Homemade cherry pie made with tart cherries—fresh when in season or canned—tossed with sugar and tapioca and baked in a flaky, golden crust. A classic summer favorite.
Years ago, when we lived near Wrigley Field in Chicago, Saturday mornings meant a trip to the Lincoln Park farmers market. It was before farmers markets were everywhere, so I got to know many of the vendors and enjoyed chatting with them about the week’s produce and flowers.
I treasured those market mornings. My friend and I would compare finds: “Did you see the gladiolas? The sweet corn is in. They had cherries today!” One vendor, the “Fruit Man” from Michigan, brought tart cherries for a very brief window—usually two or three weeks. They were flawless, freshly picked tart cherries. I’d buy a couple of containers and bake a cherry pie that same day. My oldest daughter, about three at the time, would squeal “Cherry pie!!” whenever she spotted them on the counter.
What You’ll Need
- Tart cherries – Use fresh seasonal tart cherries if you can; they’re available for a short time in early summer. If fresh tart cherries aren’t available, canned tart cherries work well. Make sure they’re tart, bright red cherries, not the sweet dark ones.
- Sugar, tapioca, and butter – Instant Minute Tapioca is my preferred thickener for fruit pies. Sugar balances the tartness and a few dotted bits of butter add richness.
- Flour, butter, and lard (or shortening) – For a tender, flaky crust I like a mix of lard and butter. If you prefer not to use lard, chilled vegetable shortening or all-butter crusts work fine. Keep ingredients cold and have ice water ready.
- Egg and milk or water – For an optional egg wash that creates a glossy, crisp top crust.
How to Make Tart Cherry Pie from Scratch
Step 1: Make the crust. Pulse flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add cubed chilled butter and lard and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with visible pieces of fat. Transfer to a bowl and add ice water, a little at a time, mixing with a fork until the dough clumps and can be gathered into a ball. Divide into two discs, wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Step 2: Make the filling. In a large bowl combine drained canned cherries or fresh pitted cherries with sugar and instant tapioca. Let the mixture sit about 15 minutes to allow the tapioca to hydrate. Whisk the egg and milk (or water) for the egg wash and set aside.
Step 3: Roll out one disc of chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and fit it into a 9″ pie dish. Trim but leave a slight overhang. Roll the top disc to fit the pie. Fill the bottom crust with the cherry mixture and dot with butter. Drape the top crust over the filling, trim the edges, then fold and crimp to seal. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with a little sugar, and cut 4–5 slits in the top to vent.
Step 4: Bake the pie on a baking sheet in the middle of a preheated oven at 425°F for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F and continue baking until the crust is deeply golden and the filling is thick and bubbly, about 30–35 minutes more. Allow the pie to cool completely so the filling sets before slicing.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- The dough can be temperamental—add ice water a teaspoon at a time until it holds together. If it tears while rolling, patch with scraps; it will bake up fine.
- For a subtle depth of flavor, add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract to the filling.
- A mix of lard and butter gives the flakiest crust; chilled shortening or an all-butter crust are acceptable alternatives. Keep fats cold for best results.
- If using canned cherries, choose red tart cherries labeled as such (not canned pie filling or sweet cherries).
When tart cherries are in season, make the most of them and bake a pie. If you can’t find fresh cherries, canned tart cherries produce an excellent pie too. My daughter still squeals when she sees a cherry pie on the counter—happy summer baking! Kelly
You might also enjoy other summer desserts and pies such as peach pie, blackberry-peach cobbler, or a fresh blackberry crisp.
Homemade Cherry Pie
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes (1 stick)
- ½ cup chilled lard, ½-inch pieces (or chilled shortening)
- 5 tablespoons ice water, at least
- 1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk or water for egg wash
For Filling:
- 4 cups tart cherries, fresh (washed and pitted) or canned and drained (about 2 cans)
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons instant tapioca (Minute Tapioca)
- 1 tablespoon butter, to dot on top
Instructions
- Make crust: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add cubed butter and lard and pulse until mixture looks like coarse meal with visible pieces of fat. Transfer to a bowl, add 5 tablespoons ice water and mix until dough clumps. Add more water by teaspoonfuls if needed. Form into two discs, wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Preheat and prepare filling: Preheat oven to 425°F. About 15 minutes before rolling the dough, combine cherries, sugar and tapioca in a bowl. Let sit 15 minutes to hydrate the tapioca. Whisk together the egg and milk for the egg wash.
- Roll and assemble: Roll one dough disc on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9″ pie dish. Roll the second disc to cover the pie. Fill the bottom crust with the cherry mixture and dot with butter. Cover with the top crust, trim and crimp the edges. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and cut slits to vent.
- Bake: Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake in the middle of the oven at 425°F for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven to 375°F and bake until the crust is browned and the filling bubbles, about 30–35 more minutes. Cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- Tart Cherries: Fresh tart cherries are seasonal and prized for pies; canned tart cherries are an excellent substitute. Use bright red tart cherries rather than sweet dark cherries.