How to Use Canned Tart Cherries

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: February 11, 2020 References Tested

Enjoy the bounty of tart summer cherries all year long! Buy a few cans of cherries packed in water or light syrup and throw together an easy cherry pie with a flaky double crust. For an even simpler dessert, cover cherries with a buttery topping that crisps up as it bakes. Try using tart cherries in other baked goods, blended into a sauce, or as toppings for your favorite desserts.

Ingredients

Simple Cherry Pie

A double pie crust, storebought or homemade
3 14.5-ounce (411 g) cans of tart cherries, drained
1 1/2 cups (300 g) of granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (28 g) of tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
1 tablespoon (14 g) of butter

Makes 8 servings

Quick Cherry Crisp

2 14.5-ounce (411 g) cans of tart cherries, drained
2 tablespoons (25 g) of sugar
1/2 cup (60 g) of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 g) of packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of salt
1/4 cup (56 g) of cold butter, cubed

Makes 6 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Simple Cherry Pie

1
Preheat the oven to 400 °F (204 °C) and lay pie crust in the bottom of a pie plate. Make enough pastry for a double pie crust or buy pre-rolled pie crusts. Lay 1 piece of pastry into a 9 in (23 cm) pie plate.^{[1]
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- To save even more time, you can purchase frozen pie shells that are already rolled out and in a pan.
2
Mix the cherries, sugar, and tapioca in a mixing bowl. Open 3 14.5-ounce (411 g) cans of tart cherries and drain them. Put the cherries in a large bowl and stir in 1 1/2 cups (300 g) of granulated sugar along with 3 tablespoons (44.4 ml) (28 g) of tapioca starch.^{[2]
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- The tapioca starch absorbs liquid from the filling and helps it firm up.
Tip: If you'd like to give your cherry pie a deeper flavor, add ¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 ml) of almond extract. Stir until it's combined with the cherries, sugar, and tapioca.

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3
Put the cherry mixture into the pie shell and put the butter on top. Spoon all of the sweetened cherry filling into the pie shell. Spread the filling so it's even in the pastry. Then, cut 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) (14 g) of butter into 3 pieces and place them on the filling.^{[3]
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- The butter adds a little richness to the filling as it melts.
4
Place the top layer of pie crust over the cherries and pinch the edges to seal them. Roll out the remaining pastry and lay it over the cherry filling. Trim the excess pastry from around the edges. Then, pinch the top and bottom layers of pastry together along the edges.^{[4]
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- To help steam escape as the filling cooks, cut a few 1 inch (2.5 cm) slits on the top of the pie.
5
Bake the tart cherry pie for 40 to 50 minutes. Put the pie into the preheated oven and bake it until the crust becomes golden brown. If the edges are browning too quickly, cover the pie with a piece of aluminum foil so the pie can finish baking.^{[5]
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6
Remove the pie and cool it at room temperature for 1 hour. Wear oven mitts to take the cherry pie out of the oven and set it on a rack. Leave the pie for 1 hour so the filling sets up before you slice it.^{[6]
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- Store leftover cherry pie in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Baking a Quick Cherry Crisp

1
Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C) and drain 2 cans of cherries. Turn on the oven to heat while you prepare the crisp. Open 2 14.5-ounce (411 g) cans of tart cherries and drain the liquid from them.^{[7]
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- Discard the liquid or use it in another recipe.
2
Put the tart cherries into a pie plate and sprinkle them with sugar. Spoon the cherries into an ungreased 9 in (23 cm) pie plate and scatter 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) (25 g) of sugar over them. If you don't have a pie plate, use a 9 in (23 cm) cake pan.^{[8]
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- The cherries will also be sweetened by the crisp topping, which is why there isn't much sugar in the filling.
3
Whisk the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Put 1/2 cup (60 g) of all-purpose flour into a mixing bowl along with 1/2 cup (100 g) of packed brown sugar. Add 1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of salt. Then, whisk or stir the mixture until they're combined.^{[9]
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- To change the flavor of your crisp, try swapping nutmeg or ground ginger for the cinnamon.
Variation: To make a crumble topping, roughly chop 1/4 cup (35 g) of almonds. Add them to the dry ingredients along with 1 cup (90 g) of old-fashioned oats.
4
Mix butter into dry ingredients in the bowl. Add 1/4 cup (56 g) of cubed cold butter to the sweetened flour mixture. Then, use a pastry cutter or your fingers to rub the butter into the dry mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs.^{[10]
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- You can use salted or unsalted butter. Keep in mind that if you use salted butter, you might not need as much salt.
5
Sprinkle the topping over the cherries in the pie plate. Scatter the buttery topping evenly over the cherries. Some of the topping will fall down in between the cherries. Continue to add the topping until most of the cherries are covered.
- Avoid stirring the topping with the cherries or the topping won't become crisp as it bakes.
6
Bake the tart cherry crisp for 30 to 40 minutes. Put the pie plate in the preheated oven and bake the cherry crisp until the cherries begin to bubble. The top should become golden brown once the crisp has finished baking.^{[11]
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- Serve the tart cherry crisp while it's warm. You could spoon ice cream or whipped cream on top for an extra special treat!

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Cherries in Other Dishes

1
Bake a tart cherry cake. Make the batter for your favorite white cake or buy a cake mix and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Grease a 9 in × 13 in (23 cm × 33 cm) cake pan and spread the batter in it. Then, whisk 1 cup (200 g) of sugar with 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) (28 g) of melted butter, ³⁄₄ teaspoon (3.7 ml) of almond extract, and 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) (16 g) of cornstarch. Stir in 2 drained 14.5-ounce (411 g) cans of tart cherries and spoon the mixture over the batter. Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes at 350 °F (177 °C).^{[12]
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- You can also add tart cherries to muffin or cupcake batter. Try sprinkling a little extra sugar on top to offset some of the extra tart flavor.
2
Spoon tart cherries over oatmeal, pancakes, or waffles. Breakfast foods can be a little boring, especially with the same toppings. Switch things up by spooning tart cherries from the can over your cereal or oatmeal. The cherries can also cut some of the sweetness.^{[13]
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Tip: Drain the light syrup from the can of cherries and heat in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in as much sugar as you like and cook the liquid until it's thick and syrupy. Then, drizzle it over your pancakes or waffles.
3
Blend tart cherries with yogurt to make a healthy smoothie. Tart cherries work well with almost any fruit, so add them to the next smoothie you make. Blend 1/2 cup (115 g) of drained tart cherries with ¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of milk, 1/4 cup (61 g) of yogurt, 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) (15 g) of blueberries, 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) (21 g) of honey until it's smooth.^{[14]
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- For a creamy dessert, blend tart cherries with vanilla or cherry ice cream. Then, enjoy a custom tart cherry milkshake.
4
Garnish desserts with tart canned cherries. If you're serving a very sweet or decadent dessert, place a few cherries on top to offset the richness. For example, add a few tart cherries to:^{[15]
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- Ice cream
- Chocolate mousse
- Cheesecake
- Chocolate tart
5
Create a cherry sauce to serve with cooked meats. Heat 1 can of drained tart cherries with ¹⁄₈ cup (30 ml) of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) (25 g) of brown sugar over medium heat. Cook the sauce for about 3 minutes so the sugar dissolves. Then, dissolve 2 teaspoons (4 g) of cornstarch in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of cold water and whisk it into the sauce so the cherry sauce thickens.^{[16]
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- Spoon the warm sauce over roasts, grilled meats, or seafood.