Cherry Hand Pies are shaped like Christmas trees for the holiday season! You only need five ingredients to make festive hand pies with a flaky crust and juicy filling.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Pies and Tarts
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cherry hand pie recipe, christmas hand pies, christmas tree hand pie, holiday hand pies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thaw the refrigerated pie crust, according to package directions.
Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk eggs with water, for egg wash, set aside.
Using a rolling pin, roll out one thawed pie crust, ensuring there are no cracks or holes. The crust should be between ¼” and ⅛” thick.
Use a 3-4 inch holiday tree cookie cutter to cut out about 7 trees. Save the excess crust. Repeat with all the remaining pie crusts, saving the excess crusts from each roll. When all the ready-made pie crust has been used, and all that remains is the excess, combine it all and roll it out, the same thickness as the original crusts, to complete the remaining hand pies.
Place trees on the parchment lined baking sheet and spoon about 1 - 1 ½ Tablespoons of cherry pie filling into the center of each tree. Brush the border around the filling with egg wash.
Gently place the trees over the top of the filling. Starting at the trunk, lightly press the edges together, making sure not to press down on the filling.
Using the tines of a fork, press the seams together, working around the outline of the tree. Using a sharp knife, make a few slits in the top crust for venting. Brush the top crusts with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar, if desired.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Remove the refrigerated pie crust from the package and let it sit, at room temperature, for about 10-15 minutes. This will make the crust much easier to work with and roll out without tearing. Homemade pie crust will also work great. You'll need SIX crusts total.
Feel free to use any flavor pie filling, or try our homemade cherry pie filling or blueberry pie filling instead.
STORAGE: These are best eaten the same day they are made. However, you can store them covered, at room temperature, the first day. Then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days after that.
To freeze a baked hand pie, place them on a baking sheet, in a single layer, and put the sheet in the freezer, just until the pies are frozen. Then, place them in individual freezer bags for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and serve at room temperature.