When toaster strudel meets pop tart, the end result is these deliciously golden brown hand pies! They're stuffed full with a sweet cherry cream cheese filling and smothered in a dreamy pink cream cheese icing. Made gluten-free and vegan, they make the ultimate summer barbecue treat!
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These hand pies have the crispy buttery outside of a pop tart and the juicy sweet filling of a toaster strudel. I'd say that's the best of both worlds! Smothered in a decadent cherry cream cheese "icing", these treats are sure to be a hit! Additionally, the dough is easy to make and requires no rising time (my favorite part) and the cherry filling is a cinch to whip up on the spot.
What is a Hand Pie?
Simply put, hand pies are a baked good with pie-like characteristics (think buttery and flaky crust with lots of filling) that you can hold in your hand. They didn't get real creative with the name. However, hand pies can be sweet or savory and the filling possibilities are truly endless. They are typically fried but you can also bake them in the oven for a "healthier" option.
Cherry Cheesecake Hand Pie Ingredients
Yes, this little treat is not only packed with sweet juicy cherries but also made with cream cheese giving it a cherry cheesecake vibe which I believe brings it to the next level. Here's what you need:
Almond Flour
Tapioca Flour
Baking Powder
Coconut Milk
Apple Cider Vinegar
Vanilla
Cherries
Coconut Sugar
Vegan Cream Cheese
How to Make Homemade Hand Pies
- Prepare the filling. The pie filling is always the best part and these hand pies are no different. I recommend preparing the filling first so it has time to cool down before we spoon it over the dough. We use fresh cherries and mix in a bit of vegan cream cheese to create an incredible "cheery cheesecake" filling. To make, heat the pitted and washed cherries in a skillet over medium-low heat with coconut sugar and vanilla until soft. Transfer the cherries to a bowl and allow to cool
- Make the dough. This yeast-free dough is no-fuss and easy to make. The combination of almond flour and tapioca flour gives the dough a soft flaky texture while the coconut oil and apple cider vinegar give it just a touch of rise. To make the dough, we simple whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, and baking powder. Then add the coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla and stir until a large ball of dough forms. The dough should be a tad moist and not sticky
- Assemble the hand pies. This is the fun part. Roll out the dough about ¼ inch in thickness. Use a generous amount of tapioca flour when rolling it out to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin. Use a circular cookie cutter (I used a biscuit cutter) to cut circles in the dough. Half the circles will be the base of the hand pies and the other half will be the tops. Stir the cream cheese into the cooled cherry mixture and spoon a large spoonful in the center of half of the circles. Place the other half of the circles on top and gently press around the filling to seal. Use the back of a fork to press the edges down. Brush a bit of coconut oil on top and bake
- Prepare the icing. Okay, the filling and the icing may be tied for the best part of the hand pie. This icing is fool-proof and made with similar ingredients to the filling. Mix the vegan cream cheese with a touch of vanilla and nut milk and stir until it becomes thin - you should be able to lift the spoon up and the mixture falls off like paint. Then stir in a spoonful of leftover cherries. Spoon the icing over top of the hand pies and enjoy!
Check out more fruity treats this summer:
Recipe
Cherry Cheesecake Hand Pies
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherries - washed and pitted
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 3 teaspoon vanilla - divided
- 3 cups almond flour
- 2 cups tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil - melted
- ⅔ cup vegan cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a skillet, heat the cherries, coconut sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla over medium-low heat until soft. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and break up the cherries into chunks with the back of a fork. Place in the fridge to cool while we prepare the dough.2 cups cherries, 2 tablespoon coconut sugar, 3 teaspoon vanilla
- In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, and baking powder. Add the coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix until a large ball of dough forms.3 cups almond flour, 2 cups tapioca flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk, 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- On a piece of parchment paper dusted with tapioca flour, roll out the dough with a rolling pin about ¼ inch in thickness. With a circular cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, cut circles out of the dough.
- Take the filling out of the the fridge. Reserve 1 tablespoon for the icing. With the remainder of the mixture, stir in 1 tablespoon vegan cream cheese. Spoon about 1 ½ tablespoon of the filling into the center of half of the circles of dough. Place the other half of the circles on top and press around the filling to seal the pieces together.
- Brush some melted coconut oil over top of the pies and use the back of a fork to press into the edges of each. Bake in oven for 20 - 22 minutes until golden brown; let cool slightly.2 tablespoon coconut oil
- Make the icing by whisking the remainder of the vegan cream cheese together with the almond milk and vanilla until thin. Stir in the reserved 1 tablespoon of the cheery mixture. Spoon the icing over top of each cooled hand pie and enjoy!⅔ cup vegan cream cheese, 1 tablespoon almond milk
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