MSG Free Cherry Pie with All-Butter Crust
Few desserts hit quite like a homemade cherry pie, and this one delivers on every level — a shatteringly flaky all-butter crust wrapped around a glossy, bubbling tart cherry filling that smells absolutely incredible as it bakes. Every ingredient here is straightforward and clean, which means you can feel confident about exactly what's going into your dessert without scanning labels for hidden additives or flavor enhancers. The filling comes together on the stovetop with fresh or frozen tart cherries, sugar, cornstarch, a squeeze of lemon juice, and just a hint of almond extract — simple pantry staples that do all the heavy lifting. Keeping the butter ice-cold and working it into the flour until you get those pea-sized pieces is the real secret to a crust that bakes up tender and layered rather than tough. The two-temperature bake — starting hot at 425°F before dropping to 375°F — gives you that deep golden color on the crust while making sure the filling sets up properly. Letting the pie rest for a full two hours before slicing is genuinely worth the patience, because it's the difference between a clean, jammy slice and a soupy mess. Serve it as-is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you've got a from-scratch showstopper that tastes like it took way more effort than it did.
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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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