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!
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The Best 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 (same with Apple 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:
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!
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
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Ingredients
- 4 cups whole pitted fresh sweet cherries about 2 pounds with pits or 1 1/2 pounds pitted or frozen, thawed pitted cherries
- ½ cup honey plus additional to taste (if using tart cherries, you may need to add a bit more)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ⅛ 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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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!!! :)
I hope you love it Marina!!
I want to eat this with a spoon.
Me too! It looks soo tasty. :D
Erin, I follow your blog and get all you updates. Love your writing style and your recipes. I don’t comment often enough but wanted to say thanks for sharing your fearless dedication. I am always looking for healthy recipes I can serve my husband that will not make him aware they are healthy. Love your site! And he loves your recipes — WIN/WIN/WIN!
Tami, this comment makes my day! Thank you so, so much for your kind words. They mean the world!
I don’t know that I’m in the market for making cherry pie, but I’m saving the recipe anyway, because it sounds very good, and if I do find myself wanting to make cherry pie, I sure don’t want to buy a can of filling. I’m a great believer in making such things from scratch. I’m curious to know what kind of honey you used. The only kind I’ll buy anymore is mesquite honey, which is probably not available except in the desert southwest, and I’m hoping that would work. For me it tastes much better than most honey.
Susan, I love making things from scratch too! I think any kind of honey you enjoy eating will be fine :)
Local honey, that is locally produced within ten miles of you has all types of healing and medicinal attributes. Honey from other areas, even just further away doesn’t have the same effect. I buy local honey from a beekeeper but I know that’s not available to everyone so read those labels and parse out the BS on them.
I love this recipe and can see it on cold vanilla ice cream, yes!
Beautiful recipe. Love the simplicity (:
Thank you so much Nicolas!
Wow, this looks yummy. I thought cheese cake as soon as I started reading your intro. I like the honey idea. Thank you. Janet B.
I hope you love the recipe Janet! And now I’m craving cheesecake…
I love cherry pies, sweet or tart. I just pitted 4lbs of cherry & stored them in the freezer for jam, smoothies,and now pie. Plus ko white sugar, it’ll be a keeper.
Helene, those cherries are going to be a wonderful treat! Good for you for planning ahead. I hope you love the filling!
My “boys” LOVE cherry pies! I also make my own filling, somewhat similar to yours but I’m totally using the honey idea next time instead of sugar! I add dried cherries to the filling to add another texture to it, that’s my Jeff’s favorite part of it.
Looks simple and delicious! Adding extra cherries to my farm market list. Thanks for sharing!
I have always wanted to make my own pie filling. That being said I am allergic to cherries. Could I substitute any fruit for the cherries in this recipe?
Hi Jennifer! This recipe is very flexible, and I think you could definitely make it with other fruits. The trick will be addressing the amount of honey and cornstarch. Use more honey of your fruit is less sweet and less cornstarch if your fruit has a lower moisture content than cherries, such as blueberries. You can also reference recipes for other pie fillings online, and substitute the sugar with honey. I hope that helps and that you enjoy it!
These photos are your most gorgeous yet! Those cherries must be feeling like superstars right now. Cherryrazzi all day, everyday. xoxox
Oh Erin! What have you done to me? I made this cherry pie filling back in the summer. Baked the cherry bars. They were devoured instantly. I saved the rest in the freezer and pulled it out this week and made pop tarts, just like you told me to do. And now, now my family says this is the only way they will EVER eat another pop tart. Thanks. (I think. ?)
Heather this sounds like a delicious problem to have! I am so thrilled to hear how much you all enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for trying it and taking time to leave this kind review.
Growing up, we had a cherry tree in our yard. It was always a challenge to get to the cherries before the birds! Anyway, my Mother made lots of pies. I have since made lots of pies from scratch using her recipe to make the filling. The recipe had sugar, a little lemon juice and cornstarch for thickening. When I saw your recipe using honey instead of sugar, I was intrigued and had to give it a try. It was sooo good! Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Helen, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for leaving this wonderful comment and sharing your pie baking memories. :)
Oh My God!!! Sooooo Good!!!!! I could just eat all with a spoon.
YAY Alexis I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for giving it a try and reporting back. :)
Will frozen cherries cook just as well to make this filling? I bought a 5lb bag at Costco n I’m running out of ideas for use.
Hi Christine, yes, you can use frozen cherries too!
I love this recipe, originally made it to top a cheescake! All I can say is wow, everyone loved it!!! It was requested again for the next holiday! Then I made the cherry bars, they are the best!!! Thank you for such wonderful recipes. I have always made it in the winter with frozen cherries, can’t wait to try it with fresh ones this weekend!!!!?????
Diana, I’m so happy to hear the recipe is a winner! Thanks so much for taking the time to report back! :)
Looks really delicious, thanks for the shout-out!
This is a fantastic recipe. I will make it again. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment, John! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it!
My daughter is allergic to corn. Can arrowroot be substituted for the cornstarch? Would the substitution be one to one?
Brenda, that would be fine! Guides I found online state that 2 teaspoons Arrowroot flour = 1 tablespoon Cornstarch, so you can use that formula. If you decide to experiment with arrowroot, I’d love to hear how it goes!
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!
This was absolutely delicious! My daughter wanted cherry cheesecake for her birthday cake, so I made this to top the cake. I used half maple syrup & half honey, just on a whim, and everyone loved it – and some even had seconds of *just* the cherries. Plus, it was super simple, so it didn’t cause me any extra stress to pull it off. 10/10 would recommend!
Hi Stephanie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Just made this with sour cherries from my tree. Wonderful recipe and so easy. I’ve been baking using honey for a few years and was so glad to see your recipe.
This is definitely a keeper. Easy and delicious
Than you
Hi Teri! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Love your recipes… I look forward to everyone of them. Thank-you
Thank you Eugenia! Glad you enjoy them!
If I’m baking a pie with the filling, do I still cook it on the stovetop and then bake it in the oven too?
Yes Jeanie, you do. Think of it like you would canned pie filling (but WAY YUMMIER!)
Can I use this for other fruit other than cherry? Looking to make a one filling recipe.
Hi Michaela, I haven’t tried it but you should be able to use other berries. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Hi! Do I NEED lemon juice? I just realized I don’t have any and I’m trying to avoid taking both kids to the store for a lemon. Lol what exactly does the lemon do? Thanks!!
Hi Rebekah, it helps preserve it, but you might be able to get away from using it if you are using the filing right away.
Cherry pie is one of my favorites. This is the first time I’ve made my own filling with your recipe. Came out SO good! Never going back to canned cherries! It was hard not to eat before making the actual pie lol.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Eunice! Thank you!
WOW! I never thought making your own cherry pie filling is a lot easier than I thought and sooooo much better than the canned version! The balance of sweet and tart flavors was spot on, and the texture was perfect – glossy and smooth.
Glad you enjoyed it, Chelsea!
I am never buying store bought again – this recipe is THAT good. And not only is it delicious, but it comes together easily. I put this on top of ice cream and made mini cherry pies
Yay! Great to hear, Roselle!
This is so easy and so good, but impresses friends and family every time. I can’t believe I spent so long using canned filling when so little extra work to have scratch made filling makes such a difference in taste.
Great to hear, thank you CB!
Wonderful recipe, as usual! You don’t include whether or not this can be canned. Is there any reason it cannot be?
Hi Marcia, I do not have much experience with canning which is why it isn’t included. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
I believe that you can’t can with corn starch. I would look up canning cherries and then use that to make pie filling later.
Thanks Heather!
Just de-stemmed and pitted 2 lbs of fresh bing cherries and want to make this today. Thinking about using agave syrup to replace or be combined with honey. Any thoughts? Thx
Hi Kimberly! I haven’t tried it but I feel like it should work. The flavoring is slightly different than honey. If you tested it out, let us know how it goes!
I made it according to the recipe but the honey flavourful overwhelmed the cherry so you only taste the honey. Any ideas on how to alter this. I’ve froze the filling for another day and so can add stuff later. More cherries? More something else?
Hi Joe, if the honey flavor was an issue, I’d either reduce the amount or use a different brand. Hope this helps!
Have you canned this recipe? If so, how long in a water bath? Thank you
Hi Summer, I do not have much experience with canning so I can’t speak about specifics. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!