14 Simple Ways To Make Canned Pie Filling Even Better

The worst part of pie baking isn't painstakingly rolling out your pie crust until it reaches the perfect thickness, nor is it trying to get the perfect doneness on both the crust and the filling; in the case of fruit pies, it's going through the arduous process of peeling, slicing, and bringing together a filling. Luckily, you can buy canned pie filling in the baking section of most grocery stores. This versatile ingredient has many uses outside of pie-making, but the lion's share of people use it for stuffing into a crust and marketing it as "homemade." 

Although this stuff is super convenient — like, you just have to pop open the can and add it into your prepared pie crust convenient — its flavor and texture leaves much to be desired. In most cases, canned pie filling is overly sweetened, mushy, and lacks any qualities of the homemade pie fillings that you know and love. As a home baker, I can respect the value and utility of this ingredient, but I've found that it should really only be a stepping stone in your recipe. In an effort to reinvent the canned pie filling into something that's worth using for pies and more, I've curated a list of some of my favorite ways to upgrade it. Many of these extra add-ins can already be found in your fridge or pantry, too, which will save you more headaches during the baking process. 

Your canned pie filling may taste like it's fruit-based, but it may not have any discernable chunks of fruit in it. It's understandable since large chunks of wet fruit aren't always super conducive to canning. But, a lack of large fruit pieces can lead to a mushy or otherwise disappointing pie. If you want to upgrade the texture of your pie filling, you may have to resort to adding some extra pieces of fruit inside of it. 

Luckily, you won't have to go through the process of peeling a whole bag of apples to accompany your pre-made pie filling. Rather, you can just slice up one or two apples to help supplement its texture. Moreover, you don't have to stick to the exact same fruit that your canned filling is made of. For example, if you want to balance out the sweetness of a canned cherry pie filling, consider adding a different type of cherry, like tart cherries, for a more sour flavor or Rainier cherries for a bright pop of color. Or, if you're making an apple pie, add some neutral-flavored pears into it to help add extra moisture and texture. 

Citrus is one of the most valuable ingredients that a pie baker can have in their arsenal. Lemons, oranges, and even grapefruit can help you unlock a pie filling that has a very balanced flavor and pop of tartness. 

Most canned pie fillings tend to taste very sugary — or very bland. If you want to add dimension to your recipe, grab your zester and take off a little bit of your lemon or orange skin for your pie filling. The acidity and oils in the citrus will counteract some of the sweetness of the filling and make for a more balanced bite. You could also squeeze some of the juice from the fruit into your pie filling; this will help add brightness to your recipe. 

There are no hard-and-fast rules for what type of citrus to pair with which type of pie filling. For example, my mother always added orange juice to the filling of her homemade apple pie — even though I thought lemon would be a better pairing. Lemon would also be an excellent pairing for berry-forward pie fillings, like strawberry, blueberry, or mixed berry. 

One of the major draws to canned pie filling is that you don't have to peel and slice fresh fruit, which means that dried fruit is a comparable option. If you take a walk down your local Trader Joe's aisle, you'll find tons of options for dried fruits, from cherries and apricots to freeze-dried raspberries and blueberries. Since these fruits are dry, they will soak up some of the extra moisture in your pie. This can turn your dried fruit into something more comparable to the texture of fresh fruit as your pie bakes. Soaking your dried favorites in juice (or even booze) can also ensure that they stay super plump as your pie completes its short stint in the oven.

In general, there are some dried fruits that tend to work better for this recipe than others. Small fruits, like raisins, dried cranberries, and dried sour cherries, are small enough to get in every bite and won't turn super wet and mealy after they've spent some time in the oven, like a dried apple slice or dried citrus would. 

Are you sure canned pie filling isn't sweet enough? Although it's more likely that your canned pie filling will be too sweet, there are tons of ways that you can elevate your pie filling if it happens to be a bit too tart for your liking. For one, you may want to turn to maple syrup, which has a very oaky, caramel-like flavor to it. It can make your canned pumpkin pie filling taste more seasonal, or it can add some depth to an underwhelming apple. Honey is a great sweetener if you're looking to highlight the floral notes of a pie filling's flavors. You may want to consider, for example, adding a little bit to a blueberry, cherry, or mixed berry pie to make the fruit's freshness a little more pronounced. 

Many pie fillings are sweetened with regular sugar or corn syrup, both of which lack almost any flavor. If you can, try to find a pie filling made with brown sugar. This molasses-filled addition will add a little more complexity to any of the applications that you'd use canned pie filling for. 

Extracts are your best friend for cooking and baking for several reasons. For one, it's a great way to add the flavor of an ingredient that would be otherwise impractical to add to your recipe, like almonds. Plus, extracts are shelf-stable, meaning that you can add a little bit to your recipe and have the rest on hand for safekeeping. 

Vanilla extract is one of the most common ingredients to have on hand, as it goes well with pretty much anything. It would add a little more depth to your go-to canned apple pie filling brand, or it could just as easily elevate a canned peach pie filling and give it that fresh, summery flavor. If you're making a pie during Thanksgiving, you may want to consider reaching for maple extract (which will add the aroma of maple without making your filling too sweet) or adding some complexity with rum or almond extract. Since these extracts can be quite potent, you'll want to avoid being too heavy-handed with them; a teaspoon (if that) or two should suffice. 

If you don't want to add any palatable sweetness to your pie filling, but still want to give it a flavor and aroma that suggests something sweet, consider taking a peruse through your spice cabinet instead. Warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves can bring sweetness to your pie filling without making its flavor cloying.

Cinnamon is a catch-all for nearly every type of pie. It plays especially well in an apple pie filling, though it can also be the secret to unlocking more flavors in your pumpkin pie filling, too. It's one spice that I find I can never really add enough of to a pie. Other selections, like dried ginger, cloves, and allspice, should be added very incrementally, as too much can make your pie taste bitter. Sweet and warming spices are far from the only ones you can add to your recipe, though. If you want a pinch of heat in your pie, consider reaching for a jar of dried chili or cayenne. Or, if you feel comfortable playing with savory spices, consider some thyme or rosemary instead. 

Fruit pie filling is rarely described as "creamy," but that doesn't mean that you can't explore ways to unite this texture with your favorite fruits. Sweetened condensed milk is the secret ingredient for creamy cherry pie filling, but there's no reason why you can't experiment with other fruits, too. Incrementally mix in the sweetened condensed milk to a bowl with your pie filling and watch the flavor and texture be transformed. It's important to note that the milky color of sweetened condensed milk will cause the fruit to become a bit diluted, so your cherry and mixed berry pies won't look as vibrant as if you opted to leave out this ingredient. 

If you taste your pie filling and notice that it's already too sweet, you could also use evaporated milk instead of condensed milk, the latter of which is already sweetened. Evaporated milk will still give you the creamy texture that you crave, all without that cloying flavor. 

Alcohol is a great ingredient to add to your canned pie filling because it will add more nuanced flavors to it. In general, clear spirits, like vodka and gin, won't really hold up well to any type of pie that you bake. Instead, you're going to want to opt for something a little more powerful and oaky, like a bourbon for an apple pie or an amaretto for a cherry pie. This alcohol will impart a subtle sweetness to your recipe without making its flavor too overwhelming. That being said, you should avoid adding a whole glass of liquor to your pie, as you still want the fruity flavors to shine through. 

Some of the alcohol flavors will cook off as the pie bakes, so if you want that taste to be front and center, you're going to want to consider using it in another part of the pie instead. For example, you may want to make a bourbon caramel sauce for serving or add a little splash to your whipped cream topping for a pumpkin pie.

Nuts are a fantastic way to add texture to any baked goods, whether you're making muffins, garnishing a cake, or, in this case, trying to find a way to make your canned pie filling taste a little more complex. Granted, not all nuts are really conducive to pie filling, and not every type of pie filling is a good match for nuts. For example, pumpkin pie is supposed to be silky smooth, so adding in a handful of nuts may alter the way that it sets or may throw off its texture. Pumpkin pie, as a result, may be better suited for a nut praline topping, or you could add some chocolate-covered nuts as a garnish. 

Apple pie is usually a better fit for nuts because its flavor is more neutral, and you may learn to appreciate the rustic flavor that chopped walnuts or pecans provide. The flavor is quite compatible here; just make sure that you chop the nuts up into very small pieces so that they are well distributed and don't eclipse the fruity flavors present. 

If your pie filling tastes too sweet, you may want to find something savory to help counterbalance the flavor. Savory seasonings, outside of the spice world, can help balance out your pie filling's flavor and make it a little more even-keeled. If you're just getting into the world of savory sweets, your first grab might be a container of salt. Adding even less than a teaspoon of salt can help rid your pie of that overwhelming sweetness and will ensure that it comes out perfect. 

Once you become comfortable with adding salt, you can also try to play with more savory seasonings, like a dash of soy or fish sauce or a spoonful of miso paste. Although it might seem a bit odd to add these seasonings to your pie, they can help counterbalance that sweetness and add umami complexity. Another ingredient I would recommend, though one that you have to be careful with as to how much you add to your pie filling, is MSG. If you add too much of this powder to your pie filling, it will make it taste like fish (I've learned this the hard way). But a little bit in a canned pecan pie filling can go a long way for its flavor. 

Cream cheese is one of the items that I always have in my fridge — and not just for bagels. It also makes an excellent accompaniment to canned pie filling because it can curb some of the sugariness and offer a richer mouthfeel. 

When you mix your pie filling with cream cheese or, in some cases, whipping topping, you can transform your plans for a pie into a no-bake version. Grab a fully-baked traditional crust or opt for a graham cracker one, fill your pie with the whipped cream cheese and pie filling mixture, and decorate the top of the pie with fresh fruit (or any extra fruit pieces you have left in the can). Once your pie has set for a little bit in the fridge, you can slice it up and serve it to your guests. This is the perfect pie hack for folks who want the sweet flavor of canned pie filling but don't want to go through the trials and tribulations of baking their dessert in the oven. 

There are some cases where your pie filling will come out of the can wet, goopy, and virtually unusable. Adding it to your pie crust will only cause the bottom crust to sog up and for your entire recipe to be worthy only of the trash can. 

But, as long as you have cornstarch in your cabinet, you should be able to add a teaspoon of it into the mix to help thicken things up. It's important to remember that cornstarch only works when the filling has been heated — so this isn't an option for a no-bake pie. You could also use Instant ClearJel, a modified food starch, instead to help it thicken up without diluting its color. 

Is there anything that can't be made better with butter? Canned pie filling is the next food up on the docket looking for an upgrade from this tasty fat. The key is not to add the butter to the canned pie filling itself; it's to place a pat of butter on top of the filling before adding on your top crust. That way, as the pie bakes, the butter will seep down into the canned pie filling and infuse it with flavor. 

There are tons of different pie fillings that could benefit from this hack, apple being the most obvious. The sweet fruit, paired with the subtle nutty flavor of toasty butter, will make for a more complex and flavorful bite. Though, you may be surprised to see how berry fillings could also elevate from the extra ingredient. 

Bacon? You heard me right. Adding some crispy bacon to your pie filling is an easy way to add a bit of savory and umami flavor to an otherwise sweet canned ingredient. Plus, you'll get some delicious crunch from the tiny pieces of bacon interspersed throughout your pie filling. 

You won't want to put raw bacon into your pie recipe. Even if your pie bakes for long enough, there's no telling if the bacon will be fully done by the time you pull it from the oven. Instead, you'll want to cook up the bacon in a separate pan, chop it up into small pieces, then stir it into your filling. Oh, and don't forget to reserve some of that extra bacon fat for your pie crust, too. This is a great upgrade for apple pie, but you can also find some unlikely pairings between the meat and blueberry and pumpkin pie, too.