These deep-fried cherry cheesecake hand pies are delicious pies you can take and go with you. A pie crust that is shaped into a moon shape and stuffed with cherry pie filling and a cream cheese mixture. Fold in half and then deep fry for a crispy pie crust that is a warm filling when you bite into it!
Hand pies are a vintage dessert that has been around for decades. These single-serve pies are great for a summer BBQ dessert, game night dessert at home, or even a treat to snack on all year round. A dessert that tastes great throughout the year.
Cherry Cheesecake Hand Pies
I have hand pies galore! Try my peach, apple, or blackberry hand pies. Whether you make homemade pie crust or buy store-bought, these are my go-to quick desserts that kids and adults devour.
Now, if you want a traditional pie, don’t worry; I also got you covered there. Consider whipping up this sweet strawberry cream cheese pie or even my blackberry slab pie, which is excellent for serving a crowd.
What is a Hand Pie?
A hand pie is a pastry dessert made with a pie crust filled with a sweet or savory filling. Fold and then bake or deep fry for a decadent treat to nibble on.
This makes pie an easy on-the-go snack or dessert to serve up to your family and friends or take for a crowd.
Reasons Why These Cherry Hand Pies Are A Hit…
- This is a portable and hand-held dessert that is great for easy eating! It is great for picnics, family gatherings, etc.
- An individual serving dessert when you want to ensure you have a single-serve dessert for each person.
- This is a vintage dessert that can evoke memories of eating as a child, making with your grandma, etc.
- It is versatile in flavors you can use, and it also offers minimal ingredients for a simple dessert.
- What I love about this dessert is that the prep is crazy simple, making it a no-fuss dessert idea.
Ingredients You Will Need
Sugar – Granulated sugar is the sweetener of the cheesecake base.
Cream Cheese – Opt for softened cream cheese to mix up easily with the sugar. Full fat is best as the lower fat will get a bit more runny in terms of texture.
Cherry Pie Filling – Reach for a can of pie filling, or if you prefer, make a homemade pie filling base.
Pie Crust – Whip up homemade pie crust or buy a pie crust that you roll out and use cookie cutters to cut and shape.
Powdered Sugar—Now, I whipped up a glaze to drizzle over the hand pies. The base is powdered sugar.
Corn syrup- is the perfect ingredient for helping achieve a thick consistency. Plus, it allows the mixture to be nice and smooth.
Water – A little water is used to help thin up the sugar glaze if needed.
Oil—You will use cooking oil to deep fry the hand pies to create a crispy crust outside!
Variations to Recipe
Flavor Filling: The options are ENDLESS here. Any pie filling flavor can be used for this dessert. You can use fresh fruit, but if it has too much liquid, it can make the pie crust soggy.
Nutella or Peanut Butter: Swap out the cream cheese mixture with a hazelnut spread for a twist of flavor. Or you could even make peanut butter or hot fudge sauce.
Lemon: To the cherry and cream cheese, add some lemon zest or a splash of fresh lemon juice for a citrus twist.
Gluten-Free Pie Crust: If you need a gluten-free dessert, consider swapping out the pie crust for a gluten-free crust.
Storing
Refrigerate these hand pies in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-4 days. This is needed for the cream cheese filling, as it will spoil if stored on the counter.
You can also freeze any of the hand pies if you want. Freeze for 3-5 months. Just freeze in a freezer-friendly container or freezer bag when you are ready to thaw in the fridge the night before. Then, eat them cold or lightly warm them up in the microwave.
Tips for Making Hand Pies Successfully
Chilled Dough
When you are prepping your hand pies, make sure that you work with a cold crust. A chilled dough will result in a more flaky crust, and the crust will fry up quickly.
Don’t Overfill The Hand Pies
If you overfill the dough, when you seal the edges and fry them up, they can break open and leak out the filling. So make sure you don’t overfill the pastries.
Sealing Hand Pies
You need to ensure the edges are tightly sealed so that when they fry up, they hold shape. You can use your fingers to press the dough together or crimp with a fork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the hand pies ahead of time?
If you want to make these hand pies ahead of time, go right ahead. Bake them, allow them to cool, and then refrigerate them until you are ready to serve them.
Can I reheat the hand pies?
To reheat the hand pies, you can warm them up in the microwave or place them on a sheet pan and warm them up in the oven. Once the hand pies are warmed, then serve and enjoy.
Can I make mini hand pies instead of regular-sized ones?
Simply make smaller dough shapes of your choice and add less filling to the hand pies. If they are smaller, make sure to cook them for less time.
More Cherry Recipes
- Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Italian Cherry Ice Cream Soda
- Very Cherry Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Cherry Cheesecake Hand Pies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 21 oz. can cherry pie filling
- Refrigerated pie crust
Sugar Glaze Ingredients
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon water
- Vegetable Oil for frying
Instructions
- Fill a heavy dutch oven or heavy bottom pot 4-5 inches deep with vegetable oil. Use an
- oil or candy thermometer in the oil to monitor the temperature. Bring oil to 375°F. If your
- oil is too cold the pies will absorb too much oil. If it’s too hot they will burn.
- Add sugar and cream cheese to a medium bowl. Blend together using a hand
- mixer.
- Roll out your refrigerated pie crust. Use a 5-6” bowl to trace a round shape. Cut out with
- a knife or pastry wheel. If your bowl doesn’t fit onto your pie crust 3 times you can use a rolling
- pin and roll your pie crust out a little more. Cut out 6 rounds total.
- Spoon a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese filling and 2 tablespoons of cherry pie
- filling onto the pie crust round.
- Using your fingers, brush water on the edges of the crust to help seal the edges
- together. Fold pie round over and crimp the edges to seal pie crust together.
- In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, corn syrup and water together to make your glaze.
- Set aside.
- Deep fry one hand pie at a time in your oil. Fry them for 2-3 minutes, or until the pie crust
- is a deed golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel.
- Using a pastry brush, brush glaze over both sides of hand pie. Place on a baking sheet
- or cooling rack.
- Repeat the frying and glazing process with the rest of the hand pies.
- Serve immediately.
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