Maraschino Cherry Pie [Video]

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?

1. Make the crust: To begin, stir the crust ingredients together with a fork in a large bowl until crumbs are moist. 
2. Press: Next, press the mixture into a nine-inch pie plate using your hands or a measuring cup. 
3. Chill: Then, put it in the freezer for 20 minutes to chill.
4. Cut the cherries: Meanwhile, remove nine cherries for the top before cutting the rest of the cherries in half. 
5. 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.
6. Beat: Immediately, beat the mascarpone with an electric mixer until creamy.
7. Add: Next, add the Cool Whip and whisk before whisking in the Jell-O and cherries. 
8. Fill: Last, spoon mixture in to fill the pie crust and place the filled pie shell in the fridge for several hours. 
9. Serve: Finally, top with whipped cream and cherries before serving. 

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: