Dutch Kersenvlaai Vulling (cherry pie filling) in 10 minutes: lots of juicy cherries, a pretty shine, and a bright hint of lemon. We thicken with potato starch (clear and glossy), fold in the cherries at the end, and you're done. Budget-friendly. Perfect for a real Dutch vlaai and as a generous MonChou topping. The best part? It's easier than you think.
In a Glance
- ⏲️ Prep: 5 minutes
- 🍳 Cook: 5 minutes
- 🥄 Calories per batch: about 535 kCal
- 🥘 Key ingredients: cherries in syrup, sugar, lemon juice, potato starch, kirsch (optional)
- 👩🏻🍳 Taste & texture: full cherry, fresh-sweet, glossy, soft bite
- 📖 Allergens: May contain sulfites (from kirsch or preserved cherries). Contains no gluten, eggs, milk, nuts, peanuts, soy, fish, or mustard.
- 📋 Why you'll love it: ready in 10 minutes, lots of fruit, budget-friendly, vlaai + MonChou
- ⭐ Difficulty: easy: short cook, gentle stirring
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Dutch Cherry Tart Filling With Kirsch
I make this when I want something festive, fast. Store-bought fillings were mostly gel, with only a small amount of cherries. Not my style. Making it myself means I control the sweetness, the shine, and the texture. A bit thicker for vlaai, a little looser for MonChou.
I love how the cherry flavor stays fresh, not heavy. The lemon lifts it. A hint of kirsch gives that classic bakery aroma. We use it for Sunday pie, but also as a quick topping on cheesecake. Leftovers? Spoon over vanilla ice cream or pancakes. One base, many uses. Simple, homely, and it always looks special on the table.
Thickness guide (per ¾ cup (180 milliliter) syrup)
- MonChou/cheesecake topping: 2 teaspoons (8-10 grams) potato starch (spoonable, glossy).
- Vlaai (slice-neat): 1 tablespoon (12-14 grams) (holds a clean cut).
- Dessert/compote: 1 ½ teaspoons (6-7 grams) (lightly thick).
Rule of thumb: start low. Too thin? Add ½-1 teaspoon extra slurry and simmer 30 seconds.
What You'll Need
Exact quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Cherries in syrup (jar): juicy and consistent method; you'll use the cherries and some syrup. Swap: frozen or fresh (see below).
- Sugar: rounds the acidity; taste your syrup and adjust.
- Lemon juice: keeps the color bright and adds freshness.
- Potato starch: clear, glossy thickener (I prefer this over cornstarch).
- Kirsch (optional): that classic cherry-bakery aroma.
- Salt: makes the cherry flavor fuller.
Which Cherries Could Be Used (3 Options)
- Jar (my pick): quick, affordable, always the same.
- Frozen: Thaw in a sieve over a bowl; use the juices as your base. Short on liquid? Add water or carton cherry juice to ¾ cup.
- Fresh (summer): Pit the cherries, mix with sugar for 15 minutes to draw out juice, and top up with cherry juice or water to reach your amount (¾ cup).
How to Prepare
Full steps are in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Drain the cherries; save the syrup. Bring syrup, sugar, salt and lemon gently to a boil.
- Step 2: In a cup, mix potato starch with cold syrup or water to a smooth slurry. Pour the slurry into the boiling syrup, stir, and cook briefly until glossy.
- Step 3: Fold in the cherries and boil for another minute.
- Step 4: Add l (optional) kirsch. Cool completely.
Top Tips
- Shine & body: under-thicken slightly; it firms up as it cools.
- No lumps: slurry must be cold, base must be boiling.
- Keep cherries whole: fold gently, don't whisk.
Tasty with
- On MonChou cheesecake.
- In an open vlaai shell with toasted sliced almonds.
- As a dessert with vanilla ice cream and crisp cookies.
Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I love to see what your creation looks like and regularly share the most beautiful photos of you! Did you like this recipe? Then leave a rating on the recipe card! Your feedback helps other home cooks and me enormously.
Need more inspiration?
- You can find video recipes on my YouTube channel.
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📖 Recipe
VIDEO
RECIPE CARD
Ingredients
- 25 oz cherries in syrup, from the jar, drained, syrup reserved (about 4½ cups cherries)
- ⅔ cup cherry syrup, from the jar; see notes
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons potato starch
- 2 tablespoons cherry syrup, from the jar; see note
- 1 pound cherries, from the jar
- 1 tablespoon Kirsch, optional
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Drain the cherries and reserve all the syrup.25 oz cherries in syrup
- Add ⅔ cup reserved syrup, sugar, salt, and lemon juice to a saucepan.⅔ cup cherry syrup, 2 tablespoons sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- In a cup, mix the potato starch with cold syrup or water. Whisk this slurry into the boiling syrup. Simmer 1-2 minutes until the mixture turns glossy and clearly thickens.2 teaspoons potato starch, 2 tablespoons cherry syrup
- Add the cherries, fold them in gently, and simmer gently for another minute. Remove from heat.1 pound cherries
- Stir in Kirsch, if using.1 tablespoon Kirsch
- Cool completely before spreading into a baked pie shell (vlaai), monchoutaart or over cheesecake.
Notes
- Too thin: add ½-1 teaspoon extra slurry; simmer 30 seconds.
- Too thick: stir in 1-2 tablespoons hot syrup or water off the heat.
- Cherries breaking: thicken the syrup first, then fold in the fruit.
- Flavor flat: a pinch of salt, a touch more lemon, or a little extra kirsch (off the heat).
- Refrigerator: covered for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and warm briefly until the bubbles slow; the starch sets perfectly again.
Nutrition
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