How to Make Cherry Pie Filling
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The following recipe and photography were provided by our partner, Megan Weimer of Dollop of Dough.
There’s something so nostalgic and comforting about the aroma of a freshly baked cherry pie. The combination of sweet and tart cherries and buttery crust is enough to make anyone’s mouth water.
The best part is that you can use this filling in so many other treats besides pie. Spoon it over cheesecake or ice cream, use it to make cherry tarts or hand pies, or mix it into some vanilla yogurt for the best parfait ever. This cherry pie filling is a recipe you’ll want to pass down to all generations.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Heinen’s partners with Stemilt to supply top-of-the-crop cherries from the best locales on the West Coast. They’re known for growing their world-famous cherries at a very high altitude in the mountains of Wenatchee, Washington.
- Making homemade cherry pie filling is easy and only requires 20 minutes and a handful of ingredients, some of which you may already find in your pantry.
- You don’t have to use cherry filling for just pies, it can be used in cakes, on top of Heinen’s cheesecake and many other ways!
How to Make Cherry Pie Filling
Cook time: 10min Prep time: 10min Total time: 20min
Servings: 3-4 Cups
Ingredients
- 5 cups whole cherries, pitted
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- ¼ tsp. almond extract (optional)
Instructions
- Wash and pit the fresh cherries.
- Whisk together the water and cornstarch in a bowl to create a slurry. Set aside.
- To a saucepan over medium heat, add the cherries, cornstarch slurry, sugar and lemon juice. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the cherries have softened and the mixture has thickened.
- Take the saucepan off of the heat and stir in the almond extract.
- Let the filling cool for about 20 minutes before transferring to a jar or airtight container. Use in pies, parfaits or spoon over a slice of Heinen’s cheesecake. Enjoy!
