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Freshly baked cherry hand pies, with one pie broken open to show filling
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Easy Cherry Hand Pies with Crunchy Sugar Crust

Crispy, crackling, caramelized sugar crust encases saucy vanilla-laced cherries. What could be better?
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Chill Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Servings: 6 pies
Author: Karie

Ingredients

Cherry Filling

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 6 ounces fresh sweet cherries (about 1 1/2 cups) pitted and cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 vanilla bean (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Hand Pie Crust

  • 2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed
  • Demerara sugar or other coarse sugar

Egg Wash

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon cream, milk, or water

Instructions

For the cherry filling:

  • Whisk the cornstarch and water together and set aside.
  • Pit the cherries and slice them in half. Add cherries to a saucepan over medium heat with the sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Slice vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scape out beans with back of a knife. Add seeds and whole vanilla bean to pot. Cook until cherries release their juices and start to fall apart a little bit, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Add cornstarch slurry to saucepan; boil 30-60 seconds, until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add almond extract.
  • Allow cherry filling to cool completely, then remove vanilla bean.

For the egg wash:

  • Whisk egg and cream together; set aside.

For the crust:

  • Unfold the thawed puff pastry and cut along fold lines into thirds. Cut each third in half so you end up with six rectangles. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
  • Place all puff pastry pieces onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

To assemble & bake:

  • Brush half of the puff pastry rectangles with egg wash and sprinkle generously with demerara sugar, pressing lightly into dough to adhere - these will be your bottom crusts. Flip dough pieces over to reveal non-sugared side.
  • Place a couple of tablespoons of cherry filling into the center of the bottom puff pastry pieces. Make sure to leave some space around the edges so there's room to seal them.
  • Brush all 4 edges of the filled puff pastry pieces with egg wash. Place remaining puff pastry rectangles on top of filled pastry, aligning the edges as much as possible. Press along all sides to adhere. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal shut.
  • Brush each hand pie with egg wash and sprinkle generously with demerara sugar.
  • Use a sharp paring knife or kitchen scissors to cut a few slits in the top of each hand pie. Place pies in the freezer to chill for at least 20 minutes. At the end of the chilling period, preheat oven to 400° F.
  • Bake hand pies until golden brown all over and crispy on the bottom, about 20-25 minutes.
  • Allow to cool and top with ice cream or fresh whipped cream for the ultimate summer treat!