Irresistible Sour Cherry Pie

I didn’t know sour cherries existed until I moved to Portland and discovered them at the farmers market. Growing up, we only had sweet cherries in our house—the kind you pop in your mouth for a snack.

But sour cherries? They’re a whole different story. Too tart to eat straight, but perfect for baking. When you cook them down with sugar in a pie, they become this amazing balance of sweet and tangy that makes your taste buds wake up. Once you try a real sour cherry pie, you’ll understand why people get so excited about cherry season.

What Kind of Sour Cherries Should I Use?

For this pie, canned sour cherries in water are your best bet and exactly what this recipe calls for. Fresh sour cherries can be tricky to find since they have a short season and don’t ship well, plus canned cherries are already pitted which saves you tons of time. If you do happen to find fresh sour cherries at a farmers market or specialty store, you can absolutely use them – just pit about 4 cups and add a splash of water to help create the liquid you’ll need. Avoid cherries packed in heavy syrup since they’ll make your pie too sweet and throw off the balance of flavors.

Options for Substitutions

This classic pie recipe has some room for swaps if you need to work with what you have:

• Sour cherries in water: Fresh sour cherries are fantastic if you can find them – use about 4 cups pitted. You can also use frozen sour cherries (thaw and drain first) or even sweet cherries, though you’ll want to reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup.
• Cornstarch: If you’re out of cornstarch, use 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour or 2 tablespoons of quick-cooking tapioca instead. The tapioca will give you a slightly different texture but works great.
• Almond extract: Vanilla extract works as a substitute, though it will change the flavor profile slightly. Use the same amount, or try a splash of cherry juice for extra cherry flavor.
• Flaky shortcrust pastry: Store-bought pie crust is totally fine here – just make sure you have enough for both top and bottom crusts. Homemade pastry works too if you prefer to make your own.
• Demerara sugar: Regular granulated sugar or turbinado sugar work just as well for sprinkling on top. You can even skip this entirely if you prefer.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making sour cherry pie is not draining the cherries properly, which can lead to a watery filling that never sets – make sure to reserve that cherry liquid for the filling but drain the fruit well in a colander first.

Another common error is skipping the cornstarch or not mixing it thoroughly with the sugar before adding the cherries, which results in a runny pie that won’t slice cleanly.

To prevent a soggy bottom crust, try blind baking the bottom pastry for 10-12 minutes before adding the filling, and don’t forget to cut steam vents in your top crust to allow moisture to escape during baking.

For the perfect finish, brush that beaten egg on the top crust right before baking and sprinkle with demerara sugar for a beautiful golden color that won’t burn.

What to Serve With Sour Cherry Pie?

A warm slice of sour cherry pie is absolutely perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream – the cold, creamy sweetness balances out the tart cherries beautifully. You can also serve it with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or even some thick Greek yogurt if you want something a bit lighter. For an extra special touch, try drizzling a little heavy cream right over the slice, or pair it with a cup of strong coffee or black tea. Since the almond extract in this pie adds such a nice flavor, it also goes really well with a glass of cold milk for a classic dessert experience.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: Your sour cherry pie will stay delicious covered loosely with foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, move it to the refrigerator where it’ll keep for another 3-4 days. I actually think cherry pie tastes even better the next day once all those flavors have had time to meld together!

Freeze: This pie freezes wonderfully for up to 3 months. You can freeze it whole (wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil) or cut it into individual slices first. I like to freeze slices on a baking sheet, then transfer them to freezer bags so I can grab just one piece whenever I’m craving it.

Serve: To enjoy frozen pie, just thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or let individual slices sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. If you want to warm it up, pop it in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through. The crust gets nice and crispy again this way!

Preparation Time	30-45 minutes
Cooking Time	40 minutes
Total Time	3-4 hours
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2200-2500
• Protein: 18-22 g
• Fat: 60-70 g
• Carbohydrates: 410-460 g

Ingredients

For the cherry filling:

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch (helps thicken the filling without cloudiness)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed for best flavor)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (enhances the cherry flavor)
• 2 cans (15 oz each) sour cherries in water (I use Oregon Growers brand)
• 1/2 cup reserved cherry juice (from the cans)

For the crust and topping:

• 2 tbsp demerara sugar (optional, adds nice crunch to the crust)
• 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash and shine)
• 15 oz flaky pie dough (thawed if frozen, about 2 discs)

Step 1: Prepare the Pie Crust and Preheat

• 15 oz flaky pie dough

Remove pie dough from the freezer to thaw while you work on the filling—this prevents it from becoming too warm and difficult to handle.

Preheat your oven to 400°F and place a baking sheet inside to heat up; this will ensure the bottom crust bakes evenly and becomes crispy rather than soggy.

Having the sheet preheated is crucial for pie success.

Step 2: Build the Cherry Filling

• 2 cans sour cherries in water
• 1/2 cup reserved cherry juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Drain both cans of sour cherries and reserve ½ cup of the juice, discarding the rest.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the reserved cherry juice, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt until the cornstarch is fully dissolved and no lumps remain.

This prevents the filling from becoming cloudy.

Place the pot over medium-high heat and stir constantly until the mixture thickens noticeably and bubbles gently, about 3-5 minutes—you’ll see it transform from thin liquid to glossy sauce.

Remove from heat and stir in the melted butter and almond extract, which adds a subtle depth that makes the cherry flavor sing.

Gently fold in the drained cherries, being careful not to crush them.

Set aside to cool completely—this step is important because a warm filling will soften the crust before baking.

Step 3: Line the Pie Shell

• 15 oz flaky pie dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of pie dough to about 1/8 inch thickness.

Transfer it carefully to a 9-inch pie plate, letting it settle naturally into the corners and edges without stretching.

Trim the overhang to about 1 inch beyond the rim of the plate—you’ll use these scraps plus the second disc for the lattice top.

Pour the cooled cherry filling from Step 2 into the crust, spreading it evenly and allowing the thick sauce to coat the bottom.

Step 4: Construct the Lattice Top

• pie dough scraps from Step 3 and remaining disc

Gather the dough trimmings from Step 3 and combine them with the second disc of pie dough.

Roll this out to about 1/8 inch thickness and cut into strips about ¾ inch wide.

Weave the strips over the filling in a classic lattice pattern: lay half the strips diagonally in one direction, then fold back alternating strips and weave the perpendicular strips through, creating a diamond pattern.

I like to trim the lattice strips flush with the edge of the bottom crust so everything looks neat and professional.

Fold the bottom crust edge up and over the lattice ends, then crimp the entire edge with your fingers or a fork to seal and create a finished appearance.

Step 5: Finish and Bake

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Brush the entire pie—crust and lattice—with the beaten egg wash to give it a beautiful golden-brown shine.

Sprinkle demerara sugar over the top if desired for a nice textural contrast.

Carefully transfer the pie to the preheated baking sheet in the oven and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes until the crust begins to set and lightly color.

Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for another 20 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling bubbles slightly at the edges—this two-temperature approach prevents the crust from burning while ensuring the filling cooks through.

Once done, remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack for 3-4 hours before slicing; this allows the filling to set properly so it slices cleanly rather than running.