Grandma’s Cherry Pie

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Grandma’s Cherry Pie makes everyone smile! Thousands have baked this simple cherry pie with frozen cherries and you can too!

We’ll take you through this homemade cherry pie recipe step-by-step. We even have a great video too!

Sound good?

The flaky pie crust is an all butter pie crust it’s just so delicious and bakes up perfectly every time. 

Our cherry pie recipe is so popular during the holidays too.  Folks love to serve this amazing juicy pie at Thanksgiving and it’s just the best Christmas Pie ever!

A cherry pie with a lattice crust and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, served on a white plate. A piece of pie is on a smaller plate next to a bowl of cherries and a striped blue napkin.
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Another popular Holiday Pie is our Razzleberry Pie recipe.  You’ll love the flavors from the triple berry pie filling!

Now let’s discuss the elephant in the room.  What’s that you say?

Most people I talk to are really intimidated when it comes to making pies. But you really shouldn’t be!

It’s kind of like building in layers. Not quite as easy as some cakes, but not as difficult as others!

A fork holds a bite of cherry pie with a lattice crust, topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. The pie dish and more pie slices are visible in the background.

And take a little time. Homemaking Arts are making a comeback, but we must acknowledge they can’t be multi-tasked.

This is the cherry pie recipe my Grandma used. I can still smell a freshly baked pie right from the oven. That sweet and tangy cherry aroma, combined with the buttery pie crust!

Ingredients

Before starting, head to the grocery store and get all the ingredients you need. For equipment, be sure to have a large bowl. 

  • Frozen cherries (sweet or sour)
  • White sugar 
  • Corn starch
  •  Fresh lemon juice
  •  Unsalted butter
  •  All purpose flour
A marble surface with bowls containing ingredients for baking: a bowl of cherries, flour, butter sticks, milk, sugar, corn starch, lemon juice, and another small bowl of sugar.

How to make the best cherry pie

Everything you need to make a sweet, delicious cherry pie from scratch is right here, from the crust, to the delicious homemade cherry pie filling.

This is an old fashioned recipe and a classic, passed down from my Grandma to me, and now from me to you! I’m so happy that you’re here, and you’re thinking of making this amazing pie for your family.

Cherry pie is right up there alongside pumpkin pie when it comes to the holidays.

My advice though? Double the batch, and bake two pies. Just wrap one up and pop it in the freezer until the next time.

A slice of cherry pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a plate. Another slice of cherry pie and whole cherries are visible in the background.

TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST PIE

  1. You will need pastry dough for a two crust pie.  
  2. Follow the instructions carefully. 
  3. Watch the pie crust video first to get some practice.  Mix the dough, let it chill and then roll it out.  Pie crust loves to be cold!
  4. We use frozen cherries – sour or sweet & give the sugar adjustment below in the recipe card.
  5. Let the pie filling cool just a bit before you pour it into the pie shell.
  6. Bake your pie in the bottom third of the oven, and make sure you place a sheet of aluminum foil, or tray on the very bottom to catch any spills!
  7. Be sure you bake your pie long enough. Baking fruit pies isn’t hard, but there are some important tips to follow to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom!
  8. The filling should bubble up and to keep it from running over, use a Pie Bird.

This is the cherry pie recipe my Grandma used. I can still smell a freshly baked pie right from the oven.  That sweet and tangy cherry aroma, combined with the buttery pie crust!

A glass bowl with flour, two sticks of butter, and milk on a marble countertop.
1. Mix flour and butter
A glass bowl filled with raw cookie dough is placed on a white marble surface.
2. Blend with pastry cutter
A pie crust is evenly pressed into a white ceramic pie dish, set on a light marble surface.
3. Press pie crust into pie plate
A round ball of dough wrapped in plastic wrap on a white marble surface.
4. Chill pie dough for lattice
A sheet of raw, rolled-out dough is placed on a piece of parchment paper on a marble surface.
5. Roll out Pie Crust
Overhead view of a lattice pie crust on a marble surface. The uncooked dough strips are woven in a crisscross pattern.
6. Weave lattice on parchment and set aside
A small saucepan filled with halved cherries sits on a white marble counter.
7. Mix cherries and sugar
A saucepan with dark cherry compote sits on a white marble surface.
8. Cook Cherry mixture
A stainless steel saucepan containing cooked cherries placed on a white marble countertop.
9. Bring Cherry mixture to a boil
10. Mix corn starch, sugar & lemon juice
A glass bowl containing mashed potatoes is placed on a white marble surface.
11. Corn starch mixture
A saucepan containing a mixture of dark-colored cherries or fruit and light clumps on a marble countertop.
12. Mix corn starch mixture in with cooked cherry pie filling
12. Add Cherry Pie Filling to Pie Crust
A cherry pie with a lattice crust is placed on a marble surface.
13. Top with lattice and bake

Notes & FAQs to help you make the best cherry pie ever!

Can I use frozen cherries to make cherry pie?

A freshly baked cherry pie with a lattice crust, placed on a striped blue and white cloth, surrounded by scattered cherries, a pie server, plates, and forks.

Absolutely! Our favorite way is to use frozen pitted sweet cherries. That’s what we use in this recipe. If you have tart cherries, be sure to add more sugar. 

Can I use fresh cherries to make cherry pie?

Of course you can use fresh cherries, though this’ll require a little more preparation and a cherry pitter would be useful. Be sure to use fresh sweet cherries to get that delicious cherry flavor. If you have particularly sour cherries, remember to add more sugar to your cherry mixture.  

A lattice-topped cherry pie with a slice removed, revealing the filling. Two small plates with pie slices are beside it. A handful of fresh cherries and a blue-striped cloth are in the background.

How long does it take to bake fruit pie?

Great question! The time shown in the recipe card is fairly accurate, but it all depends on your altitude and oven temperature. If unsure, use less baking time, as you can always add more time if needed.

Do you need to pre bake pie crust?

This recipe does not require you to pre bake the pie crust.

A slice of cherry pie in the foreground with a scoop of vanilla ice cream beside it. The entire pie and a bowl of cherries are in the background on a marble countertop.

How to serve cherry pie

Always use a sharp knife to cut into slices. 

We love our pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but whipped cream will do just as well.

How to store pie

You should let the center of the pie cool to room temperature first.

Remove the pie from its pan and place it on a wire rack.

Once cool, store in an airtight container, or use plastic wrap. Your pie should last on the shelf for 2-3 days. 

YouTube video
A slice of cherry pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a plate. Another slice of cherry pie and whole cherries are visible in the background.

Recipe variations

There’s lots of different ways you can experiment with your pie. For the dough, try adding almond extract for a nuttier flavor. 

For the cherry filling, you could try using fresh cherries. 

If you have excess dough, you could even make a lattice top. 

Where did I get my inspiration for this recipe?

Cherry pie and summer go together like bees and honey! Am I right? The sweet juicy goodness of cherries smothered in a buttery flaky pie crust, well I don’t think there is anything that tastes sweeter.

My Grandma was a wonderful pie baker. Feeding the farm hands was a lot of work, and she perfected her pie crust and baking skills until they were an art form.

Fruit pies that just melted in your mouth, are one of my fondest memories.

A fork holding a piece of cherry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is in focus. In the background, there is a whole cherry pie in a dish and a slice served on a plate.

Cherry pie was my Dad’s absolute favorite and Grandma always had a fresh cherry pie made when she knew we were coming for a visit!

Turns out my sweetie Mark loves cherry pie too! So I try to make it often. There’s nothing better than a pie warm from the oven, with a scoop of ice cream running down the sides. Hungry? Me too!

This Pie recipe is so popular it’s been featured at Ice Cream Inspiration as part of their weekly meal plan series! And also over at Operation 40K as part of a Cherry Pie Roundup! 🙂

Cherries are everywhere in grocery stores and markets, just about all year long. We eat them at home just like peanuts.

But when I’m ready to bake a pie, I want the easiest way possible, so I use fresh frozen cherries.

Making your cherry pie filling is the main part of this recipe, so we want the best ingredients possible!

Enjoy!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the Pie Lady Bakes community where you will find vintage recipes like Mom and Grandma used to make, but that are so easy!

If you haven’t already joined, here is the link where you can sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. This way, you won’t miss any of my new recipes and it’s absolutely free! 

See you soon!

Judy

★★★★★ 

If you have made this delicious cherry pie, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to give it a 5 star rating! 

★★★★★ 

A slice of cherry pie in the foreground with a scoop of vanilla ice cream beside it. The entire pie and a bowl of cherries are in the background on a marble countertop.

Grandma’s Cherry Pie is Everyone’s Favourite!

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4.48 from 174 votes

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Judy
Grandma's Cherry Pie recipe is a simple, yet tried and true recipe that uses sweet frozen cherries and that will turn a novice baker into a rockstar! Homemade Cherry Pie tops the list of favorite summer fruit pies.
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Course Dessert
Cuisine North American
Servings 6
Calories 342 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups cherries - sweet – frozen or fresh pitted cherries*
  • 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp sugar* - 1 cup sugar sour cherries
  • ¼ cup corn starch
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • pie crust for a 2 crust pie - bottom layer and lattice pie crust top

Instructions
 

  • If using frozen cherries, make sure they are thawed.
  • Cook cherries in a saucepan over medium heat until they start to simmer and the juice releases stirring continuously – you don’t want the cherries or sugar to burn. Remove from heat.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the lemon juice. Pour the mixture into the hot cherries and mix thoroughly.
  • Put the cherry mixture back onto low heat, bring to a simmer once more and keep cooking until the filling has thickened, again stirring often. This should take about 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and let it cool before using.
  • Pour the cherry pie filling into your prepared pie crust, top with the second crust and crimp the edges.
  • I would use a pie crust shield to keep the edges from overbrowning. 
  • Place the cherry pie on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes at 400F
  • Reduce heat to 375F and then bake for another 30 to 35 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  

VIDEO

Notes

*Since updating this recipe I now use sweet frozen cherries as they are easier to find at the grocery store. If you do use sour cherries, increase to sugar to 1 cup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 121mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 47g

These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment, star rating or post your photo on Instagram and tag @pieladybakes

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More Old Fashioned recipes…

 

A cherry pie with a lattice crust is shown partially sliced on a white plate, accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Cherries are scattered around the scene, capturing the essence of an old fashioned cherry pie recipe.

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Judy Kahansky is an experienced writer and baker, creating delicious desserts (including pie!) for over 40 years. She loves to take classic and vintage recipes and update them to fit the busy lives of her readers. When not baking, Judy and her husband Mark are passionate golfers, enjoy the simple life, and are travelers and dog lovers, spending as much time as they can with their sweet pup Ruby.

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4.48 from 174 votes (169 ratings without comment)

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40 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is my cherry pie go to recipe. I do add almond extract for a bit more flavor. I always get asked to bring my cherry pie to parties.

    Reply

    1. Hi Josie, good question! I have baked the recipe in both a metal and glass dish, and not adjusted the oven temperature. My preference is to bake in a glass pie dish but that’s just me.

      Reply

  4. This Cherry pie is amazing! I did take liberty and add 1/8 tsp almond extract because my family luvs almond. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  5. I made this pie for Thanksgiving. I used my secret cheater Pillsbury pie crust and Grandma’s recipe. I used 3/4 cup of sugar to bring out just a hint of tart. Perfect. The juice didn’t run all over the place. It baked like a lady. I’d not used corn starch before, but I will forever now. A tiny drop of vanilla too. I just have to fuss a little with every pie I make. Delicious. The men of this family cut into it while I washed dishes. I finally got my turn an it made me just sit down and marvel how delicious it was. Thank you for this recipe!.

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    Every year I bake one cherry pie (it’s a birthday thing) and this is the best recipe ever. No need for almond essence, just let the cherries speak for themselves. Thank you!

    Reply

  8. Hey Judy!

    What’s the bake time for using a frozen pre-made crust? Same as your recipe or follow the package instructions?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jess! Good question! I would follow the recipe instructions, and bake for the time stated, however I would recommend that you put a pie shield to cover the edges since premade pie crusts are usually quite thin around the edges. You can use foil or an actual pie shield that will protect the crusts from over baking.

      Reply

    2. I love your recipe, the only change I make is that I grind up the quick cooking tapioca and use that instead of corn starch. Have you ever used it? If not please try it. You won’t go back to cornstarch! It thickens without taste & it’s clear. Thanks for sharing. I’m a huge fan.

      Reply

  9. So do you add the 1 cup of sugar to the cherries or to the cornstarch it didn’t really specify. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Kelly, in the instructions it says: “In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the lemon juice. Pour the mixture into the hot cherries and mix thoroughly.” You want to mix the sugar and corn starch and lemon juice together, and then mix that with the hot cherries. Hope that helps.

      Reply

  10. Hey Judy,

    Your recipe looks amazing! What temperature and how long should I bake the pie once it is put together.

    Thank you.

    Reply

    1. Hey Dana! That is so weird that the most important information disappeared! I’ve updated the recipe, but just for you it’s Preheat oven to 400F, and putting the pie on a baking tray, bake for 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 375F and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until your crust is golden and the cherries are bubbling! I would use a pie crust shield too.

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Hi again Judy,
    I am here to let you know that I tried this pie and it was a knock out. I followed the recipe for both the crust and pie and it came out extremely well. Everyone loved it. Now I don’t feel nervous to try similar ones. My only one concern was using the shortening due to the intake of saturated fats so the next time I’ll try using a mixture of margarine and canola or another good baking oil. Hope it works.
    Thanks so much!

    Reply

  12. Hi Judy, I have not made a lot of pies in the past because I always thought it’s too much work.. But you have made the instructions quite easy so I want to give it a shot..However, I have one question.
    I saw you kneaded four doughs but I believe I saw you used two. Did you knead for two pies? Thx

    Reply

    1. Hi Audrey, good for you! You are correct – the video shows my recipe that makes four separate pie crusts – so you will use two for your cherry pie, and wrap the other two up in plastic and put them in a freezer bag for another time. I’ve kept pie crust dough in the freezer for 3 months or more. If you enjoyed the recipe I would love it if you would give it a 5 star rating! Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with. Oh and be sure to post a picture of your pie! Have a lovely day. 🙂 xo Judy

      Reply

      1. 5 stars
        Hi again Judy,
        I am here to let you know that I tried this pie and it was a knock out. I followed the recipe for both the crust and pie and it came out extremely well. Everyone loved it. Now I don’t feel nervous to try similar ones. My only one concern was using the shortening due to the intake of saturated fats so the next time I’ll try using a mixture of margarine and canola or another good baking oil. Hope it works.
        Thanks so much!

        Reply

        1. Hi Audrey! So happy to know that you enjoyed it. We’ve used shortening for years, but I understand your concerns. I often use half shortening and half unsalted butter, and get the same results. I’ve not used margarine, but you could try it. Good luck!

          Reply

    1. Hi Christine! Right after the cornstarch. I see that I left that out of the printable recipe and have included it now. Thanks for asking!

      Reply

  14. I cannot believe how easy this is. I’ve never eaten cherry pie, but have just discovered a source of sour cherries so I am absolutely going to give this a try.

    Reply

  15. Ok, this looks amazing but the fact that the recipe came from grandma sold me! Anything from grandma is a must!!!! I printed the recipe out as cherry pie is my mom’s favorite! Cant wait to try it!! Thanks for posting this!

    Reply

  17. That pie looks fantastic! Oh man- cherry pie.. if only the cherries lasted long enough for me to cook with them!! haha. I eat them all. I’ll have to try and restrain myself!

    Reply

    1. We do too Sarah! That’s why I often use the fresh frozen ones – that way you can have cherry pie when the snow flies…..

      Reply

  18. What an incredible looking cherry pie. Here in Australia you don’t often find cherry pies so I’ve always had to make them myself whenever I need a fix. I’m very much looking forward to it warming up here so that when cherries are in season I can make your pie!

    Reply

    1. That’s interesting Amanda I didn’t know that about cherry pie in Australia. I know from my Australian friends and students that you all love pie – especially meat pies!!

      Reply

  19. This pie is beautiful!! Cherry pie is my favorite to eat, but I’ve never made one because I just don’t have the patience to pit that many cherries.

    Reply