Description
These homemade cherry hand pies feature a stupidly simple 3-ingredient flaky crust and a sweet-tart cherry filling. Ready in just 45 minutes, they are the perfect portable, handheld dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226g) Cold Unsalted Butter, cubed
- 6–8 tablespoons Ice Water
- 4 cups (600g) Cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)
- ½ cup (100g) Granulated Sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16g) Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract (optional)
- 1 large Egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk (for egg wash)
- Coarse Sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Add cold cubed butter and cut it into the flour using a fork or fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
- Gradually add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just starts to come together. Do not knead.
- Gather dough into a ball, divide in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- While dough chills, mix cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and almond extract in a medium bowl. Let sit to allow sugar to draw out juices.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 12-14 circles using a 3-inch cutter.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of cherry filling in the center of half the dough circles, leaving a ½-inch border.
- Top with remaining dough circles, press edges firmly to seal, and crimp with a fork. Poke 2-3 slits in the top of each pie for steam vents.
- Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling. Rotate pans halfway through.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow filling to set.
Notes
Keep all ingredients, especially butter, as cold as possible for a flaky crust. Do not overwork the dough. If using frozen cherries, do not thaw them before mixing. For best results, chill assembled pies in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before baking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 hand pie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: cherry hand pies, homemade hand pies, flaky pie crust, 3 ingredient crust, easy dessert, portable dessert, cherry pie, summer baking