Heart Shaped Cherry Hand Pies

Many baked cherry hand pies in the shape of hearts on a baking tray lined with parchment.

These precious heart-shaped cherry hand pies are perfect for Valentine's Day dessert, lunch box treats, or just because. The sweet and tart cherry filling pairs perfectly with the buttery, flakey crust for a delicious treat everyone will love.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Valentine's Day

Keyword Cherry Hand Pie Recipe, Cherry Hand Pies, Heart-shaped Cherry Hand Pies, Mini Cherry Pies

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Total Time 27

Servings pies

Calories 273kcal

Cost $8

Ingredients

Cherry Hand Pies

2 pie crusts (1 box from the store, or a single batch of homemade pie crust)
10 oz cherry pie filling
1 egg

Homemade Cherry Pie Filling (optional)

1.5 cups cherries fresh or frozen. Remove the pits if fresh!
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp flour we use einkorn flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
water Add this slowly while whisking until you get the desired thickness.

Instructions

Cherry Pie Filling (optional)

If you are making your filling, add your cherries, sugar, and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and heat until cherries are soft and warm all the way through. Remove cherries and leave juices in the pan.
Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Simmer until juices thicken and then remove from the heat. Add vanilla and stir well, then add the cherries back to the juices and stir to coat. Let the mix cool at least 15 minutes before filling the pie crust.

Cherry Hand Pies

Bring together your pie crust or puff pastry dough, and your pie filling. If you are making pie filling, I will cover that next!
Line a baking tray with parchment.
Roll out half your dough to 1/4" thickness. Even store-bought dough will need to be rolled out a bit.
Using a 4" heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 8 hearts and place them on the baking tray. These are the bottoms of your pies.
Add about 2 tablespoons of cherry filling to each crust, keeping it away from the edges if possible.
Roll out the other half of your dough and cut the next 8 hearts. Before you pick them up after cutting, use a butter knife to cut an X in the middle of each heart. Lift them carefully and place them on top of each filled bottom.
Take a fork and gently crimp the edges of each heart and seal them for baking.
Mix a whole egg in a bowl until well beaten and add 1/2 teaspoon of water. Brush each heart lightly with the egg wash.
Place your tray of ready-to-bake pies in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. This allows the butter in the dough to firm up and will result in a much more flaky and delicate pastry.
While your pies are chilling, pre-heat your oven to 400°F
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.
Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and a bit of water and whisk until smooth. Add more water or more powdered sugar until it reached the desired texture. Allow pies to cool for about 15 minutes, and then top them with your glaze.

Notes

Common Questions

How do I prevent the cherry filling from leaking out during baking?

To prevent leaks, make sure not to overfill the hand pies. Leave a sufficient border around the edges when placing the filling, and seal the edges securely by pressing or crimping with a fork.

Can I use store-bought pie crust for these heart-shaped cherry hand pies?

Absolutely! If you're short on time, store-bought pie crust works well. Roll it out and use heart-shaped cookie cutters for the perfect shape. Homemade or store-bought, both options yield delicious results.

Can I make these cherry hand pies in advance and freeze them?

Certainly! After assembling the hand pies, place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a sealed container or zip-top bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time, if needed.

How long do these cherry hand pies stay fresh?

These hand pies are best enjoyed fresh on the day of baking. However, if storing leftovers, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. To refresh, warm them in the oven for a few minutes.

Nutrition