Cherry pie filling

Homemade cherry pie filling is simple to make and oh so good! Made from scratch with only a few simple ingredients.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, comfort food, Southern

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 753kcal

Pit the cherries over a glass liquid measuring cup. Place pitted cherries into a deep frying pan. Place your hand over the pits and pour any excess juices into the pan.
Add the cherries into a large cast iron skillet or pot and cook over medium heat. Add the butter, sugar and lemon juice. Cook until soft, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally. Dissolve the cornstarch into cold water, stir with a tablespoon.
Stir the cornstarch mixture into the cherry mixture. Cook over medium to high heat to thicken. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon.
Let cherry pie filling cool completely before putting into the pie shell.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the lard and butter pieces using a pastry cutter, until you have small pea size pieces. Incorporate a little water at a time, until your pie crust comes together. Do not overwork the dough or the pie crust will be tough.
Place the pie crust into a large zip-style bag and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the bottom pie crust. Place into a 9-inch glass pie plate or 9-inch cast iron skillet. Spoon the cooled cherry pie filling into the pie shell.
(If using a cast iron skillet be sure and spray the pan with cooking spray prior to putting the crust in it)
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the top pie crust and place on top of the cherry pie filling. Slice air a few vents in the top of the crust.
Or roll out the top crust and slice long pieces with a small pastry cutter or pizza cutter. Place pieces one way, then weave crust pieces the opposite direction. Continue until the pie is covered with pie crust.
Brush entire pie gently using a pastry brush with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Place the pie on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. This will help contain the mess. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for about 1 hour.
Once it is browned nicely, cover with a piece of aluminum foil with an air vent cut out of the top. This will keep the pie from becoming too brown while continuing to cook and still let air vent. Bake until the pie filling is bubbling. About 1 hour 10 minutes total.
Remove the pie from the oven. Let cool completely before slicing.

Cherry pie filling can be made ahead of time and frozen for later use.

Sometimes I add a pinch of ground nutmeg.