The cherries are pitted and cut into quarters rather than halves, which makes filling the small dish easier and ensures every slice gets an even distribution of fruit. A mixture of sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla and almond extract goes in with the cherries; the cornstarch thickening the juices as they bubble in the oven and the almond extract adding a depth that makes people ask what is in it without being able to place it. The filling goes in with a slotted spoon so the excess liquid stays behind.
One roll of store-bought pie crust provides both the base and the lattice, which keeps the project manageable. An egg wash and a scatter of turbinado sugar before baking give the lattice its color and the satisfying crunch that makes the first bite of crust worth waiting for. The pie needs a couple of hours to cool and set before it cuts cleanly, the hardest part of the whole recipe.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
Pie crust – homemade or store-bought
FOR THE PIE FILLING
- Cherries – You can make any combination of cherry variety you like. If you decide to go for 100% sour cherries, you may need a little more sugar than this recipe asks for.
- Granulated sugar
- Corn starch
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
FOR THE EGG WASH
- Egg
- Milk
- Turbinado sugar
How to Make the Cherry Pie for Two
Step 1 – Pit the cherries. You can buy a cherry pitter, but I can tell you that a little kitchen knife will do just fine. Cut the cherries in half and the halves in half again. The smaller pieces will be easier when filling up a small cherry pie crust. Cherry halves may leave empty spaces/wholes in your pie and you may end up with having difficulties getting the cherries in your pie crust.
Step 2 – Mix the cut cherries with sugar (for some sweetness), corn starch (for thickening and binding), lemon juice (for tartness), and vanilla and almond extract (for additional flavor).
Step 3 – Roll out the pie crust and line the baking dish. Reserve the left-overs for the lattice.
Transfer the cherry mixture into the pie dish and cover with a lattice.
Lightly brush lattice with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. The egg wash give the lovely golden color and the coarse sugar will give this delicious crunch.
Step 4 – Place the pie in a pre-heated oven of 400°F and bake for 20 minutes. Then turn down the temperature to 375°F and bake for another 30 minutes. There is the chance that your crust, especially the edges, may turn too brown during these 30 minutes. Protect them by placing a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the pie.
When your cake is baked and ready, allow the pie to cool for a couple of hours at room temperature. The filling will thicken and it will be easier to cut the pie.
If you prefer to make a casual pie, be more of an artist, try a Black and Blueberry Galette or the Mandarin Lemon Curd Pie.
Updated 04.06.26
Homemade Cherry Pie for Two
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 1 store-bought pie crust
Pie Filling
- 10 ounces cherries, about 2 1/4 cup
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Egg Wash
- 1 whole egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- tubinado sugar
Instructions
- If you keep your pie crust in the freezer, you’ll need to take it out of the freezer the night before you want to bake this Cherry Pie for Two.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Make the filling: Pit the cherries. Use a tool, a cherry pitter, or just a small kitchen knife (like I did). Cherries don't really color your fingers, so not to worry about that. Cut the cherry in half, take the pit out and then cut the half in half.
- Transfer the cherry to a bowl and add, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extract. Place bowl in the fridge.
- Most store-bought pie crust packages contain 2 crusts; we only need one for the bottom and the crust.
- Take one crust out of the package and place it on your kitchen counter. You may want to roll a just a little bit thinner.
- Cut a circle of your dough a little larger than your pie dish. My pie dish has a diameter of almost 7-inches. Place the dough into the pie dish and tuck it against the sides and make sure the bottom is smooth.
- Spoon the filling onto the dough. Use a slotted spoon, you don’t want all the juice into your pie.
- Make the lattice. From the left-over dough you can make your lattice and this is the point where your creativity can go wild. Use a pastry wheel, a pizza cutter, a knife, whatever it takes and cover your pie with your design or just with a traditional lattice (like I did). Wherever the lattice touches the pie crust bottom, pinch it together. Cut of excess of dough.
- Make your egg wash by whisking together the milk and the egg and brush your pie dough with it.
- Last step is to sprinkle the pie with turbinado sugar.
- Place the pie in the oven on top of a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes (covered with aluminum foil).
- Cool the pie for a couple of hours before you start cutting it. Whatever you don’t eat in one serving, cover up and store in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.