What took me so long to make classic pickles? As it turns out, homemade dill pickles are simple, easy and delicious. They’re the perfect little summertime project, if you even want to call it that. These pickles are ready after a short chill in the refrigerator (as little as one hour), and they keep for several weeks.
These pickles are tangy and refreshing, nice and crisp, and offer garden-fresh flavor. They remind me of Claussen or Grillo’s pickles—but they’re even better. In short, I’m in love with this refrigerator pickle recipe and I think you will be, too.
These pickles are made with simple ingredients, including vinegar (I prefer rice vinegar’s mild flavor), fresh dill (technically optional, but delicious), a couple cloves of garlic, and a few basic seasonings.
I added a touch of sweetener, too—just enough to cut the bite of vinegar. These pickles are decidedly tangy, and nowhere near “bread and butter” territory. However, the sweetness level is entirely up to you.
These pickles aren’t overwhelmingly salty, either, yet they’re fully seasoned. They are irresistibly just right—perfect for burgers, for snacking, and more.
How to Make Pickles
These pickles are so easy to make! You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s a preview:
- Slice your cucumbers as desired.
- Whisk together a basic brine made of water, vinegar and seasonings.
- Pack the cucumbers into a jar, add some dill and garlic, and pour the brine over it all.
- Refrigerate until the pickles taste sufficiently “pickled!”
Perhaps of note: Most of my other pickle recipes start with a hot vinegar brine, which helps the brine permeate tough vegetables. These pickles are made with a room temperature brine, which means that you can skip the stovetop step (and the intense vinegar smell that comes with it). Cucumbers are delicate and readily absorb flavor, so a cool brine yields pickles with the best flavor, texture and color.
Cucumber Slicing Options
You can use this recipe to yield any pickle shape, depending on how you slice your cucumbers. Thin slices will taste fully pickled sooner than thick spears (about one hour vs. three).
For cucumber rounds (or “chips” as they call them on the grocery shelves): Simply cut the cucumbers into thin slices (around 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick) .
For spears: Slice your cucumber in half lengthwise, then slice the halves into quarters. Finally, slice the quarters into eighths so they yield wedge-shaped spears. If you’re using a long cucumber, cut all the slices in half through the middle so they fit into your jar.
For sandwich slices: Slice off a strip of cucumber running the length of its long side. Turn the cucumber so it rests safely on the flat side. Then slice the cucumber, lengthwise, into 1/4-inch thick slices. Depending on the length of your cucumber, you might slice them in half or into thirds to suit your purposes.
Pickle Serving Suggestions
Serve these pickles with veggie burgers and other sandwiches, like these halloumi BLT’s. Try adding pickle rounds to your garden-fresh salads (they go well with tomatoes, carrots, radishes, etc.).
These pickles are also great light snacks on their own, and they’re nice, tangy additions to cheese boards and party spreads.
Craving more pickles? Try these:
- Quick-Pickled Onions
- Quick-Pickled Peppers (jalapeños and bell pepper) or Fresh Jalapeño Relish (easier!)
- Quick-Pickled Radishes
- Quick-Pickled Veggies: Featuring any combination of cauliflower, carrots, onions and/or jalapeño
Easy Homemade Pickles
- Author:
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes (plus 1 to 3 hour rest)
- Yield: 1 jar 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Refrigerator
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Gluten Free
You’ll love these fresh homemade pickles! This recipe for dill refrigerator pickles is ready in 1 to 3 hours, depending on how you slice your cucumbers. Recipe yields 1 medium jar of pickles (about 2 cups sliced pickles or 16 spears).
Ingredients
- 1 medium-to-large cucumber or 2 small cucumbers (ideally 12 ounces total)*
- ½ cup water, at room temperature or cooler
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
- 20 twists of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 leafy sprigs of fresh dill, roughly chopped (about ¼ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- For pickle rounds (“chips”), slice the cucumber(s) into thin rounds, about ⅛-inch thick. Or, for spears, slice them in half lengthwise, then slice the halves lengthwise into quarters, then slice the quarters lengthwise into eighths. If your spears are long like mine (from one long cucumber), slice them through the middle so they’re not too tall for your jar. Set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine the water, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, red pepper flakes (if using) and black pepper. Stir until most of the salt has dissolved into the liquid, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside.
- Place the cucumbers into a wide-mouth jar about 3 to 4 inches in diameter, tall enough to offer at least 1 inch of extra space on top (for pickle spears, it’s important that all the pickles fit snugly, vertically—a wide-mouth pint-sized mason jar would work well).
- Top the cucumbers with the dill and garlic. Tuck the bay leaf into the side of the jar. Pour the all of the liquid over the cucumbers so they’re fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (for pickle rounds) or at least 3 hours (for pickle spears). The flavor will continue to develop over the next couple of days. These pickles will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Notes
*Cucumber options: For thinly sliced pickles, I love to use English (seedless) cucumbers. Kirby, Persian and garden-variety cucumbers will also work great. For pickle spears, use two Kirby or small garden cucumbers (about 6 ounces each). Or, use one longer garden cucumber (about 12 ounces) as shown here—you’ll just need to slice the spears in half through the middle so they’re not too tall for your jar.
Change it up: For sweeter pickles (bread and butter pickles), you’ll need to add a lot more maple syrup (which will make the mixture more brown) or sugar. Add it to the vinegar mixture, to taste, before pouring it over the cucumbers. Sweetness is so subjective!
Can I can it? No. This recipe is a “refrigerator pickle” recipe. It is not designed for canning in a water bath, and it has not been tested for canning safety. Please do not attempt! Follow a recipe specifically designed for canning instead.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
gwen macsai
Could you make these pickles in, say, tupperware instead of a glass jar? Thanks!
Kate
Hi Gwen! I don’t recommend plastic. Glass would be best.
Caroline
Just came to your site to peek at your old pickle recipe and was pleasantly surprised to find a new one! Going to make a small batch right now. I’ll let you know how they turn out. How long do you think they take to pickle in the fridge?
Kate
Hi! I hope you love them. See the notes in the post on time, it depends on how you cut them. Enjoy!
Hayley
These look ridiculously fun. I’d never thought to make my own pickles, but with all the veggie burgers and sandwiches of summer I’m buying a jar every other week. When we finish the current jar, I’m giving this a shot instead!
Kate
Let me know what you think, Hayley!
Jessie
These are amazing!! So fresh and tastey, and so simple. Took 10 minute to put together, if that. Some of the best pickles I’ve had
★★★★★
Jacqueline A Sephton
I will definitely try these! My family absolutely loves your Basil Pesto recipe and I’m sure we eat it once every week or two. Just wanted to let you know that you’ve improved the lives of a Canadian family…I never thought that they would ever eat pesto and they love it!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re so sweet! Thank you for commenting, Jacqueline.
Barbara
How long will they keep?
Kate
Hi Barbara, they will keep well for several weeks. Just check for spoilage as you let them set.
June
Do you have a recipe for bread and butter pickles!!?
Kate
Hi June, I don’t sorry! But, I do have a note about them below the instructions.
Marie
OHH thanks gonna try these, love pickles and best thing the easier the better !!
Kate
Be sure to let me know what you think!
dana
Can’t wait to try. So we shouldn’t chop up the garlic?
★★★★★
Kate
No Need! I hope you love it.
Laurie
Hello! I love refrigerator pickles — the only way to get great pickles where I live — and I look forward to trying your recipe. Do you know whether it’s possible to reuse the pickling liquid with a second batch of cucumbers? Seems a shame to throw it out afterward but… ???
Kate
Hi Laurie, This was designed to be used once. I don’t recommend it as it may not work as well or have spoilage concerns depending how long it was used previously.
Tina
Another winner, Kate. Crisp and delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Tina!
Lisa
Do you think this recipe would work for pole beans? I’ve been looking for a recipe that isn’t salty or tart from the vinegar. Thanks!
Kate
Hi Lisa, I’m not sure as I haven’t tried it. Sorry!
Ghofrane
It is indeed pretty simple and easy!
★★★★
Susan
This is my first time ever to respond to a recipe online. I have tried five different recipes for refrigerator pickles, trying to find THE one I’d love the best and make for the rest of my life. This is it!! It’s the perfect combination of sweet, sour, salt. The rice vinegar and maple syrup are what makes the difference. I can’t stop eating these! So good!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for trying the recipe and taking the time to comment, Susan! I’m happy you loved my version of pickles.
Lynn Pastor
Thank you so much for this wonderful, easy recipe! I made 1 recipe as you specified with 3 small pickling cukes, but used only 2 tsp of sugar. I served them to guests with a cheese tray. They LOVED them! Even the kids LOVED them! One of the guests said “You MUST give me the recipe!” I will be making more today. Thanks again, Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I love it. Thank you for reporting back, Lynn.
Patricia
I’m spending some time in my garden this afternoon and noting everything that’s managed to get out of hand. Oh, no! Look at all these eggplants! Better look up Cookie and Kate’s Baba Ganoush recipe. Uh, oh! Where’s her zucchini bread recipe? Where did all these cucumbers come from? Better try the pickle recipe! These pickles are delicious and are about as easy as a pickle recipe can be! Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!
Kate
It does sound like you have a lot in your garden and luckily I have so many recipes to help you use it up! :) I’m happy you love them and excited to hear what you think about with your garden vegetables.
hilary
I love these! We are growing pickling cucumbers and this is a great way to enjoy them. This recipe is the perfect blend of zippy with a little bit sweet. I sliced them into rounds and I tasted them after 2-3 hours and they were great. So quick to make too :)
★★★★★
Robyn
These were so simply to make and absolutely delicious. They will be a staple in my fridge from now on.
★★★★★
Kate
I love hearing that! Thanks for reporting back, Robyn!
Carol Richardson
Hi Cookie and Kate,
I made your easy homemade pickles exactly the way you said and they are/were amazing!! I have to say you have SO many recipes I love. I bought your cookbook a few years ago and it is my go to cookbook. Your recipes are usually fairly simple as are the ingredients plus they are healthy. Love them.
★★★★★
Patricia
I realized, after I sent my comment, that I’d forgotten to rate this recipe.
★★★★★
Patricia
I’m not sure what happened to my original post, but I’ll just add that this was an excellent, quick recipe that helped me cope with a sudden over abundance of cucumbers. Thank you!
Joanne
I made your recipe 2 days ago and the pickles are awesome, they do taste like Grillo’s but better, I also made another recipe with Apple cider vinegar and your version with the rice vinegar is so much better, thanks as always for the great recipe
Kate
Thank you, Joanne!
Kate
This recipe is great! I used it pretty much exactly, but with a little less sweetener and a bit more vinegar/water to cover the pickles fully. I shared them with friends who said they were the best pickles they’ve ever had! And we already finished off our first jar, so we added more cucumbers to the brine, which still has all its flavor. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Kate! I’m glad they were a hit.
David Grober
Thanks – once again – for a great recipe. How did I go all these decades without making pickles?! We eat them now with nearly every meal. The possibilities are endless. Anyway, they turned out perfect the first time and every time and now Im looking around for other things to pickle. Cauliflower? Brussels Sprouts? Cabbage? I feel like a mad scientist.
★★★★★
Julie
Wow, these turned out great! We go through lots of Claussen pickles in our house, but the grocery store often sells out. Now I can make my own – not the same flavor, but equally delicious. I just reused an empty Claussen glass jar. Next time I think I’ll reduce the maple syrup… maybe add some pickling spices that I always add to your pickled red onions. Yum :)
★★★★★
Joy E. Benson
Just finished making these with my 7-year old grand-daughter. They are delicious, and even she thinks so. We made a quart jar of spears and a pint jar of chips, and she won’t stop eating the chips even though its close to bedtime. We ran out of rice vinegar, so we used white for the balance, we did use maple syrup and we only used a little red pepper flake, 2 cloves of garlic in each jar, 1 bay leaf, and we left the dill in sprigs because its so much prettier in the jar than chopped up dill. Alexa helped us time the chips and they were ready in an hour; very tasty, not too sweet and just the right crispness. Tomorrow we will try the spears, hopefully they will be crisp also. We used English cucumbers as they were on sale at Kroger and they looked lovely.
★★★★★
Emma Darragh
These are easy, quick and absolutely delicious. My family is eating them faster than I can make them! Where do you get your jars from Kate? I looked on your store page and didn’t see them.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Emma! They are linked in my shop page under kitchen organization. You can look at the different sizing options too. I’m glad you loved the pickles!
SuzyM
I made two jars of these pickles (spears) at once – one with red Pepper Flakes and one without them. They are both incredible! They were so easy to make. I will never buy store bought pickles again. I just came in from my morning walk and had to have one – DELICIOUS! They are slightly sweet and savory.
★★★★★
Jan G.
I want to make your Easy Homemade Pickles recipe with my daughter when she and my son-in-love come to visit in two weeks.I am ordering all of my groceries via curbside pickup. What size mason jar should I order for making both pickle slices and pickle spears? Thanks!
Kate
Hi Jan! Sorry for my delay. The slices will fit in a one pint jar. The spears, I would say quart size and you would just have some extra room at the top. You may also have something around the house too. A glass bowl with a secure fitting lid could work too. Let me know what you think!
Rachel Rosenblum
Hey- Huge fan. Pretty much turn to C&K for all of my recipes. Only have “Seasoned” rice vinegar. Can I use this and skip the sugar or do you still think it will be too sweet? Other choice is regular old white vinegar.
Thanks
Rachel
Kate
Hi Rachel, I would first sample the vinegar to see how sweet it is and then adjust there if you find the vinegar already sweet. You could use white vinegar, but I prefer rice here. Let me know what you think when you try it!
Kalli
SO quick and easy! Great flavor, and very easy to customize for more or less spice, etc. I’ve never made my own pickles before and this was such a great recipe to start with!
★★★★★
Claire
I bought okra at our local farmer’s market and have been intending to pickle it, but I’m not sure if this recipe or your quick-pickle recipe (a favorite of mine) will work better. Any thoughts, or should I just choose a method and go for it?!
Kate
Hi Claire! I wouldn’t know without trying it. Let me know if you do.
Lori
Just made these pickles today to use up garden cucumbers, followed recipe exactly and in about an hour we had them with burgers for dinner. So quick & simple to make and if they are this good in an hour, they can only get better by tomorrow. Will be making these often since we eat cucumbers all year long. Thanks, cool recipe
arlene
wow, i’m not the biggest pickle fan, my partner is and i made these for her. i think i ate most of them however!!! super simple and really delicious. thanks for the recipe!!
★★★★★
Maggie
Hi Kate
Could this recipe be adapted to baking as a loaf? What would have to be added so that it would slice without crumbling?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Maggie! I’m not sure what recipe you are referring to as this is a pickles post. Let me know and I will see if I can help!
Lori
Made this twice this week! So good and easy, best pickle recipe. My daughter who is leaving for college (sniff!) asked for this recipe to take with her. Your recipes are always a hit.
★★★★★
Kate
I love it! Thank you for commenting, Lori.
B
This recipe is tops, thank you, Kate!
I’m making batch 3 tomorrow. Can you process (via hot water bath) then for even longer storage?
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you like it! See the notes, this is not meant for canning.
Eve
I’ve made these 4 times in the last few weeks, using different blends of apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar and regular white vinegar just because I didn’t have enough rice vinegar on hand for every batch. Subbed honey for the maple syrup a couple of times….all variations have been sooooo crazy good. We’re putting them on everything. Summer vibes! Thanks!
★★★★★
Rebecca Cooper
Great pickles! My cucumber plant has been the garden MVP this year, and I’m growing weary of the cucumber-a-day diet. These pickles are quick to fix, well-balanced, and don’t scare my vinegar-hating spouse. I used 1/2 tsp of coarsely crushed peppercorns instead of ground pepper, but it’s best to sprinkle these throughout the packed jar because they don’t distribute well in the brine.
★★★★★
Alan Neil
I love this recipe! So easy and so good. Love the spice of the pepper flakes. I used a chopped up smoked super chilie. Oh yah!
★★★★★
Shayly
Hi can I use regular cucumbers or do they need to be “pickling cucumbers?”
Kate
Hi! You can use any cucumber here you prefer.
Hayley
So good! I did have to add a bit more water to fully submerge the pickles but otherwise it was easy and fun to make.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Hayley! I’m glad you loved them. Did you measure out your pickles? What type of container did you use? Good they still worked well.
Hayley
Hi Kate! My pickles were the right size and everything. I didn’t have the right size jar so I used an old salsa jar which I knew wouldn’t be wide enough. Probably if I used the jar size you suggested it would’ve been the exact right amount of liquid :)
Lori
These work so well when dieting….I eat them with lo-fat string cheese, sliced tomatoes and romaine lettuce. They add just the “zing” needed in an otherwise ordinary mid-day snack!!!! 10 cuke slices and remaining foods are approximately 10 calories!!!!
★★★★★
Jan
My daughter and I made these together while she and her husband were visiting. They were so quick and easy to prepare and so delicious! We chose to slice the cucumber for chips and used a recycled jar from store-bought pickles to make them in. They came out so flavorful and tangy! We snacked on them and put them on sandwiches during their visit. I will definitely be making these again! They are addicting! Thanks, Kate!
★★★★★
Deborah Whitaker
Can I reuse the pickle juice for more cucumber
★★★★★
Caroline
Love the ease of this recipe! I’ve used this recipe twice now to pickle cucumbers from my garden. Oddly enough, I don’t love spicy pickles even though I love spice so I left the pepper flakes out of the recipe the second time and added more dill. I can’t stop eating the pickles. Yum!
Kate
I’m delighted you like these! Thank you for sharing, Caroline.