Cherry Pie With Frozen Cherries
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.This cherry pie with frozen cherries is an absolute delight, made with sweet cherries, lemon zest, and almond extract. Bite into the most delicious cherry mixture paired with a buttery flaky pie crust – guaranteed to be the hit of any party, picnic, or holiday event. The perfect dessert to make year round, whether it’s cherry season or not!
This dreamy cherry pie will win over anyone who tries it. The flaky homemade pie crust is loaded with the best cherry pie filling ever! It gets even more impressive with the sugar sprinkled lattice design on top of the pie. The best part? Since this is a cherry pie recipe using frozen cherries, you don’t have to wait until cherry season! Enjoy it year round!
My favorite thing is that this recipe is so versatile. You can use the filling and crust in so many different ways. If you have been looking for a favorite pie crust recipe to use again and again for any pie, this is the one! And the filling? Try it out as a topping over ice cream, layered in yogurt parfait, or drizzled on top of oatmeal. The possibilities are endless!
And if you like this recipe, be sure to check out my vegan pumpkin pie, which is a twist on a classic recipe, and my strawberry blueberry pie, which is another fruit filled, easy homemade pie that’s bursting with sweet, tangy, berry flavor!
👩🏽🍳 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect Anytime: Whether you have an upcoming special occasion or simply love pie, this cherry pie filling using frozen cherries works for any occasion!
- Minimal Ingredients: You don’t need to stock up on a lot to make this frozen cherries pie recipe.
- Easy To Make: Making a homemade pie crust is easier than you might think! All you need is a little time and patience and your pie will turn out perfectly every time.
- Saves You Time: You will be pleasantly surprised when making this easy cherry pie with frozen cherries! It comes together with minimal effort but looks so impressive! Using frozen cherries is an easy way to save some time and ensure the best quality fruit for your pie.
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🥘 Ingredients
This frozen cherries cherry pie requires standard homemade pie ingredients easily found at most grocery stores. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for nutritional information. Here is what you need for the best cherry pie recipe with frozen cherries:
- For The Pie Crust: You’ll need all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, cold butter (to make the crust super flaky), and ice-cold water to balance the consistency of the crust. This cherry pie crust recipe is super minimal yet delicious!
- For The Cherry Filling: You’ll use frozen pitted cherries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, almond extract, butter, and corn starch to thicken the filling so it’s the perfect consistency. Cherry pie filling from frozen cherries is so simple!
- For The Topping: You’ll need an egg – for the egg wash, which gives a beautiful sheen to the top of the pie, and a little bit of sugar sprinkled on the top crust– either granulated or coarse sugar works well for this cherry pie with frozen cherries recipe.
🍲 Ingredient Substitutions
- Fruit: If you happen to not enjoy frozen cherries in pie, use other types of frozen berries like blueberries, blackberries, or a berry medley.
- Flour: Experiment with other flours like whole wheat pastry flour, almond flour, cassava flour, or coconut flour. Just keep in mind that if you don’t use all purpose flour, the texture of your crust will change.
- Citrus: You can play around with different citrus blends like lime juice, orange juice, and orange zest for an equally tasty frozen cherry pie filling recipe. You can even use cherry juice in place of the lemon juice for a more mellow taste.
- Extract: Add a few drops of vanilla extract instead of almond for a different flavor profile in this frozen cherry dessert.
- Starch: Use tapioca starch or arrowroot to thicken the pie filling if you do not have cornstarch.
🔪 How To Make Cherry Pie With Frozen Cherries
Making cherry pie with frozen cherries is the easiest way to get the perfect cherry pie! Here is how to make this recipe:
Prepare The Pastry: Place the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add the diced cold butter to the flour mixture and continue to pulse until the butter resembles small pea sized pieces.
Form Dough: While the food processor is running, pour in cold water until a dough begins to form. Transfer the dough to a bench and bring the dough together.
Chill Dough: Divide the dough in half and form 2 discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Combine Filling Ingredients: Meanwhile prepare the filling. Place cherries, sugar, lemon juice, zest, cornstarch, and almond extract in a pan on the stovetop. Stir continuously over a low heat until the mixture has thickened, this may take between 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Roll Out Dough: Once the pie dough has chilled, remove one disc and use a rolling pin to roll it into a circle approximately ⅛ inch thick on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9 inch pie pan.
Add Bottom Crust & Pie Filling: Line the pie dish with pastry for the bottom pie crust and press it gently into place.
Fill Pie Crust: Fill with the cooled cherry filling. Arrange the diced butter pieces over the filling.
Chill & Prep Top Pastry Layer: Place the pie in the fridge while preparing the top layer of pastry. Roll the remaining pastry approximately ⅛ inch thick and large enough to cover the pie dish. Cut the pastry into 10 strips approximately 1 inch wide using a sharp knife or pastry cutter. These will be used to top the pie.
Brush With Egg Wash: Whisk the egg in a small bowl and brush the edges of the pastry.
Form Lattice Top: Lay 6 strips parallel over the top of the filling, leaving a small space between each strip. Fold back every second strip and lay the remaining 4 strips in a lattice design over the pie. Weave the strips over and under each other to cover the pie filling.
Trim Edges & Seal: Trim the edges of the pastry with a sharp knife. Using your fingers, crimp the pastry to seal the edges. Chill the pie for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C.
Brush Top & Sprinkle Sugar: Brush the top of your cherry pie made from frozen cherries with the whisked egg, and finish off with a sprinkle of sugar.
Bake, Cool, Serve: Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40-50 minutes, until the buttery crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours before serving and enjoying.
💭 Expert Tips
- Pastry Temperature Matters: Cold pastry equals a flaky crust, so for best results, it’s essential to make sure your homemade crust stays cold.
- Avoid Spillage: Sometimes pie filling can boil over a bit while cooking. You can place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any potential spillage.
- Save Time: While you will get the most delicious buttery pie crust with this recipe you can save time and use store-bought pie crusts. The frozen cherry pie filling is the true star of the show so either way you will have one of the best fruit pies around!
- Cool The Pie: Allow the filling to set for at least 2 hours before serving so it has time to set and thicken.
📖 Variations
- Blueberry Pie: Make this a delicious blueberry pie by swapping out the cherries for frozen blueberries. This butter pie crust goes perfectly with any frozen or fresh fruit!
- Fresh Cherry Pie: You can also use fresh cherries in this recipe, but you’ll need to remove the pit and stem from each pitted cherry first!
- Cherry Crumb Pie Recipe: Instead of a lattice top you can make a crumble to sprinkle over the top of the pie with flour, sugar, and butter.
- Sour Cherry Pie: If you prefer a pie filling that is more on the tart side you can use sour cherries (also known as tart cherries) for a regular tart cherry pie.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this homemade cherry pie with frozen cherries served on a pie plate and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. If you want to enhance it even more, here are a few suggestions:
- Ice Cream: A generous scoop of vanilla ice cream upgrades this to the best cherry pie recipe ever! For a fun twist, try this lychee ice cream or vegan matcha ice cream!
- Warm Beverages: Next time you enjoy this cherry pie, try it with a cup of tea or hot coffee. I love it with this lavender latte, moon milk, or oat milk hot chocolate.
- Drizzles: Serve this delicious cherry pie recipe accompanied with a drizzle of vegan nutella, chocolate syrup, blackberry syrup, strawberry syrup, or this vegan honey recipe.
🙌 Dietary Adaptations
This cherry pie recipe with frozen cherries is made with all the classic cherry pie ingredients so it does not cater to certain dietary needs. However, you can adjust this recipe with a few simple changes:
- Gluten-Free Option: Substitute the all-purpose flour for a gluten free alternative. The texture will be different but you will still have a tasty pie crust for cherry pie. You can also follow my gluten free pie crust recipe!
- Vegan Option: Use vegan butter in this recipe for cherry pie using frozen cherries to keep it vegan and dairy free. You will also need to swap the egg in the egg wash for aquafaba or almond milk. Sometimes sugar is not vegan, so be sure to check the packaging for a vegan certification or use an alternative sweetener like coconut sugar.
- Sugar Free Option: If you prefer a pie with no added sugar, you can replace the sugar with a natural alternative like maple syrup or honey. Stevia and monk fruit can also work in this homemade cherry pie recipe. You can adjust the amount of sugar if you are just looking for a lower sugar option.
🫙 Storage Directions
Here is how to store and keep this cherry pie made with frozen cherries:
- To Store In The Fridge: Store leftover pie, covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also store individual slices in an airtight container. Pastry can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days before assembling and baking the pie.
- To Freeze: If you plan to freeze the whole pie for a later time, you can freeze it unbaked. Store the sweet cherry pie securely covered in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: When ready to bake the pie, allow the frozen cherry pie to thaw in the fridge and then bake in the oven at 350 F for 40-50 minutes.
❓Recipe FAQs
If you find that the cherry pie filling with frozen cherries is too runny, there are three things you can do. First, make sure you cook down the filling on the stove, reducing it to a thicker consistency. Second, you can use a little more thickener like cornstarch, tapioca, or arrowroot. Third, don’t slice the pie while it’s still hot! If you do, some of the juices will leak out and it will be runny. Let the cherry pie cool and set for about 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Absolutely! While you can use fresh sweet cherries, I find that making cherry pie from frozen cherries is way easier! You won’t have to stress about purchasing a cherry pitter to remove every pit from the cherries. With frozen cherries, that is already taken care of and they are ready to go!
When making a homemade cherry pie filling it is up to you which cherries you use! You can go with sour cherries, rainier cherries, dark sweet cherries, or a mix. Note that since sour cherries are smaller, you will need to use more for the filling.
Yes! Frozen cherries will be equally as good for you as fresh cherries. Dark sweet cherries are high in vitamin A to support eye health and skin health. They also have vitamin C, potassium, copper, manganese, and fiber! One of the best things about dark cherries is that they are packed with antioxidants and can help reduce inflammation within the body. You can even enjoy some on their own before bed for a natural boost of melatonin to help you sleep – but don’t worry, this cherry pie recipe from frozen cherries can be enjoyed any time of day!
🍒 More Fruit Dessert Recipes!
- Keto Apple Pie
- Easy Gluten Free Apple Cake
- Pumpkin Apple Pie
- Strawberry Donuts
- Vegan Apple Crisp
- Lemon Blueberry Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Cherry Ricotta Pie
- Cherry Fritters
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📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Cherry Pie With Frozen Cherries
Ingredients
For The Pastry Crust
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 9 oz butter cold
- 5 tbsp water ice cold
For The Filling
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 35 oz frozen cherries
- ½ tbsp butter diced
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry: place the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse several time to combine.
- Next, add the diced cold butter to the flour mixture and continue to pulse until the butter resembles small pea sized pieces.
- While the food processor is running pour in cold water until a dough begins to form.
- Transfer the dough to a bench and bring the dough together, divide in half and form 2 discs.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Meanwhile prepare the filling by mixing the sugar, lemon juice, zest, cornstarch, almond extract and frozen cherries.
- Stir continuously over a low heat until the mixture has thickened, this may take between 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- Once the dough has chilled remove one disc and roll it into a circle approximately ⅛ inch thick on a lightly floured bench to fit a 9 inch pie dish.
- Line the pie dish with pastry and fill with the cooled cherry filling. Arrange the diced butter pieces over the filling.
- Place the pie in the fridge while preparing the top layer of pastry.
- Roll the remaining pastry approximately ⅛ inch thick and large enough to cover the pie dish.
- Cut the pastry into 10 strips approximately 1 inch wide, these will be used to top the pie.
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl and brush the edges of the pastry.
- Lay 6 strips parallel over the top of the pie, leaving a small space between each strip.
- Fold back every second strip and lay the remaining 4 strips in a lattice design over the pie.
- Weave the strips over and under each other to cover the pie filling.
- Trim the edges of the pastry with a knife.
- Using your fingers, crimp the pastry to seal the edges.
- Chill the pie for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C.
- Brush the top of the pie with the whisked egg and finish off with a sprinkle of sugar.
- Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40-50 minutes.
- Remove form the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours before serving and enjoying.
Notes
- It’s important to keep the pastry as cold as possible to ensure the flakiest of pastries.
- Chilling the pastry between each stage is very important.
- Make sure the butter used is very cold.
- Allow the pie to cool and come to room temperature before serving to allow the filling to completely set.
- Serve the pie with your favorite ice cream or whipped cream.
- Store leftover pie, covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Pastry can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days before assembling and baking the pie.
- Allow the filling to cool completely before filling the pie crust. Adding warm filling will start to melt the pastry.
- If the pastry begins to brown quickly, loosely cover with a sheet of foil.
- To save time you can roll the second sheet of pastry into one large circle and cover the pie with it instead of creating a lattice design. Just remember to slice some holes to allow the steam to escape while cooking.
This was so perfect! Love cherry pie!
Thanks so much! 🙂
I can’t believe how easy this was! I love pies made with real cherries – the canned stuff is just gross.
So glad you liked this recipe Chenee! 🙂
Love this idea! I always pick too many cherries during the season, and then the only thing I can ever think of to make with them is smoothies. Can’t wait to try this!
Thanks Casey! I’m sure you will love this recipe!
This was everything a gourmet dessert should be, and then some! Turned out easy, hearty and hands down delicious!
Awesome! So happy to hear that Sara!
This cherry pie looks scrumptious. I love that it uses frozen cherries so now I can have cherry pie whenever I want.
Thanks Nikki! Enjoy!
so healthy and delicious! love that combo of pomegranate and cherry with the almond!
Yay! So glad you liked it!
I’m bookmarking your cherry pie recipe cause this is so perfect for any family events. It looks so beautiful and fresh I love it <3
Thanks so much Maria! 🙂
This is such a pretty pie and so delicious! We are BIG cherry lovers here and this pie was amazing!! We’ll be making this again very soon!
Yay!! So happy to hear that Beth!
What an awesome way to use all the cherries that are now on sale! I love that it’s gluten free, too!
Thanks so much! You will love this recipe!
I love Crumb pie. I made it today and it turns out perfect.
Yay! So happy to hear that!