Artificial Food Coloring Free Cherry Pie with All-Butter Crust
Few desserts hit quite like a homemade cherry pie, and this one delivers that deep, jewel-toned filling and shatteringly flaky crust that store-bought versions can never quite replicate. The color here comes entirely from real tart cherries ā no dyes, no artificial anything ā so that gorgeous ruby filling is exactly what it looks like: pure fruit. Many commercial pies and pie fillings rely on added colorants to punch up their appearance, which makes baking from scratch the smartest move if you're keeping a clean ingredient list. The all-butter crust is built from just flour, sugar, salt, butter, and ice water, and the filling is thickened with cornstarch and brightened with fresh lemon juice and a touch of almond extract for that classic cherry pie depth. Cooking the filling on the stovetop before it goes into the crust ensures the cornstarch is fully activated, so every slice holds together cleanly after that essential two-hour cool. The egg wash gives the top crust a rich, burnished finish without any artificial color needed ā just a little egg and milk doing their natural thing. It's the kind of pie that looks like it took serious skill but follows straightforward steps anyone can pull off.
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Learn more āIngredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 2 Ā½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into Ā½-inch cubes and chilled
- 6ā8 tbsp ice water
For the filling
- 5 cups pitted tart cherries, fresh or frozen (thawed and drained if frozen)
- Ā¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Ā¼ tsp almond extract
- Ā¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For assembly
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar (optional)
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 ā it should not be sticky or wet. You will likely need 6ā8 tablespoons total.
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