My easy sour cherry pie filling recipe will have your cooking like your grandma. If you are looking for a homemade cherry pie filling with no cornstarch this is the cherry pie filling for you! This homemade sour cherry pie filling is perfect for cherry pies, cherry tarts, cherry bars and even sneaking a spoonful out of the fridge in the middle of the night.

Sour Cherry Pie Filling
This cherry pie filling is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. It used 6 cups of fresh tart cherries and arrow root instead of cornstarch. This is the best grain free, gluten free cherry pie filling and everyone will love it!
Easy Cherry Pie Filling Ingredients:
- sour cherries, washed, pitted
- sugar
- arrow root
- water
- Vanilla extract
How do you make cherry pie filling?
- Wash the sour cherries removing the stems and leaves.
- Carefully remove the pits from the cherries doing your best not to crush the cherries.
- In a sauce pot whisk together the sugar and the arrow root.
- Add the vanilla and water. Stir to combine.
- Add the sour cherries to the pan.
- Turn the heat to medium.
- Carefully stir to combine.
- Bring to a rolling boil, carefully stirring occasionally.
- After a boil is reached, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes as the pie filling thickens.
- Fill a quart canning jar with the pie filling, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
- Place on a lid and a band, cool to room temperature.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for 6 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Can I water bath can this cherry pie filling?
The short answer is no. Because of the thickener in the cherry pie filling it prevents the center of the jar to reach the correct temperature. In short, it is too dense. But what about canned pie filling I buy in the store? Commercially produced and processed cherry pie filling are processed at a higher temperature and under conditions that can not be reproduced in the home kitchen.
Printable Sour Cherry Pie Filling Recipe:
Sour Cherry Pie Filling
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Ingredients
Easy Cherry Pie Filling Ingredients:
- 6 cups sour cherries washed, pitted
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 3 Tablespoons arrow root
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla
Instructions
How do you make cherry pie filling?
- Wash the sour cherries removing the stems and leaves.
- Carefully remove the pits from the cherries doing your best not to crush the cherries.
- In a sauce pot whisk together the sugar and the arrow root.
- Add the vanilla and water. Stir to combine.
- Add the sour cherries to the pan.
- Turn the heat to medium.
- Carefully stir to combine.
- Bring to a rolling boil, carefully stirring occasionally.
- After a boil is reached, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes as the pie filling thickens.
- Fill a quart canning jar with the pie filling, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
- Place on a lid and a band, cool to room temperature.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for 6 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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Sarah
I love it! Makes great pies, turnovers or even off the spoon!
Wilhelmina Wessel
This pie filling looks so good!
Sarah
What a creative use for this pie filling! Thanks for sharing.
Denay DeGuzman
I love this tasty recipe! I used this fabulous sour cherry pie filling as an ice cream topping when putting together an ice cream party. Mmm... It was a real hit!
Denay DeGuzman
This sour cherry pie filling was so delicious! It was perfect for topping ice cream. I included it as a fabulous offering when putting together an ice-cream-bar party.