4.6 from 7 reviews

Gluten-Free Sweet Cherry Pie

By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on Jul 10, 2017 (updated Jun 19, 2023) / 22 Comments Jump to Recipe

With a tender, buttery gluten-free crust and sweet cherry pie filling, this gluten-free cherry pie is the ideal dessert to make when you find yourself with a glut of cherries! It's equally good made with fresh or frozen sweet cherries, both of which bake into a chunky, ruby red filling.

The ratios are spot-on: you'll get gooey roasted cherries and buttery crust in every bite. Plus, I'll also show you how to make an effortless double crust pie, no lattice-weaving required!

A slice of cherry pie sits on a plate topped with melty ice cream — A flaky, buttery gluten-free pie crust loaded with gently sweetened fresh or frozen cherries makes this pie an absolute dream!

This gluten-free cherry pie recipe is dedicated to my niece, Cierra, who's one of my favorite people on the planet. My sister and I recently visited Cierra in New York City and we all went to see Waitress together on Broadway, starring Sara Bareilles. After we dried our eyes, the show left us all with a massive craving for pies and tarts!

Aside from the phenomenal singing, dancing, acting, and songwriting, the thing that impressed me the most about the show was when Sara Bareilles MADE PIE CRUST ONSTAGE. This gifted goddess casually rolled out the dough, pressed it into the pan, trimmed and crimped it, all while reciting lines in a southern accent in front of hundreds of people.

Not gonna lie: if I had to make my pie dough in front of hundreds of people, I would cry even harder and longer than I did after Waitress's stirring finale.

hands are presenting a whole baked pie topped with cute star-shaped dough cut-outs — Dough cut-outs make a fun and functional topping, no lattice-weaving required!

She's my Ins-PIE-ration

My niece has a fierce love for cherry pie, so I decided to make this boozy, spice-kissed cherry pie recipe in her honor. It's got a kick of booze because Cierra is a connoisseur of craft cocktails, and a hit of spice because so does she. And it's topped with stars because that's what she is.

We call her Diva. (My niece that is. But, well, this pie is also a bit of a diva I suppose!)

Gluten-Free Crust for Cherry (and other) Pie

This gluten-free cherry pie recipe starts with my favorite gluten-free pie crust. which I originally developed for my cookbook Alternative Baker. While I love this crust's abundance of flavor, lack of xanthan gum, and fabulously flaky finish, it's undeniably a bit of a beast to make. It uses 3 gluten-free flours, 2 starches, and ground chia or flax seed in addition to butter, sugar, salt, and ice water.

While all of these ingredients add up to big flavor and flake, putting it together can be as daunting as singing karaoke to a 3-octave Sara Bareilles song (which is something I did *not* attempt while in NYC despite having the opportunity).

Rest assured that if you've never made pie crust before, my gluten-free pie tutorial will walk you through the process as painlessly as possible.

hands are pricking an unbaked gluten-free pie crust with a fork — My fabulously flaky & tender gluten-free pie crust made with oat flour & rice flour

Sweet Cherry Pie Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions

This cherry pie filling uses just 5 main ingredients and comes together in about 20 minutes.

Sweet cherries star of this filling. Use any variety you like, or a combination, such as Bing, Chelan, or Rainier. A cherry pitter makes quick work of them; this is the one I like. Frozen cherries work just as well; no need to defrost them first, the filling will just take a little longer to bake (bonus that frozen cherries are already pitted!)
Sugar sweetens the pie. I like organic granulated sugar for the filling, and coarse Demerara sugar for sprinkling the top crust. For refined sugar-free, sub by weight coconut sugar or maple sugar.
Cornstarch thickens the filling. For corn allergies, try using tapioca or arrowroot flour, or use a gluten-free all-purpose flour; you may need to adjust the amount.
Whiskey (or lemon juice) adds depth of flavor, giving the pie a boozy kick. Be sure to source a gluten-free whiskey if need be, or use brandy or gold rum instead. Or nix the booze and use a little lemon juice to sharpen the flavors.
Cinnamon adds a hint of spice, and salt sharpens the flavors. You can also add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne if you'd like a little extra kick! Omit the cinnamon for a more traditional gluten-free cherry pie.

Method

This recipe makes one 9-inch pie, serving 8-10 people. With its pretty cut-out top that's easier than weaving a lattice, you'll feel like a pro when you slide it into the oven!

a gluten-free unbaked pie crust has been pricked with a fork — Prepare the gluten-free pie dough. Shape half of the dough into a 9-inch crust, and roll the other half out into a round. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters or a small glass for the topping, and chill both the crust and the cut-outs.

hands are placing star-shaped dough cut-outs over the cherries — To make the filling, stir all of the filling ingredients together – cherries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and whiskey or lemon juice. Scrape the filling into the bottom crust, and top with the cut-outs, overlapping them slightly and leaving windows for steam to escape.

the cut-outs are on top of the pie, sprinkled with sugar and ready to bake — Brush the cut-outs with milk or cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

the finished pie has been baked — Bake the pie until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling thickly, about 40 minutes.

the pie has two wedges cut out — Let the pie cool completely to set the filling, at least 2 hours.

a wedge of pie is on a plate and ready to nom! — Cut the pie into wedges and serve, preferably with homemade vanilla ice cream!

A slice of pie is shown from the side, revealing a glossy cherry filling and two layers of flaky crust — Layers of goodness! Flaky gluten-free pastry, sweet, gooey cherry filling, and drippy vanilla ice cream.

The Dreamiest Pie

Here, sweet, dark cherries bake into a chunky jam studded with juicy fruit. The bourbon and cinnamon add beguiling depth of flavor while letting the fruit hog the limelight, and just enough sugar and cornstarch thicken it into a sliceable consistency. All of this burgundy goodness contrasts flavorful, flaky gluten-free pastry.

Bite into a slice of this spiced bourbon cherry pie topped with a drippy scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you'll soon forget all the effort that went into making it.

A slice of pie sits on a blue plate with a scoop of ice cream melting on top

Bojon appétit, my sweets! If you make this, I’d love to know. Please leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.

4.58 from 7 reviews