Easy Cherry Hand Pies with Crunchy Sugar Crust

Get ready, because these Cherry Hand Pies are absolutely to die for. Cherry pie was never at the top of my pie flavor list, but these have changed the game for me. Crispy, flaky pastry with a crackling sugar crust and saucy vanilla-laced fresh cherries make these little individual pies irresistible. 

I came up with this recipe a few summers ago simply because I saw someone selling gorgeous cherries at a little farm stand on the side of the road, and I couldn’t resist. Now, they’re one of my favorite simple desserts to make every year.

You know those little packaged pies in brightly colored boxes that you can buy at the grocery store? These cherry hand pies are like those, but way, way better. 

Recipe highlights

• Crispy crunchy crust. My favorite part of this recipe is the sugar-coated flaky puff pastry. The sugar becomes a caramelized, crunchy, thin shatterable layer that completely encases the pie.
• Jammy cherry filling. The cherries are cooked with fresh lemon and real vanilla bean, until they break down into a thick saucy filling. A little almond extract finishes it off for the perfect balance of flavors.
• Ready in about an hour. Thanks to the frozen puff pastry, this dessert comes together from start to finish in just about one hour. Hooray!

How to make cherry hand pies

Start by thawing the frozen puff pastry. Let it thaw at room temperature for 30-40 minutes, or until it unfolds easily. You want it to be pliable but still cold when you use it.

While it’s thawing, make the cherry filling:

Step one: Make a cornstarch slurry. Whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl and set aside.

Step two: Cook the cherries. Pit the cherries and slice them in half. Add the cherries to a saucepan over medium heat with the sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with the back of a knife. Add the seeds and whole vanilla bean to the pot. Cook until cherries release their juices and start to fall apart a little bit, about 5-7 minutes.

Step three: Thicken the sauce. Add the cornstarch slurry to the saucepan and boil for 30-60 seconds, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick. Remove the pan from heat and add in the almond extract.

That’s it! Let the cherry filling cool before using it, and remove the vanilla bean once cool. You can scrape the mixture into a bowl and set it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.

Then prepare the puff pastry, fill, and bake:

Step one: Cut the pastry. Once the puff pastry is thawed, unfold it and cut along the fold lines into thirds. Cut each third in half so that you end up with six rectangles.

Cut the second sheet of puff pastry in the same manner, making another six rectangles. Place all the puff pastry pieces onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Step two: Make the sugar crust. Brush half (6) of the puff pastry rectangles with egg wash and sprinkle them generously with coarse sugar. Press lightly into dough to help the sugar adhere to the pastry. Flip the dough pieces over to reveal the non-sugared side.

Step three: Fill. Spoon a couple tablespoons of cherry filling into the center of the puff pastry pieces. Make sure to leave some space around the edges so there’s room to seal them.

Step four: Seal. Brush all four edges of the puff pastry pieces with egg wash. Place remaining pastry rectangles on top of the cherry filling, aligning the edges of both pieces as much as possible. Press along all sides to adhere and then crimp the edges with a fork to seal shut.

Step five: Egg wash & sugar. Brush the top of each hand pie with egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Use a sharp paring knife or kitchen scissors to cut a few slits in the top of each hand pie. 

Step six: Chill. Place prepared pies in the freezer to chill for about 20 minutes. This helps them hold their shape! Toward the end of the chilling period, preheat the oven to 400° F.

Step seven: Bake! Bake your little cherry hand pies until golden brown all over and crispy on the bottom, about 20-25 minutes. Place them on a cooling rack and let them cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Variations & substitutions

Pastry: If you’d like to make your own homemade puff pastry for this, by all means, go ahead! Another option is to use homemade pie crust instead of the frozen puff pastry. The results will be a bit different, but still delicious.

Filling: You could also make these hand pies with any other fruit filling you’d like.

Flavorings: Don’t have a vanilla bean? Replace it with vanilla extract. Add it after cooking the cherries in the same step where you add almond extract.

If you have a tree nut allergy or don’t like the flavor, feel free to skip the almond extract.

Demerara sugar: Use any coarse sugar for the crust, such as sparkling sugar or turbinado. You could even use white granulated or brown sugar, although your end result will be a little different.

Serving suggestions

Serve these pies warm and fresh from the oven, room temperature, or cold. They’re absolutely fabulous in all cases.

I love to serve these with a healthy dollop of fresh whipped cream or créme fraîche whipped cream. A scoop of vanilla ice cream would be lovely as well.

You can store cherry hand pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or keep them in the refrigerator. Whichever you prefer!