Cheaters Cherry Pie (Two Ingredient Pie)

This cherry pie is beautiful and easy to make! There are great baking “cheats” in this recipe so that you can focus more on presentation instead of making all the components from scratch!

“As easy as pie” is a popular term that describes a task or job that is simple. I thought that I would take that term and run with it. This “cheaters” cherry pie is created from premade ingredients because I really wanted to focus on the design and aesthetic aspect for the pie. It takes a lot of work to made food look attractive!

Personally, I would like food to look good and taste good. There have been many times where I have tried foods that picture beautifully and are covered in decorations, but the decorations taste awful. For my first venture into food art I thought I would start with something simple, like pie. I became interested in making decorative pies after seeing beautiful pie art on social media. I became inspired after I saw gorgeous pies in books like Pieometry by Lauren Ko and Momofuku Milk Bar by Christina Tosi and David Chang.

I wanted to make sure that my dessert would still taste like pie and not just a bunch of decorations full of sugar and filler. Then it came to me, I would use cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of the pie crust. That way the pie would be pretty, but would still taste like the way pie is supposed to taste. I figured that it would be easily achievable for most people at home, because many have cookie cutters laying around. If not, cookie cutters can be very inexpensive. I found a shape I thought would be pleasing, cut out the dough, and gently placed the pie dough over the pie filling. When it was all baked, it looked amazing. Hopefully, this recipe will inspire you to create pretty pies for yourself. Please enjoy!

Cheaters Cherry Pie Recipe

Yields 8 servings

Specialty Tools: 9 inch pie plate, pie weights, rolling pin, and cookie cutters.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Bake Time: 40 to 52 minutes

Inactive Time: 1 hour and 20 min

Drink Pairing Suggestion: Milk

Ingredients

Two premade pie crusts (15 ounces)

21 ounces canned cherry pie filling

Directions

Bring pie crusts to room temperature. Leave them on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 F

Line a 9 inch pie plate (glass preferred) with one room temperature pie crust. Crimp edges with a fork, or fold and twist the edge to look pretty.

Place parchment paper over the first crust. Pour pie weights inside.* Make sure that they are evenly layered so the pie crust does not puff up at the bottom.

Bake first crust in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes. This blind baking method will ensure that the bottom crust does not get too soggy or is undercooked.

Remove from oven. Take out the pie weights and parchment paper.

Pour cherry pie filling into partially baked bottom crust.

Using the cookie cutters, cut the second pie crust into fun shapes. Lay the shaped tiny crusts on top of the filling. Make sure to leave room between the tiny crusts so that steam can be released.

Place strips of foil on the edges of the crust to prevent overbrowning.

Bake pie in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes until crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Place on a cooling rack and cool for an hour before serving.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tastes great with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

*If you have no pie weights substitute with uncooked dried beans. Then throw beans away after using.

This recipe works well with most fruit fillings. Feel free to use apple or blueberry pie filling!

Want more dessert recipes? Try my recipes for Key Lime Pie or Apple Turnovers!

DID YOU MAKE THIS DISH?

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