Homemade Sour Cherry Hand Pies

Hand pies are one of those treats that make me feel like I’m getting away with something. They’re basically portable dessert that you can eat with your hands without making a mess. When sour cherry season rolls around, I drop everything and make these little pockets of joy.

I love how these hand pies give you all the satisfaction of a full pie but in a neat little package. No need for plates or forks – just grab one and go. The tart cherries wrapped in flaky pastry hit that perfect sweet-and-sour spot that makes your taste buds happy.

The best part? You can make a batch on Sunday and have breakfast sorted for the week. Or pack a few in lunch boxes. Or eat three of them while standing in the kitchen because nobody’s watching. I won’t judge.

What Kind of Sour Cherries Should I Use?

Fresh sour cherries are ideal for these hand pies, but they can be tricky to find since they have a short season that typically runs from late June through July. If you can get your hands on fresh ones, look for cherries that are firm and bright red with a slight give when gently pressed. Frozen sour cherries work just as well and are available year-round – just make sure to thaw and drain them thoroughly before using to avoid soggy crusts. You can also substitute with dried sour cherries if you rehydrate them first, though the texture will be slightly different. Whatever type you choose, make sure they’re actually sour cherries (like Montmorency) rather than sweet cherries, as the tartness is what makes these hand pies so special.

Options for Substitutions

These hand pies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here’s what you can work with:

• Sour cherries: Fresh sour cherries can be hard to find, so frozen ones work great – just thaw and drain them first. You can also use sweet cherries and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to get that tart flavor, or try other fruits like blueberries or diced apples.
• Tapioca flour: Don’t have tapioca flour? Cornstarch works just as well – use the same amount. Regular all-purpose flour will also do the trick, though you might need to use 4 tablespoons instead of 3.
• Frozen butter: If your butter isn’t frozen, just make sure it’s very cold from the fridge. You can even cut it into cubes and pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes before using.
• All-purpose flour: Pastry flour can give you an even more tender crust if you have it on hand, but all-purpose is really the best choice here for structure.
• Fine-grain sea salt: Regular table salt works fine – just use a bit less since it’s saltier than sea salt.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making hand pies is overworking the dough, which leads to tough, chewy pastry instead of flaky layers – keep your butter cold and handle the dough as little as possible for the best results.

Another common error is overfilling the pies, which causes them to burst open during baking and creates a messy situation – stick to about 2 tablespoons of filling per pie and leave enough border to seal properly.

Don’t skip the tapioca flour in your cherry filling, as it’s crucial for thickening the juices and preventing soggy bottoms, and make sure to crimp the edges well with a fork to create a tight seal.

Finally, brush the tops with egg wash and cut small vents to allow steam to escape, which prevents the pies from puffing up too much and potentially splitting open in the oven.

What to Serve With Sour Cherry Hand Pies?

These little hand pies are perfect on their own, but they’re even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side – the cold creaminess balances out the tart cherries beautifully. I love serving them warm with a cup of coffee or black tea, especially in the afternoon when you want something sweet but not too heavy. They also make a great addition to a summer picnic spread alongside fresh fruit and maybe some cheese and crackers. If you’re feeling fancy, a dollop of whipped cream or even some mascarpone cheese turns these into a more elegant dessert for dinner parties.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These hand pies taste best when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The buttery crust stays nice and flaky this way, and you won’t have to worry about the filling getting too cold and losing its lovely cherry flavor.

Freeze: You can freeze these little beauties for up to 3 months! Wrap each hand pie individually in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag. I love having a stash of these ready to go for unexpected guests or when I’m craving something sweet.

Warm Up: To bring back that fresh-baked taste, pop your hand pies in a 350°F oven for about 10-15 minutes if they’re at room temperature, or 20-25 minutes if frozen. The crust will get crispy again and the cherry filling will be perfectly warmed through.

Preparation Time	60-90 minutes
Cooking Time	12-15 minutes
Total Time	72-105 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2200-2400
• Protein: 18-24 g
• Fat: 120-130 g
• Carbohydrates: 260-280 g

Ingredients

For the pastry dough:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 3/4 cup ice-cold water, divided (keep very cold for flaky crust)
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, frozen (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

For the cherry filling:

• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp tapioca flour (helps thicken filling without cornstarch taste)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 lb sour cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped (fresh or frozen)

Step 1: Make the Pie Dough

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, frozen and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup ice-cold water, divided

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

Add the frozen butter cubes and grate them directly into the flour mixture using a box grater or microplane—this is faster and keeps the butter colder than cutting it.

Using your fingertips, rub the grated butter into the flour until the mixture resembles small peas with some pea-sized butter pieces still visible; this creates the flaky layers.

Add half the ice-cold water and mix gently with a fork until the dough just begins to come together.

Add the remaining water one tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough forms a shaggy ball without any dry flour remaining.

I like to keep ice water in the freezer right before making this dough—even a few degrees colder makes a noticeable difference in flakiness.

Gently knead the dough just 2-3 times to bring it together, being careful not to overwork it.

Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

Step 2: Prepare the Sour Cherry Filling

• 3/4 lb sour cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

While the dough chills, combine the pitted sour cherries, sugar, tapioca flour, and salt in a medium bowl.

Toss everything together to coat the cherries evenly—the tapioca flour won’t fully dissolve yet, which is perfect.

Let the filling sit for 5-10 minutes; the cherries will release some juice and the tapioca will begin to absorb it, creating a thickened filling without the starchy taste of cornstarch.

Stir once more before using.

The filling can sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes without any issues.

Step 3: Roll, Cut, and Assemble the Hand Pies

• dough discs from Step 1

Remove one dough disc from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly (this makes rolling easier without the dough cracking).

Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin.

Roll the dough into a thin 13-inch circle, working from the center outward.

Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut as many circles as possible from the dough.

Gather the scraps, gently reroll them, and cut additional circles until you’ve used all the dough.

Repeat this process with the second dough disc.

Place all cut circles on parchment-lined baking sheets as you work, and refrigerate them while you assemble.

I like to chill the dough circles for at least 15 minutes before assembly—cold dough is much easier to seal and stays flakier during baking.

Step 4: Fill and Seal the Pies

• dough circles from Step 3
• cherry filling from Step 2
• 1 egg

Prepare a small bowl of egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water).

Remove the chilled dough circles from the refrigerator.

Take one circle and brush the bottom half lightly with egg wash.

Place about 1 teaspoon of cherry filling from Step 2 in the center of each circle, being careful not to overfill.

Fold the circle in half to create a half-moon shape and gently press the edges together.

Using the tines of a fork, press down firmly around all the edges to seal—this both seals the pie and creates a decorative pattern.

Place each sealed pie on a fresh parchment-lined baking sheet as you go.

If desired, use a small knife to cut 2-3 tiny vents in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape during baking.

Step 5: Freeze and Bake the Hand Pies

• assembled hand pies from Step 4

Freeze the assembled hand pies on their baking sheets for 15-20 minutes until they’re completely firm—this prevents them from puffing up unevenly and helps them bake with crispy, defined edges.

While the pies freeze, preheat your oven to 425°F.

Once frozen, transfer the pies directly from the freezer to the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Watch them during the final few minutes to ensure the bottoms don’t brown too quickly; if needed, rotate the baking sheet halfway through.

The pies are done when the crust is a deep golden color and the filling just begins to peek out at the edges.

Step 6: Cool and Serve

Remove the hand pies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

This short resting time allows the filling to set slightly so it won’t run out when you bite into the pie, but they’re still warm and delicious.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

These pies are best enjoyed the same day, though they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.