Fresh dark sweet cherries are the star of this pie, their deep flavor and natural juiciness needing little adornment. Recipe developer Gesine Bullock-Prado likes to add a bit of orange zest, nutmeg, and vanilla bean paste to give this classic sweet cherry pie layers of flavor. When you’re lucky enough to gather fresh cherries for a pie, it feels like a true celebration of summer. And if fresh cherries aren’t within reach, frozen ones will still deliver a pie worth savoring.
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To make the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Slowly add the water and lemon juice, pulsing until the dough just comes together. Squeeze a bit of dough between your fingers: if it holds its shape, it's good to go. If it doesn't, add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time.
Divide the dough (for a two-crust pie, make one piece slightly larger than the other). Pat each piece of dough into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Roll the larger disk of dough into a 12" round. Transfer it to a 9" pie pan and prick the bottom all over with a fork. Crimp the edges, and refrigerate while you make the filling.
To make the cherry filling: Pit the cherries in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice and vanilla; pour over the cherries and stir to coat.
In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, Clearjel, nutmeg, salt, and orange zest. Pour over the cherries and stir to evenly coat.
To assemble: On a floured work surface, roll the remaining dough into a 12" round. Cut into strips for a lattice, or cut out shapes, whichever you like.
Fill the lined pie pan with the cherries. Grate the frozen butter over the filling. Place the decorative top crust on the pie.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Brush the top crust with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the top crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling in the center. Remove the pie from the oven and cool it completely before slicing.
Store leftover sweet cherry pie, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Tips from our Bakers
To make this sweet cherry pie gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free pie dough for the crust. For the filling, replace the Clearjel with 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons (50g) tapioca starch.
To make this sweet cherry pie vegan, replace the butter with well-chilled Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, 1 cup (8 ounces) Earth Balance Vegan Shortening, or 1 cup (8 ounces) refined virgin coconut oil. If using coconut oil, make sure the bits of fat and flour are processed to a fine meal texture. Omit the butter from the filling, and brush the top with soy milk instead of egg wash.
Flour, cornstarch, tapioca, ClearJel… how much thickener should you use? For a practical look at all the options, see our Fruit Pie Thickeners Guide.
