High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Cherry Pie with All-Butter Crust
Few things hit harder than a homemade cherry pie with a crust that actually shatters when you cut into it. This one delivers exactly that ā a deeply golden, all-butter shell wrapped around a jammy, bubbling tart cherry filling that's thickened with cornstarch and brightened with fresh lemon juice and a whisper of almond extract. Every single ingredient here is one you'd recognize on sight, which matters when you're trying to avoid the sneaky sweeteners that show up in so many store-bought pies, canned fillings, and even pre-made crusts. The filling is cooked down on the stovetop first so it sets up beautifully in the oven without turning soupy, and the two-stage baking method ā starting hot, then dropping the temperature ā gives you that deep caramel color on the crust without burning the edges. Chilling the butter and the dough at every stage is the real secret to those flaky, layered pockets that make an all-butter crust worth the extra effort. Let it cool the full two hours before slicing and you'll be rewarded with clean, glossy slices that look like they belong in a bakery window.
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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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