3-Ingredient Cherry Pie Filling

*Image updated 3.11.18

This is part 1 of 2 but I thought it was important enough for its own post because, well, it’s cherry pie filling … and it tastes just like the stuff you buy in the can but it’s NOT the stuff you buy in the can. Win! {I know I can’t be the only one that ate it by the spoonfuls as a kid.}

This simple recipe has just three ingredients.

Three.
Tres.
Trois.
3.

Yep, that’s it. And, this isn’t the kind of recipe where I say it has three ingredients but when you read the recipe it actually has 64 because someone used an “ingredient” that was made up of processed junk. Three means three here.

This morning I had the pie filling on grass-fed cottage cheese with a little bit of chia seeds. YUM.

Tomorrow morning? I’m not sure how I’ll have it but it would be great on pancakes or waffles, with yogurt or hey, you could save it and make the Danish that I’m going to post tomorrow.

Cheesy Cherry Danishes made with sprouted spelt flour. You’ll love it. Promise.

But, for now, let’s learn how to make the pie filling.

So, I have this friend who has sour cherry trees in her backyard. Apparently none of her family likes to pick them so sometimes I do. They’re big trees that are grown organically, which really just means that no one screws them up with chemicals. Thanks, friend. I had a bunch in the freezer so I pulled them out to make this. The recipe will work with frozen sweet cherries from the grocery store too but you will need to cut back the sugar by half.

Now, this recipes uses cornstarch. I’m sure somewhere on this blog I’ve expressed my distrust of corn and my attempt to not use it much. I take exception with a recipes like this. Cornstarch thickens like no other starch. It’s predictable and neutral in flavor. It holds when it’s warm and cold. I like the reliability of it for pie fillings, especially when you could be using it in several different ways.

This recipe makes about 3 cups of filling. Feel free to use in in an actual pie. I mean, that’s what it was originally used for but honestly, with the invention of the canned pie filling, there are just so many more things you can do with it. It can be substituted for any recipe that calls for canned pie filling. Enjoy!

3-Ingredient Cherry Pie Filling

 

Author:

www.mrfarmersdaughter.com

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Ingredients

• 1 lb. sour cherries, pitted
• ½ cup raw sugar (I prefer organic cane sugar)
• 2 Tbls. cornstarch (I will only use organic cornstarch to avoid any GMO contamination)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan, pour sugar/cornstarch mixture over cherries.
3. Add 1 Tbls. water to the pan.
4. Turn on the heat to medium and do not leave the stove.
5. Continue stirring the cherries around until they begin to release their juices and form a sauce.
6. As they heat to boiling, continue stirring until the sauce becomes clear and thick. This will happen about the time it's boiling. Cook 1 minute after boiling begins.
7. Remove from burner and cool completely before serving or using.

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