Nitrate & Nitrite Free Cherry Pie with All-Butter Crust
Few desserts hit quite like a homemade cherry pie, and this one delivers on every level ā a shatteringly flaky all-butter crust wrapped around a bubbling, jewel-toned tart cherry filling. The good news for anyone avoiding preservatives and curing agents is that this recipe is built entirely from scratch with whole, recognizable ingredients, so there's nothing hidden in the mix. Fresh or frozen tart cherries, real butter, lemon juice, a whisper of almond extract ā that's the kind of clean ingredient list you can feel good about. The filling gets cooked down on the stovetop with cornstarch until it's thick and glossy, which means no mystery additives doing the thickening work for you. Chilling the all-butter dough before rolling is the secret to those distinct, flaky layers that hold up beautifully under the filling. The egg wash gives the top crust that gorgeous deep-golden finish, and a sprinkle of coarse sugar adds just the right crunch. Let it cool the full two hours before slicing ā the wait is genuinely worth it.
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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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