Fried Cherry Hand Pies
These Fried Cherry Hand Pies start with a homemade pie crust dough that fries up perfectly golden, flaky, and buttery with delicate layers that just melt with every single bite. Each hand pie is stuffed with a sweet and tart homemade cherry pie filling that bursts with bright, juicy cherry flavor in every bite. Fried until beautifully golden and finished with a simple vanilla bean glaze that melts right over the top — these hand pies are the ultimate indulgent treat that feels like a county fair in every single bite!
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Ingredients You Need:
Full ingredients and recipe are in the recipe card below. Read through this section for all the ingredients substitution and baking tips!
Cherries: The star of the homemade cherry pie filling — a mixture of fresh or frozen tart and sweet cherries creates the most perfectly balanced, bright, and juicy filling that bursts with fresh cherry flavor in every single bite. Store-bought cherry pie filling works as a substitute.
Granulated Sugar: Used in both the homemade cherry pie filling and the pie crust dough to sweeten the filling to a perfectly balanced sweet and tart flavor and add a subtle sweetness to the flaky and buttery crust throughout.
Lemon Juice: Adds a bright, tart citrus flavor to the cherry pie filling that balances the sweetness of the cherries and makes the jammy filling truly shine inside every single hand pie.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors throughout the cherry pie filling, pie crust dough, and vanilla bean glaze.
Cornstarch: Whisked together with water to create a slurry that thickens the cherry pie filling into a perfectly jammy and spoonable consistency that holds its shape beautifully inside every single hand pie during frying.
Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract: Adds a warm, sweet, and aromatic flavor that enhances both the homemade cherry pie filling and the silky vanilla bean glaze throughout.
All-Purpose Flour: The base of the homemade pie crust dough that provides structure while creating those beautiful delicate flaky layers that shatter and melt with every single bite.
Baking Powder: Adds a subtle lift to the pie crust dough that helps create those beautiful flaky and delicate layers that make every single hand pie truly irresistible throughout.
Salted Butter: Cold and cut into cubes before being worked into the pie crust dough — the cold butter creates those signature flaky, buttery, and delicate layers that melt beautifully with every single bite of these hand pies.
Half And Half or Evaporated Milk: Combined with the cold egg to create the liquid base of the pie crust dough — using cold half and half or evaporated milk helps keep the butter cold and creates the most perfectly flaky and buttery crust throughout.
Egg: Used in the pie crust dough for richness and structure, and whisked together with water to create the egg wash that seals the edges of each hand pie and helps the crust fry up to a beautifully golden color.
Avocado Oil: A neutral, high smoke point oil that is ideal for frying the hand pies to a perfectly golden, flaky, and buttery exterior without any unwanted flavor throughout.
Powdered Sugar: The base of the simple vanilla bean glaze that creates a smooth, silky, and perfectly sweet coating that melts beautifully over the top of each warm fried cherry hand pie.
Milk: Whisked into the vanilla bean glaze to create a smooth, pourable, and perfectly silky consistency that brushes or spoons beautifully over each warm hand pie.
Why You’ll Love Fried Cherry Hand Pies:
Golden, Flaky, And Buttery Crust: The homemade pie crust dough fries up perfectly golden, flaky, and buttery with the most delicate layers that just melt in your mouth with every single bite — absolutely irresistible from the very first bite to the very last.
That Sweet And Tart Cherry Pie Filling: Each hand pie is stuffed with a homemade cherry pie filling that is perfectly sweet, tart, and bursting with bright, juicy cherry flavor that pairs absolutely beautifully with the golden, flaky, buttery crust throughout.
Those Delicate Flaky Layers: The homemade pie crust creates the most beautiful and delicate flaky layers that shatter and melt with every single bite for the most satisfying and indulgent texture contrast with the sweet and tart cherry filling inside.
That Vanilla Bean Glaze: A simple vanilla bean glaze melts right over the top of each warm hand pie for a sweet, aromatic, and beautifully glossy finishing touch that ties all the flavors together perfectly.
That County Fair Feeling In Every Bite: Every single bite of these fried cherry hand pies tastes like the best county fair treat you have ever had — warm, nostalgic, and deeply satisfying in the most irresistible way.
The Perfect Handheld Treat: These hand pies are the perfect portable and handheld treat that makes them completely irresistible and ideal for sharing at any gathering, picnic, or special occasion.
Served Warm For The Best Experience: These hand pies are at their absolute best served warm straight from the glaze — the crust is perfectly golden and flaky and the cherry filling is warm, juicy, and bursting with flavor.
Perfect For Any Occasion: Whether it is a summer gathering, a county fair inspired dessert, a holiday treat, or any time a cherry pie craving hits, these fried cherry hand pies are always the ultimate crowd-pleasing treat.
Tips for Making Fried Cherry Hand Pies:
Make The Cherry Pie Filling First: Start with the homemade cherry pie filling so it has plenty of time to cool completely before assembling the hand pies — filling that is too warm and runny will be difficult to work with and more likely to leak out during frying.
Don't Make The Filling Too Runny: Cook the cherry pie filling until it is thick enough to hold its shape when spooned onto the dough circle — a filling that is too runny will spill out when forming and sealing the hand pies and leak out during frying.
Cool The Filling Quickly: Transfer the cherry pie filling to a separate bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming, and place it in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process — it should be almost completely cooled before assembling the hand pies.
Keep All The Pie Dough Ingredients Cold: Cold butter, cold half and half or evaporated milk, and a cold egg are the key to a perfectly flaky and buttery pie crust — keep everything as cold as possible throughout the entire dough-making process.
Cut The Butter Into Pea-Sized Chunks: Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized chunks — these small pieces of cold butter are what create those beautiful flaky layers in the crust.
Don't Overmix Or Knead The Dough: Mix the dough gently until it just comes together into a ball — overmixing or kneading will develop the gluten too much and result in a tough, dense crust rather than a flaky, buttery one.
The Dough Should Be Firm But Not Sticky: The finished dough should not be wet and sticky or dry and crumbly — it should form a nice and firm dough ball that holds together well and is easy to roll out.
Chill The Dough Before Rolling: Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes after shaping into a disc — chilling the dough firms up the butter and makes it much easier to roll out and cut into circles without the dough becoming too soft and sticky.
Roll The Dough To The Right Thickness: Roll the dough out to about 1/8"–1/4" thickness — too thick and the hand pies won't have those delicate flaky layers, too thin and the filling may break through during frying.
Roll Each Circle Out Slightly More Before Filling: After cutting the circles, roll each one out just slightly more before adding the filling — this gives you a little extra dough around the edges for sealing and helps prevent the filling from leaking out during frying.
Don't Overfill The Hand Pies: Place a heaping tablespoon of the cherry pie filling in the center of each circle — overfilling will make it difficult to seal the edges properly and cause the filling to leak out during frying.
Brush The Edges With Egg Wash Before Sealing: Brush or rub a small amount of egg wash on half of the circumference of each circle before folding — the egg wash acts as a glue that helps the edges seal together properly and prevents leaking.
Seal The Edges Well With A Fork: Use a floured fork to firmly press and seal the edges of each hand pie — take your time here and make sure the edges are very well sealed to prevent the filling from leaking out while frying.
Fold The Sealed Edge In Slightly: After sealing with the fork, gently fold the sealed edge slightly inward toward the pie — this extra step helps reinforce the seal and adds another layer of protection against leaking during frying.
Refrigerate The Hand Pies While The Oil Heats: Place the assembled hand pies in the refrigerator while heating the oil — chilling them helps firm up the dough and filling and reduces the chance of them opening or leaking during frying.
Use A Thermometer For The Oil — And Keep It There: The oil should be between 360F–370F before frying and it is strongly recommended to keep the thermometer in the oil throughout the entire frying process — maintaining the correct temperature is the key to perfectly golden, cooked-through hand pies every single time.
Fry In Small Batches: Fry only 3–4 hand pies at a time to keep the oil temperature consistent and give you enough room to flip them easily without crowding the pot.
Glaze While Still Warm: Brush or spoon the vanilla bean glaze over the hand pies while they are still warm so it melts right over the top for the most beautiful, glossy, and perfectly sweet finish.
How to Store Fried Cherry Hand Pies:
Best Served Fresh: These fried cherry hand pies are at their absolute best served warm and fresh the day they are made. The crust is perfectly golden, flaky, and buttery and the vanilla bean glaze is at its most silky and glossy right after glazing.
Room Temperature (Short-Term): The glazed hand pies can sit covered at room temperature for up to 1 day. The crust will soften slightly as they sit but they will still be incredibly delicious and flavorful in every single bite.
Refrigerator: Store leftover hand pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep in mind the crust will soften slightly after storing and the glaze may lose some of its glossy finish.
To Reheat: Warm individual hand pies in the oven at 325F for 8–10 minutes until warmed through and the crust is slightly crisp again — the oven is strongly recommended over the microwave for the best flaky, buttery texture.
Freezer: Freeze individual unglazed fried hand pies in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat in the oven at 325F until warmed through, and brush or spoon a fresh batch of vanilla bean glaze over the top before serving.
Make Ahead (Cherry Pie Filling): The homemade cherry pie filling can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator — this is a great way to save time the day of making the hand pies.
Make Ahead (Pie Dough): The pie dough can be made and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before rolling, cutting, and assembling the hand pies — this makes the day of frying much quicker and easier.
Make Ahead (Assembled Hand Pies): Assemble the hand pies, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before frying — this is a great way to prep in advance and fry fresh the day of serving.
Baking Option: If you prefer not to fry, the hand pies can be baked at 400F for 22–25 minutes until golden brown — brush the tops with egg wash and slit the tops with a knife to create a vent before baking for the best result.
FAQs:
Q: Can I make these fried cherry hand pies ahead of time?
A: Yes. The cherry pie filling and pie dough can both be made in advance and stored separately in the refrigerator. The hand pies can also be assembled, placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet, covered tightly, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before frying fresh the day of serving.
Q: Can I use store-bought cherry pie filling instead of homemade?
A: Yes. Store-bought cherry pie filling works perfectly as a substitute if you are short on time — just make sure it is thick enough to hold its shape when spooned onto the dough circle to prevent it from leaking out during frying.
Q: Can I use fresh cherries instead of frozen?
A: Yes. Both fresh and frozen cherries work beautifully for the homemade cherry pie filling. A mixture of tart and sweet cherries is recommended for the most perfectly balanced and flavorful filling throughout.
Q: Can I bake these hand pies instead of frying them?
A: Yes. Place the assembled hand pies onto two separate baking sheets, brush the tops with egg wash, and slit the tops with a knife to create a vent. Bake at 400F for 22–25 minutes until golden brown on the top and edges for a delicious baked version.
Q: Why is it important to keep the pie dough ingredients cold?
A: Cold butter, cold half and half or evaporated milk, and a cold egg are the key to a perfectly flaky and buttery pie crust — keeping everything as cold as possible throughout the entire dough-making process ensures those beautiful flaky layers that shatter and melt with every single bite.
Q: Why do I need to seal the edges so well?
A: A well-sealed edge is the most important step to prevent the cherry pie filling from leaking out during frying — take your time pressing the edges firmly with a floured fork and gently folding the sealed edge slightly inward for the best leak-proof seal every single time.
Q: Why do I refrigerate the assembled hand pies before frying?
A: Chilling the assembled hand pies while the oil heats up helps firm up the dough and filling and reduces the chance of them opening or leaking during frying — it is a quick and easy step that makes a big difference in the final result.
Q: Why do I need to keep a thermometer in the oil throughout frying?
A: The oil temperature will fluctuate as you add and remove hand pies from the pot — maintaining the correct temperature of 360F–370F throughout the entire frying process is the key to perfectly golden, cooked-through hand pies every single time. Too low and they will be greasy and undercooked; too high and they will brown too quickly on the outside before cooking through.
Q: Can I use a different fruit filling?
A: Yes. Any fruit pie filling of choice works beautifully in this recipe — blueberry, peach, apple, or strawberry are all delicious options that pair perfectly with the golden, flaky, and buttery pie crust and vanilla bean glaze throughout.
Q: Can I freeze these hand pies?
A: Yes. Freeze individual unglazed fried hand pies in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat in the oven at 325F until warmed through, and brush or spoon a fresh batch of vanilla bean glaze over the top before serving for the best result.
Love these? Check out my other summer recipes:
Make sure to tag me @wellmadebykiley on Instagram and leave a review or comment if you make these fried cherry hand pies. Happy baking!
