Thick and Juicy Homemade Cherry Pie Filling
Make a thick, glossy cherry pie filling from scratch using fresh or frozen cherries. This recipe is quick and works well as a topping for desserts.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: About 5 cups 1x
- Category: Dessert Component
- Method: Stovetop Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the cherries and sugar in a medium saucepan. Let them sit for 10 minutes to draw out juices.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together until smooth. This is your slurry.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring the cherry mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Once simmering, slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the cherry mixture while stirring constantly.
- Continue to cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens significantly, about 2 to 4 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and almond extract, if using.
- Let the filling cool completely before using it in a pie or as a topping. Cooling will allow it to set to the proper thickness.
Notes
- If using frozen cherries, do not thaw them before starting the recipe.
- For a tart cherry filling, reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup.
- This filling is excellent served warm over ice cream or cold over cheesecake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 28
- Sodium: 2
- Fat: 0.2
- Saturated Fat: 0.0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.1
- Trans Fat: 0.0
- Carbohydrates: 47
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 0.8
- Cholesterol: 0
Find it online: https://littlekitchendiary.com/cherry-pie-filling/