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A freshly baked homemade Cherry Pie Recipe with a golden lattice crust, with a slice served on the side topped with a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Classic Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe (Easy & Perfect for Beginners)

Learn how to make the best homemade cherry pie from scratch! This easy, step-by-step recipe features a perfectly sweet and tart cherry filling and a flaky, all-butter lattice crust that's guaranteed to impress
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cherry Pie Filling
  • 5-6 cups Sour Cherries Pitted; fresh or frozen work well
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar Adjust based on cherry sweetness
  • ¼ cup Cornstarch For a thick, non-runny filling
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice Brightens the flavor
  • ½ teaspoon Almond Extract Optional, but highly recommended
  • 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter Cut into small piecesExport to Sheets
For the Egg Wash (Optional)
  • 1 Large Egg For a golden, shiny crust
  • 1 tablespoon Milk or Cream Mixed with the egg

Equipment

  • 1 9-inch Pie Dish Glass or ceramic works best.
  • 2 Large Mixing Bowls One for the crust and one for the filling.
  • 1 Rolling Pin For rolling out the pie dough.
  • 1 For rolling out the pie dough. To cut butter into flour and for lattice strips.
  • 1 Baking Sheet Optional, but helps prevent spills and creates a crispier bottom crust.

Method
 

Make the Crust:
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
    A whisk mixing flour, sugar, and salt in a white bowl, the first step in making a homemade pie crust for this cherry pie recipe.
  2. Add the cold, cubed butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
    Using fingertips to cut cold, cubed butter into a flour mixture to create a flaky crust for a homemade cherry pie recipe.
  3. Add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just starts to come together. Do not overmix.
    Pouring a stream of ice water into a flour and butter mixture to form a tender dough for a homemade cherry pie recipe
  4. Divide the dough in half, form each half into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
    Hands wrapping a smooth disk of homemade pie dough in plastic wrap, preparing it to be chilled for a flaky crust in this cherry pie recipe.
Make the Filling:
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, almond extract, and salt.
    A hand pouring sugar over a large glass bowl of fresh cherries, showing the cherry pie ingredients being combined to make the cherry filling.
  2. Toss gently to combine. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
    A large glass bowl filled with a vibrant and juicy cherry filling made with fresh or sour cherries, ready for a homemade cherry pie.
Assemble and Bake:
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
    Hands rolling out a disk of pie dough on a floured surface, with a pie dish already lined with a flaky pie crust for a homemade cherry pie.
  2. On a floured surface, roll out one disc of dough and place it in the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish.
  3. Pour the cherry filling into the crust and dot the top with the small pieces of butter.
    Hands dotting the top of a vibrant cherry filling with small cubes of butter in a pie crust, a key step for a sweet cherry pie
  4. Roll out the second disc of dough and cut it into 1-inch strips. Weave the strips over the filling to create a lattice top.
    Hands weaving strips of pie dough to create a beautiful lattice top, a key part of this classic cherry pie recipe.
  5. Trim the excess dough and crimp the edges to seal.
    A hand applying an egg wash with a pastry brush to the lattice crust of a homemade cherry pie before baking.
  6. Whisk the egg and milk together to create an egg wash. Brush it over the lattice crust.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Continue baking for another 35-45 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is thick and bubbly.
    A freshly baked and steaming classic cherry pie with a perfect golden-brown lattice crust, cooling on a wire rack.
  8. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before slicing. This is crucial for the filling to set.
    A beautiful, freshly baked classic cherry pie with a golden lattice crust, cooling on a wire rack to allow the cherry filling to set.

Notes

  • Cold Ingredients: For the flakiest crust, make sure your butter and water are as cold as possible.
  • Soggy Bottom Prevention: Place your pie dish on a preheated baking sheet in the oven to help the bottom crust cook through and stay crisp.
     
  • Cooling is Key: Do not slice the pie while it is still warm, or the filling will be runny. It needs to cool completely to set.