
Door County Sour Cherry Pie
This easy, Door Country sour cherry pie recipe features homemade cherry filling between flaky, vegan pie crusts. Make it from scratch with frozen cherries, or fresh ones. Either way, you’ll never use canned filling again.

Why you’ll love this cherry pie recipe
Cherry pie had never been my thing until we went to Door County for the weekend a few years and had some as dessert with our fish boil. It turns out, the majority of the cherries grown in Door County, Wisconsin – which is about an hour north of us – are Montmorency cherries, and that means they’re sour.
The combination of the tart cherry flavor combined with the sweetness of the sugar in the homemade filling makes for an amazing pie. Add some flaky vegan pie crust, and you have a perfect dairy free dessert.
More Wisconsin food favorites: brandy slush / how to cook beer brats / booyah / Wisconsin beer dip

Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Sour cherries – I used cherries from this orchard that I found in my grocer’s freezer section. If you can’t find Door County cherries near you, feel free to swap them out for another type of sour or tart cherries.
- Pie crust – You can use store bought crust – they’re usually dairy free, but definitely check the label before using them – or you can make your own vegan pie crust.
- Sugar – Don’t skip the sugar in this recipe. I know it can be tempting to reduce sugar, but it actually plays a key role in the way the cherries bake up and it balances the tartness of the sour cherries.

Melissa’s tips for recipe success:
- Let your pie rest! When you take it out of the oven, let the pie sit until it cools to room temperature on it’s own. Even if you like your pie warmed up, you want to be patient and let it set completely. This helps the natural pectin in the fruit set and keeps the pie from falling apart when you slice it.
- Serve it with ice cream. Just because you’re dairy free, don’t mean you can’t top your pie with ice cream. There are plenty of brands to try, but we love Breyer’s oat milk vanilla.

Frequently asked questions
More dairy free pie recipes: ice cream pie / mini pecan pies / Canadian meat pie / dairy free pumpkin pie
More summer recipes you’ll love: roasted potato salad / Instant pot baked beans / rose sangria / easy broccoli salad / sweet and spicy cucumber salad

Ingredients
- 2 pie crusts (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 egg (or vegan egg wash alternative)
- 5 – 6 cups frozen tart cherries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 almond extract
Instructions
- Prepare the crust. Preheat oven to 375˚F and prepare the pie crust according to package or recipe directions. See notes below.
- Make the filling. Combine the filling ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat over medium until a sauce begins to form. Continue cooking, stirring until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Assemble the pie. Roll out 1 of the pie crusts and line your pie plate. Add the filling, leaving out any excess liquid. There should be some sauce, but since the cherries may vary in water content, you might not want to use all the sauce.Top with second pie crust and piece to create a vent for steam, or slice the top crust using a pastry cutter and arrange in a lattice pattern on top of pie. Roll the crust edges together and crimp until sealed.
- Bake the pie. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with two tablespoons of water. Brush the top crust with the egg wash and bake the pie for 45 – 55 minutes. The pie should be bubbling and the crust will be golden brown when it's ready.
- Let the pie rest. Remove it from the oven and let it sit until it reaches room temperature. This step is important to achieving a pie that doesn't flop when you slice it. It gives the cornstarch and the pectin in the fruit time to set.
Notes
Combine 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt with 1 cup shortening (chilled and cut into pieces) in a food processor. Process until a crumb forms and then slowly pour in 1/4 – 1/2 cup of ice water until a dough forms. Divide the dough into two equal balls and flatten into discs. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Your calculations for nutritional content can’t possibly be accurate for one slice (1/8th or even 1/10th of the whole pie), can it?
Thanks for letting me know. It has been updated for you!