Maraschino Cherry Pie
Maraschino Cherry Pie is bursting with cherry flavor, made with a luxurious homemade cherry pie filling and a buttery graham cracker crust. This is one of my family’s favorite pie recipes and the perfect pie for summer BBQs, picnics, or any time. The sweet cherry cream pie is easy to make and fun to eat.
Looking for other no bake desserts? Try our Drunken Cherries made with white chocolate chips, vodka, and sanding sugar or this Pistachio Dessert made with cream cheese, pistachio pudding, and whipped cream.
I remember when I was a little girl my mom used to make me a Shirley Temple drink with a bright red maraschino cherry on top.
For a different kind of drink, this shamrock shake recipe is made with vanilla ice cream, maraschino cherries, and whipped cream. It would go great with this creamy pie.
This homemade no-bake pie is perfect to make for summer potlucks or cookouts. The best part is that you only need 3 ingredients for the crust and 5 for the filling.
This easy recipe is a breeze to make and to make it even easier you can use a store-bought graham cracker crust and only make the creamy filling.
This dessert is creamy, fluffy, delicious, filling with sweet cherry flavor and also juicy maraschino cherries! Also, the pie is made with mascarpone cheese, to give it the richest and creamiest texture!
For a more formal dessert, our Black Forest Cake is made fancy with layers of chocolate, and cherry liqueur, and topped with whipped cream and cherries.
Ingredients needed:
Here are the simple ingredients for this fluffy pie. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for more details on our recipe card.
Pie crust:
- Cookie crumbs: Graham cracker crumbs.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar.
- Butter: Unsalted butter, melted.
Filling ingredients:
- Cherry Jell-O
- Boiling Water
- Cool Whip
- Mascarpone
- Maraschino Cherries: Drained.
How to make maraschino cherry pie recipe?
- Make the crust: To begin, stir the crust ingredients together with a fork in a large bowl until crumbs are moist.
- Press: Next, press the mixture into a nine-inch pie plate using your hands or a measuring cup.
- Chill: Then, put it in the freezer for 20 minutes to chill.
- Cut the cherries: Meanwhile, remove nine cherries for the top before cutting the rest of the cherries in half.
- Mix: After, mix the Jell-O and water in a medium bowl and stir until dissolved. Keep stirring until it cools and starts to thicken.
- Beat: Immediately, beat the mascarpone with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add: Next, add the Cool Whip and whisk before whisking in the Jell-O and cherries.
- Fill: Last, spoon mixture in to fill the pie crust and place the filled pie shell in the fridge for several hours.
- Serve: Finally, top with whipped cream and cherries before serving.
Recipe variations:
- Cream: For less fat, use cream cheese or heavy cream instead of mascarpone.
- Meringue: Make a meringue using three eggs. Separate eggs and whip the egg whites with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Then add sugar while beating. Spread the meringue over the pie filling before chilling. Save the egg yolks for future use.
- Bake: Alternatively, use egg yolks mixed with red maraschino cherries, sugar, flour, and milk to make the filling. Top the filled pie shell with the meringue and bake pie at 400 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Juiced: Add a teaspoon of lemon juice for a tangy flavor.
- Nutty: You could also add a teaspoon of almond extract for a rich nutty flavor.
- Millionaire: Add coconut, pineapple, and pecans to make an easy Millionaire Pie recipe.
- Cake: Add vanilla cake mix and bake for a unique cherry cake.
How to serve:
This easy maraschino cherry pie is the perfect summer pie because it is light, cool, and delicious. Serve with whipped cream or try one of these serving suggestions:
- Drizzle chocolate syrup and some chocolate chips on top for chocolate lovers.
- Add a scoop of ice cream on top for a more decadent dessert.
- Toss some fresh cherries to the top for a different variation.
- Mix leftovers to this ambrosia recipe to give it a unique cherry pie filling taste.
- Serve an extra cup of maraschino cherries on the side for added flavor.
- You can also serve this as dessert next to these other maraschino cherries recipes like our savory Dr. Pepper pot roast.
Frequently asked questions
What is a maraschino cherry?
A maraschino cherry is a sweetened and preserved red cherry usually made with sweet cherries like the Ranier or Royal Ann cherry.
Then it is soaked in red food coloring, filled with sugar, and packed in a suspension liquid of red food coloring and sugar syrup. Some companies use sour cherries for a tangier flavor.
Are there pits in maraschino cherries?
No. The pits get removed before the dyeing process. When mass-producing these, a fruit pitting machine is typically used.
In a large company, they use a large pitter that can remove pits from over 100 cherries at a time while leaving the stalk intact and not damaging the fruit.
Why are some maraschino cherries black?
Some high-end cherry manufacturers prefer to leave their cherries natural instead of dying them, giving them a darker, almost black look.
Luxardo maraschino cherries are one of these companies. The Luxardo cherries are not dyed and have a deep red color that makes them look black.
How to store leftovers:
- Store: After the pie is chilled, it can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to a week.
- Freeze: To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. You can keep it in the freezer for up to four months.
- Defrost: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Serve chilled.
More no-bake desserts:
Cooking tips:
- You can also make the Jell-O in a pot on medium heat, stirring until dissolved. Continue to stir after removing it from the heat until you see the Jell-O thicken.
- Make sure you always have jars of maraschino cherries in your kitchen for cherry desserts by making your own and freezing them.
- Feel free to use any other kind of cherries you have on hand. Tart cherries would make this a sweet and sour treat.
- To save time, use a prepared graham cracker crust.
- Alternatively, this would also be great with a refrigerated pie crust.
Maraschino Cherry Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Filling:
- 3 oz package Cherry Jell-O
- 2/3 cup boiling water
- 8 oz Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese room temperature
- 12 oz Maraschino cherries drained
Instructions
Crust:
- Stir together all the crust ingredients until fully combined and press the mixture into a 9-inch pie dish or springform pan. Make sure to press and pat down the bottom and sides using your hands or a measuring cup.
- Chill for 30 minutes or put it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Filling:
- Reserve 9 cherries for the top and cut the rest in half.
- In a large bowl, mix Jell-O and boiling water until dissolved. Continue to stir until the mixture cools and begins to thicken.
- In a medium bowl beat mascarpone until creamy. Whisk in Cool Whip.
- After that whisk in the Jell-o mixture, and then add the sliced cherries.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared crust and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.
- When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and the reserved cherries.
Nutrition
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