Thick and Juicy Homemade Cherry Pie Filling
Make a thick and juicy homemade cherry pie filling from scratch with fresh or frozen cherries, perfect for pies and desserts.
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- Small bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
Cherries
- 4 cups sweet cherries, pitted fresh or frozen
- 1 cup tart cherries, pitted fresh or frozen, if using only sweet cherries, add ¼ cup lemon juice
Other ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
Instructions
Cooking Steps
- Combine the pitted cherries, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the cherries release some juice, about 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold water until smooth to create a slurry.
- Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the simmering cherry mixture while stirring constantly.
- Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the filling thickens significantly, about 2 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the almond extract, if using.
- Allow the filling to cool completely before using it in your pie crust or dessert.
Notes
If you use frozen cherries, do not thaw them before cooking; add them directly to the saucepan. For a bakery-style glaze, increase the cornstarch to 5 tablespoons. This filling can be canned using standard water bath canning procedures for long-term storage.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 2mgFiber: 2gSugar: 35g
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