Vegan Cherry Hand Pies
If you know me, you know that I am a savory gal. Most of the time, I crave nothing but salty, sour, and spicy. Lately though, and I have no idea why, I have been craving sweet stuff something fierce. My family is definitely not complaining, and gobble up the sweet treats with glee.
If you are also a sweet treat lover, and looking to omit or limit cream and butter from your diet, baking can seem a bit mind boggling, and you might be tempted to give up altogether. Never fear though! It wasn’t until I explored vegan baking and dessert making that I started making any sweets at all!
Before we get into the deliciousness that is these easy, sweet, and tart cherry hand pies (which are the best accompaniment for picnics and ice cream), I want to share my top vegan baking replacements:
Egg Replacement:
1 tablespoon freshly ground flaxseed or chia seeds, mixed with 3 tablespoons water and allowed to set for 10 minutes
Full Fat Cream Replacement:
Full fat coconut cream. I have found the best result with Kara brand coconut cream that is first refrigerated over night. If that is not available, you can use a can of coconut cream, turn it upside down and refrigerate overnight. The next day, turn it right side up, open, and scoop out the thick cream.
Milk Replacement:
Soy milk works like a charm, as it has a great protein to fat ratio. If there is a soy allergy to consider, regular coconut milk or oat milk will have the creaminess you are looking for.
Butter Replacement:
There are many vegan butter replacements on the market now, and if you are in a pinch, you can use margarine. However, with a few ingredients, you can make the best vegan butter around (recipe coming soon!).
There are also certain recipes that you can sub butter for vegetable or coconut oil, like cakes. Sometimes, you can also sub butter with apple sauce! I love using apple sauce in cakes as it makes them oh so moist.
Now, let’s get to making easy vegan cherry hand pies!
Vegan Cherry Hand Pies
These cherry hand pies are super simple because they use pre-made filling. The hardest thing will be to wait for them to cool!
Ingredients
- 1/2 C cold coconut cream
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 C all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbs white or coconut sugar
- 8 oz. cold vegan butter, cut into cubes
- 1 can of cherry pie filling
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbs soy milk or other non-dairy milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the coconut cream and apple cider vinegar. Set aside and let curdle and thicken for about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Next, add in cold butter and using either a pastry cutter or your hands, mix the dough very well. It should be super crumbly and not really stick together. Alternatively you can add the ingredients to a food processor, which makes it super quick and easy. Just add ingredients and process until well combined and crumbly.
- In the bowl, mix in the coconut cream and apple cider vinegar mixture with a spatula, and combine well. Once the dough begins sticking together a bit, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface.
- Using your hands, form the dough into a 10 inch long log. Then, using a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 10X12" in size. Then, fold into thirds by folding one of the short ends of the rectangle into the center, then the other side over it (think folding a piece of paper in order to put it in an envelope).
- Roll out the folded dough into a 10X12" rectangle again. Wrap carefully and tightly in plastic wrap then place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
- After the dough is done chilling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet and line it with baking paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly dusted work surface. Roll it into a rectangle again until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick. Next, using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut it into 12 rectangles or equal size.
- Place 6 pieces of the prepared dough triangles onto the baking sheet, making sure they are evenly spaced out. Then, spoon about 2 tbs of the cherry pie filling onto one of the triangles (you might have to strain out some of the liquid depending on how thick your filling is). Place one of the cut rectangles from your work surface on top. Repeat process with the remaining dough pieces.
- Next, on each of the hand pies, gently cut 3 diagonal air vents across the top. Then, using the tips of fork prongs, gently seal the edges.
- Mix maple syrup and non-dairy milk together in a small bowl and then generously brush the hand pies with the mixture. This will make the hand pies a beautiful golden brown color. If desired, sprinkle bit of sugar to the top for an extra touch of sweetness.
- Place baking tray in preheated oven on the middle rack and bake for about 15 minutes. If needed (like I do with my dodgy oven), remove the tray and turn it around so the pies bake evenly. Then bake for another 10 minutes or so, until all of the hand pies are golden brown.
- Once, ready, remove hand pies from the oven and place hand pies on a cooling rack, and cool for 10 minutes. Eat and enjoy!
Looking for more vegan dessert ideas? Check these out!
Vegan Chocolate and Strawberry Pie
Vegan No Bake Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake
The Best Vegan Chocolate Brownies