Name: Cherry Pie Filling
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 servings
Ingredients: 2/3 cup sugar; 1/4 cup cornstarch; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 4 cups fresh tart cherries, pitted; 1-1/2 cups water; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 6 drops red food coloring, optional

Homemade cherry pie filling will make your finished dessert burst with flavor, whether you use from-scratch or store-bought pie dough.

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups fresh tart cherries, pitted

1-1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 drops red food coloring, optional

Instructions

1 Combine the ingredients

2 In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add the cherries, water and lemon juice. Stir to evenly mix.

3 Cook to thicken

4 Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about two minutes, until the filling has thickened.

5 Color as needed

6 Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the food coloring if you'd like a brighter filling. Editor's Tip: A 21-ounce can of commercial pie filling is equal to 2 cups, a helpful conversion if you want to use this fresh cherry pie filling in recipes.