4th of July Cherry Pie

It’s hard to believe it’s the 4th of July already, and even though we aren’t having any larger, extended family barbecues this summer and fireworks are canceled, we’re still celebrating in our backyard. We’ll be grilling, playing yard games and enjoying my homemade 4th of July cherry pie. We’ll probably also sit out by the firepit and light some sparklers. Even our flowerpots look festive!

But back to the cherry pie. There’s just something about tart cherries in a flaky, golden crust with a generous helping of vanilla ice cream melting into it that says classic summer celebration to me. It’s an all-American dessert that brings back so many memories of my mom baking in our small kitchen, even if it was a hot summer day. If I close my eyes, I can almost taste this cherry pie. Plus, since I don’t make pies very often, it’s a rare treat in our house today, as my husband, Matt, will attest!

Today, I’m sharing my 4th of July cherry pie recipe with you. No store-bought crust here. We buy our tart cherries from a local farm market and the pie crust is homemade. Yes, it takes a little longer to make, but this recipe is EASY, and it’s so worth the time and calories. I guess that’s what a long run is for, right?

For the cherry pie crust, you’ll need flour, salt, and oil, no shortening. I prefer coconut oil but you can also use vegetable or canola oil. The rest of the ingredients are sugar, drained and pitted tart cherries, a bit more flour, and some butter. If you don’t have a local source for tart cherries, you can use canned in a pinch. Just don’t pick up the gelled cherry pie filling by mistake!

Yield: 8 servings

4th of July Cherry Pie

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This classic cherry pie starts with tart, pitted cherries folded into a homemade, flaky crust. It's the perfect 4th of July treat!

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 6 cups fresh red tart cherries, pitted OR 3 16-oz. cans pitted red tart cherries, drained
• 2 tablespoons butter

Crust Ingredients (for top and bottom crusts)

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2/3 cup canola, vegetable oil, or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

1. For the crust, mix flour, oil and salt until all flour is mixed in. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until all water is absorbed. Gather pastry into two balls. Press one of them in the bottom and up the side of a pie plate; flute edges if desired. Put other dough ball off to the side.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix sugar and flour in large bowl. Sitr in cherries. Turn into the pastry-lined pie plate.
3. Instead of creating a traditional lattice top, create a crumble with the remaining pie crust ball, saving some for the pie edge.
4. Use the rest of the pie pastry to build up an edge crust.
5. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet in case the pie bubbles over in the oven. This is common with fruit pies
6. Cover edges with foil or a crust protector to avoid excessive browning.
7. Bake for 25 minutes and then remove crust cover and bake for remaining 15 minutes. Cool 10-15 minutes before serving. Top with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Notes

• Gluten-free crust can be made by substituting a gluten-free baking mix such as Cup For Cup.
• If you use self-rising flour, omit the salt.
• I recommend putting the pie plate on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan before putting it in the oven. You don't want to spend an extra hour in the kitchen cleaning out the mess that could boil over into your oven.

Watch the video here!

I hope you enjoy this cherry pie as much as we always do. From our house to yours, have a safe and wonderful 4th!