Low Sugar Cherry Pie with All-Butter Crust

Total time3 hr 40 min

Prep time45 min

Cook time55 min

Low Sugar Cherry Pie with All-Butter Crust

A golden, all-butter crust wraps around a filling of tart cherries thickened to that perfect glossy, spoon-coating consistency, with a touch of almond extract deepening the fruit flavor and fresh lemon juice keeping it bright. The double crust bakes up flaky and deeply golden, brushed with an egg wash for shine and finished with steam vents that let you watch the filling bubble through as it bakes. Chilling the dough before rolling keeps those butter layers distinct, giving you a crust that shatters nicely with each forkful. Letting the pie rest for a full two hours after baking is what gives you clean, set slices instead of a runny center. It's a classic, from-scratch cherry pie that fits neatly into an added sugar–conscious kitchen without sacrificing that homemade bakery feel. Whether it's for a holiday table or a weekend baking project, this one delivers all the nostalgic flavor of a diner-style cherry pie.

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the crust

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
King Arthur Baking Company Unbleached All-Purpose Flour Gold Medal Flour All-Purpose Unbleached - 5 Lb Bob's Red Mill Organic All Purpose Unbleached White Flour - 5 Lb Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Unbleached White Flour - 5 Lb Pillsbury Best Flour All Purpose - 5 Lb
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1 tbsp granulated sugar
Chef's tip
Use the same volume. Baking behavior varies by blend: some brown faster or stay softer, while others brown less. Follow the package's baking guidance and start checking a few minutes early.
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
6–8 tbsp ice water

For the filling

5 cups pitted tart cherries, fresh or frozen (thawed and drained if frozen)
¾ cup granulated sugar
Chef's tip
Use the same volume. Baking behavior varies by blend: some brown faster or stay softer, while others brown less. Follow the package's baking guidance and start checking a few minutes early.
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp almond extract
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For assembly

1 large egg
1 tbsp whole milk
1 tbsp coarse sugar (optional)
Omit this
This ingredient likely doesn’t work for the diet.

Instructions

1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Add the chilled butter cubes and work them into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
2
Drizzle in ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition, until the dough just holds together when pressed — it should not be sticky or wet. You will likely need 6–8 tablespoons total.

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