This Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Slab Pie is baked in a quarter sheet pan and layers a thick cherry filling with a hint of vanilla bourbon and swirls of melted dark chocolate inside a flaky all-butter crust. It’s rich, balanced, and ideal for serving at a small dinner or office gathering.
Table of Contents
- What is a Slab Pie?
- How to Make the Recipe
- Recommended Baking Tools
- Can I Make the Filling Ahead?
- Quick Recipe Tips
- Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Slab Pie Recipe
What is a Slab Pie?
A slab pie is a larger, thinner version of a traditional round pie baked in a sheet pan. Quarter sheet pans serve small groups well; half-sheet pans work for larger gatherings. Cut it into squares or rectangles to suit your crowd.
This recipe uses a quarter sheet pan and two crusts—one for the base and one for the top—so the assembly feels familiar if you’ve made a standard 9-inch pie before.
How to Make the Recipe
Adapted from a classic homemade cherry pie, the method is the same as making a regular pie—the primary difference is using a quarter sheet pan. The main components are a simple all-butter crust and a cooked cherry filling finished with melted dark chocolate and a splash of bourbon.
Homemade All-Butter Pie Crust
Ingredients: all-purpose flour, salt, very cold unsalted butter, ice-cold water.
This crust is made entirely with butter (no shortening). It produces two crusts, requires at least one hour chilling, and does not need blind baking for this recipe. If you prefer, store-bought crusts can also be used for convenience.
Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Pie Filling
Ingredients: 3 cans (about 29 oz) red tart cherries packed in water, 1/2 cup bourbon (optional), 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 tbsp cornstarch, pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp almond extract, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, 4 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao), and 1 egg for egg wash.
Combine the cherries (undrained), extra water, bourbon, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and extracts in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool almost completely before using. Reserve the melted chocolate to add just before assembling so its flavor and texture remain vibrant.
The bourbon provides a gentle warmth—Vanilla-flavored bourbons work especially well—but it’s optional if you prefer to omit alcohol.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe glass bowl in short increments at medium power until smooth, or use a double boiler. Avoid metal bowls for microwave melting.
Recommended Baking Tools
You don’t need an electric mixer for this recipe. Helpful items include a large pot for the filling, a glass bowl or jelly roll pan to cool the filling, a quarter sheet pan, a rolling surface, a pastry cutter or blender, and a pastry brush for the egg wash.
Can I Make the Filling the Day Before?
Yes. The filling can be prepared a day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Do not mix in the melted chocolate until you’re assembling the pie—the chocolate should be added right before the pie goes into the oven.
Quick Recipe Tips
Crust Tips
- You can use store-bought crusts—two are needed for this slab pie. Roll them slightly larger than the pan so you can fold the edges under.
- Shape each dough portion into a rectangle before chilling; it makes rolling to fit the sheet pan much easier.
- Chill the bottom crust in the pan and briefly freeze the top crust after cutting any shapes to make handling simpler.
Filling Tips
- Canned red tart cherries packed in water work very well for a reliable tart flavor and consistent texture. Use the brand you prefer.
General
- Keep the top crust simple if this is your first slab pie—basic slits or Xs will vent steam nicely. Decorative cutouts are optional.
- Place a larger sheet pan on the oven rack under the pie to catch any drips and help keep the bottom crust crisp.
More Pie Recipes to Try
Easy Lemon Cream Pie
Pumpkin Pie Cake Bars
Mini Lemon Meringue Pies
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Slab Pie
Ingredients
Homemade all-butter pie crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 4–6 tbsp ice cold water
Chocolate cherry bourbon pie filling
- 29 oz red tart cherries in water (about 2 cans, plus 1/2 can extra water)
- 1/2 cup bourbon (optional)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz 70% cacao dark chocolate, chopped and melted
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
Instructions
Homemade crust — part 1
- In a large bowl, cut cold cubed butter into flour and salt until pea-sized pieces remain.
- Add 1 tbsp ice water at a time, mixing until the dough holds together without being sticky.
- Form a ball, divide in half, shape each into a 1–1½ inch thick rectangle, wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.
Chocolate cherry bourbon pie filling
- In a large pot, combine cherries (undrained), 1/2 cup water, bourbon (if using), sugar, cornstarch, salt, almond extract, and vanilla. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and stir continuously until thickened. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or pan to cool almost completely.
Homemade crust — part 2
- Roll out the first dough on a lightly floured surface to fit the quarter sheet pan, leaving about 1 inch for folding.
- Place the bottom crust in the pan and chill (freezer preferred). Roll out the second dough for the top crust and chill briefly if desired.
Assembling the pie
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and position a larger sheet pan on the middle rack to catch drips.
- Melt the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe glass bowl in 30–45 second bursts at medium power until smooth. Set aside.
- Remove the chilled bottom crust from the freezer, spoon in the cooled cherry filling, then drizzle the melted chocolate over the filling and gently swirl.
- Place the top crust over the filling, trim excess dough, and crimp the edges. Brush lightly with beaten egg.
- Bake on the preheated sheet pan: 15 minutes at 425°F, then reduce heat to 375°F and bake 40–45 more minutes until golden. Use a foil shield on the edges after the first 15 minutes if they brown too quickly.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from a classic Homemade Cherry Pie.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 52 g |
Protein: 4 g |
Fat: 20 g
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients used.