Pistachio Free Classic Cherry Pie
Few desserts hit quite like a homemade cherry pie with a perfectly flaky, buttery crust — the kind that shatters just slightly when you press a fork through it. The filling is built from tart cherries cooked down with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and a touch of almond extract, which gives it that deep, almost jammy flavor that store-bought versions never quite nail. Every ingredient in this recipe is straightforward pantry and produce staple, so there's no need to scan labels or worry about cross-contact from specialty nuts sneaking into your dessert. The double-crust technique here is genuinely satisfying to pull off — chilled butter worked into flour by hand, rested dough rolled out thin, and a crimped edge that looks like it came from a bakery window. Baking it on a rimmed sheet at a high starting temperature and then dropping the heat ensures the crust goes deep golden while the filling bubbles up through the vents just the way it should. Letting it cool a full two hours before slicing is the hardest part, but it's what gives you those clean, glossy slices that actually hold their shape on the plate.
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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
- 2 lbs (about 6 cups) fresh or frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed and drained if frozen
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the crust: Whisk together the flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the chilled butter cubes and work them into the flour using your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
- 2
Drizzle in 6 tbsp of ice water and stir with a fork until the dough just begins to come together, adding the remaining 1–2 tbsp water a little at a time if needed. The dough should hold together when pressed but not feel wet or sticky. Divide the dough into two equal discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
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