What to Do with Leftover Cherry Pie Filling (21 Ideas)

If you’re like us, you probably have a few cans of cherry pie filling sitting in your pantry right now.

You might have bought them on sale because they were on clearance, or maybe you just needed something to make a quick pie for dessert.

And then… well, the day got away from you and now it’s been a week and that can of pie filling is still sitting there looking at you.

Don’t throw it out!

With a bit of patience, you can transform leftover cherry pie filling into a sweet sauce. Simply mix the leftover filling with sugar and water to create a thick glaze. The glaze is perfect for drizzling over ice cream, fruit, pancakes, waffles, or even as a topping for toast.

Below, we’ve got 21 ideas for what to do with leftover cherry pie filling that’ll help save your sanity—and keep those cans from going to waste.

Read Also: Cherry Pie Wine Pairing – The Best Wines for Cherry Pies

21 Ways to Use Up Leftover Cherry Pie Filling

Cherry pie filling is delicious and versatile, so you don’t want to let it go to waste!

Here are 21 creative ideas for using up your leftover cherry pie filling:

1. Use It as A Topping for Ice Cream

This is our favorite way to use up leftover cherry pie filling.

All you have to do is pour the desired amount of your leftover filling on top of any flavor of ice cream and allow it to melt down into the ice cream.

It’s sweet, smooth, and delicious—and makes an awesome treat for kids or adults!

2. Make a Cherry Pie Milkshake

This one is super easy and totally delicious.

Just take some vanilla ice cream and mix in some cherry pie filling until it’s the consistency of slushy snow—it’ll taste just like a cherry pie milkshake!

This is perfect for anyone who likes a little sweetness in their life but doesn’t want to eat an entire piece of pie at once.

3. Add It to Your Morning Oatmeal

Cherry pie filling is sweet and tangy—it’s basically the perfect addition for your morning oats!

Just mix it in with some almond milk, top with granola and nuts/seeds, then let it sit overnight in the fridge so that all the flavors can mingle.

When you wake up in the morning, treat yourself to a bowl of oatmeal that tastes just like a cherry pie!

4. Make a Cherry Crumble Bar with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

If you’re looking for something that’s easy to make and even easier to eat, this crumble bar is your answer.

All you need is some graham cracker crumbs, butter or margarine, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.

1. Then just mix everything together in a bowl until it forms a dough-like consistency and press into a greased 9″x9″ pan.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes until golden brown on top.
3. Cool completely before cutting into squares; then enjoy!

5. Stir Some Into Your Yogurt Parfait

This is an easy one—just spoon some cherry pie filling into your yogurt parfait and top it with granola or nuts.

It’s sweet, but not too sweet, and the texture is really pleasant.

If you want to get really crazy, try adding some fresh fruit on top!

6. Mix It with Lemonade and Drink Chilled

Mixing it with lemonade is the perfect summer drink because it’s so refreshing, sweet and tart—and it’s easy to make in bulk!

Simply pour your favorite brand of lemonade into a pitcher and add about 1/4 cup of cherry pie filling per serving.

Stir well until combined and refrigerate until serving time.

If possible, serve over ice for maximum refreshment!

7. Stir Into Some Store-Bought Vanilla Pudding

This is another awesome way to use up your filling.

Just grab your favorite vanilla pudding, pour it into a glass bowl, and then stir in the cherry pie filling until you get a nice, chunky swirl effect.

Serve it with some graham crackers or vanilla wafers on the side and enjoy!

8. Use It As A Topping For Pancakes

If you’re feeling adventurous (or just really hungry), try using the cherry pie filling as a topping for pancakes.

The sweet, tart flavor will add an interesting twist on your classic breakfast dish, while still keeping things simple enough that they won’t take too long to make!

9. Make Cherry Pie Popsicles

This is an easy one.

Just mix together the leftover cherry pie filling with some vanilla ice cream and pour into popsicle molds.

Freeze until solid and enjoy!

10. Make a Cherry-Lemonade Cake

This one is so easy it’s almost cheating.

All you need is a box of yellow cake mix, some vanilla pudding powder (the kind with the little marshmallows), an egg, and some cherry pie filling.

Mix the dry ingredients together first, then add in the wet ones (including the pie filling).

Bake your cake according to package instructions and then glaze it with an icing made from powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Voila!

You have yourself a tasty treat that’s sure to please any kid at your next party or family gathering.

11. Add It to Your Next Batch of Brownies or Blondies

This one is so easy—just dump the can in the batter and bake it up! If your brownies or blondies call for chocolate chips, just toss some cherries in there too.

The filling should melt down and spread evenly throughout the brownie/blondie batter, so all you have to do is pop them in the oven (with a little extra time for baking).

You’ll have yourself some delicious cherry-filled treats that will leave you thinking “why didn’t I think of this before?!”

12. Freeze It Into Ice Cubes for Drinks

If you’re looking for a way to enjoy the taste of your favorite cherry pie without actually having to eat any pie (or even bake it), try freezing your cherries into ice cubes!

Mix a can of cherry pie filling with water or juice until it’s the consistency of slushy ice.

Use an ice cube tray and drop in one cherry per cube (or two if they’re small).

Freeze overnight and voila—you have delicious frozen cherries that can go into anything from lemonade (if they’re not too sweet) to soda (if they are).

13. Add It to A Trifle that You’re Making for The Holidays

A trifle is a fun holiday dessert that’s easy to make and even easier to eat.

All you need is a large glass bowl, some sponge cake, whipped cream or pudding (or both), fresh fruit, and cherry pie filling. Mix everything together and serve!

We especially love adding some chocolate shavings on top for an extra festive touch.

14. Bake Some Mini Pies Using Your Leftover Filling

It’s easy enough to make a fresh pie using your leftover filling—just mix together some flour and butter, roll out some dough and fill it with the cherry pie filling, then bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the crust is golden brown.

But if you want something a bit more portable (and adorable), try making mini pies instead!

Just cut circles from that extra pie dough and fill them with your leftover filling.

Bake these little guys at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until they’re golden brown on both sides.

You can even dust them with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar before serving them!

15. Use the Filling in A Cherry Cheesecake

This is one of our favorite ways to use up leftover cherry pie filling. Simply mix together some cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract.

Then add a little bit of the leftover cherry pie filling and voila!

You have your own homemade cheesecake filling. Next time we make a cheesecake, we’ll be sure to use this instead of buying store-bought cream cheese!

16. Make Cheesecake Pops

If you’re looking for something more adult-friendly than ice cream popsicles, try making cheesecake popsicles out of your leftover cherry pie filling.

Just mix together some cream cheese and sugar until they form a smooth paste, then add some fresh cherries and bake according to the instructions on the package until they’re nice and soft.

Once they’ve cooled off enough that they won’t melt when frozen, pour them into popsicle molds and freeze overnight!

17. Make a Cherry Pie Smoothie

This is another favorite way to use up cherry pie filling because it’s so easy and delicious!

Just add all your leftover cherries (you can even add some fresh ones if you want) into your blender with milk or yogurt, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and ice cubes (you can also add rum if you want to kick things up).

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

18. Make an Ice Cream Cake

If you’re looking for something a little more impressive than just a milkshake, try making an ice cream cake using your cherry pie filling!

Gather some graham crackers or chocolate wafers and line the bottom of your pan with them before adding in your leftover canned cherry pie filling.

Then top it off with some more crushed cookies or chocolate wafers on top before freezing overnight so they get nice and frozen together (this will make cutting them into squares easier).

Then just serve as-is—or drizzle something delicious on it!

19. Make Cherry-Flavored Fudge

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in a double boiler over low heat until smooth, then add 3 tablespoons cherry pie filling and stir until well combined.

Pour into a greased pan and refrigerate for about an hour (or until firm).

Cut into squares and enjoy!

20. Make Cherry Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Have any leftover chocolate chip cookies lying around?

If so, use them to make these delicious cherry pie ice cream sandwiches!

Simply spread some chocolate chip cookie dough onto two cookies and then top one of them with ice cream flavored like cherry pie filling (we recommend using vanilla ice cream for this).

Drop another cookie on top of each one and freeze until firm—then dig in!

21. Make Cherry Pie Crumble

This one is great for using up leftover crust (if you didn’t make enough pies), too!

Just combine the following ingredients: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons butter or margarine (melted), 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup oats or wheat germ (or both).

Mix everything together until crumbly then spread on top of your leftover crust (the extra thick kind works best) and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm topped with whipped cream or ice cream!