Cherry Pie with Almond and Lemon
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Deep red cherries, a hint of almond and lemon, and a double crust that goes golden at the edges. Let it cool at least four hours, even with a cousin circling the fork drawer.
The short version
Toss pitted cherries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon and a drop of almond extract. Fill a chilled all-butter crust, top it, and bake on a hot sheet pan at 425°F for 15 minutes, then 375°F until the juices bubble thickly. Cool at least 4 hours.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Rest the cherries with sugar and cornstarch. Fifteen minutes lets the sugar draw out juice and dissolve the starch, so the filling thickens evenly and doesn't turn gritty.
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Add lemon and a drop of almond extract. Lemon brightens the fruit and almond extract makes cherries taste more like cherries. Use a quarter teaspoon, no more.
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Chill the filled pie before baking. Cold dough hits the oven hot and holds its lattice or vents instead of slumping, which means a flakier crust.
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Start at 425°F, then lower the heat. The first 15 minutes set the bottom crust. Dropping to 375°F finishes the filling without burning the edges.
What you need
the usual suspects
- All-butter pie crust1 recipe
- Pitted sour or sweet cherries5 cups
- Granulated sugar1 cup
- Almond extract¼ teaspoon
- Egg1 large
Dough
Filling
Finish
yes, all of the butter
Steps
deep breath. you’ve got this.
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Line the pan
Roll out half the dough to a 12-inch round and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Refrigerate while you make the filling. Roll the second half into a 12-inch round on parchment and chill it too.
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Mix the filling
In a large bowl, stir the sugar, cornstarch and salt together. Add the cherries, lemon juice and almond extract and toss until no dry starch shows. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring once, until juices pool at the bottom.
About 15 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Fill and dot
Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower third and a rimmed baking sheet on the rack. Scrape the filling and its juices into the crust, mounding it in the center. Dot with the butter.
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Top the pie
Cover with the second round, cut 5 or 6 vents in the top, or cut the round into 1-inch strips and weave a lattice. Trim the overhang to 1 inch, fold it under the bottom crust's edge and crimp. Freeze the pie 15 minutes (or refrigerate 1 hour) so the butter in the crust stays cold.
About 15 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Glaze
Brush the top and edge with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
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Bake hot, then lower
Set the pie on the hot baking sheet and bake 15 minutes at 425°F. Reduce the oven to 375°F and bake 45 to 55 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden and thick, jammy juices bubble through the vents. At the 30-minute mark, cover the edge with foil if it's darker than the center.
Look for slow, thick bubbles through the vents. Thin, fast bubbles mean the starch hasn't thickened yet.
About 60 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Cool completely
Move the pie to a rack and cool at least 4 hours, until the filling sets. Slice with a sharp knife.
A warm cherry pie slices into soup. Cool it fully.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- Sour cherries like Montmorency make the best pie, but ripe sweet cherries work. Use less sugar with sweet cherries, and you can reduce the lemon if they are very tart.
- Frozen cherries are fine. Don't thaw them; add the sugar and starch to the frozen fruit and bake an extra 5 to 10 minutes.
- Canned or jarred tart cherries can work. Drain and use 5 cups cherries plus any juice you need to simmer with sugar and cornstarch until thick before baking.
- A baking sheet under the pie catches drips and heats the bottom crust fast.
- Storage. Loosely covered at room temperature, 2 days. Refrigerated, 4 days; rewarm slices in a 325°F oven. Baked pie freezes up to 2 months.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Why is my cherry pie runny?
It was cut too soon or didn't bubble long enough. Cornstarch needs to reach a boil to thicken, and the pie needs several hours to set. Wait for thick bubbles through the vents and cool at least 4 hours.
Can I use frozen cherries for cherry pie?
Yes. Use them frozen, don't thaw, and add 5 to 10 minutes to the bake. Thawing makes extra liquid that thins the filling.
Can I use canned cherry pie filling?
You can, but the fresh or frozen cherries here taste noticeably brighter, and canned filling is often very sweet. If you use it, skip the added sugar and starch.
Do I have to pit the cherries?
Yes. A cherry pitter makes it quick. Without one, push a sturdy paper clip or the tip of a chopstick through the stem end and pop out the pit.
Can I use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch?
Yes, in equal amounts. Tapioca gives a clearer, glossier filling that doesn't get cloudy.
How do I keep the crust from getting soggy on the bottom?
Bake on a preheated baking sheet in the lower third of the oven, and keep the dough cold until it goes in. Glass or metal pans both work, but a glass pan lets you see the bottom browning.
From the table
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Published October 29, 2026.