Puff pastry makes these handheld cherry pies a piece of cake pie to prepare.
GUESS WHAT. I made little handheld pies! And I have to say/type that these simple cherry pastry pies are my favorite dessert of the summer. That says a lot considering s’mores tartlets.
So about the pastry pies. They’re hand pies! And also sort of like toaster strudels, which is enough reason to make a mad dash to the kitchen like, right now. But what makes them even better than store-bought toaster strudels is that the filling is made from actual real fruit. Summer sweet cherries to be exact.
We’re using frozen puff pastry today. Store-bought puff pastry is a lifesaver in the kitchen—I sometimes use it for these apple turnovers, too. Buttery, crisp, flaky, and convenient all in one. One package of puff pastry comes with 2 sheets. You’re going to cut each sheet into 6 rectangles, like so:
So, you’ll end up with 12 rectangles. 6 will be the bottoms of the pastry pies and 6 will be the top. Following?
Now you’ll layer on a homemade cherry filling. The great thing about this filling is not only are you using real cherries, you can use frozen cherries. Making my adorable cherry pastry pies a year-round treat.
Now, layer the remaining rectangles on top. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal all that cherry goodness inside. Which will still likely ooze out a little. Embrace the slight spillage. It’s yum.
The cherry pastry pies turn a beautiful golden brown as they bake. Before going into the oven, brush them with a little egg wash, which gives the tops a beautiful sheen. A sprinkle of coarse sugar adds a little sparkle.
Clearly, a necessity in my kitchen.
Since they’re sort of like toaster strudels—and totally like pop-tarts too—I’m having one for breakfast to shake up my very blah morning. If you are in more of a pop tart mood you can (and should!) try my chocolate pop tarts or brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts!
If you love baking with cherries, you’ll also love my cherry pie, cherry pie bars, cherry cobbler, cherry almond linzer cookies, and cherry pastry pies.
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Simple Cherry Pastry Pies
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 6 pies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
The shortcut is in the frozen puff pastry!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 box (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator*
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 2 teaspoons milk
- coarse sugar for garnish
Filling
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons room temperature water
- 12-ounce bag frozen cherries OR 2 and 1/4 cups (500g) fresh cherries, pitted and stemmed
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the filling: Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until combined and milky. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, cook over medium heat until the cherries begin to release their juices—about 4-6 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, then bring to a boil while stirring often. Once boiling, let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat then stir in the vanilla. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. The filling can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. On a lightly floured surface, lay out one pastry sheet. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut sheet into 6 rectangles. 3 of these rectangles will be the bottom pastry pie crust, 3 will be the top. Transfer the 3 bottom rectangles to the prepared baking sheet. (Make sure there will room for all 6 pastry pies—if not, use a second baking sheet.) Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the bottom rectangles with the egg wash. Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of cooled cherry mixture onto each of the 3 bottom rectangles. Place the top rectangles over the cherry filling, lining up the edges as best you can. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal shut. Repeat this entire step with 2nd pastry sheet so you have a total of 6 pastry pies. Slice 2-3 slits in the tops for air vents (use a super sharp knife to do that). Use my photos in this post to help guide you in this step.
- Brush the tops of the pastry pies with egg wash, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Chill the pies in the refrigerator for at least 25 minutes or up to 1 day.
- During the last few minutes of chill time, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake the pastry pies for 30-35 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Make sure to rotate the baking sheet once or twice during bake time. Remove pies from the oven and allow to cool on the pan until ready to handle and serve. Wrap each leftover pastry pie up tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The filling can be made up to 5 days ahead of time; see step 1. The pastry pies can be assembled up to 1 day ahead of time; see step 3. You can also prepare and bake the pastry pies in advance and store the baked pastry pies in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave or a 300°F (149°C) oven for 20 minutes before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Medium Saucepan | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Pastry Brush
- Puff Pastry: I always use Pepperidge Farm brand frozen puff pastry. It’s the perfect balance of buttery, flaky, and crispy without being greasy. Always thaw it in the refrigerator. I recommend thawing overnight.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi! I wanted to make these, but I was wondering If I would be able to make the same filling but just substitute cherries for strawberries? Would it turn out the same? Thanks!
Hi Anna, yes, you can use chopped strawberries instead. Enjoy!
I have made this recipe 4 times now and it is always a hit. I like to add lemon rind, bourbon, cinnamon, and blueberries to the filling to give it extra depth. So delicious!
I love this recipe! It’s very easy. One thing I did notice after I switched the filling to mixed berries is that some of the filling leaked out. Is there anyway to fix that ?
Hi Tori, some berries (like raspberries in particular) can release more liquids, especially if you’re using frozen. If the filling seems especially wet, try to leave behind some of the liquids when you add the filling to the crusts. Hope this helps for next time!
HI. Can I use a jar of Amarena cherries?
Hi Diana, Amarena cherries are typically soaked in syrup, so the filling would be quite sweet. We’d recommend sticking with fresh or frozen cherries for best results, but if you do want to give it a try with the Amarena cherries, you could try reducing the sugar as well.
Thank you. I love the taste of Amarena cherries but worried about the syrup consistency. Should I drain the Amarenas and go straight to the filling process? Or is it ok to use with a little syrup?
Can these be made using sour cherries?
Definitely!
Thank you, Sally for another amazing recipe! I made this for a dinner party and it was a huge success! Everyone raved about it! I served it with vanilla ice cream.
Do you think I could cut the puff pastry into smaller pieces and make 12 smaller ones instead of 6? If so, would you suggest decreasing bake time? Thanks for your time!
Hi Valancy, we haven’t tested the recipe that way, so are unsure of the results. You would definitely need to decrease the bake time, but I’m not sure what it would be. Keep a close eye on them, and watch for the pies to look golden-brown in color.
This recipe was super easy, and they turned out delightful! I made a batch of drunken Ranier Cherries, oh my goodness, so, so yummy!!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. Thanks to you I made my dad his birthday pies. He was very happy.!!
Easy easy easy
I would like to ship these to my brother. Do you think they would hold up, or should I use your pie crust recipe?
Thank you so much for all of your advice and wonderful recipes.
Hi Mary, I fear the delicate and flaky pastry pies won’t hold up. Pie crust may be the better option. I would send them in refrigerated packaging to maintain freshness.
I’m a little nervous . Never used puffed pastry before. Went to see video and it kept going to the recipe? Is there a video?
Hi Dale! The recipe video is in the recipe card – between the recipe instructions and the notes. Does it show up for you?
Just a basic question. Do you use sweet or sour cherries for this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Marion, We used sweet cherries here, but you can use any cherries you love best. If using sour cherries, you can skip the lemon juice. No other changes needed to the recipe– there’s plenty of sugar if you use the sour cherries!
If you store leftovers in the fridge do u bake again to warm up I suppose?
Hi Angie, you could warm them, but they taste delicious cold or room temperature as well!
I was a little scared to make this recipe because I needed to quadruple the recipe to have enough for my church choir. I bought 4 boxes of pastry and rolled each sheet 3” longer to get 4 pies out of each sheet, used 2 TB filling and added a sprinkle of chocolate chips, then drizzled the tops with just a zigzag of melted chocolate to make them Cherry Chocolate Hand Pies. All 32 of them came out looking fantastic! Did have some filling left over, will use as a waffle topping. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Hi Sally and Friends! I make these all the time and they are always a hit! If I want to make them with other fruit – today I’m thinking blueberries – do I follow the same directions for the filling? Thanks! xoxo
Sure can, Jennifer! Simply swap the cherries with blueberries.
I have had good luck making pie crust circles about 6” in diameter. Filling on one side, slits on the other and then fold in half. These are small but kiddos like them.
These are delicious!!!! Didn’t look like the picture but was amazing. Will share with friends and family.
These came out delicious!! I used store bought cherry filling and didn’t refrigerate before baking they came out really good. I defrosted the puff pastry outside the fridge and it seemed to work fine. Is there any reason you specified to leave it in the fridge? Thank you!
Hi Sally where I live there’s only Pillsbury Crescent Dough Sheets. Can I use those instead?
Hi Shae, We haven’t tried crescent dough, but you can use our homemade puff pastry dough, see our Homemade Berry Turnovers recipe.
Puff pastry dough is in the freezer section. Did you check there?
Do you have the nutritional information?
Hi Colette, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients, and many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients. However, there are many great online calculators where you can plug in your exact ingredients like this one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I’d like to use the rough puff pastry from the Homemade Berry Turnovers for this recipe, rather than buying frozen puff. What thickness should the rough puff be when rolled out, and what dimensions should the rectangular pastry be?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Sue, I’m so glad that you love the rough puff pastry from the berry turnovers recipe. I haven’t used the pastry to make rectangular pastry pies yet at this time, so I don’t have exact measurements or dimensions for you. The dough should be about 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick when cutting/shaping into rectangles.
If making your own crust should you cook in the oven for 30 minutes or the same time as the berry turnover recipe?
Hi Shelby, They should still take around 30 minutes but keep your eye on them and bake them until the tops are golden brown. Enjoy!
Can you please tell me if I can use 2 cans of cherry pie filling instead of making it from scratch?
I am using plain canned tart cherries and making my own filling. Works great . I have used pie filling before and it worked perfect.
Is there an easy way to pit ripe cherries if I don’t have a cherry putter? I ordered a potter online which is promised delivery in 10 days, but these cherries won’t last that long.
I have a cherry putter but found that a hard straw worked best and much quicker.
Do these need to be refrigerated after baking?
Hi Vicki, Wrap each leftover pastry pie up tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I find that a wooden or metal skewer pushed through the stem area works just as well as my pitter. I actually think it’s faster.
Good luck.
Put the cherry on top of a long neck bottle. (like a beer bottle)
Use a chopstick to push the pit down into the bottle. Very simple to do!
Yes, it’s delicious with cream cheese filling. Make filling with the following:
1 – 8 oz pkg of cream cheese (softened)
1 egg YOLK
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Mix all together until smooth. Put about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cherry mix and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cream cheese filling in puff pastry and bake as stated. This is so good!!!
Thanks for this idea. Second time I added lemon to cheese mixture, esp good with blueberry instead of cherry
Can you used pie filling in a pinch?
We don’t see why not, but the homemade cherry pie filling is incredible if you can make it!
I didn’t roll my puff pastry out at all. Just unfolded and cut as directed. I loved all the crispy layers that created when they puffed up. Used fresh mixed berries and they were a success!
Should I cover the assembled pies when chilling in the frig before baking? I need to know quickly because I’m making them for dessert tonight!
Hi Paula, It’s not necessary, but you can lightly cover them with a clean towel if you’d like. Hope they are a hit!
I made these today and they turned out perfectly. Baked for 30 minutes, prior I put them in the freezer for 15 minutes instead of fridge.
Game changer.
I’m located in Vancouver, Canada. I bought President’s Choice puff pastry (for the Canadian folks).
Thank you for the tip, Maria W!
I make these all the time with various fruit fillings and freeze them. When I’m ready to use them I just put an egg wash on and bake them. I like to have them in the freezer in case I get unexpected guests or on holidays I can put them in the oven for breakfast or I bake and take them and take them to work when we have potluck. They are always a hit so
I always have stash in my freezer.
I just cut each pastry sheet into three strips each, basically following the lines. Put the filling on the lower half, leaving edges, brush al edges with egg wash and fold sheet over. That way you only have to crimp three sides!
instead of using pastry sheets, can i use the pie crust recipe to make the crust?
Hi Priyal, for a homemade puff pastry dough, see our Homemade Berry Turnovers recipe. It also happens to be the July Sally’s Baking Challenge recipe!