Cherry Hand Pies
These cherry hand pies are semi-homemade and only require 4 ingredients plus water and a dusting of flour to make!
These delightful little pies that fit right into your hand are easy to make and taste so good.
They’re made with premade refrigerated pie dough so all you have to do is assemble the ingredients, bake and serve.
There’s something about a pie with cherry filling that’s showing through the small slits on top of golden crust that looks so delicious, festive and comforting.
About the Premade Dough
In this recipe, a rolling pin is used to roll out the premade dough so that it’s slightly thinner.
This way the ratio of crust to pie filling is balanced rather than the crust being too thick for such a small pie.
About the Sugar Topping
These cherry hand pies are topped with sanding sugar.
Sanding sugar is different from regular sugar (granulated sugar) because it has larger crystals that don’t dissolve when subjected to heat.
I especially like how sanding sugar sparkles on these hand pies even after being in the oven.
And the sanding sugar adds a slight crunch to the crust with each bite.
About the Cherry Pie Filling
Canned cherry pie filling is used for the filling in these hand pies.
There should be enough cherries in a 21-ounce can of pie filling to include 3 to 4 cherries plus some glaze in each pie.
About Serving
These cherry hand pies are great to serve for get-togethers because they can be served at room temperature (or warm if preferred) and look so pretty stacked on a platter or large plate.
But no need to wait for a get-together to serve them…”just because” is also a great reason to make these delicious pies.
Let’s check out the ingredients.
Pies – Refrigerated premade pie crusts (1 box that contains 2 rolled pie crusts), canned cherry pie filling, egg, water, sanding sugar (or decorator’s sugar), flour (for dusting a cutting board and rolling pin)
Equipment:
- Large baking sheet pan with sides
- Parchment paper
- 2 cookie/biscuit cutters (one approx. 3 inches in diameter, and the other apprx. 3-1/2 inches in diameter)*
- Rolling pin
- Pastry brush
*I used a cookie cutter that was 2-7/8 inches in diameter and a biscuit cutter that was 3-1/2 inches in diameter.
A printable recipe with the measurements and instructions is located at the bottom of this post.
How to Make this Recipe
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Preparation
Pie Crust – Remove the individually wrapped pie crusts from the box and set them on the counter to bring them to room temperature.
Baking Pan – Cut a piece of parchment paper that will fit in the bottom of the baking sheet pan.
Lay the parchment paper inside the pan and set aside.
Egg Wash – In a small bowl, add an egg and water.
Whisk together and set aside.
FOR THE FIRST BATCH:
Crust
On a large cutting board, add a light dusting of flour.
Also, dust a rolling pin with flour.
When the pie crust is at room temperature, remove it from the wrapping and set it onto the floured cutting board.
Unroll the pie crust and use a rolling pin to spread out the dough evenly in the middle and on all sides to make the dough a little thinner.
TIP – A rolling pin is used to spread out the premade dough to thin it out just a little. This way the ratio of crust to pie filling is balanced rather than the crust being too thick for such a small pie.
Dough
About the Amount of Pie Dough – This recipe should make 14 hand pies.
Each premade rolled pie dough should make 7 hand pies.
And for 7 hand pies, there are 7 larger circles for the top, and 7 smaller circles for the bottom of the pies (14 circles in total for 7 hand pies; and 28 circles in total for 14 hand pies).
Cutting the Dough – From the rolled pie dough, cut out 7 larger circles and as many of the smaller circles as you can.
TIP – Cut the circles of dough as close as possible to one another to minimize the amount of dough scraps you’ll need to roll for additional cuts.
TIP:
- TOP of each hand pie = LARGE circles
- BOTTOM of each hand pie = SMALL circles
Transfer the cut circles onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet pan.
Next, with the rolling pin, roll out the scraps that are left over so that the thickness is the same as before.
And cut as many circles as possible out of the dough.
And continue this process…
…until there are 7 larger size, and 7 smaller size circles.
Transfer the remaining cut pieces of dough onto the lined baking sheet pan.
Egg Wash – Seal the Edges of the Pie Dough
Using a pastry brush, apply the egg wash on the outside edges of the LARGER SIZE CIRCLES (the pie crusts that go on top).
Set the egg wash aside for use later.
Cherry Pie Filling
To each of the small size pie crusts (bottom of the pie), in the middle add about a tablespoon of pie filling with 3 to 4 cherries.
If the cherries aren’t too big, add 4 of them along with the cherry glaze.
TIP – For this recipe (makes 14 hand pies) at minimum, 42 cherries are needed (minimum of 3 cherries per hand pie).
I used a can of Comstock pie filling which had about 69 cherries in the “regular” can and about 10% more in the can marked “10% more fruit”.
But the sizes of the cherries may vary.
Seal and Crimp Edges of Pie Dough
For each hand pie, turn the top piece of dough (larger size) over so that the egg washed sides are facing down and place it centered on top of the cherry pie filling.
Then adjust the edges of the top piece of dough onto the bottom piece of dough so that they fit together evenly.
With your fingers, lightly pinch the top and bottom edges of the dough together so that the edges are sealed.
Crimp (finish/decorate/seal) the edges of each pie with the tip of a fork or your preferred method.
Make sure the edges are completely sealed.
Make Slits on Each Pie
Using a small knife with a sharp tip, make 3 small separate slits on the top of each pie.
Egg Wash – On Top of the Pies
Brush the egg wash on the top and edges of each pie.
If the egg wash happens to cover up any of the slits, use the same knife to cut through the egg wash within the same slits previously made.
Top Pies with Sanding Sugar
Sprinkle sanding sugar on top and around the edges of each pie.
Bake
Bake in a preheated oven (at 425 degrees F.) until the pie crust turns a golden color (about 16 to 18 minutes).
Some of the pie filling may come out of the slits on top of the pies.
Let cool before serving (the pie filling will be very hot).
FOR THE SECOND BATCH:
While the first batch of hand pies is baking, make the second batch of pies by repeating the process above.
Serve
Serve warm or…
…at room temperature.
These hand pies are best if served…
…fairly close to after they’re made when the sugar topping is still slightly crispy.
Thank you so much for stopping by CCC!
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Cherry Hand Pies
Ingredients
For the Pies:
- 1 box (14.1 ounces) refrigerated premade rolled pie crusts (1 box that contains 2 premade rolled pie crusts)
- 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
- 1 tablespoon (heaping) flour for dusting the cutting board and rolling pin
- Egg wash
- 2 tablespoons sanding sugar (or decorator's sugar)
Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Equipment
- Large sheet baking pan with sides
- parchment paper
- 2 Cookie/biscuit cutters - One that's approx. 3 inches in diameter, and the other apprx. 3-1/2 inches in diameter (I used a 2-7/8" cookie cutter and a 3-1/2" biscuit cutter)
- Rolling pin
- Pastry brush
Instructions
Preparation
- Pie Crust - Remove the individually wrapped pie crusts from the box and set them on the counter to bring them to room temperature.
- Baking Pan - Cut a piece of parchment paper that will fit in the bottom of the baking sheet pan. Lay the parchment paper inside the pan and set aside.
- Egg Wash - In a small bowl, add an egg and water. Whisk together and set aside.
FOR THE FIRST BATCH:
Crust
- On a large cutting board, add a light dusting of flour. Also, dust a rolling pin with flour.
- When the pie crust is at room temperature, remove it from the wrapping and set it onto the floured cutting board.
- Unroll the pie crust and use a rolling pin to spread out the dough evenly in the middle and on all sides to make the dough a little thinner.A rolling pin is used to spread out the premade dough to thin it out just a little. This way the ratio of crust to pie filling is balanced rather than the crust being too thick for such a small pie.
Dough
- About the Amount of Pie Dough - This recipe should make 14 hand pies. Each premade rolled pie dough should make 7 hand pies. And for 7 hand pies, there are 7 larger circles for the top, and 7 smaller circles for the bottom of the pies (14 circles in total for 7 pies; and 28 circles in total for 14 pies).
- Cutting the Dough - From the rolled pie dough, cut out 7 larger circles and as many of the smaller circles as you can.
- Cut the circles of dough as close as possible to one another to minimize the amount of dough scraps you'll need to roll for additional cuts.TOP of each hand pie = LARGE circles; BOTTOM of each hand pie = SMALL circles
- Transfer the cut circles onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet pan.
- Next, with the rolling pin, roll out the scraps that are left over so that the thickness is the same as before. And cut as many circles as possible out of the dough.
- Continue this process until there are 7 larger size, and 7 smaller size circles. Transfer the remaining cut pieces of dough onto the lined baking sheet pan.
Egg Wash - Seal the Edges of the Pie Dough
- Using a pastry brush, apply the egg wash on the outside edges of the LARGER SIZE CIRCLES (the pie crusts that go on top).
- Set the egg wash aside for use later.
Cherry Pie Filling
- To each of the small size pie crusts (bottom of the pie), in the middle add about a tablespoon of pie filling with 3 to 4 cherries.If the cherries aren't too big, add 4 of them along with the cherry glaze.
- For this recipe (makes 14 hand pies) at minimum, 42 cherries are needed (minimum of 3 cherries per hand pie). I used a can of Comstock pie filling which had about 69 cherries in the "regular" can and about 10% more in the can marked "10% more fruit". But the sizes of the cherries may vary.
Seal and Crimp Edges of Pie Dough
- For each hand pie, turn the top piece of dough (larger size) over so that the egg washed sides are facing down and place it centered on top of the cherry pie filling.
- Then adjust the edges of the top piece of dough onto the bottom piece of dough so that they fit together evenly.
- With your fingers, lightly pinch the top and bottom edges of the dough together so that the edges are sealed.
- Crimp (finish/decorate/seal) the edges of each pie with the tip of a fork or your preferred method. Make sure the edges are completely sealed.
Make Slits on Each Pie
- Using a small knife with a sharp tip, make 3 small separate slits on the top of each pie.
Egg Wash - On Top of the Pies
- Brush the egg wash on the top and edges of each pie. If the egg wash happens to cover up any of the slits, use the same knife to cut through the egg wash within the same slits previously made.
Top Pies with Sanding Sugar
- Sprinkle sanding sugar on top and around the edges of each pie.
Bake
- Bake in a preheated oven (at 425 degrees F.) until the pie crust turns a golden color (about 16 to 18 minutes).Some of the pie filling may come out of the slits on top of the pies.
- Let cool before serving (the pie filling will be very hot).
FOR THE SECOND BATCH:
- While the first batch of hand pies is baking, make the second batch of pies by repeating the process above.
Serve
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- These pies are best if served fairly close to after they're made when the sugar topping is still slightly crispy.
Notes
TIPS:
- DOUGH - A rolling pin is used to spread out the premade dough to thin it out just a little. This way the ratio of crust to pie filling is balanced rather than the crust being too thick for such a small pie.
- DOUGH - Cut the circles of dough as close as possible to one another to minimize the amount of dough scraps you'll need to roll for additional cuts.
- DOUGH - TOP of each hand pie = LARGE circles
- DOUGH - BOTTOM of each hand pie = SMALL circles
- CHERRIES - For this recipe (makes 14 hand pies) at minimum, 42 cherries are needed (minimum of 3 cherries per hand pie). I used a can of Comstock pie filling which had about 69 cherries in the "regular" can and about 10% more in the can marked "10% more fruit". But the sizes of the cherries may vary.
Pie Recipes
More pie recipes you may like:
Mango, Blueberry and Ginger Galette
No-Bake Pink Cheese Pie with Mixed Berries
Recipes Made with Cherries
More recipes made with cherries:
Oatmeal, White Chocolate and Tart Cherry Cookies
Cherry Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Layered Cherry Cheese Pie in a Glass
Single Serving Pie Recipes
Blackberry and Lemon Mason Jar Lid Pies
No-Bake Single Serving Peanut Butter Cream Pies
