If you are looking for a great adult beverage that you can give as a gift, take to a party or just sip on at home, look no further than this popular recipe for Crock-Pot Cherry Pie Moonshine! With just 4 ingredients you can easily make this flavored alcoholic beverage at home right in your slow cooker!
Slow Cooker Cherry Pie Moonshine
I love sipping on a glass of this cherry pie moonshine after a long hot summer day. I add some ice to a cocktail glass and pour some of the cherry flavored moonshine over the ice and just sip away while relaxing on the front porch.
Because this recipe uses canned cherries you can easily make this adult beverage any time of the year.
Give yourself plenty of time to make this because for the best flavor profile you are going to want to let the slow cooker cherry moonshine sit and rest for several weeks. This allows the cherry flavor to really infiltrate the alcohol and let things mellow just a bit.
Don’t get me wrong though, this is a potent drink! As I mentioned, it is great straight up over ice but you can also add it to cocktails for mixed drinks. Basically any recipe that calls for vodka and would be good with a cherry flavor will work!
I found the cans of Cherries in Heavy Syrup in by the pie fillings section of the grocery store. Not every store carries this and it took a couple of stores before I found them. The cherry juice was another issue in finding it. I finally found an organic cherry juice.
If you make your own juices and can your own fruit, that would work too.
Grain alcohol is sold locally as Everclear. It is 190 proof and carries quite the punch. If you choose not to use grain alcohol you can use vodka instead. The taste is pretty similar and vodka does not have quite as much proof.
You can drink this Cherry Pie Moonshine immediately, or allow it to sit in the refrigerator or on a shelf for 2 or more weeks. The longer it sits, the better the flavor. Strain out the cherries before you drink it…but do not throw them away! The cherries will have a high alcohol content and are tasty! It is shelf stable so there is no need to seal the canning jars or worry about the liquid going bad.
This is one of those recipes that is fun to make and bring to a gathering. It is an adult beverage so drink responsibly!
Special Diets
Gluten Free | Low Calorie | Low Carb | Low Cholesterol | Low Fat | Low Sodium | Low Sugar | Vegan | Vegetarian
This recipe for Crock-Pot Cherry Pie Moonshine is Weight Watchers Friendly on the new Personal Points plan. You can see the WW personal points for this recipe here on the Weight Watchers website. Click here for MORE of our Weight Watchers Recipes
Check out these slow cooker moonshine recipes too!
- Slow Cooker Lemonade Moonshine
- Crock-Pot Pineapple Moonshine + Video
- Slow Cooker Root Beer Moonshine
- Crock-Pot Apple Pie Moonshine + Video
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Moonshine
Crock-Pot Cherry Pie Moonshine Recipe
Ingredients
- 30 Ounces Canned Cherries In Heavy Syrup
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 32 Ounces Bottled Cherry Juice
- 2 Cups 190 Proof Everclear Grain Alcohol (Or Vodka)
Instructions
- Add the canned cherries (with juice from the cans), sugar and cherry juice to a 6 quart or larger slow cooker and briefly stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 1 to 2 hours or until all of the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is hot.
- Turn slow cooker off and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, pour in the grain alcohol (or vodka if using) and stir to combine.
- Ladle cherry pie moonshine into three (3) clean quart sized canning jars. Placing the lids and canning jar rings on the jars just until finger tight.
- Moonshine can be drunk right away but the flavor is better if stored in a dark cool place for 2 or more weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Think the hubby will love this!
IM DYIN TO TRY ALL THE MOONSHINES SOUNDS REALY GOOD
What would happen if you added the grain alcohol/vodka and then warmed it for the alloted time? Would it infuse the cherry taste more? Thanks!
Your alcohol will burn off. You wouldnt get more taste at all, just less alcohol. That and heat can cause the alcohol to catch on fire.
It says to cool to room temperature before adding alcohol
if the mixture is over 170 degrees Fahrenheit The alcohol will evaporate and can possibly explode if you are using a gas stove. alcohol vapors are heavier than air, means they will drop down instead of rising. hence on a gas stove , flash if not boom.
Has to be well under 160 degrees or the alcohol will evaporate
Does this have to be stored in a dark place for 30 days is it better if it has at least 30 days for alcohol to take the flavor, I see some call for dark space is that needed, new to all this but want to try it out. want to know also the longer it sits the better?
the longer it sits, the more of a cherry taste the alcohol will take on. You want to store it in the fridge, or a cool dark place. If you store it in spot that is sunny, it can degrade it. You can drink it right away, but the longer it sits the better a flavor it is.
Just wanted to to say thanks for this recipe. I have just made my first batch of Cherry. I think its going to turn out awesome!!
Now I just have to have patience! …this is the teicky part..lol
I also made a modified verson of the lemon.. changed it to:
5 small lemons
3 large Oranges
I wanted to share a pic. .. but dont see how..sso I will share one on the FB page.
Cheers!!
does that have an orange flavor to it? i am going to have to add in oranges the next time.
It really mellows out the lemon, and yes gives you a twist of orange. I was a little impatient. .and had a sample. ..lol I think its going to turn out awesome.. I have already had a few people ask me for some… its gonna be great sat around the fire pit in the middle of summer.
Apple pie and root beer are awesome. Made both for my son’s 21st birthday party. They were a huge hit. Served in mini red solo cups.
Going to try cherry and strawberry next.
So glad you have enjoyed these moonshine recipe Dawn! Happy 21st birthday to your son too!
AWESOME Crock-Pot “moonshine” recipes!!! My question is… If I am making the Crock-Pot Cherry Pie Moonshine, which cherries do YOU suggest?? I saw that OREGON brand offers Dark Sweet Cherries & Royal Anne Cherries, packed in heavy syrup. I’ve failed to locate tart/sour cherries packed in syrup. Any thoughts/input??
either of those will work. I think the Dark Sweet Cheeries will add something different to the mix but a “different good” taste. I used the Royal Anne Cherries in mine.
The cherry juice I found was labelled, tart. I think that may offset the sweetness of the cherry pie filling. Can’t wait to try this.
I think it will be great Russell. I love tart cherry juice.
are these the cherries you make pies with
Yes.
Is that 32oz of cherry juice or 64oz? Just wondering.
The recipe calls for 32 oz of cherry juice
So I made a batch this morning. Not paying attention I assumed and just used a 2qt bottle of juice (actually 2 because I doubled). Then I realized it was only supposed to be 32oz. Isn’t 2 cups of everclear in 4 cups of juice super strong?
It is strong indeed!
I tried Cherry Pie Shine for the first time at the Sparks America Bike Rally and absolutely loved it. Today I will attempt to make it myself. I found all the ingredients I needed at my local Walmart! The cherry juice was in the juice section and the cherries in heavy syrup was with the canned fruits. I am using 48oz of juice since that was the smallest that I found. And using Everclear for the alcohol.
Hi, is it correct that this can sit on a dark shelf at room temperature just fine for 6 months, or does it need to be refrigerated in order to stay good?
Yes. The alcohol makes this shelf stable. I have had them keep up to a year.
I canned fresh semi-sweet Door County (pitted) cherries with a light syrup (boiled water & sugar). I stored in a dark place for a month. There is a “fizz” like taste; almost like alcohol but alcohol was not added. Any idea how or why this happened? Are they safe to eat and/or make cherry bounce?
they probably started to ferment similar to wine. If the lids did not seal, this is more than likely what you have. me personally, I would try it. But I am sure the recommended standards for canning would say toss to be safe.
I have eaten a few and haven’t gotten sick. So, I think I will try it. And that makes sense that they started to ferment. Thank you VERY much for your reply 🙂
Has anyone tried adding cinnamon sticks to the cherrys and juice while being heated ?
Curios if this brings in more or less inteaded flavor.
We have not tried adding cinnamon sticks to this cherry pie moonshine recipe Mark, but if you give a go please come back and let us know how it turns out!
IF I am not adding the sugar will I still need to heat up the ingredients?
Yes you still need to heat the ingredients
Do you put the cherries in the jar too after you add the vodka or take the cherries out?
You can leave them in if you want.
I just made a batch of cherry. The alcohol taste was overwhelming! Also very bitter! Am I suppose to use cherry pie filling or just sweet cherries in syrup? Also what brand of cherry juice do I use? Sweet or tart? I really want this to be a hit but it was undrinkable. Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you!
A sweet cheery juice is better. If it is too tart, add in some sugar and heat just a little to melt the sugar. If you think it has too much alcohol taste, add in more juice.
I accidentally rushed thru this recipe and added the everclear before cooking, will I have to add more now that it’s done, seems to still have alcohol flavor and smell
I think it may be OK Carl. But since we have not tested this recipe with the Everclear added before cooking we can’t be sure. But if it still smells and tastes boozy I think it will be fine.
I cannot open the recipes it just gives me the pictures, what is wrong?
I don’t know Jacquelyn, I just checked the recipe and it is right there as you scroll down the page some.
I am thinking of tripling the amount of vodka. Should I also add a little more juice? Or will it just taste stronger? I am making this for a Halloween party intended to be a “sipper” drink. I’m so excited about this recipe. I’m a newbie when it comes to this stuff, so I appreciate all the previous comments/suggestions!
I would add more juice so you still get the cherry flavor.
Stupid question but are the cherries a cherry pie filling or simply a canned cherry in syrup?
No such thing as a stupid question Danelle! The cherries are canned cherries in syrup and not cherry pie filling (which has thickeners).
I can’t buy grain alcohol in my state. Is vodka just as good and if so what brand is reocmended?
Vodka is just fine in this recipe Kevin. You can use whatever brand you like, however we recommend a mid-price level vodka as this is more of a mixed drink and spending money on pricey vodka is not necessary.
I made this today for a couple of friends. They both enjoyed it immensely–it really raised their spirits {ha!}. They appreciated it especially because there aren’t that many drinks that are made primarily with real cherries/cherry juice, so this was a unique and delicious treat for a couple of cherry lovers. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
So glad you and your friends enjoyed the recipe Becca!
I wonder if you can add some Smirinoff Double Chocolate Vodka to this to make a cherry cordial flavor?
Oh, that might be really good Billy! If you give it a try come on back and let us know how it turned out for you!
We went to Pigeon Forge, TN last summer and came home with several flavors of moonshine. So sad, they are all gone now. (Try adult milk shakes with the moonshine, awesome!) Can’t wait to try to make some here at home.
Moonshine milkshakes sound AMAZING! I cannot wait to try one Susan!
This sounds really good and I’m looking forward to trying it (hope I can find cherry juice — most juices are all sugar!). Why does this need to be cooked at all? Just to dissolve the sugar? I’m a big fan of crock pots (I have 6 or seven in differing sizes) but just don’t see why any of the ingredients need cooking!
Cooking allows the sugar to dissolve.
So, I used cherry pie filling, not canned cherries in syrup, I thought they were the same thing. The flavor is strong but good. The only problem is, the heavy syrup from the filling has separated, leaving a thick layer of non-alcoholic, super sweet syrup at the bottom. I shake it up before drinking, if not, the syrup is too overwhelmingly sweet. Has anyone else had this problem and if so, how did they fix it in later batches?
That layer on the bottom is probably from the thickening agent in the canned cherry pie filling. To fix it in later batches it is probably best to use the canned cherries in syrup like the recipe calls for.
Any idea what the proof ends up being?
To be honest Robert. I don’t know! There shouldn’t be too much evaporation of alcohol content so it should still be pretty strong depending on what proof Everclear or vodka you used. But then there is a bit of a dilution involved with the other ingredients…perhaps using this table from the TTB can help you determine that. –
Do I have to use canning jars or can I use something different?
I would think any container with a tight fitting lid would work if you don’t want to use canning jars. You could also re-use jars from items from the grocery store as long as they are washed well. Good luck Di!
So what is the proof of this finished product? Anyone know? Is it still 190 proof?
Personally i would guess it to be about a third of what the proof you started with is so if everclear maybe 60 to 80 proof after all said and done. Also depends if you keep the cherries in as they will suck up some of the alcohol. Id say 80 to be safe as im guessing some juice evaporates in the crockpot maybe and hopefully you use a finished alcohol .
How much alcohol to a 6qt recipe
Made the cherry pie moonshine last month and tried it for the first time tonight. I have to say, it is delicious. I have officially found “My Drink”! I do have one question though. I made the largest batch (x3), I was just wondering, if everclear is 190 proof, what is the alcohol content of the final product.
Can you use almond extract for extra flavoring?
Hi Judy, while I have not tried adding almond extract to this Cherry Pie Moonshine recipe I think it would be a lovely addition since almonds and cherries compliment each other in flavor profiles. If you give it a try please come back and let me know how it turned out for you!
I’m making our third batch of the Cherry Moonshine, my question is what exactly do the cherries do? Because I’m ending up with more cherries than I can eat. If I make a double batch can I use a single batch worth or cherries? Do you know how this would come out? Or would it be a waste of time?
The cherries add flavor. You can try a double batch with just a single batch of cherries but I am not sure exactly how that would turn out. If you give a try be sure to come back and let us know!