When stone fruit hits its prime, I’m powerless to resist. Every year, in a moment of summer hysteria, I buy an oversized crate of cherries. The first order of business for my sweet surplus: easy homemade Cherry Pie Filling!
Cherry pie filling is made of simple ingredients that are designed to thicken the cherries and help their flavor star brightly: fresh sweet or tart cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
The idea: stay out of the cherries’ way and help this precious red summer jewel taste its best.
Old-fashioned cherry pie filling recipe uses sugar, but I prefer to sweeten my filling with honey.
I was a little concerned that the honey’s flavor would overpower the cherries, but the two taste wonderful together.
The cherries shine brightly, while the honey adds light background notes of floral sweetness.
This cherry pie filling recipe turned out to be so tasty and so easy, I made a second jar the very next day and tucked it into my freezer for a later (and for these Cherry Bars of course).
Even if you don’t bake a pie, there are many, many delicious ways to use homemade pie filling.
Serve it over pancakes (like Banana Oatmeal Pancakes), mix it into a bowl of Steel Cut Oats, use it to top ice cream (like Oat Milk Ice Cream), and more!
5 Star Review
“Thank goodness for this recipe! I’ve always hated canned pie filling, and I’ve never found a recipe for a homemade version that I liked. Now I found one yay!!!”
— Marina —
How to Make Cherry Filling From Scratch
No more wondering which is the best canned cherry pie filling or how you make canned cherry pie filling taste homemade.
The answer is: use homemade pie filling you make from scratch!
This is a breeze to stir up.
The hardest part is waiting for fresh, in-season cherries to arrive.
The Ingredients
- Cherries. A precious gift of summer! The cherries give the pie filling beautiful color without the need for red food coloring. Cherry season is short (a few weeks in July). Making pie filling is one of the bests ways to make the most of them.
- Honey. For a naturally sweet cherry pie. Using honey instead of sugar (or worse, high fructose corn syrup from cherry pie filling in a can) makes me feel all the more redeemed when I spoon this onto my breakfast parfait.
- Lemon Juice. Essential for the best cherry pie filling.
- Cornstarch. How to thicken cherry pie filling. To thicken the cherry pie filling without cornstarch, swap in arrowroot starch.
- Pure Almond Extract. Cherries and almonds are a lovely flavor combination (have you ever noticed that cherry pits smell a little like almonds?). DO NOT use imitation almond extract, which tastes artificial.
The Directions
- Add all of the filling ingredients to a saucepan.
- Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened. Taste (be careful, it is hot!) and add additional honey if you’d like the filling sweeter. Let cool and enjoy!
How to Use Cherry Pie Filling
This recipe will yield 2 heaping cups, which is enough for a regular (non-deep dish) 9-inch pie.
That said, cherry pie is certainly not the only option! I encourage you to try:
- Mixed with yogurt (try it in these Berry Parfait Yogurt Popsicles)
- On top of oatmeal (try Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats and Overnight Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats)
- With ice cream (this Banana Ice Cream would make for a fun, fruity combo)
- Spread it on warm Healthy Chocolate Muffins
- On top of Oatmeal Pancakes or Whole Wheat Waffles
- Swapped in for the strawberry in these Strawberry Hand Pies
- Baked in puff pastry to make Brie Bites (swap it for the cranberry sauce)
- On top of Greek Yogurt Cheesecake
Two Great Pie Crust Recipes
- Whole Wheat Pie Crust. Classically flaky. The food processor makes it easy to prepare the pie dough.
- Oil Pie Crust. No rolling required! It’s ideal for pie crust newbies (or anytime you need pie in a hurry).
- Store-Bought Pie Crust. Cherry pie filling does have to be cooked, so you can take a shortcut with the crust. I won’t tell if you don’t!
Storage Tips
- To Store. The filling will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- To Freeze. Because it is made with honey, the filling does congeal somewhat when frozen and thawed. I found it worked best to let the frozen filling thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm it in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, to smooth it out a little.
Storage Tips
If you are going to use the filling in a classic cherry pie or as a sauce on top of ice cream, I would not recommend freezing, since in these cases, you’ll want the smoothest texture possible.
Pair Cherry Pie Filling With
Don’t limit this filling to just dessert. It enhances some of my favorite breakfast items too:
Breakfast & Brunch
Healthy Granola
Breakfast & Brunch
Coconut Flour Pancakes
Breakfast & Brunch
Fluffy Pancakes
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Saucepan. These saucepans have two layers of stainless steel for balanced heat conduction.
- Small Whisk. Perfect for small bowls and containers.
- Magnetic Measuring Spoons. One of my favorite purchases!
Cherry Pitter
Pit more cherries in less time with this sturdy, easy-to-store cherry pitter. It accommodates almost all cherry sizes too!
Pie, a breakfast treat, cake filling, turnovers, or straight from the jar.
However you eat this cherry pie filling, it’s a taste of sweet summertime!
Frequently Asked Questions
Frozen cherries are an excellent way to make this recipe year-round. Simply add your frozen cherries (be sure they are pitted and don’t have stems), then cook them on the stove as directed, adding a few extra minutes to the cook time.
Great-tasting cherry pie filling starts first and foremost with the quality of your cherries. Be sure they are ripe and in-season (or were frozen during peak season). To brighten up the filling, be sure to add a little lemon juice. Pure extracts, like vanilla extra and almond extra, as well as cherry liqueur, also enhance the flavor of cherries.
Cherries pair well with warm baking spices, like cinnamon, all-spice, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Add a little of any of these to your pie filling for a fun twist.
Cherry Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole pitted fresh sweet cherries about 2 pounds with pits or 1 1/2 pounds pitted or frozen, thawed pitted cherries
- 1/2 cup honey plus additional to taste (if using tart cherries, you may need to add a bit more)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract optional or substitute 1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place cherries into a large saucepan. Add 1/2 cup honey, lemon juice, cornstarch, and almond extract (if using), then stir to coat. Turn on the heat to medium.
- Cook the filling, stirring often, until glossy and thickened, about 5 – 10 minutes. Very carefully so as not to burn your tongue, taste the mixture. If you desire additional sweetness, add more honey a few teaspoons at a time. Remove pan from the heat and let the filling cool completely. Transfer to a storage jar.
Notes
- TO STORE. This cherry pie filling will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- TO FREEZE. Because it is made with honey, it does congeal somewhat when frozen and thawed. I found it worked best to let the frozen filling thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm it in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, to smooth it out a little.
Nutrition
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Erin,
Thank you for your reply. I made the recipe using Arrowroot and it worked fine.
I am so happy to hear that Brenda! Thank you for reporting back!
I canned cherry pie filling using this recipe. Very good. Tastes much better than store bought. I used a little less honey. I will use this recipe again. Thank you for sharing.
I am so pleased to hear that Star, thank you!
My first pie ever… my little boy of 4 and I made it using cherries we froze from the backyard cherry tree this summer. It is a yummy addition to our Thanksgiving dinner this weekend in Toronto. Thanks Erin!
Congratulations on your first pie, David! I hope it’s enjoyed by all!
Hi, Erin,
Would love to make a pie with your filling recipe. Nutrition question — are there actually 28 grams of sugar in a serving if you use only 1/2 cup of honey? I’m trying to make a pie with less grams of sugar, and your recipe really sounds good with the almond extract, etc. Thank you for any advice!
Hi Helen, the nutrition information is just an estimate, but yes, it’s around 28 grams of sugar due to the sugar in the cherries as well as the honey. You could try experimenting with less honey to taste, but I haven’t tried that myself, so I can only vouch for the recipe as written!
Thank you, Erin!
I found beautiful frozen, pitted tart cherries with low sugar content at the grocery store, and I’ll add just a bit more honey to the recipe. Can’t wait to try this out!
Hi Erin,
Just wondering, could this recipe be canned?
And would it be water bath canned or pressure
canned?
Kim, I am a very novice canner, so I can’t give you any guaranteed info, I’m sorry! I intended this to be more of a refrigerator/freezer jam.
Well thank you just the same Erin. I appreciate your timely reply! And, more than likely will use it for a nice fresh pie!
If, I should run across the answer, I’ll be sure to
let you know : )
I would like to make a pie with this recipe. Do you have a pie crust recipe to go with?
I do Paula! This is my favorite: https://www.wellplated.com/whole-wheat-pie-crust/
Hello Erin! I’m looking to make a cake with a filling and was wondering if this might work as such? It doesn’t use granulated sugar and that’s exactly what I’m looking for. Thank you.
Hi Liz! I have not tried this as a cake filling, but you could experiment with it. If you do try it, please let me know how it works out. I hope you love it!
OMG I am obsessed with this cherry pie filling! I made it with frozen cherries from Trader Joe’s, and half the recommended amount of honey, and it was SO EASY and tastes amazing! I will bake my first cherry pie for Thanksgiving! I am going to freeze a second batch in silicon 2″ ice cube trays so I can thaw a cube and eat it with Greek yogurt. Thank you for another great recipe!
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Daria! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit!
If I put it in a pic crust, how long do I cook it and at what temperature?
Hi Tonna! Unfortunately, I don’t have specific directions for making this into a pie. However, I suggest swapping it in any cherry pie recipe that calls for cherry pie filling that you’d like to try. I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it!
How long can this recipe last in the refrigerator?
Hi Lisa! You can refrigerate the leftovers for up to 1 week. I hope you enjoy it!
So easy to make. And super delicious!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Marie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi Erin, for those of us who are vegans, and I additionally do not like the taste of honey, what can we use as a replacement for the honey? Thank you so much.
Hi Christine! I think you could experiment with maple syrup instead. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Erin – I’m looking forward to trying this – is the lemon juice for color retention only? I cannot eat citrus/highly acidic foods, and am wondering if you have a substitution suggestion if its purpose is for more than color. Thank you!
Hi Pam! The lemon juices helps with oxidization and flavor. It enhances and amplifies the taste of fruit. If you need to leave it out, you probably could but I would then recommend consuming it within a day of making it. Hope this helps!
Thank you! I made the recipe without lemon juice and put it right into a pie crust when the sauce thickened. The pie turned out great – I will definitely make this again!
Hi Pam! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was my second time trying a cherry pie…as i had a huge cherry tree in our backyard….and the last one was a totalk failure…that recipe was literally bad…and this time i used ur recipe…i tft was fantastic…keep carrying the good work erin
Hi Anju! So glad you enjoyed the pie filling! Thank you for this kind review!