Homemade Cherry Pie Filling

a photo of a glass jar of bright red cherry pie filling

Want to make a delicious cherry pie from scratch? This easy recipe for homemade cherry pie filling will have you whipping up a delicious dessert in no time!

Love cherry pie but hate the store-bought filling? Try making your own with this simple and delicious recipe! Just a few ingredients and a little bit of time is all it takes to create the best cherry pie filling. It is glossy and gorgeous and so silky smooth!

Growing up there was always a can of cherry pie filling hanging out in our food storage. In great desperation we’d find ways to create desserts like a cherry filling stuffed burrito that we’d fry in a pan and drizzle glaze over the top. Actually, I should totally make that again, haha.

All these years later I still have fond memories of mom’s no bake cheesecake with tart cherry pie filling on top, my little cherry burritos and so on but I’ve found that homemade pie filling is really the secret to a better dessert. If you can find tart cherries vs Bing etc, you’ll end up with an even better results.

Ingredients for Cherry Pie Filling

With just a little time and these 4 ingredients, you can have a homemade cherry filling worth singing about! Here is what you will need:

Pitted Sour Cherries: You might think a sweet cherry is what you would want for baking desserts, but the opposite is true. Tart cherries make the best cherry desserts with that signature cherry flavor. You can use fresh cherries preferably but frozen cherries will work fine too.
Cornstarch: Used to thicken the pie filling as it heats up.
Sugar: Balances the tartness of the cherries.
Cinnamon: Adds a warm flavor to the filling.

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card down below so keep scrolling for the all the details.

How to Make Homemade Cherry Filling

Watch how easy it is to take those 4 ingredients and make this cherry pie filling recipe at home…

Pour the cherries in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until the juices release and start simmering.
In a small bowl, stir the rest of the ingredients together and once the cherries are simmering, add the cornstarch/sugar mixture and stir until combined.
Let it simmer until bubbling and thick, then remove from the heat.

See that’s totally doable! These instructions can also be found in the recipe card below where you can save or print the recipe as well.

What Type of Cherries are Best?

Sour cherries are best for baking, and the best varieties are called Morello, Montmorency, or Amarelle. Those can be hard to find. We used Rainier cherries, which are a little easier to find. Bing will work as well, but I would use them as a last resort. They are sweet cherries.

How to Remove a Cherry Pit

If you use fresh cherries, you will want to remove the pits. You can slice the cherries in half and pop the pit out, or my favorite little tool is this cherry pitter. It is so handy and just pops the pit right out while keeping the cherry whole.

Ways to Use Cherry Pie Filling

Now you have cherry filling to use in cherry pie, cherry crisp, cherry sliders, cherry cobbler, cherry pie bars…the options are endless! It also makes a great topping for…

How to Store Homemade Pie Filling

Homemade cherry filling should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to a week.

Cherry filling also freezes very well. I like to pour it into a ziploc bag after it has cooled completely and then lay it flat in the freezer. It will keep for up to 3 months.

Skip the store-bought cans and make your own delicious cherry pie filling at home! This quick and easy recipe will have you enjoying the taste of summer all year round.

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