Does cherry pie filling contain gluten?

Most canned cherry pie fillings use a starch to thicken it, such as cornstarch or tapioca, which are both gluten free. But commercial cherry pie filling typically contains corn syrup, red food color, and other ingredients you may not want to include in your pie. Better to use a homemade pie filling recipe!

Can you make cherry pie with frozen cherries?

Yes you can use frozen cherries to make pie filling, as long as they have the pits removed. Since the pie filling is cooked on the stove top, they can be added to the recipe in their frozen state. The cooking time will have to be adjusted, and the color may not be as bright red as with fresh cherries, but should still taste the same. We love to eat cherry pie with our Thanksgiving dinner, so using frozen cherries in a fruit pie is the best way to go during the cold months of the year.

Is it better to use flour or cornstarch in pie filling?

We tested 3 ingredients that are commonly used to thicken fruit pie filling, and you can read about the results here: How to Thicken Pie Filling (using gluten free ingredients) . Spoilers, cornstarch was our favorite :)

What is a gluten free replacement for cornstarch in pie filling?

Cornstarch is gluten free, but if you are allergic to corn or just need to replace it with something else, tapioca starch can also be used.

How do you keep fruit pies from being runny?

The best thing to do after you have baked your fruit pie is to let it cool completely before slicing it. Hot fruit pie filling is almost always runny when it comes out of the oven. If you like to eat a warm slice of cherry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top, you will have better results by heating up the cooled down slices of pie in the oven or microwave before serving. The filling will be set and ready to eat by then.

Why does my gluten free pie crust fall apart?

There are several reasons why gluten free pie crusts fall apart. First, you have to let gluten free dough rest for a period of time before rolling out the pie and baking it. Gluten free flour takes longer to absorb liquids in the recipe, and if not given the time they need the finished product will be too dry and fall apart. Second, make sure you include binding ingredients like xanthan gum and egg. This will help to replace part of the job that gluten does in pie crust - hold ingredients together. And lastly, make sure you let the pie cool completely before cutting into it. Gluten free starches in the crust and the filling are brittle when hot, and need time to solidify and set. If you do these 3 things, and follow great recipes (like the ones on this website) your pie crusts should not fall apart.

Best Gluten Free Cherry Pie Recipe (Naturally Sweet)

Ingredients

Scale

5 cups sweet cherries, pitted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup apple or cherry juice concentrate (frozen type)
4 tablespoons cornstarch
Gluten free pie crust dough, enough for a double crust
2-3 tablespoons melted butter or cream, for brushing the crust
Coarse sugar (optional) to sprinkle on top

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Instructions

Add cherries, lemon juice, and juice concentrate to a pan on the stove. Heat on medium-low heat.
Sprinkle cornstarch over the cherry mixture to avoid clumping. This is easily done using a sieve.
Cook and stir until the filling begins to thicken. Stir constantly as it cooks so it won’t burn. It will congeal suddenly so it must be watched closely. If the filling becomes too thick, add a spoonful of water and stir vigorously over low heat until the filling becomes smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Roll out the pie dough following the recipe instructions and put in the pie pan as desired.
Top the bottom crust with the cooled cherry filling. Chill as you prepare the top crust. Keeping pie dough as cold as possible will give the best results, especially for gluten free pies.
Add the crust to the top of the pie as desired.
Chill pie again while you preheat the oven to 350℉.
Bake at 350℉ for 50 minutes. About 10 minutes near the end of cooking time, brush with melted butter or cream. This will help the gluten-free pie crust to brown better. An egg wash is also a good option. Sprinkle with coarse sugar (optional).

Notes

Please note, the nutrition information is only for the cherry pie filling.

Fresh cherries can be used, but frozen cherries are perfectly fine too.

The coarse sugar sprinkled on top is totally optional, but since gluten free crust does not always brown evenly, it helps to give a better color to the finished pie

Author: beneficialbento
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Category: dessert
Method: bake
Diet: Gluten Free

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 138
Sugar: 25.1 g
Sodium: 7.1 mg
Fat: 0.3 g
Carbohydrates: 34.4 g
Fiber: 2.6 g
Protein: 1.4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg