The BEST Old-Fashioned Cherry Cream Pie
This pie is an absolute winner for anyone who likes cherry pie! In addition to the cherry pie filling, there’s a layer of sweetened cream cheese that’s so creamy. It pairs wonderfully with the cherry pie filling! I find that the cream cheese layer, because there’s also lemon juice in it, helps balance some of the sweetness that canned cherry pie filling can tend to have. What I love about this pie is that after you blind bake the crust, the rest of the pie is no-bake! Just refrigerate the pie for approximately 30 minutes total after adding the sweet cream cheese and the cherries before digging in. It’s the perfect pie for Valentine’s Day, an anniversary, the Christmas holiday season, or even a patriotic holiday!
Ingredients in Cherry Cream Pie
For the homemade pie crust, you’ll need:
All-purpose flour Salt Granulated sugar Cold butter Vegetable shortening Ice cold water Egg
For the cherry cheesecake pie filling, you’ll need:
Cream cheese Sweetened condensed milk Lemon juice Vanilla extract Cherry pie filling
How to Make Cherry Cream Pie
Make the homemade pie dough. You’re going to combine flour, salt, sugar, cut in the butter and the shortening, and add ice cold water a tablespoon at a time until the dough forms large clumps. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 3 days. Roll out the pie crust. Be gentle when rolling it out and start from the center and roll out by pressing gently on the rolling pin. I like to roll it out to 12 inches to make sure the pan will be covered. Save the scraps by wrapping them in cling wrap and storing it for up to 3 days. Blind bake the pie crust. Once the pie dough has been rolled out, gently transfer it to your pie plate. Prick the crust all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and pie weights, brush with egg wash, and bake for another 10 minutes. Make the cherry cheesecake pie filling. Begin by beating together softened cream cheese before adding sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, vanilla, and beat until the mixture is fluffy. Note that the best way to soften cream cheese is to set it out at least 1 hour before you use it. If it’s not very soft, it’s much harder to get it to beat together into a smooth and fluffy consistency. Assemble and chill the pie. Pour the mixture into your blind-baked crust and refrigerate the pie for at least 20 minutes, or until set. Top with the cherry pie filling and refrigerate at least 10 more minutes before serving with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
What does Blind Bake Mean?
It simply means to pre-bake the crust without filling, then add the filing once the crust is baked.
Do I Have to Use Pie Weights for Blind Baking the Crust?
Yes! The pie weights will help weigh down the dough to prevent puffing and shrinking, so fill it up. Alternately, you can substitute the pie weights with dried rice or beans. You can then save the rice or beans for future blind baking needs.
Do I Have to Prick the Crust with a Fork?
Yes! Pricking holes in the pie crust before baking allows the steam to escape. If you don’t, the pie crust will puff up and some parts of the crust will bake too quickly.
What Size Pie Plate Should I Use?
I recommend a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie pan for this pie.
How to Store Cherry Cream Pie
You can store the pie in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make sure to cover your pie plate tightly with plastic wrap or if you have a pie lid, even better.
Can I Freeze Cherry Cream Cheese Pie?
I haven’t tried freezing this cherry cream cheese pie, so can’t speak to how that would work.
Tips For The Best Homemade Cherry Cream Pie
It is important to use both butter and shortening in a pie crust. Quality butter gives a beautiful flavor while the shortening produces the flakey, tender, melt in your mouth crust. So don’t omit the butter and shortening! All-purpose flours are not created equal. For making pie crusts (or anytime you bake) I find that King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or the organic version of that flour yields the best tasting baked goods. Sometimes spending the few cents is worth the taste and the results! If you would like to add a twist to the cherry cream pie, you can melt 1 cup of white chocolate chips and spread it on the crust before adding the filling. Allow the white chocolate to set, then add the filling, followed by the cherries. For garnishing the pie, you can add an edible sugar rose to the center of the pie. Or simply top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Favorite Cherry Dessert Recipes:
Soft Cherry Bread with Cherry-Almond Glaze — An EASY quick bread recipe that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, Easter, or Mother’s Day! Because you can never have too much pink! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Glazed Cherry Bonbon Cookies — Soft, buttery cookies with the fun surprise of a cherry baked in!! The cherry juice glaze boosts the cherry flavor even more! Easy cookies that make everyone smile!!
Glazed Cherry Pie Bars — Just like your favorite cherry pie but way easier!! A no-roll crust with juicy cherries and topped with a sweet glaze! Perfect for parties, events, and holidays!!
Triple Chocolate Cherry Cake — Loaded with juicy cherries and topped with an easy homemade chocolate frosting. I used a few shortcuts in this recipe to save time, but this cake tastes completely homemade!
Chocolate Chip and Cherry Blondies — These cherry bars use my favorite blondie base and turn out perfectly every single time! These bars are seriously so good and are a reader favorite!
Mini Cherry Oreo Cheesecakes – EASY mini cheesecakes loaded with cherries and an Oreo cookie crust!! The hit of your Valentine’s Day party! Mini food is IRRESISTIBLE!!
