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This homemade cherry pie filling can be made with fresh, frozen, or canned cherries! Keep a batch ready for luscious pies, or pour it over your favorite treats.
“Cherry on top”? Cute.
This thick and juicy cherry pie filling is the whole dessert!
It’s made with 5 ingredients and freezes beautifully, so you’re always ready for sweet cravings.
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Now that you’ve just discovered the perfect cherry pie filling, you’ll only need a reliable homemade pie crust and sugar-free whipped cream for a flawless cherry pie!
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Cherry Pie Filling Recipe
- This homemade cherry pie filling is a great option for beginners.
- You can make this cherry pie filling with just 5 ingredients! The cherries can be tart, sweet, fresh, frozen, or canned.
- This luscious cherry filling is versatile for various desserts! Enjoy it in a cherry crumble, mini cherry pies, or as a cherry topping on your favorite treats.
Ingredients And Substitutions
Pitted cherries – You can use fresh, frozen, or even canned sweet or sour cherries!
Granulated white sugar – You can experiment with other sweeteners like honey, but you might need to add more thickener to keep the filling from getting runny.
Lemon – For a pop of brightness that will bring out the cherry flavor more. And if you haven’t tried the combination of cherries and almonds before, do yourself a favor and make this homemade cherry pie filling with a bit of almond extract.
Cornstarch and water – To help thicken the filling.
Tips For Making This Recipe
Hack For Pitting Fresh Cherries
For convenience, use a cherry pitter to prepare your fresh cherries. But if you don’t want to buy one, you can unfold a paper clip and use its curved end to pop out the cherry pits.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can store your homemade cherry filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Go Beyond the Crust
Cool your fresh cherry pie filling and enjoy it on top of vanilla ice cream, yogurt, parfait, pancakes, waffles, or cheesecake bites!
Cherry Pie Filling Recipe FAQs
What is the best thickener for cherry pie filling?
We used cornstarch to thicken this cherry pie filling, as flour can leave a starchy mouthfeel, and tapioca starch can sometimes become sticky.
Which variety of cherry is best suited for pie filling?
While you can use sweet cherries, sour or tart cherries are the best choice for homemade cherry pie filling thanks to their balanced tart-sweet flavor. In fact, tart cherries are often called pie cherries!
Can you use frozen cherries for homemade cherry pie filling?
Of course! To save yourself the extra prep work of removing pits, feel free to use frozen cherries. Just toss them into the pan. No thawing needed!
Can you use canned cherries for homemade pie filling?
Yes. You can even use the cherry juice of canned cherries in place of water in this cherry pie filling recipe.
Can homemade cherry pie filling be frozen?
Yes! Allow your lemon cherry pie filling to cool, transfer it to a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before use.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
- Peach Mango Pie
- Strawberry Spoon Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
- Mini Peanut Butter Pies
- Mini Pecan Pies
I found this recipe for No Bake Cherry Delight that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below.
Homemade Cherry Pie Filling
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups pitted tart red cherries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Combine the cornstarch and water. Set aside.
- Place the cherries in a pot or saucepan.
- Add the sugar.
- Next, squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the cherries. Stir until combined.
- Cook over medium heat. Once the filling starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture has reached the desired consistency.
Notes
- For convenience, use a cherry pitter to prepare your fresh cherries. But if you don’t want to buy one, you can unfold a paper clip and use its curved end to pop out the cherry pits.
- You can store your homemade cherry filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Cool your fresh cherry pie filling and enjoy it on top of vanilla ice cream, yogurt, parfait, pancakes, waffles, or cheesecake bites!
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER!
