Sweet and Easy Cherry hand pies recipe
An old-fashioned cherry hand pie is the perfect summertime dessert. With a flaky crust and fresh cherries, these sweet little cherry hand pies are a must make. They are easy to transport, making them perfect for picnics, barbecues, or any outdoor gathering. Plus, they look beautiful and taste even better!
Cherry hand pies are not only mouth-watering but also practical. Their individual size makes them perfect to serve and eat on the go. They are easier to transport than a big pie, so they’re perfect for picnics, barbecues, and cookouts. If you’re part of a farmers market or small shop, they’d also be great sellers! Take this special treat and add in different fillings like blueberry, lemon, or apple.
And I mean, look at that crust. Make them just for that. I have a tip for how to get the crust extra flaky below.
Even though they look borderline extravagant, hand pies are easy to make. The crust is just a few ingredients, and fresh cherries plus a few extras make up the perfect filling. You could use frozen cherries or canned filling and they would still be yummy. But fresh cherries, like the ones I used from The Northwest Cherry Growers, take them to the next level.
Cherry hand pie, or calzone?
My brother and I had this debate. He said these weren’t hand pies but rather calzones. I said pshaw, no way! He finally found an article that said sweet fillings could also be considered a calzone, but I beg to differ. This is a hand pie, and it’s amazing.
How to Get That Perfectly Flaky Crust
Ready for this? You cut up a frozen bar of butter. That’s right, put it in the freezer overnight, then the next day when you’re about to make the crust, take the butter and place on a cutting board. Carefully make thin slices into the butter and it should break into pieces each time you cut. Cut the larger chunks again to make them no bigger than a dime, and throw into your crust. There will be tons of butter showing through the dough when finished, and that means it’s going to be perfect!
Ready to make these babies? I bet you already have everything in your house to whip these together!
Ready to Bake?
Let’s get started! This cherry hand pie recipe is simple to make, and you likely have all the ingredients you need at home.
Simple, Flaky Classic Pie Dough
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup frozen butter
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup ice water
Instructions:
- Combine Ingredients:
- Using a fork or pastry blender, mix the frozen butter, flour, and salt together. Alternatively, use a food processor for convenience. Stir until just combined; do not over-mix.
- Chill the Dough:
- Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4 hours.
- Roll and Cut:
- Roll the dough gently onto a lightly floured surface. Using a 6″ plate or a circle cutter as a guide and a sharp knife, cut out circles for the hand pies. This recipe yields 6 circles.
- Fill and Seal:
- Add your desired homemade cherry pie filling to each circle. Seal the edges of the dough with the tines of a fork.
- Bake:
- Brush the tops of each hand pie with an egg wash using a pastry brush and add the streusel topping. Place sweet cherry hand pies on a piece of parchment paper and bake on a large baking sheet at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.
Homemade Cherry Pie Filling
Ingredients:
- 6 cups fresh pitted sweet cherries
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 8 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional) could also use vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Prepare Cherries:
- Place pitted cherries in a large saucepan over medium heat. Allow them to reduce, stirring frequently.
- Add Lemon Juice and Sugar:
- Increase heat to medium-high, then add the lemon juice and sugar. Continue to stir frequently. Use a masher to break down the cherries into smaller pieces.
- Thicken the Filling:
- Remove 1/2 cup of cherry juice from the saucepan and place it in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch or arrowroot powder to the juice and stir until smooth. Gradually add the cornstarch mixture back into the saucepan, stirring continuously until the filling thickens.
- Finish and Cool:
- Once thickened, remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the almond extract if desired. Let the filling cool. It’s now ready to use for hand pies or can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for later use.
Streusel Topping
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
Instructions:
- Mix Ingredients:
- In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt.
- Cut in Butter:
- Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or fork. Blend until the mixture is coarse. You don’t want it to become dough.
- Apply Topping:
- Spread over the top of each pie before placing them on a lined baking sheet in the oven.
Classic Flaky Pie Crust
Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup frozen butter
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup ice water
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients:
Using a fork or pastry blender, mix the frozen butter, flour, and salt together. Alternatively, you can use a KitchenAid mixer for convenience.
Be careful not to over-mix. Stir until just combined. - Chill the Dough:
Shape the dough into a ball and refrigerate for 4 hours. - Roll and Cut:
Roll the dough gently onto a floured surface.
Using a 6" plate as a guide, cut out circles for the hand pies. This recipe should yield 6 circles. - Fill and Seal:
Add your desired filling to each circle.
Seal the edges with a floured fork. - Bake:
Brush the tops with egg white and add crumble topping.
Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.
After you’ve had the pie dough chilling for a few hours, it’s time to make the filling! If you’ve already canned this cherry pie filling, feel free to use it! If you have fresh cherries though, use the following recipe.
Cherry Pie Filling
Cherry Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 6 cups fresh pitted cherries
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 8 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon almond extract optional
Instructions
- Prepare Cherries:
Place pitted cherries in a large saucepan over low heat. Allow them to reduce, stirring frequently. - Add Lemon Juice and Sugar:
Increase heat to medium-high, then add the lemon juice and sugar. Continue to stir frequently. - Use a masher to break down the cherries into smaller pieces for easier hand pie assembly.
- Thicken the Filling:
Remove 1/2 cup of cherry juice from the saucepan and place it in a large cup. Add the corn starch to the juice and stir until smooth. - Gradually add the corn starch mixture back into the saucepan, stirring continuously until the filling thickens.
- Finish and Cool:
Once thickened, remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the almond extract if desired. - Let the filling cool. It's now ready to use for hand pies, or it can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for later use.
- Extra Filling:
Any leftover filling can be used as a topping for ice cream, enjoyed straight from the container, or frozen for future use. - For pie dough instructions and hand pie assembly, refer to the pie dough recipe above.
You can’t make this without the streusel topping. It’s a must to get these pies to level epic.
Streusel Topping
Streusel Topping
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter room temperature
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients:
In a medium bowl, mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, and 1/8 tsp salt until well combined.
Cut in Butter:
Cut in 1/4 cup room temperature butter using a pastry blender or fork. Blend until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Be careful not to overmix; you don’t want it to become dough.
Apply Topping:
Spread the streusel topping over the top of each hand pie before placing them in the oven. - This streusel topping is perfect for adding a sweet and crunchy finish to your favorite pies and cobblers. Try it on apple hand pies, pumpkin pie, or even pecan pies for an extra special treat.
Tips:
For a more complex flavor, add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dry ingredients. - Use this streusel topping on your cherry hand pies recipe for an extra layer of deliciousness.
- Storage:
Store any leftover streusel topping in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. - Enjoy this easy streusel topping recipe on your next homemade pie or cobbler!
These might take a bit of time with the cooking down of the cherries and refrigerating the dough, but I promise they are worth it. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days and pop in the microwave or oven to warm just a tad before serving. I prefer re-heating in the oven, 350 for 10 minutes. The microwave softens the dough, making it more chewy than crisp.
Thank you to the Northwest Cherry Growers for providing me with ten pounds of cherries so I could share two amazing recipes with you. Didn’t see the first? Check it out here: Traditional Cherry Pie Filling using water bath canning.
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