How To Make the Pie Crust

Combine 2 cups of flour with salt, sugar, and baking powder. Using a pastry cutter (or pulse in a food processor) to cut the butter into the flour. You want it to be a crumbled consistency but still have pea-size pieces of butter.

Slowly add the ice-cold water to the mixture 1 tablespoon at a time stirring it with a spatula. Do not overmix, it will seem very soft but sets in the fridge. Once the dough has come together quickly wrap it in plastic wrap and then pop into the fridge.

Let sit in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or free for up to 3 months.

Pie Crust Tips

Before you roll out your pie crust, add a nice amount of flour to a flat surface and a rolling pie. Be gentle when you roll out your pie crust by adding a little bit of pressure each time you press outwards when rolling.

If the pie dough starts to stick to your rolling pin it means you either didn’t add enough flour to it or you need to add more. Have a baking sheet lined with parchment paper reach to drop your cut out hand pies.

Cherry Pie Filling

I used canned cherry pie filling for my chocolate hand pies but this recipe can also be made with fresh cherries. I personally chose to use the canned cherry pie filling just because it was a quick dependable option for me.

I knew the brand and was confident I could achieve the flavor I wanted using it. However, if you would prefer to use fresh cherries just sprinkle a little bit of sugar on the cherries before adding it to the hand pie. 

Chocolate FIlling

I have seen many people use different chocolate filling options for their hand pies. When it came to my recipe I opted for the simple ingredient which was chocolate chips.

I chose to use dark chocolate chips to help offset the sweetness of my cherry pie filling, however, you can choose to use milk chocolate chips for Milk Chocolate Cherry Hand Pies.

Depending on what flavor you are aiming for or for whom you are making these delicious chocolate cherry hand pies the choice is up to you.

Egg Wash

Never forget the egg wash, guys! It’s super easy to make with just 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk. The egg wash helps give that hand pie its beautiful shiny exterior and also helps the top cook without burning.

I like to give a healthy coat of egg wash to each hand pie using a pastry brush. If you don’t have a pastry brush you can use a spoon (which can get messy) or use your fingers which is still messy but more effective.