Uncover this all-natural home made 10-minute cherry pie filling! Good for cherry cobblers, pies, cheesecake toppers, or your favourite no-bake desserts. This 6-ingredient (gluten-free) simple cherry pie filling recipe is a game-changer and tastes nothing like canned cherry pie filling! Better part — you need to use contemporary or frozen cherries!
* I first posted this recipe in June 2020, however I’ve reformatted and edited it for readability!
On this submit, you will learn to make cherry pie filling style higher than store-bought, uncover the secrets and techniques to correctly thickening your filling, and discover numerous methods to make use of cherry pie filling in your favourite desserts.
Plus, discover out precisely how lengthy cherry pie filling lasts and the perfect strategies for freezing it for later use.
We completely love this pie filling! Its intense pure cherry taste is all-natural and by no means tastes flat (or like a tin can)! Frozen bitter cherries should not simple to search out in Italy. My resolution is to top off on native IGP cherries throughout Marostica’s annual cherry pageant (a metropolis well-known for its manufacturing of scrumptious cherries).
However after I’m again within the States, I sometimes purchase frozen bitter cherries (that are the simplest choice)!
I pit and freeze cherries so I can use them year-round making them prepared to make use of in a matter of minutes each time I am within the temper for a simple cherry dessert.
Use them for Southern fried cherry pies (hand pies), cherry cream cheese pies, double-crust cherry pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas — and our favourite cherry crumb crunch pie!
For those who love this recipe, you may additionally take pleasure in my Cherry Pie Filling (Utilizing a Combo of Darkish Candy Cherries and Bitter Cherries)!
Soar to:
Why You will Love This Cherry Pie Filling Recipe
- It is all-natural, preservative-free, and additive-free
- Takes 10 minutes to make
- It is gluten-free for these with allergy symptoms or meals intolerances
- Makes use of simply 6 elements (with two of these being non-obligatory)
- May be made with contemporary or frozen bitter cherries
- Tastes method higher than your favourite store-bought cherry pie filling
- May be made with or with out cornstarch (excellent for dietary restrictions)
- Freezer-friendly – study precisely freeze cherry pie filling
- Versatile – uncover a number of methods to make use of cherry pie filling in desserts
- By no means fear about runny filling with our foolproof thickening methodology
Secret Components For The Finest Cherry Pie Filling
These all-natural ‘secret’ elements create an intense cherry taste that surpasses any store-bought model. It is time to elevate your cherry pie filling with my favourite flavor-boosting elements:
- Recent lime juice
- Pure almond extract
- A pinch (or two) of cinnamon
Bitter Cherry Pie Filling Components
Only a handful of all-natural elements create this intensely flavored cherry pie filling. You will not discover any added water on this pie filling (such as you see used within the cornstarch slurry present in most different recipes). Why? As a result of I do not need to dilute a single drop of that pure cherry taste!
- Tart cherries/Bitter cherries: Use contemporary or frozen pitted bitter cherries, relying on availability and the place you reside. The very best choices embrace: Balaton, Montmorency, Early Richmond, and Michigan tart cherries. For those who’re in Italy, IGP Morello bitter cherry and in the event you’re in China, the Wenchuan Highland cherry is ideal. For those who purchase frozen, be sure there isn’t any sugar added. All you need is pure frozen cherries.
- Granulated sugar: I take advantage of pure cane sugar and common granulated sugar interchangeably for this recipe relying on what I’ve in my pantry.
- Lime juice: Use fresh-squeezed lime juice for the perfect taste – name me loopy, however I swear it completely enhances the cherries (belief me). Recent lemon juice works simply fantastic too. Keep away from bottled juices; they include pointless components and lack the colourful (actual) style of contemporary citrus.
- Cornstarch: Any cornstarch will do, even retailer model. See our cornstarch options within the “Substitutions” part beneath to learn to make cherry pie filling with out cornstarch
- Pure almond extract: Splurge for pure almond extract in the event you can as a result of it tastes higher and a single bottle lasts a lengthy time particularly when saved within the fridge.
- Cinnamon: I take advantage of a pinch (or two) of powdered cinnamon, however you possibly can substitute it with a ½-inch piece of cinnamon stick if desired. Consider me, it provides to the cherry taste!
See recipe card for portions.
Methods to Make Bitter Cherry Pie Filling
Cook dinner the cherries to launch a few of their juices. In a big sauce pot, cook dinner cherries, lime juice, sugar, and cinnamon till sugar dissolves and cherries launch a few of their juice (2-3 minutes). Pour off ¼ cup of the juice including it to a small prep bowl with the cornstarch.
Put together the cornstarch slurry. Combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with reserved juice till clean and no lumps stay.
Mix the cherry combination and cornstarch slurry. With the cherry combination cooking on medium-high warmth add the slurry stirring always because the combination involves a boil.
Scale back the warmth and thicken the cherry combination. Scale back the warmth to low and cook dinner the cherry combination till it is thick sufficient to coat the again of a spoon (about 4-5 minutes). Take away from warmth, add almond extract, and pour the combination into heat-proof glass jars.
Cool pie filling and use it (or retailer it). Use pie filling instantly as soon as cooled to room temp or retailer it within the fridge or freezer till prepared to make use of, Get pleasure from!
Trace
For the perfect taste, use tart bitter cherries, lime juice, and do not skip the almond extract and cinnamon – it intensifies and enhances the cherry taste!
Additionally, you will know when the pie filling is prepared as a result of the colour will go from a considerably milky shade to a transparent glistening gel-like shade.
Discover detailed directions within the recipe card.
Troubleshooting Tip
Is your filling too runny? For those who comply with this recipe it should not be, however stuff occurs! Here is thicken cherry pie filling: Warmth the combination again up over medium warmth, stirring always. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of chilly water to create a slurry. Slowly stir into the recent filling and cook dinner till it reaches your required thickness.
Substitutions
Whether or not you are in search of a cherry pie filling recipe with out cornstarch or contemporary cherries aren’t in season, listed below are substitutes you need to use any time.
- Frozen cherries will be substituted for contemporary cherries
- Lemon juice will be substituted for lime juice
- Vanilla extract will be substituted for almond extract if in case you have a nut allergy
- Pumpkin pie spice will be substituted for the powdered cinnamon
Cherry Pie Filling With out Cornstarch
Cornstarch is my go-to pie filling thickener and what most of you seemingly have already got hanging out in your pantry. However not everybody can use cornstarch for dietary causes, and many others. Every different creates barely totally different textures – experiment to search out your favourite!:
- Potato starch will be substituted 1:1 for cornstarch
- Tapioca starch substitute 2:1 for cornstarch (greatest for freezing)
- Arrowroot: Use 2 tablespoons (creates shiny end)
- Clear Jel: substitute 2 tablespoons (best for canning shelf secure pie filling)
- Flour: substitute 2:1 for cornstarch (use in a pinch)
Variations
- Candy and Bitter Cherry Pie Filling: Use this cherry pie filling recipe with a mixture of bitter cherries and candy cherries for a barely totally different taste profile (*see left picture instantly above).
- Bourbon Cherry Pie Filling: Add a splash of bourbon whereas the cherries are cooking for an grownup model.
- Brandy Cherry Pie Filling: Add a splash of brandy whereas the cherries are cooking.
- Zesty Cherry Pie Filling: Add the zest of a ¼ of an orange for a citrusy twist.
- Almond-free cherry pie filling recipe: To make a nut-free cherry pie filling, omit the almond extract and substitute Luxardo Amaretto to style. FYI, Luxardo Amaretto liqueur is 100% nut-free (it makes use of the pits of cherry and apricot for its flavor). Nonetheless, these allergic to almonds might also be extra inclined to be allergic to cherry and apricot pits. When doubtful, omit the extract and/or substitute it with vanilla extract.
Tools
- Medium saucepan
- Whisk (or a big soup spoon)
- Glass canning jars for storage or different hermetic container
- Scale (or measuring cups and spoons)
- Silicone spatula
- Cherry pitter/Olive pitter (or use a straw as proven beneath within the FAQs)
Storage
This cherry pie filling will be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks or within the freezer for as much as 3 months and even longer. If freezing, you should definitely go away about 1 inch of headspace (empty house on the high of the jar) to permit for the filling to broaden because it freezes with out breaking the jar.
How Lengthy Does Cherry Pie Filling Final?
- Room Temperature: You may go away cherry pie filling that is been baked right into a pie at room temperature coated for as much as two days earlier than you will must refrigerate it as a result of it comprises loads of acid and sugar, which slows the micro organism development
- Fridge: Correctly saved in hermetic containers, home made cherry pie filling lasts 2 weeks
- Freezer: It maintains very best quality for as much as 3 months when correctly saved
- Indicators of Spoilage: Discard in the event you discover any mould, off-odors, or uncommon texture adjustments
Methods to Use Cherry Pie Filling
Questioning what to make with cherry pie filling? Listed below are our favourite recipes utilizing cherry pie filling:
- Fast Desserts: High cheesecake, pound cake, ice cream
- Baked Treats: Cherry pies, cherry cobblers, crumbles, cherry turnovers, or black forest cake layer
- Breakfast Concepts: Topping for pancakes, waffles, French toast, banana bread, or yogurt
- No-Bake Choices: Layer in parfaits, trifles, or use it to high cherry cheese pie or to fill cherry hand pies/cherry fried pies
High Suggestions
- Cook dinner cherries simply till thickened to take care of their texture and taste (overcooked cherries lose taste)
- For probably the most intense cherry taste, skip the added water within the slurry and use the cherry juice (like this recipe requires)
- Be sure to whisk always when including the cornstarch slurry to keep away from lumps or scorching the combination
- Use a big stockpot or sauté pan (which has extra floor space) to cook dinner the cherry combination. This hastens the cooking course of and retains this recipe at simply round 10 minutes complete. Utilizing a smaller pot (i.e. 2qt sauce pot) could enhance cooking time by an additional 4 to five minutes to total as a result of the pot has much less cooking floor space).
- Let the filling cool fully earlier than utilizing it in a pie to forestall a soggy pie crust
FAQ
For those who do not reside in a bitter cherry-producing space it may be onerous to search out bitter cherries particularly when it isn’t cherry season. However do not fret! The very best locations to purchase frozen (tart) bitter cherries are:
–from Harp’s Grocery Shops (the place I purchase them after I’m again dwelling within the States)
–from a well-stocked Japanese European meals market in your space (which just about all the time carry them)
Bitter cherries have delicate skins and are extra perishable which is why you sometimes do not discover them contemporary in grocery shops until you reside close to an space that produces them. And even then, it’s possible you’ll solely discover them for a few weeks out of the 12 months.
For those who love cooking and baking with bitter cherries as a lot as we do, I counsel looking for them out in the summertime and pitting and freezing for later use.
You will be pleased to know that eradicating pits from cherries doesn’t require a cherry pitter (though it does make the duty simpler).
For those who do not personal a cherry pitter and haven’t any want to purchase one, use a straw to simply take away the pits from cherries. Take away the stems and insert the straw into the underside, aspect, or high of the cherry till the pit comes out.
Alternatively, you need to use a small paring knife to chop the cherry off the pit. 
Use our cornstarch slurry methodology throughout cooking, or see my options for making cherry pie filling with out cornstarch within the “Substitutions” part above (together with arrowroot, tapioca starch, potato starch, all-purpose flour, ClearJel, and extra).
Sure you possibly can (and may) use frozen cherries to make cherry pie filling!
Frozen cherries are the proper choice for making cherry pie filling whether or not you decide, pit, and freeze your individual contemporary cherries in season, otherwise you purchase them out of your native grocery retailer.
Cherries (particularly the extra perishable bitter cherry varieties) are picked at peak ripeness, packed, and frozen inside minutes or hours of coming off the tree which makes them a wonderfully scrumptious and handy ingredient for making the perfect cherry pie filling.
It solely takes 10 minutes to make this all-natural cherry pie filling from scratch! Not solely does it style superior to store-bought, however you additionally keep away from components and preservatives typically present in canned cherry pie filling.
For those who’ve seen my Home made Cherry Pie Filling (Utilizing Darkish Cherries and Bitter Cherries) submit (as seen within the first picture beneath), then you realize I grew up with a cherry tree in my yard and I really like all issues cherry.
It is smart to me to have two totally different (however equally scrumptious) home made cherry pie filling recipes as a result of typically a sweeter (much less tart) cherry taste works greatest in a recipe, whereas different occasions a very punchy bitter cherry taste is precisely what’s wanted. While you make home made cherry pie filling your self, you get to decide on!
Utilizing the mixture of lime juice (as a substitute of lemon juice), pure almond extract, and a the slightest trace of cinnamon, intensifies the cherry taste in home made cherry pie filling. Do this recipe and see for your self!
Sure, you possibly can freeze cherry pie filling! Depart ½ inch headspace in containers and freeze as much as 3 months. It is an effective way to get forward of your vacation baking!
Here is my detailed freezing information beneath which incorporates every thing you have to know earlier than you get began relying on how you will be utilizing the topping (in a baked or fried dessert vs. as a topper for cheesecake and many others.):
Cornstarch-thickened cherry pie filling will look barely grainy after thawing as a result of it barely degrades when frozen (see picture instantly beneath for precisely what frozen cherry pie filling appears to be like like after it is thawed). However there’s zero lack of high quality or taste in anyway. It simply appears to be like somewhat “shaggy”!
Tapioca starch-thickened cherry pie filling maintains a clearer, extra engaging look when thawed as a result of it does not degrade like cornstarch does when frozen. Nonetheless, tapioca starch does not have the identical thickening energy as cornstarch so you will want twice as a lot tapioca starch as cornstarch for correct thickening.
Don’t be concerned, each choices style equally scrumptious!
Comply with these normal suggestions when making cherry pie filling forward to freeze for later use:⬇
For greatest outcomes, select your thickener primarily based on how you will use the cherry pie filling when you thaw it: (see extra cornstarch options within the “Substitutions” part above).
–For dessert toppings (like cheesecakes, no-bake desserts, cream cheese pies, ice cream, or any seen topping):
-Use tapioca starch (4 tablespoons on this recipe)
–For fried or baked desserts (like fried pies, cherry pie, cherry crumb pie, and many others.):
-Use cornstarch (2 tablespoons on this recipe)
*For those who solely care about style and never about visible presentation, then simply use cornstarch. Your loved ones will nonetheless LOVE this pie filling after it has been frozen!
From basic pies to no-bake desserts, see our full checklist of how to make use of cherry pie filling within the serving part above.
Tart cherries are labeled into two fundamental teams, amarelle or morello and the amarelle cherry selection has solely crimson pores and skin, however not crimson flesh.
Correctly saved, it lasts 2 weeks within the fridge or as much as 3 months within the freezer.
Use this pie filling to make your favourite desserts like cherry crisps, cherry hand pies, double crust cherry pies, cherry cobblers, mini cherry cheesecakes, mini cherry cheesecake satan’s meals cake ice cream sandwiches, mini black forest bundt truffles, and simple cherry cream cheese pies.
Let’s get began!
Recipe
Final 10-Minute Bitter Cherry Pie Filling (From Scratch)
Whole Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 cups (28.25 oz/800g) 1x
Food regimen: Vegan
Description
Methods to make the BEST-tasting Home made Cherry Pie Filling utilizing contemporary or frozen cherries. With simply 6 pure pantry elements and 10 minutes, this pie filling is extremely simple even for newbie cooks. Make forward and freeze it to make use of later! It is excellent for cherry pie, ice cream sundaes, yogurt, no-bake desserts, cherry hand pies, or cheesecakes!
- 24 ounces pitted tart bitter cherries (about 3 cups), contemporary or frozen (673g)
- 1 cup sugar (200g)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice, freshly squeezed (6g)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (20g)
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract, or extra to style (1g) (roughly 6 drops)
- 1 pinch of cinnamon, or extra to style
Directions
- Cook dinner the cherries a bit to launch their juices. In a big sauce pot, cook dinner cherries, lime juice, sugar, and cinnamon over medium warmth till sugar dissolves and cherries launch a few of their juice (2-3 minutes). Pour off about ¼ cup of the juice including it to a small prep bowl.
- Put together the cornstarch slurry. Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to reserved juice and blend till clean and no lumps stay.
- Mix the slurry and cherry combination. With the cherries cooking over medium-high warmth, add the slurry stirring always because the combination involves a boil. Scale back the warmth and simmer till the combination is thick sufficient to coat the again of a spoon (about 4-5 minutes). Take away from warmth, add almond extract, pour the combination into heat-proof glass jars, and permit it to chill to room temperature earlier than utilizing or retailer it within the fridge or freezer for later use, Get pleasure from!
Notes
- If utilizing frozen cherries, it’s possible you’ll want cook dinner the cherry combination 1 to 2 minutes extra for them to launch their juices.
- Professional-tip for a lump-free cornstarch slurry: Cool slurry + sizzling liquid = lump-free combination. Take away cherry juice from warmth after 2-3 minutes of cooking. It will be cool sufficient to make a lump-free slurry, however nonetheless have loads of juice.
- Customise the flavour: Style the cherry combination because it’s cooking and enhance the sugar or lime juice as desired. Improve sugar by ¼ to ½ cup or extra for a sweeter pie filling, or in case your cherries are tremendous tart.
- Substitute lemon juice for lime juice if that’s what you may have readily available.
- Add extra almond extract for an excellent stronger “cherry” taste, or substitute Luxardo cherry liqueur, or Kirsch if in case you have it readily available.
- To can (protect) the pie filling so it’s shelf-stable, omit the cornstarch and use ClearJel (comply with the ClearJel directions).
- The consistency of this pie filling is like that of a canned cherry pie filling from the shop. However if you’re seeking to thicken it much more, it’s possible you’ll add as much as 1 extra tablespoon of cornstarch to the slurry earlier than including it to the recent cherry combination.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook dinner Time: 5 minutes
- Class: Desserts
- Methodology: Stovetop
- Delicacies: Southern
Meals Security
- Use clear utensils and tools when getting ready the cherry pie filling
- Refrigerate the filling promptly after it has cooled to room temperature
- Don’t go away the cherry pie filling at room temperature for prolonged intervals