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    Home » Recipes » Pastry & Pie Recipes

    Homemade Cherry Pie Filling

    Published: Jun 9, 2019 · Modified: May 30, 2022 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 749 words. · About 4 minutes to read this article.

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    Cherry Pie Filling by The Toasty Kitchen
    Cherry Pie Filling by The Toasty Kitchen
    Cherry Pie Filling by The Toasty Kitchen

    Make your own Cherry Pie Filling from scratch today. Try this filling in your next cherry pie, turnovers, or to top your next cheesecake. 

    White bowl of cherry pie filling on a wooden counter top.

    Surprisingly simple to make, this homemade cherry pie filling will be a new staple in your recipe book. This recipe makes a cherry filling that's rich, sweet, and filled with real cherries. No artificial colors or flavors needed! 

    I love to use this filling for recipes like my Puff Pastry Cherry Turnovers. It also makes the perfect topping for your next cheesecake - or mini cheesecakes. 

    I also include directions to bake your own cherry pie in the recipe card below.

    A spoon scooping into a bowl of cherry pie filling.Benefits of making homemade pie filling

    Why make your own cherry pie filling? First of all, you can control everything that's going into your pie, including what's in the filling. Often (but not always), canned pie filling will include artificial colors. If you're not into that, making your own is a great option.

    You can also adjust the sweetness of your filling. Add more (or less) sugar to suit your tastes.

    I also like to add a dash of cinnamon to my cherry pie filling. It adds an extra layer of warmth and flavor, which is especially nice for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

    From above, a bowl of cherries with a polka dot towel.

    Pitting cherries

    I'm all about quick and easy. I like to buy fresh frozen, pitted cherries most of the time.

    It's so easy to pull the bag of cherries out of the freezer about an hour before I plan to start. This way, they're thawed and ready to go.

    If you have fresh cherries, no worries. Simply pit your cherries before beginning this recipe. Here is a great article on how to pit cherries without a cherry pitter.

    I used the paperclip method today and it was surprisingly easy. Simply insert a paperclip and twist around the pit, then pull the pit out. I'd suggest turning on some music or a tv show while pitting cherries, as it can be tedious. 

    Or, try a handheld cherry pitter to speed things up. There's also a Cherry Pitter Tool that will pit 6 cherries at once! If you find yourself pitting cherries or olives frequently, this might be for you.

    Pie filling in a bowl, a spoon, and a few cherries on a counter top.

    What can I make with cherry pie filling?

    • Bake into a pie (directions below)
    • Cheesecake topping
    • Cherry cheesecake ice cream
    • Use as an ice cream topping
    • Puff pastry cherry turnovers
    • Cherry pie bars
    • Use as a pancake topping
    White bowl of cherry pie filling on a wooden counter top.
    Print Recipe
    4.71 from 41 reviews

    Cherry Pie Filling

    Make your own Cherry Pie Filling from scratch today. Try this filling in your next cherry pie, turnovers, or to top your next cheesecake. 
    Prep Time10 minutes
    Cook Time20 minutes
    Total Time30 minutes
    Servings: 4 cups
    Calories: 712kcal
    Author: Heather

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups (616 g) pitted cherries, if frozen, thaw
    • 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar, *
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • ¼ cup (28 g) cornstarch
    • ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, optional

    To make a cherry pie

    • 2 prepared pie crusts, top and bottom
    • 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar, optional

    Instructions

    • In a saucepan over medium heat, add cherries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
    • If your cherries are not very juicy, you may want to add water (from a few tablespoons to ½ cup depending on your fruit) to thin your sauce.
    • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until mixture has thickened (If your mixture is sticking to the pan, turn the heat down to low and add a splash of water). Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. 

    Baking into a pie

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place prepared pie crust into an 8 or 9 inch pie pan. Fill with cherry pie filling, then place top pie crust over filling. Pinch the edges closed, then make a slit in the middle of the pie for steam to escape. Optionally, sprinkle with a tablespoon of granulated sugar before baking.
    • Bake for 45-50 minutes, then remove from oven to cool.

    Equipment Recommendations

    • SS 3-Quart Saucepan
    • Red Spoonula Set
    • Lemon Juicer
    • Pyrex Glass Pie Plate

    Notes

    • *The amount of sugar can be adjusted to suit your tastes - add as little as ½ cup for a less sweet filling. If using sweet cherries, I recommend reducing the amount of sugar to ⅔ cup or less.
    • 4 cups of pitted cherries weighs about 21 ounces/616 grams
    • Sweet or tart cherries can be used to make pie filling. 
    • Pie filling can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed, freezer safe container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using. Pie filling will thicken when chilled, but will thin out again when heated in the oven.
    • Pie filling can be made with fresh or frozen cherries. If frozen, thaw before beginning.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories: 712kcal | Carbohydrates: 124g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 398mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 71g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American

    More recipes

    • No Churn Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream
    • Puff Pastry Cherry Turnovers
    • Easy Mini Cheesecakes
    • Blueberry Crisp

    More Pastry & Pie Recipes

    • Homemade Graham Cracker Crust
    • Hot Fudge Marshmallow Pie
    • Puff Pastry Blueberry Turnovers
    • Apple Raspberry Crumble

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    1. Lori

      October 20, 2022 at 11:34 am

      I’m planning on making this with jar cherries in sugar. Would I just add the 1/4 C cornstarch in with the cherries right in the pie crust? Or do I have to cook it in a pan on the stove first?

      Reply
      • Heather

        October 20, 2022 at 12:09 pm

        Hi Lori, this recipe is written specifically for cooking fresh or frozen cherries for pie filling, so I can't say for sure how using jarred cherries in sugar would turn out. The filling is cooked on the stovetop because when the cherries are warmed up, they release their juices and create a sauce with the sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.

        I did some searching and found a recipe that uses jarred cherries, this may help: https://honestcooking.com/sour-cherry-pie-jarred-cherries-recipe/

        Reply
    2. Esra Binici

      July 28, 2022 at 3:20 pm

      How do i darken the cherry filling/sauce? My tart cherries are pale and don’t turn into that nice dark red color. I have found a recipe that used something to darken it, but i guess i forgot to save it and can’t find it anywhere. Apple cider vinegar didn’t work. I don’t know what to do! Any tips?

      Reply
      • Heather

        July 28, 2022 at 3:34 pm

        Hi Esra, the cherry filling color will definitely depend on the color of the cherries used. Some recipes add a few drops of red food coloring for a brighter red color. Unfortunately I'm not sure what else could be added to change the color. As long as your pie filling tastes good, that's the most important part!

        Reply
    3. Nancy

      July 09, 2022 at 11:25 am

      I’m making this recipe now and it tastes delicious! I can’t wait till my pie is done! Yum!😋

      Reply
      • Roxanne

        August 02, 2022 at 1:28 pm

        This is very delicious! I used fresh sweet cherries with 2/3rds cup sugar. I also added probably 1/2 cup of water. Watch this carefully, I almost burned the cherries because mixture thickened very fast. You won't ever used canned filling after this! Superb!

        Reply
    4. Bonnie Besche

      March 23, 2022 at 3:44 pm

      I made this cherry pie filling yesterday and it was so delicious and easy. My husband also loved it. Neither of us are cherry pie lovers but I happened to have a lot of cherries to use up so decided to make cherry hand pies. They were a hit and we will definitely use this recipe again, perhaps even experimenting with different fruits! Thanks for posting this quick, easy and delicious recipe! It’s a keeper!!!

      Reply
    5. Julie

      August 28, 2021 at 4:21 pm

      This is the best and easiest pie filling! I LOVE cherry pie and I’ll use this recipe every time I can. I’ve made a whole pie as well as hand pie using this filing recipe and always get a lot of compliments on whatever I make! My question is, can this same recipe be used for other berries? I pick about 10 pounds of blueberries each year, and I’d think blueberry pie would be delicious!

      Reply
      • Heather

        August 28, 2021 at 5:48 pm

        Hi Julie, glad you enjoy the recipe! Yes, this recipe should also work with blueberries. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!

        Reply
    6. Harry Urey

      August 02, 2021 at 6:01 pm

      Great recipe & very easy. I used 20 oz sweet cherries & 12oz of sour cherries 🍒
      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    7. Becky

      July 20, 2021 at 3:42 pm

      Great recipe and very easy. Next time, I will double for holiday pies.

      Reply
    8. Liz

      July 04, 2021 at 5:49 pm

      I tried this recipe today for the 4th of July. After reading the reviews I was conflicted but, I thought the recipe looked fine. I am a professional pastry chef so if there was something wrong with this recipe I'd likely notice before starting. This filling is absolutely outstanding! Yes, it is sweet! It's sweet because it's a DESSERT and they are made with sugar! I get very unnerved when I hear "too sweet" as a pastry chef. My recommendation for this recipe along with any fruit filling is to add a pinch of salt to balance the flavor. It isn't too sweet it just needs the salt balance. I too added almond extract and it was an absolute hit. I give this recipe 5 stars.

      Reply
      • Heather

        July 04, 2021 at 7:22 pm

        So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe - a pinch of salt sounds like a great addition to balance the sweetness!

        Reply
        • Michael

          July 04, 2022 at 8:19 pm

          Thank you, Heather!

          Reply
      • Michael

        July 04, 2022 at 8:19 pm

        Just happens so that I am here on 4th of July 2022 😀

        This is an excellent filling indeed. I used your suggestion of just a bit of salt. I do often forget about things like that. Thank you!

        Reply
    9. Julie

      July 03, 2021 at 1:39 pm

      I just finished making this filling and it is delicious! I used almond extract instead of cinnamon (just a splash of extract) because I LOVE cherries with almond flavoring. It’s very good! Definitely keeper recipe!

      Reply
      • Heather

        July 03, 2021 at 4:11 pm

        Almond extract sounds like a great addition!

        Reply
    10. Ila Parisek

      June 15, 2021 at 6:18 pm

      I used fresh sweet cherries that I picked from a tree in my back yard. I had a little more that 6 cups of cherries so adjusted the recipe accordingly. As suggested, I decreased the amount sugar since I was using sweet cherries. I also found that I had to add a little water, stir frequently, and lower the heat while cooking so the fruit didn’t stick to the pan. Filling turned out perfectly. Great taste and consistency. Thanks! 🍒

      Reply
    11. Ellie

      June 15, 2021 at 12:23 am

      I agree that it’s too sweet (although I figured it would be and used only 1/2 cup of sugar to begin with anyway) but honestly my main complaint is that there is way too much cornstarch and not enough liquid. I put it all in a pan as directed and the cornstarch cooked into little globs of jelly despite stirring and adding extra liquid. I’m surprised there’s no one else having the same problem here. Very disappointed and frankly ruined my fresh cherries.

      Reply
      • Heather

        June 15, 2021 at 7:54 am

        Hi Ellie, I'm sorry to hear that your pie filling didn't turn out! It's hard to say what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you, but the amount of liquid in the pan can depend on the juiciness of the cherries. More water (up to 1/2 cup) can definitely be added to the pan to thin the sauce. I will make that step more clear in the recipe card for future readers, thank you for the feedback!

        Reply
    12. Starla

      June 13, 2021 at 4:18 pm

      I just ruined 4 cups of freshly picked cherries with this recipe. It is way too sweet. A cup of sugar for 4 cups of cherries might work for sour cherries, but if you like the taste of cherries don't use this recipe with sweet cherries. I wish I had checked other recipes before choosing this. Other recipes use half this amount of sugar. My fault for using a random recipe on the internet, but I just wanted to let others know that this is too much sugar.

      Reply
      • Heather

        June 15, 2021 at 8:20 am

        Hi Starla, I'm sorry to hear that your pie filling didn't turn out! I mention above that the amount of sugar can be adjusted (add more or less) to suit your tastes, but I have also added that note directly to the recipe card for future readers. Thank you for the feedback!

        Reply
    13. Candy

      May 07, 2021 at 6:22 pm

      I LOVED the flavor and consistency of this recipe. Sometimes when I’ve used corn starch for cherry pie filling, it has had a kind of “sticky” feel n your mouth. This did not.

      But when I put the leftover filling in the fridge to bake with the next day, it was more of a “gel” texture than the smooth filling it was. (Think canned whole cranberry sauce.). I’m still using it for cherry crisp, but I wondered if that was normal and what a pie would be like.

      Any ideas?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Heather

        May 07, 2021 at 6:33 pm

        Hi Candy, I'd guess that your filling thickened up from being refrigerated, and should thin back to normal when baked into your crisp. Let us know how it turns out!

        Reply
        • Cansy

          May 08, 2021 at 10:20 pm

          Thanks Heather —

          It was better and smoothed out some in the crisp, but still not quite the same as when I first made it. We all gobbled it up and I will definitely keep making this recipe. Thanks again!

          Reply
    14. Laura Runge

      January 16, 2021 at 10:33 pm

      This is very similar to the cherry pie recipe I make using Oregon brand canned tart cherries. I got the recipe from my mother-in-law. It uses 2 cans of the tart cherries drained, reserving 1 cup of the juice to mix with the cornstarch and sugar, Cook until thickened and bubbly, then mix in the drained cherries. I actually cook the juice mixture in the microwave stirring frequently. Add 1/8-1/4 tsp of cinnamon and 1/4-1/2 tsp almond flavoring along with cherries. Mix and pour into pie shell then bake. There’s no lemon juice in this recipe. Cinnamon was my MIL’s secret ingredient.

      Reply
    15. Shauna

      November 14, 2020 at 7:34 pm

      Loved it!
      I used frozen sour cherries from my mom’s tree, added the juice of a lemon and used about 1 1/4 cups of sugar. Turned out so tasty!

      Reply
    16. Windy

      October 24, 2020 at 3:53 pm

      Turned out perfectly, tastes so good. Thank you. Will most definitely save this recipe and use again

      Reply
    17. Deena

      September 01, 2020 at 3:17 pm

      Great recipe! I used it for small hand pies, and it behaved itself wonderfully, it didn't, seep out and get messy and runny, thank you for sharing the recipe!

      Reply
    18. Davey

      August 25, 2020 at 12:24 am

      I am currently making the pie filling but I am using fresh canadian bing cherries I never used frozen when the fruit is in season. but the fruit looks dry so I added water since not being formerly frozen there was no moisture. you should add instructions for this if I was a novice baker good fruit would be burnt and ruined! just a suggestion from an old man . I will rate the recipe when the pie is made wish me luck.

      Reply
      • Heather

        August 25, 2020 at 8:21 am

        Hi Davey, I hope you enjoy your cherry pie! I've made this filling with fresh cherries before with no issue, but you can definitely add a splash of water if they're looking dry. I'd also suggest turning down the heat slightly - if they look like they're going to burn, the heat may be too hot. Please do let us know how your pie turns out!

        Reply
    19. Ginny

      August 18, 2020 at 9:06 am

      Do I pour off the excess waters after defrosting the cherries?

      Reply
      • Heather

        August 18, 2020 at 9:08 am

        Hi Ginny, you can add the cherries and their juices to the pan, no need to drain them!

        Reply
    20. Faith Rickett

      July 07, 2020 at 10:26 pm

      This looks lovely, I have a ton of sour cherries to use up. Can I make the filling, then place in a prepared crust and freeze before baking or should it all be baked then frozen? Thank you in advance 🙂

      Reply
      • Heather

        July 08, 2020 at 7:22 am

        Hi Faith, I'd recommend freezing your pie unbaked. Cover it tightly with foil and it will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. You can toss it straight in the oven to bake from frozen, but will take at least 20 minutes longer to bake. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    21. Lonnie

      July 05, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      Do you use sweet or tart cherries?

      Reply
      • Heather

        July 05, 2020 at 6:23 pm

        Sweet or tart cherries can be used in this recipe! Tart cherries are a popular choice for pies, but I usually use dark sweet cherries (as pictured). If using sweet cherries, I recommend reducing the sugar to 2/3 cup.

        Reply
    22. Meaghan

      June 27, 2020 at 10:58 pm

      This was amazing! Very easy to make and delicious. Thank you!

      Reply
    23. Lora

      June 22, 2020 at 2:33 pm

      Can this recipe be doubled ?

      Reply
      • Heather

        June 22, 2020 at 6:05 pm

        Yes, this recipe can be doubled.

        Reply
    24. Rosaline Cruz-Rine

      May 28, 2020 at 3:31 pm

      Hi Heather,
      Can your Cherry Pie Filling Recipe be preserved
      by the water bath canning method? I used this recipe for
      a Cherry -Blueberry pie I made for Memorial Day. I would
      love to can it.
      Thank-you

      Reply
      • Heather

        May 28, 2020 at 3:42 pm

        Hi Rosaline, I do not have any experience with canning, but I have frozen this cherry pie filling for up to 6 months with success.

        Reply
    25. Amie

      May 04, 2020 at 12:37 am

      Delicious! Thank you! Never have made a pie before. Thank you for the easy to follow instructions and pictures!

      Reply
    26. Sanjitha

      April 17, 2020 at 7:41 pm

      Hi,
      I tried your recipe and cake out good. Thank you for good one without preservatives.

      Reply
      • Heather

        April 17, 2020 at 7:41 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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    Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

    Hi, I'm Heather of The Toasty Kitchen. I love cooking with real, unfussy ingredients, and I want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

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