I love making pies but don't often do so during the summer because cranking up my oven in this heat is not exactly at the top of my list of fun things to do. Baking up this lemon ginger cherry pie was a must-do, though. Awhile ago, I was inspired by one of JoJo Romancer's Instagram posts and, when I recently received a generous shipment of fresh cherries from Northwest Cherry Growers, knew just what I wanted to make with them. This pie is the first of many cherry recipes you'll see on the blog this summer. Stay tuned for cherry desserts, cocktails, appetizers, and more! All of last year's yummy cherry recipes are down at the bottom of the post, by the way.
Lemon and ginger is a great combination (see this lemon and ginger cocktail for an example) that pairs nicely with the sweetness of cherries. Lemon juice is typically used in cherry pie filling but I added a bit more than usual with this recipe along with some lemon zest. The ginger is an unexpected but delicious addition that I love. This smoothie with cherries and ginger is a healthier way to get some of the same flavors in, if you're into that kind of thing. I halved the cherries for this filling but it's not a necessary step. My cherry pitter has failed me a couple of times (Anybody else have horror stories?) so I'm a little paranoid about making sure every pit is out and this helps.
I taste-tested the filling before adding it to the pie crust and fell in love right then and there but knew the flavor would deepen while baking so waited for the finished product before getting too geeked. Flaky buttery crust is always a good thing so I didn't see the harm in reserving judgement for the total package. 🙂 Speaking of crust, I've been working on my crust game, y'all. While the crimped crust on this lemon ginger cherry pie is simple, it's so beautiful and baked up quite nicely.
I almost always opt for a simple egg wash on pie crust--mostly because I don't often have cream on hand and egg alone turns out fine, in my opinion. In the fall, I love a good streusel topping like the one on the this incredible autumn apple & pear pie. Now, what was I saying? Oh, yes--this lemon ginger cherry pie. You must try it out! It's a for sure winner.
I mean, just look at that flaky, golden, goodness. Let me know if you try your hand at this or any of my cherry recipes. I'd love to hear how they turn out for you. Thanks for reading!
The fruits of last summer's cherry bounty:
- Black Sesame & Cherry Ice Cream
- Cherry Apple Crisp (Slow Cooker Recipe)
- Cherry Elderflower Cocktail
- Cherry Pineapple Margs
- Cherry Rosé Sangria
- Sweet Cherry Jam
📖 Recipe
Lemon Ginger Cherry Pie
Ingredients
Lemon Ginger Cherry Filling
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cherries pitted and halved
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- juice and zest of one lemon
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon butter cut into small pieces
Pie Crust
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ½ cup cold butter cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 egg beaten
- sugar
Instructions
- To make crust, add flour and butter to a food processor and pulse until a coarse meal forms. Add cold water and pulse until dough forms.
- Remove dough, divide in half, and roll into two balls. Wrap them in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- While crust chills, make filling. In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients and stir until combined. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Divide crust into two equal pieces and roll out to about ¼ inch thickness. Place one crust in pan and lightly press into bottom and sides of pan.
- Pour filling into bottom crust then place small pieces of butter on top. Lay other other crust over top of filling. Wet edges of both crusts and press together to seal. Crimp the edges with your fingers or press them out with a fork.
- Brush top and edges of pie crust with egg wash then sprinkle sugar over top.
- Bake for about 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly and thickened. Allow pie to fully cool before cutting and serving.
Notes
- You can use a store-bought crust in this recipe as well. Pie crust instructions can also be found here.
- If the pie crust is browning too quickly (burning) in the oven, place a foil tent over top and continue baking.
- I recommend placing the pie pan on a foil-lined baking sheet in case any of the filling bubbles over and drips. This makes for easy cleanup!
Lisa says
question: tart or sweet cherries; or does it matter?
Jazzmine Woodard says
Hi, Lisa! I recommend sweet cherries. You can certainly use tart cherries, but would need to increase the sugar to suit your taste if you want the pie to be as sweet.
Barbara says
Thank you so much for this recipes! I made this today for Pi day (3/14). It is hands down the best chryy pie I've ever had. I got lots of compliments saying the same thing.
I cut the sugar down to about 2 tablespoons, but followed the directions otherwise. Good stuff!
Miranda says
What’s the over temp??
Jazz says
Hi, Miranda! Oven temp is 350 degrees. Apologies for the omission.
Sharon says
There really is nothing like the smell a pie baking! Love the filling int this with the ginger, looks amazing.
Jazz says
Thanks, Sharon!
Cristina - Memories of the Pacific says
I love cherry pie but for me the worst part is getting the pits out of the cherries, it's a nightmare for me!
Jazz says
The cherry pitter I linked is the one I use. It's not 100% accurate but very helpful!
Kim says
That looks delicious! Cherry pie is such a tasty treat.
Jersey Girl Cooks says
I love cherries! I want to make this pie as soon as possible!
Tabitha Blue says
What a delicious recipe. I haven't made a pie in so long and it just screams "home" to me. Love it and can't wait to try it!
Jazz says
I hope you love it!