I’ve been hearing a lot about how wonderful tart cherries are for just about everything. I’d be perfectly happy to line my pantry with tart cherry jam, make classic French clafoutis, or infuse a sweet liqueur–problem is, I simply can’t find them. I’ve been keeping my eye out, with the hopes of making the ideal cherry pie before summer’s gone, but luck has not been on my side.
Meanwhile, I’ve been buying loads of sweet cherries, and I wondered if it would really be such a sin to make cherry pie using this bounty. Shouldn’t delicious cherries simply beget delicious pie? Yes they should…and they do. 
So: don’t think you can’t make amazing cherry pie without tart cherries. (But if you find any, please do let me know where!)
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Sweet Cherry Pie
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This sweet cherry pie is a delightful dessert that uses the natural sweetness of fresh cherries, enhanced with a hint of vanilla and lemon, all encased in a flaky double crust.
Ingredients
- 6 cups sweet cherries (about 3 1/2 lb or 1 1/2 kilos), pitted and stemmed
- 2/3 cup (134g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Juice of one lemon
- Prepared sweet pie crust for 1 double-crust pie
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Pit and stem the cherries, ensuring they are clean and ready to use.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch until well combined.
- Add the pitted cherries to the sugar-cornstarch mixture and stir well to coat the cherries evenly.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and lemon juice, mixing thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
- Roll out the prepared pie crust and line the bottom of a pie dish with one crust.
- Pour the cherry mixture into the pie crust, spreading it evenly.
- Cover the pie with the second crust, sealing the edges. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
- Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack before serving to let the filling set.
Notes
- In adapting this recipe, I used the juice of lemon to ensure that the sweet cherries did not turn cloying in the finished pie.
- You might consider using almond extract instead of vanilla extract, as almond pairs well with cherries.
- If tart cherries are available, they can be used instead of sweet cherries for a more traditional flavor.
- Store leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 0
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can sweet cherries really make a good pie, or do I need tart cherries?
The article directly addresses this — the author couldn’t find tart cherries but discovered that sweet cherries make excellent pie. The key is the juice of one lemon in the filling, which the notes say prevents the sweet cherries from turning cloying.
What does the cornstarch do in the filling?
The 1/4 cup of cornstarch is whisked with 2/3 cup of sugar and tossed with the cherries before filling the pie. It thickens the cherry juices as the pie bakes at 350°F for 45–50 minutes, giving the filling a jammy texture rather than a watery one.
Can I swap vanilla extract for almond extract?
Yes — the notes specifically suggest this substitution, noting that almond extract pairs particularly well with cherries. It’s a common flavor pairing in cherry desserts.
I love cherry pie, it’s probably my favorite :)
I know how you feel. This is the first year I have found sour cherries and they do make delicious jams and pies. Sweet cherries are quite delicious too. We seem to gobble them up before they can make it into a recipe!