Make your own cherry pie filling using fresh tart pie cherries or sweet cherries.
Last weekend we made a quick trip to the Washington coast to attend my nephew's graduation! He is the oldest of all our nieces and nephews and the first to graduate.
It was a great celebration. The only problem is we have 12 more nieces and nephews that will be graduating over the next several years. Okay, so that really isn't a problem....It's just a lot of graduations to attend and who knows where they will go to college. I hope we can attend them all!
On our trip we hit a roadside fruit stand and stopped to buy fresh cherries. We have cherry trees, but our cherries won't be ready for another month. It was a treat to get some fresh picked cherries. I always tend to buy more than we can eat and ended up with a big bag after the trip. I decided to make cherry pie filling.
Usually I use sour pie cherries, but thought I'd try these sweet cherries! They were delicious and added a different flavor to the Cherry Almond Crisp I used them in.
What type of cherries do I use?
You can use sweet cherries, like a Bing or Rainier or you can use a tart pie cherry.
How is the cherry pie filling thickened?
The filling is thickened using corn starch.
Our trip was fast and over in the blink of an eye. My daughter is going to be a sophomore next year and the boys will be in 8th grade. I think these next few years will go fast and be over in the blink of an eye. I'd better slow everyone down and just enjoy the cherries!
Other Cherry Recipes
Don't forget to PIN for later! 
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my dessert recipes!
Cherry Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh cherries (or about 4 cups pitted cherries)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup corn starch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Wash and pit cherries
- Put all ingredients into a sauce pan over medium heat.
- Stir until sugar and corn starch are dissolved.
- Bring mixture to a simmer. Stir often to prevent scorching.
- When mixture thickens, turn heat off and let cool
Video
Notes
2. Adjust the sugar for sweet cherries to approx. ⅔ cup.
3. If using sour cherries, start with 1 cup sugar. Add a ¼ more if you like it sweeter.
4. Filling can be made ahead of time and stored in refrigerator.
Nutrition
Mary Carter says
Can u make a peach pie filling using same ingredients except peaches instead of the cherries, an if so do you know approximately how many peaches wud be needed for a deep dish pie?thanks in advanxe.i too have always wondered how to make the homemade fillings an glad I ran across.going to my 1st family reunion this Sat an wanna make something homemade like my grandma an I used to do years ago
Kathy says
I have only made this cherry pie filling using cherries. I'm not certain how peaches you would use instead of the cherries. Enjoy your family reunion!
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
This looks absolutely scrumptious!! I need to try making this! I'll be sharing it on my FB page on Thursday morning. Glad you shared it at our party this week! 🙂
Kathy says
Thanks, Michelle! This pie filling is so easy to make. Give it a try!
Adina says
You must be kidding, I was searching for a homemade cherry pie filling parallel to visiting my favorite blogs. 🙂 Search is over, I plan to make a cherry cheesecake soon and was not sure what is meant with the canned cherry pie filling, we don't have that in Germany. Now I know and it couldn't be easier, I will use your recipe for the cheesecake.
Kathy says
I've got you covered! Can't wait to see your cheesecake 🙂
annie@ciaochowbambina.com says
Yep, just give me a spoon and I'll be a happy little camper! And that color is divine!
Kathy says
A spoon is all you need 🙂
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Oh wow! What a vibrant and pretty pink color. I love cherry pie and I guess I can use this filling for many more purposes as well! Thanks for sharing.
Kathy says
The color is pretty amazing!