The Tart Cherry on Top: 10 Awesome Ways to Use Tart Cherry Pie Filling

Tart cherry pie filling

It's fun to have a sweet treat to celebrate life's big (and not-so-big) moments, but it can also be a lot of work. Sometimes you feel like making something from scratch, but sometimes (aka most times) it's great to have a shortcut in your back pocket (aka pantry).

And for those moments, it's great to have a can of tart cherry pie filling in the pantry. The delicious, convenient and versatile ingredient adds a hit of sweet-tart flavor and a pop of bright red color to whatever dessert you're whipping up. So stock up on tart cherry pie filling to easily add on top of desserts whenever you're craving that beloved tart cherry taste.

Tart cherry pie filling is a natural with cheesecake, but the fruit is also great with ice cream, layered into parfaits or trifles, spooned over angel food cake and so much more. And because the filling is canned, it can hang out in the pantry until you need it. After you check out the fun, easy and delicious recipe ideas we bet that you might want to consider buying a few cans to make sure you're always dessert-ready.

What Type of Cherries are Tart Cherries?

Montmorency tart cherries, also known as sour cherries, are the most common variety of tart cherries grown in the U.S. The majority of the tart cherry crops are grown in Michigan, with Traverse City, a city in the northwest part of the state, laying claim to the title of Cherry Capital of the World. Utah, Washington, New York, Wisconsin, Oregon and Pennsylvania are other prominent tart cherry-producing states.

It's tough to find fresh Montmorency tart cherries unless you live in a tart cherry-growing region and can snag some at a local farmer's market during the summer. If you can do that, you 100% should, but luckily there are other great ways everyone can get their fill of tart cherries year-round. The bright red beauties are sold dried, frozen, and canned for pies or packed in water for sweet and savory dishes. You can also find tart cherry juice and juice concentrate.

10 Awesome, Easy Ways to Use Tart Cherry Pie Filling

1. Chocolate Hazelnut Granola Sundae with Tart Cherry Topper

We're all familiar with the "cherry on top" of a sundae, but what if you doubled down on the cherries so they had more of a moment? In this treat, vanilla ice cream is layered with tart cherry pie filling, rich chocolate hazelnut spread and crunchy granola. The tart cherries balance out the richness of the ice cream and chocolate. The sauce that the tart cherries are packed in adds another fun element to this retro-inspired dessert.

Get the recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Granola Sundae with Tart Cherry Topper

2. Mini Frozen Key Lime & Tart Cherry Pies

Tart and tangy key lime pie is a Florida classic, but we wondered what would happen if we added a little Midwestern twist, thanks to a few spoonfuls of tart cherry pie filling. The tart cherries plus the zingy lime are a winning combination (think the joys of cherry limeade) and the bright tart cherries add the perfect bright pop of color. To make things more fun, we made the pies in muffin cups, so each person gets the perfect ratio of creamy filling and tart cherry fruitiness. A dollop of whipped cream and some lime zest is a cute garnish, though you might want to consider adding one more tart cherry on top.

Get the recipe: Mini Frozen Key Lime & Tart Cherry Pies

3. Vanilla Cupcakes with Tart Cherry & Orange Frosting

Tart cherries are a terrific topper, but they're also a great ingredient. Here, tender vanilla cupcakes are topped with a tangy-sweet orange and tart cherry frosting. The frosting starts out as you might expect—butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, cream—but then there's a twist. In go some diced tart cherries from a can of tart cherry pie filling, as well as a couple of tablespoons of the filling from the tart cherry pie filling. The chopped tart cherries and orange zest add confetti-like flecks to the frosting and the filling from the tart cherry pie filling helps smooth out the frosting and add a little sweetness. The tart cherries also turn the frosting a pretty pink color.

Get the recipe: Vanilla Cupcakes with Tart Chery & Orange Frosting

4. Tart Cherry Thumbprint Cookies

This classic cookie gets a double dose of tart cherry flavor from a combination of tart cherry jam and tart cherry pie filling. The jam bakes into a delightfully sticky layer, then the tart whole cherry adds flavor and a hit of bright color. Dust with some confectioners' sugar and you've got a cookie that will be a hit year-round.

Get the recipe: Tart Cherry Thumbprint Cookies

5. French Crepes with Tart Cherries and Vanilla Cream

Tangy tart cherries are the perfect foil for crepes. You don't have to fill your crepes, but we think swiping some chocolate hazelnut spread instead before you fold or roll them up would be a great combination for tart cherries. You can dice the tart cherries and tuck them inside the crepes or spoon some tart cherry pie filling on top of the crepes. Add a dollop of vanilla-scented whipped cream to the finished crepes for a bistro-worthy presentation.

6. Tart Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Jazz up your favorite cheesecake bars (baked or no-bake) with a layer of tart cherry pie filling. It really couldn't be easier. Once the cheesecake is set, spoon the tart cherry pie filling over the top, smoothing it into an even layer. Cut into bars and dig in!

7. Tart Cherry & Banana Cream Pie

Banana cream pie is a classic dessert, but we've always thought it could use a little color. For this treat, we'd bake a frozen pie crust (keep it easy), fill it with banana cream, then top it with tart cherry pie filling. You could make a full-sized pie or mini pies, which would be darling. The tart cherry pie filling pairs so well with the creamy banana filling and adds that pop of brightness we're craving.

8. Individual Brownie Bites with Tart Cherry Topper

Reminder: Dessert doesn't have to be hard. Taking shortcuts when and where you need them makes sure you can have a sweet—and some free time, too. It's hard to beat the combination of chocolate and tart cherries, and this idea only requires a box (of brownie mix) and a can (of tart cherry pie filling). Bake the brownies as you normally would or try making them in a muffin tin (or mini muffin tin). Top the cooked brownies with the tart cherry pie filling and dessert is done!

9. Marshmallow Squares with Tart Cherry Topper

This is your second reminder that dessert doesn't have to be hard. This time, we've got a no-bake idea. Make a batch of marshmallow squares (try them with brown butter, if you're feeling fancy), then top them with tart cherry pie filling. The vanilla flavor of the marshmallows and the fruitiness of the tart cherries is a great pairing and fun twist on a dessert you've made a thousand times. Pro tip: You can swap out graham cracker crust for marshmallow squares in your next no-bake tart cherry cheesecake.

10. Classic Vanilla Milkshake with Tart Cherry Topper

It's hard to improve upon a classic vanilla milkshake, but we think we can do it. You have a few ways to go here. You can make your milkshake and top it with tart cherry pie filling, blend a few spoonfuls of tart cherry pie filling with your shake, or do both for a double-tart cherry treat.

Tart cherry pie filling has literally become "the cherry on top" as more and more people use tart cherry pie filling to top off desserts given its unique sweet-sour flavor and pop of bright red color.