These Air Fryer Cherry Hand Pies are perfectly portioned, two-bite tender cherry pies with a sweet glaze. Perfect for the summer months since they’re made in the air fryer for convenience (and no heating up the house!). Don’t have an air fryer? There’s a baking option, too!
I fully admit it: I’m a Fourth of July grinch.
I absolutely, positively, with every fiber in my being HATE the Fourth of July. Not for the message, of course – love my independence! – but for the weather and the certain explosives Americans adore so much.
I am a total firework grinch. Actually, “grinch” is putting it lightly. I’m an expletive you don’t ever want to hear a young lady say. That is how much I loathe them.
I’ve never really liked them, actually. They’re so loud and aggressive and expensive. They don’t make me feel any more magical. I don’t find them romantic. I just can’t help but think about all the poor animals or veterans with PTSD who have to suffer that night and the nights leading up to it.
And the people in my neighborhood Facebook group are the WORST. They act like it’s grounds for child abuse if their kid can’t see fireworks, or hold their tradition over helpless lil cuddly animals who are scared to death. It’s just selfish and I hate it!
But anyway, I won’t ramble on about it anymore because I guarantee some backwoods ninny is going to come at me for expressing my distaste for explosives. Spare me. (Also, thanks for the money it took for you to click to my site and comment – I’ll use it to donate to an animal shelter near me!).
Back to food: I don’t mind summer BBQ food, though, and there seems to be a plethora of it this time of year. I can’t walk outside without smelling delicious grilled foods sizzling away on the barbecues. I love nothing more than a fresh white summer corn char-grilled and slathered with butter, or blistered jalapenos in a smoky pico de gallo.
I think BBQ foods are as popular as they are (besides being delicious of course) is because they don’t require turning on your oven and heating up your entire house. I can’t stand to do that because I want my house to remain a meat locker-temperature at all times. So I got to thinking and that’s exactly how these Air Fryer Cherry Hand Pies were born!
I got an air fryer for Christmas and have been experimenting with desserts in it. I already knew it was delicious for perfectly crisp homemade French fries and fried chicken, but you won’t believe how tasty and simple these hand pies are!
What’s an air fryer, you ask? It’s an appliance that uses convection heat to circulate around your food, essentially “frying” it without any oil. It results in super crispy things like fries and mozzarella sticks, but can even cook steaks, chicken, turkey breasts, and more! I usually don’t like to buy all the latest appliances but this one is amazing since it’s a healthy alternative to frying and makes things crispier than a traditional oven.
Take some refrigerated pie crusts and roll them out. Use a 4.5″ round biscuit cutter (or I used the lid to a reusable tumbler!) to cut out circles of dough. Drop a Tablespoon of pie filling (I obviously used cherry!) in the center, then brush a little water around the edge of the circle and fold over the side to seal. It’s okay if some pie filling seeps out – no prob! – just crimp the edges with a fork and poke a couple of holes in the top for steam to vent.
Then you just pop them in the air fryer at 370 degrees F for 8 minutes and voila! Perfectly portioned irresistible hand pies! I drove home the irresistible factor by dunking them in a simple powdered sugar glaze, but that’s totally optional.
Don’t like cherry pie filling? (Are you even American though??) Simply substitute with ANY other flavor of pie filling (these are especially amazing with blueberry or apple pie filling!). You could even fill these with chopped up candy bars (Reese’s cups!!) or fillings like marshmallow fluff and peanut butter.
But whatever you do, make them and enjoy them no matter what you’re doing for the Fourth!
Air Fryer Cherry Hand Pies
Ingredients
- One (2-count package) refrigerated pie crusts nearly to room temperature
- One (21-ounce can) cherry pie filling or you may use any pie filling you'd like!
- 2¼ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer appliance to 370 degrees F if it has a preheat option.
- Unroll the pie crusts one at a time and cut out 4-4.5" rounds using a round biscuit cutter (or I used the lid to a reusable tumbler). Top the center of each circle of dough with a heaping Tablespoon of cherry pie filling. Moisten the edges of the circle with a little water, then gently fold over one side of the circle to the other, forming a half-moon shape, pressing the edges to seal. It's perfectly okay if some filling leaks out of the sides. Crimp the edges with a fork and poke a couple of wholes in the top.
- Place 3-5 hand pies into the air fryer basket and spritz each very lightly with butter-flavored cooking spray. Bake for 8 minutes at 370 degrees F or until pies are golden brown and set.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and milk until a smooth glaze comes together. Dunk each pie, one at a time, in the glaze coating all sides. Remove with a fork and transfer to a wax-paper lined cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set, about 15 minutes, before serving. Repeat with baking and glazing remaining pies.
- DON'T HAVE AN AIR FRYER? Simply bake these on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 400 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes, checking at the 15 minute mark.
You are going to love these crispy, flaky, buttery, delicate little hand pies! Perfect for the Fourth of July festivities coming up!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
Charlie says
It is an awesome recipe. I like oily food. Can I add here a little bit more oil in this recipe?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Charlie! I don’t think so. I mean, I suppose you could brush oil on the unbaked pies before air frying.
Shelley Lane says
These were super easy to make. I like the idea of dipping them in the glaze. Very pretty!
Dina says
Do you flip half way through?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Dina, I did not!
Dina says
Made today, turned out great. The hardest part was finding something large enough to make the circles. I used a margarita glass. Tasty recipe!
Sophia says
Hello, these look super amazing!! How do you make the glaze??
Rubsamen Lesa says
The recipe says… In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and milk until a smooth glaze comes together