Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: A flaky, golden crust and perfectly set and sliceable cherry filling.
Taste: Buttery crust with almond-hinted sweet cherry filling
Ease: Making pie from scratch definitely require a few steps, but is totally doable. This blog post takes you through the whole process with tips and photos.
Top Tips: Pre-cook the filling so the bottom crust stays crisp. Also don’t skip the egg wash! It creates that golden, bakery-style finish.
Would I make these again? Definitely! This gluten-free cherry pie is bursting with flavor and uses my foolproof gluten-free pie crust for a perfectly crisp double crust!
xoxo erin
Featured Comment
From Wendy: “This pie is PERFECT. I truly could not believe how good this is- 5 stars is not enough! Thank you!!!”
Gluten-Free Cherry Pie Tips
- Use a cherry pitter – I don’t typically use a bunch of kitchen gadgets, but this one is worth it! My kids use it all the time when they snack on cherries – we swear it makes them taste better!
- Cook the filling before baking – This ensures the filling is thick and the crust doesn’t get soggy from the extra juices.
- Top with an egg wash – It gives the crust a crispier texture and helps it bake up with that beautiful golden sheen we all love. Without it, the crust can end up pale and a bit lifeless.
- Use a metal pie pan – It may not be as pretty, but it conducts heat best for a golden bottom.
- Bake on a pizza steel if you can – It gives the bottom crust extra crispness.
- Start high, then lower the temperature – The initial blast of heat promotes a golden finish, while reducing the temperature lets the filling cook gently and evenly without drying out the crust.
Gluten-Free Cherry Pie
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Pie Crust
- 1 cup (226g) butter, frozen until solid
- 4 tablespoons (48g) shortening, frozen until solid
- 3 cups (450g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Cherry Pie Filling
- 5 cups (794 to 850) pitted sweet, dark cherries, some halved and some quartered (you'll start with around 2 pounds whole fruit)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 large lemon
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- pinch of kosher salt
- sanding sugar optional
Instructions
For the gluten-free pie crust:
- Be sure to freeze your butter and shortening in advance!
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar and salt.
- In a small measuring cup, add the egg and vinegar. Whisk until completely smooth, then add cold water until the mixture measures ½ cup and whisk to fully combine. Refrigerate the egg-vinegar mixture until ready to use.
- Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the butter. Add the grated butter to the dry ingredients and toss to coat.
- Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the shortening. Add the grated shortening to the dry ingredients and toss to coat.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the egg-vinegar mixture over the flour and butter mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir and toss to distribute the moisture evenly. Continue adding the egg-vinegar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition, until the dough begins to come together in large clumps. Repeat until you’ve added about 10 tablespoons.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and use your hands to knead it together. You may need to gather and firmly press it a few times until it comes together. If the dough feels too dry, add another tablespoon of the egg-vinegar mixture—but don’t be tempted to add too much liquid! The dough should be moist enough to hold together when pressed, but not sticky.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gather it together with your hands, pressing any loose bits into the dough to form a cohesive ball.
- Gently divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disc about 1 inch thick. Wrap both discs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
For the cherry filling:
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, combine pitted sweet, dark cherries (some halved and some quartered), lemon juice, granulated sugar, kosher salt, cornstarch, and water.
- Set the pan over medium heat. Stir frequently as the mixture begins to warm and the cherries start to release their juices. Once it reaches a bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the filling thickens and becomes glossy.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in almond extract. Let the filling cool to room temperature before using it in your pie.
To roll out:
- If the dough has been in the refrigerator longer than 1 hour, let one disc sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured pastry mat or a silicone baking mat. Roll one disc of dough into a circle 12 inches in diameter. You may need to press it together if it starts to split or break on the edges. This is normal; gluten-free pie crust requires a bit of patience to roll out.
- After rolling, use the pastry mat to flip the dough onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently ease the dough into the pan. Trim any excess edges with scissors.
- Add the cooled cherry filling to the prepared bottom crust and spread it evenly.
- Roll out the second disc of dough into a 12-inch circle. Use a knife or pastry wheel to cut it into strips about ½ to ¾ inch wide. Arrange the strips over the filling in a lattice pattern, gently pressing the edges to seal. Trim any excess and shape the edges as desired.
- Lightly brush the top crust with milk or an egg wash, if desired, for a golden finish.
- Place the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour until chilled and firm.
- Place a pizza steel in the oven. (A pizza steel helps to ensure a crispy bottom crust.) Preheat the oven to 400°F.
For the egg wash:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, water and salt for the egg wash.
- Remove the pie from the freezer. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the galette with egg wash. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired.
- Place the assembled pie directly on the hot pizza steel and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 375°F and continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing to allow the filling to set, about 4-6 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free cherry pie. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-free flour: Use a high-quality gluten-free flour that includes xanthan gum. This gluten-free flour is my favorite! I highly recommend measuring the flour by weight for the crust. I use this kitchen scale.
- Butter/shortening: Freeze both ahead of time! As they melt in the oven, they create the perfectly flaky crust. I love the rich flavor of butter, so this crust is mostly butter with just a bit of shortening to help it hold its shape.
- Egg/vinegar: This is a trick I learned from my Grandma’s pie crust recipe! The added protein helps the gluten-free crust bake up golden-brown.
- Cherries/almond extract: You can use dark sweet cherries or a combination of dark sweet and Rainer cherries. I love the taste of almond extract with the cherries for an extra boost of flavor. Just remember a little goes a long way with the extract!
Gluten-Free Pie Crust
This gluten-free pie crust recipe was a labor of love to get just right. I was determined to create a crust that was buttery, flaky, and held its shape once baked. After lots of testing, this is THE gluten-free pie crust. It makes the lattice-work easy — something that isn’t always possible with gluten-free crusts.
It’s also the perfect base for a gooey, fruity filling, like in this cherry pie. Fruit pie heaven in every bite!
How to Make Gluten-Free Cherry Pie
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
This crust takes a little planning ahead. To make sure your pie isn’t delayed, freeze the butter and shortening in advance, and prep the egg-vinegar mixture so that it can refrigerate until needed.
I’ve tested this recipe many different ways, including using a food processor, but grating the butter/shortening, then gently tossing them in the flour creates the best texture!
It’s easy to add too much liquid to the dough. Drizzle just 1 tablespoon of the egg-vinegar mixture at a time into the flour-butter mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently stir so that it combines evenly.
Look for it to start to coming together into large clumps. At that point, switch to using your hands to knead it the rest of the way. The ideal dough will have enough moisture to hold together when pressed, but won’t be sticky. You can use a floured surface to divide, shape, and wrap the dough into two equal-sized discs. Refrigerate for at least an hour!
Pit the cherries before you cook the filling ingredients. It works best to start on medium heat to warm the mixture and release the cherry juices, but once it starts to bubble, simmer it on medium low so that it thickens. Stir it often and the filling should end up thick and glossy!
If you refrigerated the dough longer than an hour, let it sit out for about 15 minutes to become rollable. Gluten-free pie crust requires patience. Roll it out gently and don’t worry if you have to press it back together if it starts to split on the edges. Totally normal! Once you get it into the pie pan you can pretty it up by trimming the edges.
No need to par-bake the bottom crust! You can pour the cooled cherry filling straight into the raw bottom dough.
To make the lattice, roll the second disc of dough out into a 12″ circle. I think it’s easiest to use a knife or pastry wheel to cut the strips. 1/2 – 3/4″ wide will make for pretty, but workable strips!
Even a simple lattice pattern looks impressive! Don’t forget to gently press the edges to seal the dough into one cohesive top crust and trim any excess to create clean edges. You can even shape the edges for the perfect finish!
Freeze the raw pie for at least 15 minutes so that it is thoroughly chilled and firm before going in the oven, then add the egg wash and sanding sugar (optional). Two ways to get a perfectly crisp, well-baked bottom and a tender, flavorful filling is to (1) place the pie on a preheated pizza steel and (2) start with a higher oven temperature and then lower it.
Serving it fresh from the oven is tempting, but let it cool for 4-6 hours so that the filling is set when you slice. And there you have one beautifully delicious gluten-free cherry pie!
Hi, I had a really hard time with the crust. It was falling apart, cracking. Not just at the edges, which I’m used to. Any idea what I did wrong?
Hi Shalindhi, we’re sorry you had this experience! It sounds like most likely your crust was too dry. You can another tablespoon or so of the egg-vinegar mixture to make it more workable. This can also happen if the dough is too cold when you try to roll it out. If the dough has been in the refrigerator longer than 1 hour, let one disc sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling. We hope your next pie goes even better!
This pie is PERFECT.
I truly could not believe how good this is- 5 stars is not enough!
Thank you!!!
Yay! We’re so happy to hear how much you loved the pie! Thank you for such amazing feedback, Wendy. Happy baking!
This looks amazing! Can frozen sweet cherries be used instead of fresh?
Hi Ashley, fresh sweet cherries work best since frozen will release more liquid making the filling runnier and increasing the risk of a soggy bottom crust. To use frozen, they would need to be thawed, drained, and patted dry. Additional cornstarch and a longer simmer time may also be necessary. We hope this helps and you enjoy the pie!