9 Canned Cherry Pie Fillings, Ranked Worst To Best

One of the most critical skills that any home baker can learn is when to outsource. Sure, we would all love to be a pro in every aspect of baking — whether you're making your own pie crust (check out my tips), the tallest layer cakes, or the most decadent scones. But the truth is, there are several occasions when, as Ina Garten would say, store-bought really is fine, if not preferable.

Pie fillings, dare I say, are one of them. I bake a lot of pies as a home baker, and there are some fillings that I wouldn't dare trust in a corporation's hands (like apple). But for low-pectin fruits, like cherries, using store-bought or canned pie filling means I don't have to go through the arduous task of pitting the fruit (which is, frankly, maddening, not to mention time-consuming) or cook the filling ahead of time. All I need to do is crack open the can and pour.

But as you could probably imagine, not all canned pie fillings are worth adding to a dessert that you're trying to pass off as your own. This is why I tried and tasted an array of store-bought canned cherry pie fillings and ranked them from worst to best. The highest-ranked fillings boast a great balance of cherry fruit to gel (because no one wants to get skimped), balanced sweetness, and even have the potential to be passed off as homemade. 

I am an Aldi girl through and through. Its baking section is pretty good for a store brand, too. It sells one of the best boxed brownie mixes I've ever tried, and the ingredients in the baking aisle are relatively priced, making it a must-stop when I'm stocking up for a baking project. But after trying its Bakers Corner Cherry Pie Filling and Topping, I can't say that I will add it to my cart ever again.

The gel-to-fruit ratio in this can was on par with the other store brands I tried: I got a whole lot of gel and a disappointing amount of fruit. What little fruit was in the can was almond-colored rather than strikingly red. The gel filling, which was very sweet but otherwise lacked flavor, carried most of the weight in both color and flavor. Paired with fruits that are just plastic-flavored mush, I got the impression that Aldi didn't really know what it was doing when it made this pie filling. 

I wanted to like this cherry pie filling — I really did — because the price was so affordable. While it would be easy to buy a couple of cans and strain out the gel, there is not enough texture to keep the fruit intact and prevent it from liquefying in the oven, thus putting you at risk of a soggy bottom. Some folks may like that this can doesn't contain any added colors and is made with sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup, but that does not absolve it of its fundamental textural issues. You can't win 'em all, I guess.

Did I expect to rank a cherry pie filling low on this list because it tasted like laundry detergent? No. But here I am. I could tell from the color that this filling is made with black cherries, rather than the more common red cherries used by other brands. And I do love black cherry everything — whether that's in desserts, ice cream, or just eaten by the handful from the bag. But that does not mean I liked this filling, let alone tolerated it. 

Princes Black Cherry Filling and Topping tasted medicinal in a way that I could only describe as "soapy." The gel, which had plenty of fruit, had a horrid flavor. The aftertaste was metallic, which leads me to believe it was sitting in the can for so long that the gel absorbed its flavor. The fruit itself wasn't much better. It was coated in the soapy gel, so there was no hiding from its flavor. That said, the fruit was surprisingly fresh, at least in terms of texture, and was squishy like real black cherries — its only saving grace. Honestly, I was tempted to wash off all the fruit and repurpose it for something else, given that it's not yet black cherry season where I live and I've had a strong hankering for the fruit lately. But I doubt even that would get rid of its awful flavor.

I wouldn't want to inflict this flavor on other ingredients, whether in a pastry shell or drizzled on something else. While the fruit itself was okay, the fact that everything else about this filling was inedible pushed it to the back of the ranking. 

It's never good when a pie filling tastes like starch. If you are making a filling at home and it tastes almost powdery and sour — and not in a pleasant zesty or citrusy way — chances are there is some undercooked starch lingering. This was the primary flavor that I got from Stop & Shop's Cherry Pie Filling, and it all but ruined the entire eating experience.

Compared with higher-ranking brands on this list, this can had a poor gel-to-fruit ratio. If you were making an 8-inch pie, you'd need to buy several cans of it to avoid ending up with a jelly pie. The gel was about as sweet as most of the other brands, but the unpleasant starchiness made it stand out. While this undertone might cook out or be masked by a great pie crust or other ingredients, it shouldn't be used in other non-baked applications like ice cream. 

In terms of budget-friendliness, this can was on par with brands like Amazon Grocery. But if the flavor of it isn't good, I don't see a reason to go back and buy it, even if it is cheap. If you are looking for a more versatile cherry pie filling, look to one of the higher-ranked cans on this list.

There is a first time for everything, and this is my first time trying an Amazon Grocery product. Normally, I would celebrate firsts like this, but this cherry pie filling is nothing to celebrate. The flavor wasn't as starchy as Stop & Shop's cherry pie filling was — so I guess I can be grateful for that. However, this one tasted more like medicinal cherry flavoring than fresh cherries.

The fruit was very mushy and soft; it lacked the toothsome texture of many of the higher-ranked brands on this list. The cherries didn't release sweet or bright flavor notes either. Instead, the texture tasted like fake cherry essence — like I was sucking on a cherry-flavored lollipop. This cherry filling was also sweeter than the other brands, though I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. While most other brands steered clear of excessive sugar, Amazon Grocery Cherry Pie Filling embraced it. Although the higher sweetness in this can meant that it tasted like, well, something, the lack of authentic cherry undertones caused it to fall flat.

Paired with a scoop of Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream (the best brand, for sure), it would probably work. In fact, the number of cherries in the can makes me inclined to say it would be a great pairing. However, I can't promise the cherries will hold up after being baked into a pie or other pastries due to their softness, which is why I wouldn't recommend buying this brand specifically for pie baking. And why would you buy a cherry pie filling if you can't use it for pies?

Bonne Maman Cherry Pie Filling was the first brand that I tried for this ranking. I was already familiar with its countless jam flavors (including its strawberry jam, which is one of the best store-bought brands), but this was the first time I tried its pie filling. Like the jams, this jar looked expensive and cost a pretty penny — more than any of the other brands I tried, actually. While I did like its overall tartness, muted color, and floral overtones, I don't think most folks who are used to saccharine cherry pie filling will feel the same way.

When I first cracked the lid, I was met with an aroma that resembled tart cherry jam. The sour notes were present in both the aroma and the flavor. Instead of tasting like maraschino cherries swimming in sugar, the Bonne Maman filling actually tasted like the sour cherry jam I would normally spread on a buttery scone or slice of toast. The acidity was well balanced and lacked sweetness, though I didn't miss the sugar. It was mouth-puckeringly bright — a flavor that stems from the fruit itself rather than any citrusy additives. The texture was also mushy and jam-like, which takes away some of the fun of biting into a slice of cherry pie and crunching the whole fruit with your molars.

I don't know if I could safely call this a filling destined for a pie, but I will say that it has some utility. It would be better used for cherry danishes or kolaches, as it lacks the sweetness needed to carry a classic cherry pie. Though its complexity earns it a spot above Amazon Grocery.

I went right from Bonne Maman — the jam cosplaying as a pie filling — to Great Value, which looked not like a pie filling, but like Jell-O studded with cherries. It was not loose, nor syrupy. Instead, it was completely gelatinized and difficult to stir. Normally, this is not a quality you want in a food product. However, it spells great news for folks looking for a cherry pie filling that won't soak through the bottom of the crust. There is no doubt in my mind that this pie filling avoids the dreaded soggy bottom, making it one of the few fillings I have tried that can actually be used for pie. 

However, in terms of flavor, there's not a whole lot going on. When I took a whiff, I couldn't pull out anything worth noting. That said, I was glad that it didn't smell super sweet. The flavor, as I suspected, was mild rather than saccharine. It wasn't at all cloying, nor was it medicinal. Instead, it had a mild cherry flavor, like, you guessed it, cherry Jell-O.

The fruit was plump and brightly colored. The cherry pieces, which were mostly intact, were just firm enough that when I bit into them, they released a pleasant pop of juice. The gel-to-cherry ratio was adequate as well, though you might need a couple of cans to make a standard 8-inch pie.  The filling is approachable enough to be a great fit for baked goods, though it lacks the tastiness or appeal to use it anywhere else, like on ice cream or in other pastries.

I knew that I had gotten lucky with Lucky Leaf the second I popped open the can and saw the number of cherries suspended in it. It was much more fruit-packed than the other brands on this ranking, including Great Value and Stop & Shop. The fruit had a slightly darker shade than Great Value as well, but would still make for a tantalizingly colored pie, tart, or whatever you wanted to use it in or on. Unlike Stop & Shop, there was no unsightly acrid or starchy aftertaste, and compared to some lower-ranked brands, like Amazon Grocery, this one tasted like actual cherries. They were far from medicinal and plasticky; instead, they tasted like the plump, red stone fruit you buy from the produce aisle in the summer. 

I loved this filling because it had dimension and complexity — and the sweetness and tartness of real cherries. My major gripe with it, though, was the fruit's texture. Great Value's cherries were firmer, which gave them a more toothsome mouthfeel than the Lucky Leaf-branded filling. If you're baking a cherry pie anyway, you'd expect the fruit to soften, so I don't think you'd notice this textural inconsistency if you baked Lucky Leaf's filling into your favorite dessert. The flavor is more authentically cherry than the other brands, and since it was something I got from a few other cans in this ranking, I knew that Lucky Leaf was going to have to rank at least a little higher.

Duncan Hines has been a trusted brand of mine for many years. It makes the best boxed yellow cake mix — even if not everyone agrees – and it's always a brand I can trust when I need a quality fudgy brownie mix. And I'm glad to say that if I ever need a cherry pie filling, I will gladly consider adding Duncan Hines Comstock Cherry Pie Filling to my cart.

If you aren't a fan of artificial colors in your food products, you'll want to skip this one because it was about as Red 40 as Red 40 gets. The color is fire-engine red and so vibrant that it would light up any pre-made pie crust (which I tasted and ranked) or tart tin. The first third of the can was gel, but once I gave it a stir, I found plenty of maraschino cherry-sized fruits inside of it. They were mostly intact, and while they were about as soggy and soft as the Lucky Leaf ones were, their skins were not. Therefore, I got a little bit of texture in every bite, which made them more enjoyable.

The flavor was cherry-adjacent, though definitely more like what you'd get in a jar of maraschinos rather than a bag of black cherries. The flavor is not at all syrupy or cloying, and the sweetness balances well with the fruit's floral undertones. Although I would have liked firmer fruit and more flavor, the versatility of Duncan Hines Comstock Country Cherry is unmatched, earning it a top spot on my list.

My mom has been baking poppyseed bread with this brand's filling for years, so I wasn't surprised to see that it also made a cherry version. Solo Cherry Pastry and Cake Filling is very clearly marked as being a pastry and cake filling, which led me to believe that it is suitable for pies as well. And it was more than just suitable — it was the best and most authentically flavored cherry filling of the bunch. 

This product is essentially the passionate lovechild of a cherry jam and a cherry pie filling. It's deep, rich, and bursting with jammy sweetness and cherry flavor. The sweetness is concentrated and more pronounced than most other brands (with the exception of Amazon Grocery), though it feels intentional because it works with, rather than against, the floral undertones of the cherry. There are no whole pieces of cherry in this filling, which I thought I would hate, but actually ended up enjoying because I didn't come across the stray pop of juice or overly mushy fruit. The fleshy skin of the cherries was present in this can, though, and it offered a textural highlight that, once again, felt intentional, rather than someone just forgetting to strain out the cherry pulp.

Solo had the flavor that Duncan Hines Comstock lacked, earning it the top spot on my list. It also has far more versatility than other products on this list. I could see myself adding it to a Shirley Temple for sweetness and a pop of texture, spooning it into a pie, spreading it between layers of cake, or just eating it straight from the can — it's just that good.

I tried each of these products back-to-back on the same day to get the most accurate comparison. Although you might assume that cherry pie fillings are standardized across brands, I quickly realized that the quality and flavor of the cherries, the gel-to-fruit ratio, and each brand's overall versatility varied greatly, which is why I used these as my primary points of comparison. Ultimately, I was looking for a cherry filling that I could pass off as homemade, not just in a pie, but also in other desserts and treats where cherry pie filling can be used, such as on ice cream or on top of a scone. The top-ranked brands on this list offered an authentic cherry flavor with a balanced, approachable sweetness that didn't mask the fruit's flavor, as well as a texture and composition conducive to more than just a great cherry pie.

One of the things I had to keep in mind for this ranking was the perspective and intent of the average shopper. For example, I personally loved the Bonne Maman filling for its sourness and complexity, but if you are stuck with a classic pie recipe, you may be better off choosing a more traditional filling brand like Duncan Hines Comstock or Great Value. As such, there may be some mixed opinions about my top five or so spots, so I implore you to use this as a guide rather than an end-all, be-all to select a pie filling that's right for you.