Shellfish Free Cherry Pie with All-Butter Crust
Few desserts hit quite like a homemade cherry pie with a properly flaky, all-butter crust — the kind that shatters at the fork and melts on your tongue. The filling is built from tart cherries cooked down with sugar, cornstarch, a squeeze of lemon, and just a whisper of almond extract, which gives it that classic, almost nostalgic depth without tasting artificial. Chilling the butter and working it into the flour in stages is the real secret here — those pea-sized butter pockets are what create distinct, tender layers once the crust hits a hot oven. The two-stage bake, starting high and finishing lower, ensures the bottom crust cooks through while the top turns a gorgeous, deep golden brown. Every ingredient in this recipe is straightforward pantry and produce staple, so there's zero guesswork about what's actually going into your pie. Letting the filling cool before it goes into the shell — and then giving the finished pie a full two hours to set — means clean, glossy slices instead of a soupy mess. This is the kind of recipe you make once and then feel quietly smug about for the rest of the season.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
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.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!