Tart Cherry Pie

This delightful tart cherry pie uses tart cherries for the perfect mixture of sweet and sour. Using a pie crust cutter gives this dessert great visual appeal too! 

One of my favorite parts of food blogging is connecting with people that share my love for baking. When I read a blog post where someone talks about making the same cake three times just to get the recipe right, I know I’m in good company. I was excited this past spring when – on a chance encounter – I got to meet one of my blog friends in real life. It all started with the search for an additional television for our home. We had found a television listed in the community forum for our apartment complex and I emailed the owner to see whether it was still available. I was more than surprised when I received a reply back from the owner who said, “Is this Heather… from My Sweet Precision?!”

It turns out that the world is indeed small, and I had connected with Mara from Put on Your Cake Pants. We’d been following each other’s blogs for a while, and I knew she was a fellow Michigan resident, but I had no idea we lived so close together. After meeting up for coffee and chatting, she bestowed some tart cherries upon me that she had handpicked herself. These cherries sat in my freezer for a while (because #momlife) before I had a chance to bake with them. After making my pie, I made sure to snap a picture and send it her way before we devoured almost everything in a day.

What type of cherries should I use for baking?

So let’s talk a little bit more about these cherries. Tart cherries are often referred to as “pie cherries” and are best used for baking. They have a sour-sweet flavor and you can find them frozen or canned in the grocery store. Michigan is the Cherry Capitol of the World, and is famous for its Montmorency’s tart cherries. While you can use either a sweet or a tart cherry in a pie, I’m a big fan of using tart cherries because I love the tangy flavor that they bring to a dessert. I do have another recipe for a Sweet Cherry Pie, which uses much less sugar to adjust for taste. If you have a real sweet tooth, you would probably prefer this recipe!

What's your best pie crust recipe?

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Are you ready? Lean in closely...

I hardly EVER make my own pie crusts.

There, I went ahead and said it. Let the foodies and baking aficionados judge me all they want. For me, a pie is all about what's on the inside. No amount of pie dough preparation will ever change that fact. With that being said, I always save myself the time and purchase a pre-made pie dough. And I do it every time without guilt... and so should you!

Homemade Tart Cherry Pie

This delightful cherry pie uses tart cherries for the perfect mixture of sweet and sour. Using a pie crust cutter gives this dessert great visual appeal too! 

Print Pin Comment

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups pitted sour cherries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar
• 3 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 9 inch prepared pie crusts

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and place an oven rack in the center of the oven. 
• Place the cherries, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the juices thicken.
• Remove pan from heat, and stir in butter and almond extract. Allow the filling to cool to lukewarm. You can speed this up by placing filling in the refrigerator.
• While pie is cooling remove your pie crusts from the refrigerator and let warm at room temperature for approximately 5 minutes. Carefully unroll pie crusts and line 9 inch pie pan with one crust. Once mixture has cooled, pour cherries into the pie shell. Cover with top crust and crimp the edges to seal. I used a fun cutout for the top, but if you use a plain pie crust, make sure you cut the vents for steam to escape. 
• Bake for approximately 45 to 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Bake on a cookie sheet to catch any juices that may escape. Allow pie to cool completely before slicing and serving. This allows the juices to thicken. 

Notes and Tips

Sometimes the crust of a pie bakes quicker than the center. It's never fun to have an over-browned crust that takes away from the visual appeal of your dessert. A quick fix is to use aluminum foil to cover the edges of your pie. This will help everything cook evenly. Simply apply the foil right before you place your pie in the oven. You can also purchase a silicone "pie shield" if you frequently bake pies and want a no-fuss option. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 659IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 2mg

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Did You Make our Tart Cherry Pie?!

Did you make this recipe? First, let me say THANK YOU for giving it a try! Please leave us a rating above and leave any feedback in the comments section at the bottom of this post. I always love to hear your thoughts and ideas on what went well — and what didn’t — with a recipe! Be sure to check out some of our other recipes below!