This vegan cherry pie is juicy, easy to make and perfect all year round. It can be festive or summery, bringing pure joy to anyone that’s lucky enough to bite into its buttery golden crust.
Why Make This
- It’s super special & festive
- Approved by several non-vegans
- Way easier than it looks
- Minimal ingredients
- Based on frozen cherries, it means you can make it all year round
- Enriched with zesty lemon for an extra flavour kick
- Includes a secret trick for that golden pie crust
- The perfect feel-good dessert when served with vanilla ice cream
The Ingredients
Below are all the lovely ingredients you will need to make this vegan cherry pie.
A Few Notes on the Ingredients
- Cherries: I used frozen cherries, they are the most affordable and easily accessible.
- Flour: Use plain flour (sometimes called all-purpose flour) for best results.
- Vegan butter: Use your favourite brand – I recommend vegan butter from a tub rather than sticks because the a softer butter makes it easier to work with the dough. If you’re based in the UK, my go-to brand is Vitalite.
- Cornflour (or cornstarch) will act as a binding ingredient.
Step-by-step Photos
Below is a handy visual overview of this recipe. This is meant to give you a clear idea of how each step should look like.
Remember that you can find the exact measurements and full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- For the dough, add all your dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Then add butter and use a fork to mix the butter in with the flour until you reach a breadcrumb-like structure (see photo 1).
- Slowly mix in the water (do not overmix).
- Knead for about 20 to 30 seconds until smooth, then bring it together into a rough ball.
- Split the ball into two equal parts. Shape it into two discs, cover with cling film, and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare your filling.
- After 30 minutes, remove one half of your dough from the fridge. Roll it out and place it into a greased pie pan. Use your fingers to gently press it against the sides. Use a fork to make several holes in the bottom of your filling to prevent it from bubbling up. If any extra dough remains around the edges (see photo 6), no need to remove it yet.
- Cover the bottom of your pie with a layer of baking paper. Fill the tin with baking beans (see the F.A.Q. section below for alternatives). Bake at 180°C/356°F for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and use a sharp knife to trim the edges.
- Carefully pour in your cherry filling.
- Use a flat spatula to even out the filling.
- Create a lattice - full tutorial here.
- Use a rolling pin or fingers to cut away any extra dough. Brush with plant milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 180°C/356°F for 30-35 minutes.
Expert Tips
1. Make It Cold
You will need cold butter and ice cold water to make the pie crust. These two elements a very important element.
If your butter or water aren't cold, your crust will not be flaky. Warm or lukewarm water will melt the butter, which might make the pie soggy.
To make ice cold water, simply pour cold water into a cup, then add several ice cubes and let stand for about a minute.
2. Runny or Set Filling?
There are two ways you can make this vegan cherry pie filling. Which one you choose is totally up to you.
Option 1 – A Runny Filling. Simply combine all the pie ingredients and set aside.
Option 2 – A Set Filling. Combine all the pie ingredients (as above), then bring to a light simmer, and remove from heat
3. Get That Golden Crust
Want to know the secret behind the golden pie crust?
Before your final bake, brush the pie lattice with plant milk (such as almond and soy). Then carefully sprinkle caster sugar over the pie lattice. Make sure it’s spread evenly and covers all parts of your pie.
F.A.Q.
Simply substitute for dry rice, lentils, peas or other dried pulses.
Yes, absolutely. If you want a flaky and crunchy pie crust, pre-baking is a must.
Wondering why? The cherry pie filling is very wet, which would make your pie soggy had you not pre-baked it. Pre-baking the pie before adding your filling will also prevent it from staying raw because of the wet filling .
It is an extra step, but it’s so important to ensure a crisp and flaky crust.
I will admit I haven’t made this particular pie gluten-free yet. However, it shouldn't be too difficult.
The only ingredient that contains gluten in the entire pie is the plain flour.
All you need to do is substitute plain flour for gluten-free plain flour. As mentioned previously, I haven't tested this myself yet so the results might not be optimal. I'll make sure to update this recipe as soon as I've tested out the gluten-free version.
If you’re looking for tips on gluten-free baking, I recommend my friend Katarina’s blog The Loopy Whisk.
I used dark sweet cherries to make this recipe. For best results, I would recommend using a sweet variety of cherries instead of going for something more sour.
And don't worry if the only available variety of cherries is sour. You can definitely still make this recipe. Simply add approx. ¼ cup of sugar (or more/less to taste) to your filling mix.
First, wait for it to cool down completely. Then place it in an airtight container and simply store in the fridge.
It will keep well for roughly 4 to 5 days.
Yes, definitely! Store it in an airtight container for up to a month.
If you’ve enjoyed my vegan cherry pie recipe, you might be looking for more vegan desserts. Some of my favourite similar recipes are:
And that just about wraps it up! Happy baking and don’t forget to leave a comment below and follow my journey on Instagram and Pinterest where I share daily photography tips & vegan tricks. Your comments and support are really appreciated!
🍴Recipe
Vegan Cherry Pie
Equipment
- Round 9-inch pie pan (equals 23cm)
- Baking paper
- Measuring scales/cups
- Rolling Pin
- Baking beans (or dry lentils, rice, etc)
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST
- 350 g flour
- 200 g vegan butter
- 3 tablespoon ice cold water
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
FOR THE FILLING
- 1,5 tablespoon lemon juice
- a pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 600 g frozen cherries
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch also called cornflour
- 75 g caster sugar
EXTRA
- plant milk to brush over the top of your pie
- caster sugar to sprinkle on the top of your pie
Instructions
FOR THE PIE CRUST
- Add all your dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
- Then add butter and use a fork to mix the butter in with the flour until you reach a breadcrumb-like structure.
- Slowly mix in the water.
- Knead for about 20 to 30 seconds until smooth. To check it’s done, pick up a piece of dough and press it down between your fingers. It should stick together but not feel sticky on your fingers.
- Bring together into a rough ball.
- Split the ball into two equal parts. Shape it into a disc, cover discs with cling film and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare your filling.
- After 30 minutes, remove one half of your dough from the fridge. Use a rolling pin to roll it out on a flat surface and place it carefully into a greased pie pan. Use your fingers to gently press it against the sides.
- If there is any extra dough remaining around the edges, no need to remove it yet.
- Use a fork to make several holes in the bottom of your filling to prevent it from bubbling up.
- Cover with a layer of baking paper and fill the tin with baking beans. Bake at 180°C/356°F for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and use a sharp knife to trim the edges. Use a flat spatula to even out the filling.
- Carefully pour in your cherry filling.
- Create a lattice - full tutorial here.
- Use a rolling pin or fingers to cut away any extra dough.
- Brush the pie lattice with plant milk (such as almond and soy). Then carefully sprinkle caster sugar over the pie lattice. Make sure it’s spread evenly and covers all parts of your pie.
- Bake at 180°C/356°F for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
FOR THE FILLING
- To make your filling, add cherries, lemon zest, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla to a bowl.
- Option A: Mix and set aside. This will give you a runny filling.
- Option B: Mix, bring to a light simmer and then turn off heat. Set aside for later. This will give you a more set filling.
Notes
- I used this non-vegan cherry pie recipe as an inspiration for my dish.
- Important: Whilst I do provide cups measurements above, I do recommend using weights measurements.
- This recipe has been tested using weights measurements and due to the fact that cups are considerably less accurate and can vary in size, I cannot guarantee the recipe will turn out as intended if using cups measurements.
- Use the step-by-step photos above as your visual guide.
- You will need cold butter and ice cold water to make the pie crust. Warm or lukewarm water will melt the butter, which might make the pie soggy.
- If you don't have baking beans, simply substitute for dry rice, lentils, peas or other pulses.
- Substitute plain flour for gluten-free plain flour if making a gluten-free variation.
- If using sour cherries, make sure to add extra sugar to your filling.
- Storing the pie: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Serve with ice cream for ultimate feel-good experience!
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The nutritional information above is calculated automatically. The author of this post cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of this data.
Yolande Murphy
One of the best desserts Ever and this recipe is simply flawless! I can highly recommend this deliciousness!
Tajda Ferko
Thank you so much for the amazing review Yolande!! That means a lot! This is definitely my go-to pie. Have a fab evening x
Anenid
Very nice pie, tried the recipe with fresh cherries and it worked out perfectly. Thank you for the plant-based deliciousness!
Tajda Ferko
Thank you so much for the wonderful review Annenid, that's so wonderful to hear! x
Susie Clare
If using frozen cherries should I thaw them first before simmering?
Tajda Ferko
Hi lovely, I don't usually thaw them, I just throw them straight into the pan and simmer them 🙂