Gelatin Free Cherry Pie with All-Butter Crust

Total time3 hr 40 min

Prep time45 min

Cook time55 min

5.0

(5)

Gelatin 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 and even homemade pie fillings sneak in gelatin as a thickener, but here cornstarch does all the heavy lifting, creating a glossy, jammy filling that sets up beautifully without any animal-derived gelling agents. The all-butter crust is built with cold cubed butter worked into flour until the mixture looks like rough crumbs, which is the secret to those irresistible flaky layers once it hits a hot oven. Tart cherries get cooked down on the stovetop with sugar, lemon juice, and a whisper of almond extract until the filling is thick and fragrant before it ever touches the pastry — so you're not crossing your fingers hoping it sets in the oven. A two-stage bake at high heat then a lower temperature ensures the bottom crust cooks through while the top turns a deep, burnished gold. The hardest part is waiting the full two hours for it to cool so the filling slices cleanly, but that patience pays off in every single wedge.

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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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