Love is sweet, and so are these pies!
Published: January 30, 2025
By: Julianna Steen
Whip up romance one slice at a time this Valentine’s Day.
There’s something about Valentine’s Day that conjures up the smell of sugary sweet confections baking in the oven. In honor of the ruffled pie dish we’ve chosen as one of our February “Things We Love,” here are 3 hand-selected pie recipes. From family recipes to our favorite go-to chefs, these are a few of our favorites! Whether you’re a chocolate lover or a fruit fan, you’ll be delighted with these simple but delicious pastry suggestions.
Cherry Pie
Recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction
Ingredients:
- Homemade Pie Crust or All Butter Pie Crust (can buy or find her crust recipes on her website)
- 4 and 1/2 cups halved & quartered pitted fresh cherries (see note)
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (28g) cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on crust
Step 1:
The crust: Prepare either pie crust recipe through step 5.
Step 2:
Make the filling: In a large bowl, stir the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and almond extract together until thoroughly combined. Cover filling and place in the refrigerator as you roll out the pie dough or for up to 24 hours.
Step 3:
Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter.
Step 4:
Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Use a slotted spoon to spoon and spread the cherries into the crust. Reserve the juice for the next step. Refrigerate pie, uncovered, as you reduce the juices in the next step.
Step 5:
Pour the few Tablespoons of leftover juice into a small saucepan over low heat. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until juice has slightly reduced and thickened. Cool for 5 minutes, then pour over cherries in filling. Do your best to gently toss together—doesn’t have to be perfect. The reduction will harden and thicken as a result of mixing with the cold cherries. This is normal and it will melt again in the oven. Dot the pieces of butter on top of the filling.
Step 6:
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
Step 7:
Arrange the lattice: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips of dough—I cut four strips 2 inches wide and two strips 1 inch wide. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use a small paring knife to trim off excess dough. Flute or crimp the pie crust edges with a fork.
Step 8:
Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, if using.
Step 9:
Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes or until the top crust is golden brown and the filling juices have been bubbling up around the edges or through the lattice/vents for at least 5 minutes. **After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I recommend placing a pie crust shield on the crust’s edges to prevent it from over-browning too quickly.**
Step 10:
Remove pie from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for at least 3–4 hours before slicing and serving. Filling will be too juicy if the pie is warm when you slice it.
Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Note on Cherries: You need about 1.5 lbs of cherries for this recipe. Cut half of the cherries into halves and the remaining half of cherries into quarters. Using a mix of halved and quartered cherries helps keep the baked filling in tact. You can use any variety of cherries. I use all dark sweet cherries in the pictured pie, but also enjoy using a 50/50 combination of dark sweet and Rainier cherries. Feel free to use all Rainier cherries if desired. If using sour cherries, increase sugar to 3/4 or 1 cup depending how sweet you like your pie. You can also use frozen cherries. Halve/quarter them while they’re frozen, then toss with other filling ingredients as instructed. Reduce the juices as instructed as well. Bake time may be a few minutes longer.
For more recipes by Sally’s Baking Addiction, visit her website.
Hugs & Kisses Cheesecake Pie
Recipe by Jennifer Steen
Ingredients:
- 1 8-oz. package of cream cheese, softened
- 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. Flour
- 1 6-oz. ready-made pie crust
- Chocolate Glaze
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350º. With mixer, beat cheese until fluffy; gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add egg and vanilla; mix well.
Step 2:
Toss chips with flour; stir into cheese mixture. Pour into crust.
Step 3:
Bake 35 min. or until center springs back when lightly pressed. Cool & top with Glaze. Serve chilled. Refrigerate leftovers. Can also freeze.
Chocolate Glaze:
Melt ½ cup chocolate chips with ¼ cup milk; cook and stir until thickened & smooth. Immediately spread over pie.
Strawberry Pie
Recipe by Allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
- 1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled
- 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Step 1:
Gather all ingredients.
Step 2:
Arrange 1/2 of strawberries in baked pastry shell. Place remaining strawberries in a medium saucepan.
Step 3:
Add sugar to the strawberries in the saucepan; place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Step 4:
Whisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into boiling strawberry mixture. Reduce heat and simmer mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 5:
Pour cooked strawberry mixture over berries in pastry shell. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 3 hours.
Step 6:
Before serving, whip cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
Step 7:
Serve each slice of pie with a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!
For more recipes by AllRecipes.com, visit their website.
Looking for More?
If you’re more in the mood for a savory pie for dinner, check out Chicken Pot Pie Recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction. Looking for a breakfast pie? Check out Easy Quiche Recipe by Ashley from Spend with Pennies. If you’re looking for a super easy pie recipe that includes Valentine’s Day-colored M&Ms, consider Betty Crocker’s Peanut Butter M&M’s™ Cookie Pie Recipe.