Door County Sour Cherry Pie

This recipe is: dairy freeegg freenut freevegan

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.

5 from 1 vote
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overhead image of a cherry pie with lattice crust

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

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Ideas

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.
cherry pie in a pie plate sliced with some slices plated on the side

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.
a slice of pie topped with a scoop of vegan ice cream

Frequently asked questions

  • How do you keep a cherry pie crust from getting soggy? You can keep a crust from getting soggy by doing a few things. First, make sure you’re not rolling it to thick or too thin. Second, switch to a metal pie plate to get a better cook. Third, you can bake your pie on a lower rack to get the bottom crust crisper. Lastly, make sure you’re properly venting your top crust to allow steam to escape.
  • Does cherry pie need to be refrigerated? No. Cherry pie doesn’t need to be refrigerated, but it will only last about 2 days at room temperature (properly covered). To extend the life of the pie, place it in the fridge for 3 – 5 days.
  • How long can you keep a pie in the fridge? A properly stored, baked cherry pie should last in the fridge for about 5 days. Always use your best judgment before consuming anything.

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

Door County Cherry Pie

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings
This easy, Door County 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.

Ingredients

For the pie:
  • 2 pie crusts (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1 egg (or vegan egg wash alternative)
For the filling:
  • 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

To make homemade pie crust:
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.

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcal Carbohydrates: 58g Protein: 4g Fat: 12g Trans Fat: 0.003g Cholesterol: 20mg Sodium: 182mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 30g Vitamin C: 7mg

Did you make this recipe?

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Melissa Belanger is the founder and food-obsessed visionary behind Simply Whisked, where she creates dairy free recipes with simple ingredients. She lives in Wisconsin with her milk-allergic husband and two kids. Melissa's experience in developing dairy free recipes is unparalleled and she strives to make dairy-free living accessible and enjoyable. In addition to running Simply Whisked, Melissa also manages two other publications: Another Cocktail Blog, a cocktail recipe website, and The Pasta Twins, a joint venture with her twin sister.

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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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?

    Reply

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