablespoons) cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 14 grams (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
  • 1 tablespoon (about 12g) granulated sugar

Equipment

Instructions 

Prepare the crust:

  • Add the flour, sugar and salt to the jar of a food processor, then pulse a few times to combine. Add the chilled butter and pulse until pea-size pieces form.
  • Slowly pour the ice water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing to combine in between. Once you start seeing a few large clumps form, stop adding water, then dump the dough onto a floured surface and finish bringing the dough together using floured hands.
  • Form a large dough ball, then divide into 2. Flatten each dough ball into a disk. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 2 days) before rolling out.

Make the cherry pie filling:

  • Combine the pitted cherries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan or small Dutch oven. Cook, over medium heat, until the cherries release their juices.
  • Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water in a bowl. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch into the cooked cherries and continue cooking until the filling thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Remove the filling from the heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Let the cherry filling cool before assembling the pie.

Assemble and bake the cherry pie:

  • Preheat oven to 425ºF.
  • On a floured surface, roll out one of the chilled pie disks until about a 12-inch diameter circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, carefully pressing into the bottom and sides of the pan.
  • Pour the filling into the crust, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Then, dot it with cubes of cold butter.
  • Roll out the second disk to 12-inch round and use a pastry wheel (sharp knife or pizza cutter also work) to cut ten 3/4-inch wide strips. Arrange the strips on top of the filling, forming the lattice. Trim the excess dough and flute or crimp the edges of the crust.
  • Brush the crust with the egg wash, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
  • Bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF, then lower the temperature to 375ºF and continue baking until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 45 to 60 minutes more. If the crust is browning too quickly, place a pie crust shield or cover with foil to prevent burning.
  • Let the pie cool slightly if you plan on serving warm, or completely if you plan on serving at room temperature.

Notes

Storage:
This sour cherry pie will keep well, covered, at room temperature for 2 days. Alternatively, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 4 months.
Reheating cherry pie:
  • If pie is at room temperature, reheat at 250ºF until warm. That should take about 15 minutes for slices or up to 30 minutes for a whole pie.
  • If pie is cold, reheat at 350ºF until warm. I recommend shielding the crust to prevent over-browning.
Soggy Bottom:
This pie has a cooked filling, so the bottom shouldn't be soggy. However, fruit pies don't usually have a super crisp bottom, due to the moisture from the fruit filling. If that bothers you, you can remedy this by blind baking the crust and brushing with an egg wash before adding the filling and baking! Instructions are on the blog post!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 606kcal, Carbohydrates: 78g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 159mg, Potassium: 336mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 43g, Vitamin A: 1044IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 2mg