This sour cherry pie is everything you want a cherry pie to be. The recipe works well with fresh or frozen tart or sour cherries. The resulting dessert is the perfect mix of sweet, tart, and delicious. Top it with ice cream or whipped cream for the perfect fruity treat.

Slice of freshly baked cherry pie topped with vanilla ice cream, ready to eat.

There is just something about a classic cherry pie that is hard to beat. I originally posted this recipe in 2017 after we harvested a mess of cherries from my aunt’s tree.

We sat at her kitchen island pitting cherries with grandma all afternoon. We had a blast and of course some of those cherries had to turn into a pie.

She has since moved, so cherry pies have been made with tart cherries from the freezer section at the grocery store the last few years. That is about to change though, we just planted a sour cherry tree (and two sweet cherry trees!)

In a couple of years we should have a mess of cherries of our own. I can’t wait to bake with them!

Ingredients including bags of frozen tart cherries, sugar, corn starch, and lemon juice ready to be made into homemade cherry pie filling.

slice of tart cherry pie served with whipped cream.

For me the scariest part about baking a fruit pie is making sure the cherry pie filling is going to be thick enough. It is always hard to tell what it is going to do when you put it in the oven.

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While a loose filling still taste great, it is hard to serve. This recipe takes the guess work out of whether or not the filling is going to set up because you cook it on the stove for a bit first.

That way you have a chance to adjust as needed before it ever hits the pie pan. You can also adjust for sweetness if you want, so feel free to give it a taste and make it perfect for your taste buds.

This method works especially great for frozen berries. It allows you to keep all of that tasty juice without worrying.

Pie serving lifting slice of sour cherry pie out of the pan showing the bright red berries inside.

Slice of tart cherry pie on dessert plate with remaining pie in the background.

More Recipes To Try

If you want to switch up your cherry pie a bit, try making a cherry rhubarb pie. It is a delicious combination of sweet, tart, and sour.

Try making cherry berry pie for another fruity favorite. Or you can check out my collection of pie recipes for even more tasty inspiration.

Slice of homemade cherry pie topped with a scoop of ice cream with remaining pie in the background.

4.67 from 9 ratings

Sour Cherry Pie

Author: Carlee

Servings: Servings

This tart cherry pie works well with fresh or frozen cherries. It takes the guess work out of whether or not the filling is going to set up because you cook it on the stove for a bit first. That way you have a chance to adjust as needed before it ever hits the pie pan!

Prep: 20

Cook: 1

Total: 1 20

Ingredients

▢ 2 pounds pitted sour cherries
▢ 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
▢ 1½ cup granulated sugar
▢ ¼ cup cornstarch
▢ 1 teaspoon almond extract optional
▢ 1 recipe for double crust pie pie crust
▢ Optional: milk or egg for wash and additional sugar

Instructions

Put cold cherries, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch in large saucepan. Stir until combined.
2 pounds pitted sour cherries, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup cornstarch
Bring the cherry mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Keep boiling and stirring until it thickens to cherry pie filling consistency.
Remove from the heat and stir in almond extract if desired.
1 teaspoon almond extract
Allow the cherry pie filling to cool completely before assembling the pie.
Preheat the oven to 425℉. Preheat a baking steel or sheet pan on the bottom rack.
Roll out pie crusts and place bottom pie crust in 9-inch deep dish pie plate.
1 recipe for double crust pie pie crust
Spoon cooled pie filling into the bottom crust. Place the top crust and crimp the edges to seal. Cute vents in the top crust. If desired, brush with egg wash or a bit of milk and sprinkle with a little bit of granulated sugar.
Place pan on preheated baking steel or sheet pan and bake at 425°F for 20 minutes. Cover the edges with a pie shield or aluminum foil to prevent over browning and drop the oven to 375°F and continue to bake for about 30-40 minutes. Crust should be golden and the filling should be bubbling.
Remove from oven and let coo before slicing and servingl. Delicious on it’s own, but really good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

Notes

As written, the tartness of the cherries shines through in the filling. Taste it after it is thickened to see if it sweet enough for you. If not, add a little bit more sugar and stir it in to make sure it is dissolved while the filling is hot.

Baking the pie on the bottom rack and placing it on a preheated surface helps to ensure the bottom crust gets fully cooked.

According to the USDA, cherry pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to a week.