Emulsifier Free Cherry Pie with All-Butter Crust
Few things hit harder than a bubbling cherry pie with a shatteringly flaky, golden crust — and this one delivers exactly that. Many store-bought pie crusts and commercial fillings sneak in emulsifiers like mono- and diglycerides or lecithin to improve texture and shelf life, which makes finding a clean version genuinely tricky. Here, the crust is built entirely from flour, butter, sugar, salt, and ice water — nothing hidden, nothing processed — and the result is actually better for it, with those pea-sized butter pockets creating real, laminated layers as they bake. The filling is just as straightforward: tart cherries cooked down with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and a whisper of almond extract until thick and glossy. Keeping everything cold between steps and giving the dough proper rest time in the fridge is what makes the crust behave beautifully without needing any additives to hold it together. The two-temperature bake — starting hot, then dropping down — ensures the bottom crust cooks through while the top turns a deep, burnished gold. Letting it cool fully before slicing is the hardest part, but it's what gives you those clean, jammy slices that make the whole effort worth it.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 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
- 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)
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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