Summer Cherry Pie that is Super Easy to Make

Summer Cherry Pie 🍒 that is super easy to make will have you feeling like a carefree kid again running around barefoot in the summer sunshine. This recipe is easy to make and tastes like an old-fashioned pie with a thick, sweet filling, buttery crust, and a hint of almond extract for that perfect flavor.

Benefits of Cherries

Not only are cherries delicious in a pie, but they also help with vitamin and mineral intake. One cup (154 grams) of sweet, raw, pitted cherries provides (1):

• Calories: 97
• Protein: 2 grams
• Carbs: 25 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Vitamin C: 18% of the
  Daily Value (DV)
• Potassium: 10% of the DV
• Copper: 5% of the DV
• Manganese: 5% of the DV

Cherries are proven to help regulate sleep, so eating a slice of cherry pie before just makes sense!

Summer Cherry Pie That Is Super Easy To Make

Once you have your pie dough ready, you can start mixing in the ingredients for the cherry filling. This from-scratch cherry filling is easy to make, so don’t stress! I will show you how to make the perfect homemade filling using frozen cherries.

This recipe far outshines the store-bought cherry pies and cherry pie fillings. You simply can’t buy this kind of quality in a store.

While this recipe is easy, it is time-consuming. All you need is patience; time is of the essence because it takes time for the dough to settle before adding the filling, and for the pie to fully cool for it to set and be sturdy.

Summer Cherry Pie Details

Quality: I put together the BEST FLAKY Pie Crust Recipe. The major difference between my pie crusts, and other pie crusts is that I do not use shortening.

Texture: Shortening is common in pie crusts because it gives a flaky texture that can still be achieved by adding coconut oil, or tallow to the butter. Vegetable oils are the most common ingredient that makes up shortening, which I stay away from.

Flavor: This specific cherry pie has a hint of almond extract making the flavors shine. In addition, a scoop of vanilla ice cream completes the flavor profile by adding more sweetness and creaminess.

Filling: I learned from Sally’s recipe above that reducing the cherry-filling juices by half helps thicken the filling. I will show you what that looks like below!

Cherry Pie Filling Instructions

For the cherry pie to be sturdy and thick, follow these instructions:

1. Combine the frozen cherries that are thawed a bit with the lemon juice, vanilla, almond extract, sugar, and arrowroot starch.
2. Let this cherry mixture sit in the fridge and settle, while you preheat the oven.
3. Once settled, pull out the cherry mixture from the fridge and scoop the cherries onto your prepared pie crust with a slotted spoon, leaving behind some liquid.
4. Pour the leftover liquid into a small saucepan and heat over low heat for 3-4 min
5. Once the mixture is heated and thickened, let it cool for 5 minutes. The arrowroot starch helps thicken it and makes it more gooey when baked.
6. Then, pour over the cherry filling for that extra goodness.
7. Now the pie is ready to bake!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making the Summer Cherry Pie

Pie Crust:

As I mentioned before, the pie crust will need to be made a few hours ahead of time for it to be cool enough to roll out.

I like to make my pie crust with butter, coconut oil, or tallow instead of shortening. I will post the recipe for the pie crust soon, so you have the exact measurements!

Once you made your dough, wrap it in plastic or parchment paper and let it chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

Filling:

While the dough is chilling, prepare your filling. Combine the frozen cherries that are thawed a bit with the lemon juice, vanilla, almond extract, sugar, and arrowroot starch. Let this cherry mixture sit in the fridge and settle, while you roll out the pie dough.

Roll out Pie Dough:

After two hours or more of letting the pie dough chill, take it out of the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface. Shape the dough into a large circle and carefully lie it on the pie dish.

Reduce the Juices:

Pull the cherry mixture from the fridge and scoop the cherries onto your prepared pie crust with a slotted spoon, leaving behind some liquid. Pour the leftover liquid into a small saucepan and heat over low heat for 3-4 min. Once the mixture is heated and thickened, let it cool for 5 minutes. The arrowroot starch helps thicken it and makes it more gooey when baked. Then, pour over the cherry filling for that extra goodness.

Preheat the Oven to 400.

Prepare the Lattice:

You should have enough dough from the pie crust recipe to make a lattice. I’ve learned that with a hot kitchen like mine, you have to work fast with pie dough in summer’s heat. The lattice can become sticky and hard to work with if you’re not quick.

Roll out the extra dough on a floured surface and cut into strips. They don’t have to be perfect, or all the same size.

Arrange the strips of dough over and under each other in a pattern, then stick it to the edge of the pie crust.

When finished, use a fork to press the edges around the pie dish to seal the lattice and pie crust together.

Brush the top of the lattice with an egg wash.

Ready to Bake:

Place the uncooked pie on a baking sheet and put it into the oven at 400 F. After 20 min, reduce the heat to 375 and let it bake for another 30-40 min. The edges should be golden brown and the filling should be bubbling. *Don’t let the pie crust edges burn by adding a pie crust shield! I use a silicone one instead of aluminum.*

Take it out of the oven after the full bake time and let it cool for 2-3 hours before slicing into it. This will allow the juices to thicken and harden giving a nice gooey bit full of cherry and almond flavor.