My husband's love for cherries runs deep and when summer hits his excitement for this fresh juicy fruit knows no limits. Sometimes he goes a little overboard and buys $13 worth of cherries forgetting he is just one man.. and that's a lot of cherries.
Lucky for him, I love creating recipes to avoid food waste. And pie.. I really love pie. While the smell of caramelized fruit in a buttery, flaky pie crust brings me great joy, baking in the middle of a heat wave does not.
This no-bake cherry pie is the perfect solution. Made with just a handful of wholesome ingredients, simply mix, press and chill and you’ve got a deliciously sweet dessert. Super simple, fun to share, and a great way to enjoy those plump, juicy summer cherries.
Ingredients
Check your pantry because you probably have everything you need to make this 4-ingredient crust and raw cherry filling!
Pie Crust
- Almonds
- Medjool dates
- Salt
- Vanilla almond butter
Raw Cherry Filling
- Sweet cherries
- Honey
- Lemon juice
How to make no-bake pie
To make these easy mini cherry pies, you'll need a food processor and muffin tin.
Pulse almonds, dates, and salt in a food processor until crumbly. Add almond butter and process until mixture starts to stick.
Press your pie crust into the bottom and up the sides of a muffin tin.
Mix together cherries, honey, and lemon juice to make your filling.
Pour cherry filling on top of the pie crust. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Pro tip: If your pie crust isn’t quite holding together, add a little more dates or nut butter to help it stick.
I love how simple and versatile these mini cherry pies are. From the crust to the filling the flavor possibilities are endless. Use this crust as a base to make a nutritious version of your favorite pie.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
- No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
- Apple Pie
- Pecan Pie
In addition to pie, use the crust as a base for other desserts like bars, energy bites, crumbles or crisps like this Quick Pear Crisps!
Substitutions
Use whatever you have on hand! There's no right or wrong way to make this pie.
- Nuts - almonds are great here, but cashews, walnuts, or a mix of two or all three will also work.
- Filling - the raw fruit filling is delicious with any fruit like blueberries or strawberries, even apples.
- Canned cherries - fresh cherries are best, but if you're in a pinch (or cherries aren't in season and cost an arm and a leg) you can use canned cherries. Opt for canned fruit in 100% juice or water and no sugar added.
These are a great high-fiber, gluten and dairy free alternative to traditional pie! You can easily make it vegan by using maple syrup instead of honey.
You can bake this or use it as a no bake crust. Be sure to refrigerate it for a bit to help it set before serving if you’re making the no bake variation.
What's your favorite no-bake dessert!? Let us know in the comments!
No-Bake Mini Cherry Pie
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup almonds
- 1 cup pitted dates
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon vanilla almond butter
- 2 cups sweet cherries, pitted and quartered
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Prep a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
- Pulse almonds, dates, and salt in a food processor until crumbs form. Add almond butter and process on high until mixture starts to stick. Press almond mixture into bottom and up sides of muffin tin.
- Mix together cherries, honey, and lemon juice. Pour over almond mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
- Pop out mini cherry pies using knife or spatula and enjoy!
Did you try this? Let us know!