Cashew Free Cherry Pie with All-Butter Crust
Few desserts hit quite like a homemade cherry pie with a properly flaky, golden crust ā and this one delivers on every level. The all-butter pastry is built from scratch using just flour, sugar, salt, cold butter, and ice water, so there's no mystery about what's going into your dish. Tart cherries get cooked down with lemon juice, cornstarch, and a touch of almond extract until the filling is glossy, thick, and deeply fragrant before it ever hits the oven. That two-stage bake ā starting hot, then dropping the temperature ā gives you a crust that's burnished and crisp without a soggy bottom in sight. For anyone navigating tree nut allergies or sensitivities, this recipe is genuinely reassuring: every single ingredient is straightforward pantry staple territory, with no nut-based fats, flours, or butters hiding anywhere in the dough or filling. The result is a showstopper that slices cleanly after a proper cool-down and tastes like the kind of pie that wins county fairs. Whether you're baking for a crowd or just treating yourself, this is the recipe worth clearing an afternoon for.
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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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