Store-bought puff pastry makes quick work of these sweet-tart cherry hand pies! Use fresh cherries when they're in season, or frozen during other times of the year. They're a great treat that's easy to share.

Photography Credit: Nick Evans

Featured in 11 Recipes to Make with Freezer Ingredients

It’s a small thing, but when I was about eight years old, I remember my parents letting me occasionally snag a cherry hand pie from the gas station when we filled up. It was a special treat, for sure, but one that I eventually grew out of because I found the packaged cherry hand pies to be too sweet.

Good news, though! I’m an adult now and I can make my own cherry pies—ones that have a better balance of sweet and tart flavors.

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USE PUFF PASTRY FOR EASY HAND PIES

While you could use a homemade pie crust, I like to take a shortcut and use frozen puff pastry for my hand pies. It’s easy to roll and shape, sturdy enough to hold the filling (so it doesn’t explode everywhere during baking!), and turns a beautiful golden brown during baking.

Puff pastry needs to be thawed in advance, so plan accordingly when making this recipe!

FRESH OR FROZEN CHERRIES?

When it comes to the cherries, you can use either frozen or fresh cherries.

If you are using fresh cherries, make sure to remove the cherry pits, but leave the cherries whole. Don’t cut them in half—this will make the cherries leak more juices and break down more while baking.

Frozen sweet cherries are more consistently available any time of year for when cravings strike. Just make sure thaw them completely before mixing up the filling.

RECTANGULAR OR ROUND HAND PIES?

I prefer rectangular hand pies because you can really stuff them full! This said, you can certainly make round or half-moon-shaped hand pies, if you like.

Brush the pies with some egg wash, give them a quick chill in the freezer (very important—this step prevents the fruit from exploding in the oven) and then bake them for a beautiful and easy homemade treat. Enjoy!

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