This easy cherry pie recipe takes about three minutes to assemble and then 45 minutes to bake. There is no easier and more delicious cherry pie out there. You're going to love it!
I make 3 pies for Thanksgiving dinner. It doesn't matter how many guests are coming, nor who they are.
Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without a slice of cherry pie.
And a slice of pumpkin pie.
And a slice of pecan pie.
It just isn't.
And I make all 3 of them myself, usually on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Are you impressed?
Everyone always raves about all that work I did to make three pies, but all three are so easy that it's embarrassing.
See, I buy two boxes of pre-made pie crusts. It doesn't matter whether they're Pillsbury or the store brand; they're all flaky and delicious. So I buy the crusts, roll them out into my pretty pie pans, and then I cook the pies. It does take a bit of work, but one evening after work, I take care of it and then it's done.
To contrast, I make a chocolate cherry cheesecake for Christmas dinner, and I think that is more work than the three pies.
This cherry pie is by far the easiest of the three pies I bake, and it's a great place for my young daughter to feel like she's helping.
What makes this cherry pie so easy?
The secret to this cherry pie is that everything is pre-made, and I don't mean that you make it ahead of time. I mean that you buy it.
Is that cheating? Maybe it is, but who cares? The pie will be baked, and it will taste good.
So you take two refrigerated pie crusts and two cans of cherry pie filling, and you plop it all in a pie plate and bake it. Voilร , you've got an impressive cherry pie with all the flavor you love, and it took you 5 minutes to prep.
What you'll need to make an easy cherry pie
Equipment
The equipment for this pie is standard to any pie. You'll need a 9-inch pie dish (preferably a deep one), a rolling pin, and a pie shield.
A mini cookie cutter makes it easier to cut vent holes in the top crust of the pie, but if you don't have one, you can just cut diamonds or even plain slits in the top crust.
Ingredients
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements.
- Prepared pie crustsย - I always buy pie dough in the dairy case pre-made. I am normally a make-it-from-scratch kind of girl, but on Thanksgiving, there's so much to do already, without making homemade pastry dough. I have gotten the store brand and the Pillsbury, and both come out very nicely.
- Cherry pie fillingย - I have used both the regular and the lower sugar. These days I use all regular or some of each. Using all lower sugar with Splenda makes the pie come out tasting odd. Also, try to find cherry pie filling that has extra cherries and fewer juices/syrup. If you look, you can usually find some labeled "30% more cherries!" or something like that. Go for that stuff; it's better.
- Almond extract - You don't have to add this, but I think it makes an ordinary cheater cherry pie go over the top of the delicious scale.
- Milk
- Granulated white sugar
How to make this easy homemade cherry pie recipe
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ยบF.
- Roll one pie crust out to an 11-inch circle. Place that dough circle in a deep dish pie plate. Use your fingers to press it into the bottom, sides, and especially the corners of the plate. (Yes, pie plates are round and don't have corners. I mean the place where the sides connect to the bottom. That's kind of a corner.)
- Open the cans of pie filling and scrape it into the pie plate. Add the almond extract and mix it with the cherries and juice. Smooth it all out with a spatula.
- Lay the remaining pie crust on a large cutting board (or directly on the counter). Roll it out to about 10 inches. Make four cut outs (these will allow the steam to leak out of the pie; without them, the top crust will have big air bubbles trapped under it). If you don't have a cookie cutter, you could cut a couple of Xs or even a couple of slits with a sharp knife after you've put the top crust on the pie.
Alternately, if you're feeling fancy and have a few extra minutes, you could cut the pie crust into strips and make a lattice on top of the pie. You just lay a few strips on direction, and lift up the strips to weave in a few strips going the other direction. Here's a YouTube video explaining the lattice crust process. - Carefully lay the second pie crust on top of the pie filling, and press the edges together. You may need to use a bit of water or egg to get them to stick together nicely. Cut the top crust so that it's even with the bottom crust, and finish the edge however you want. The easiest way is to crimp the top and bottom crusts together with your fingers, squishing them together as you go around.
- Brush the top crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. This is just to make it pretty and not at all necessary. Place pie in the oven on top of a baking sheet, just in case there are drips.
- Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 40-45 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, cover the outer edge of the pie with aluminum foil or a pie shield to make sure it doesn't get too brown. (See link in notes for a pie shield.)
- Cool at least an hour before serving. The filling will set up as the pie cools.
- Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve.
What is a pie shield and why should you use one to bake a homemade cherry pie?
A pie shield is a lightweight (aluminum) ring that sits on the outside edge of a pie crust, protecting it from the heat and preventing it from getting too brown.
The best way to use a pie shield is either to put it on right at the beginning or to bake the pie for 10-15 minutes and then put it on. If you wait until the edge of the crust is getting too brown, it will be too late. You can still use it, but it won't keep the crust from burning in that case.
If you don't have a pie shield, fold aluminum foil into a ring and place that over the edge of the pie.
How to store a cherry pie
You can leave this pie, fully cooked, at room temperature for a day or two. After cutting the pie, you should cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you prefer to eat your pie warm, unwrap the pie and place the whole pan in a 250ยบF oven for about 20 minutes or until warm.
THE REST OF OUR THANKSGIVING MENU
We don't get creative with our Thanksgiving menu. We like routines. We like the comfort of the same old food.
- Roast Turkey
- Creamy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
- Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Vegetable & Cornbread Stuffing
- Old-Fashioned Chestnut Stuffing Recipe
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
- Traditional Green Bean Casserole
- Fluffy Cranberry Fruit Salad with Pineapple
- Homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Praline Pumpkin Pecan Pie
- The Worlds' Best Pecan Pie
- Couldn't Be Easier Cherry Pie
- No Church Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
And for the leftovers, try one of these delights:
You can read more about my easy and traditional Thanksgiving menu.
Recipe
Couldn't Be Easier Cherry Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 unbaked pie crust I always buy these in the dairy case pre-made. I am normally a make-it-from-scratch kind of girl, but on Thanksgiving, there's so much to do already, without making homemade pastry dough. I have gotten the store brand and the Pillsbury, and both come out very nicely.
- 2 cans cherry pie filling I have used both the regular and the lower sugar. These days I use either 2 cans of regular or one of each. (Two cans of lower sugar with Splenda makes the pie come out tasting odd.), with Splenda
- 1 teaspoons almond extract
- milk
- sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Place one pie crust in a deep dish pie plate. Allow your little helper to use her fingers to press it into the bottom, sides, and especially the corners of the plate. (Yes, pie plates are round and don't have corners. I mean the place where the sides connect to the bottom. That's kind of a corner.)
- Open the cans of pie filling and scrape it into the pie plate. Add the almond extract and mix it with the cherries and juice. Smooth it all out with a spatula.
- Lay the remaining pie crust on a large cutting board (or directly on the counter). Help your helper to make four cutouts (these will allow the steam to leak out of the pie; without them, the top crust will have big air bubbles trapped under it). If you don't have a cookie cutter, you could cut a couple of Xs or even a couple of slits with a sharp knife after you've put the top crust on the pie.Alternately, if you're feeling fancy and have a few extra minutes, you could cut the pie crust into strips and make a lattice on top of the pie. You just lay a few strips on direction, and lift up the strips to weave in a few strips going the other direction. Here's a YouTube video explaining the lattice crust process.
- Carefully lay the second pie crust on top of the pie filling, and press the edges together. You may need to use a bit of water or egg to get them to stick together nicely. Cut the top crust so that it's even with the bottom crust, and finish the edge however you want.
- Brush the top crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. This is just to make it pretty and not at all necessary.
- Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 40-45 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, cover the outer edge of the pie with aluminum foil or a pie shield to make sure it doesn't get too brown. (See link in notes for a pie shield.)
- Cool at least an hour before serving. The filling will set up as the pie cools.
Joyce says
I would like to use the can cherries with the splenda but I agree they have a strange taste. I never thought to mix a can of regular with the splenda ones. I will try that.
Joyce
Jo says
How do you store the pie
Tara Ziegmont says
I just store mine on the counter. It will stay good for about three days.
OnePerfectBite says
I love the pies that you've made part of your holiday. The cherry pie sounds delicious.
jean says
This is my daughter's favorite pie so she always makes it and brings it to Thanksgiving dinner. Enjoy your cherry pie!
Emily says
My, it doesn't get any easier than this! And boy would I like to have a piece of that cherry pie right now! Thanks for sharing with us. ๐
Anita@theycallmejammi says
Looks yummy and so colorful. Thanks for the recipe.
Geri@heartnsoulcooking says
No one knows this but when I don't have time to make dessert this is my favorite way to make a cherry pie. My family think I spent all afternoon make one of they favorites.
Geri
FeelsLikeHomeBlog says
Joyce - Given a choice, I usually go with the all sugar ones. They just taste better. Mixing it one can of each is much less noticeable, but still not as good as the original. (Isn't that always the case?)
FeelsLikeHomeBlog says
It'll be our secret. ๐
live.love.eat says
Definitely sounds easy. And looks beautiful!
thediaperdiaries says
That looks delicious!!
Shan @ the fairy blogmother says
Shortcuts in baking are good. And nobody ever has to know.
Shan @ the fairy blogmother says
Shortcuts in baking are good. And nobody ever has to know.
Nicci says
I also make three pies, regardless of how many guests we are having: pumpkin pie, cherry pie, and Vermont Maple Apple Pie (YUM). My cherry pie always fails, so I was going to give up and buy a frozen pie this year, but I think I can handle your recipe. ๐
Nedra Crouse says
So easy my husband is making it right now. Thanks for sharing.
Debi says
There must be an error...14 minutes to bake?!!!
Tara Ziegmont says
You're right. It should have been 40-45. Not sure where 14 came from!
Karla says
Is the baking the same time for a homemade crust? Thank you โบ๏ธ
Tara Ziegmont says
I'm not sure what you're asking? If you have a homemade crust recipe, you should follow those instructions.
Katie says
Thank you! This is exactly the type of recipe I was looking for! After all of the Thanksgiving and Christmas baking I just wanted a super simple cherry pie recipe! Youโre the best!!
Marianne says
Please help. When I cut the pie cherries run everywhere Iโm wondering if maybe a teaspoon of cornstarch or tapioca or something would help. Even after I let it sit on the counter for hours as soon as I cut it the pies run all over it taste delicious it just doesnโt look professional
Tara Ziegmont says
If your filling is very saucy, there's no way to avoid that. You could certainly mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with some water and mix that into the sauce before you cook it, but it would be a lot of work to get the sauce out of the cherries, mix in the cornstarch, and then mix the sauce back in. You would probably be further ahead to make a filling from scratch and limit the amount of liquid in the recipe.
My best suggestion would be to drain off or scrape off as much of the liquid as possible from the filling before filling the pie. That should help the pie to stay together a little more. But really, the filling runs out of most pies when they are cut. Get a pie gate, and use it after you cut the pie. That will keep the filling in where it's supposed to be.
Tara Ziegmont says
I've been thinking more about this. I wonder what would happen if you mixed the canned filling, cherries and all, with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of quick cook tapioca before putting it in the pie? That might thicken it up enough that it wouldn't run. It's worth a try if you have time to experiment.
Brenda says
I like to add one half teaspoon abstract to the cherry pie fillingโฆdelicious!
Brenda says
I meant to say Almond Extract.
Kris says
What can you do to so bottom crust isn't doughy after baking?
Tara Ziegmont says
It sounds like it needed to bake longer. If the top looks done, just cover it with foil so it doesn't get too brown.
Dina Gaspari says
Thank you for the recipe! Iโm making it today, without the almond extract. With so many children having severe nut allergies these days, hidden nut ingredients can be terrifying. Almond extract is especially dangerous as people donโt always remember the baked good has tree nuts in it. Since this is a recipe many will make for the holidays, you could save families from a tragic accident just by adjusting to exclude the almond extract. Thanks kindly!
Donna says
I made this today but I used clear vanilla instead of the almond (I didn't have lol) looks and smells great!! thank you!!
Linda says
Made this tonight. I recommend using only 1/2 t of almond extract. A full teaspoon is Too much!
Leslie Coffey says
Followed recipe exactly except didnโt brush anything on top. Made a lattice over top with the second crust to top instead of a whole crust.. Did use the almond extract and sprinkled a random amount of sugar over filling, mixed it in, sprinkled sugar over the lattice top. Baked 45 minutes. Came out perfectly.
liz says
large can or regular can of cherries?
Tara Gerner says
Large can