Cherry Turnovers
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Flaky cherry turnovers are a nostalgic summer staple! This cherry hand pie recipe features light, crisp, buttery layers with amazing flake. This fruit-filled pastry is worthy of the best bakery in town. It’s super easy to make!
Prep a few extra batches of this blitz puff pastry dough recipe. Pair the dough with apple pie filling or lemon curd. Have a variety of homemade turnovers at the ready for breakfast or dessert!
INGREDIENTS
Baking homemade fruit-filled pastries is very simple! All it takes are farm-fresh cherries and some basic pantry items.
QUICK PUFF PASTRY DOUGH
- All-purpose flour
- Sea salt
- Baking powder
- Butter
- Sour cream
CHERRY PIE FILLING
- Fresh cherries
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon juice
- Sea salt
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Pure vanilla extract
FOR SEALING AND SPRINKLING
Coarse sugar crystals give cherry hand pies beautiful sparkling tops!
- Large egg
- Water
- Milk (for brushing the tops)
- Sparkling white sugar (coarse sugar crystals)
easy ingredient substitutions
Missing an ingredient for this cherry turnover recipe? Don’t put on your shoes and head to the market. Instead, head to your fridge and pantry. Look for these easy ingredient swaps!
PASTRY DOUGH
- ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: Bread flour and gluten-free flour also work well for this recipe!
- SOUR CREAM: The best swap is plain Greek yogurt.
- PUFF PASTRY DOUGH: Save time with a box of frozen puff pastry sheets. (Thaw according to package directions.)
FRUIT FILLING
- LEMON JUICE: Use lime juice or orange juice.
- VANILLA EXTRACT: Use 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.
- FRESH CHERRIES: Use a can of cherry pie filling.
BRUSHING + SPRINKLING
- MILK: Brush turnovers with cream. Or use the leftover egg wash from sealing the cherry hand pies for brushing the tops.
- SPARKLING WHITE SUGAR: Use turbinado sugar.
cherry turnoverS recipe
QUICK PUFF PASTRY DOUGH
This is a shortcut method for making puff pastry! It’s called quick puff or rough puff. For flaky layers the butter and sour cream must be very cold. If the weather’s hot, freeze the butter for 1 hour before starting the recipe.
RECIPE PREP: Cut sticks of cold butter into pats or pieces. If butter softens, stick it in the freezer to harden it up. It’s important that the butter stays as cold as possible!
- STEP 1: Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Add butter. Toss it in flour mixture. Lightly rub and press flour into the butter to create a coarse crumbly mixture. Most of the butter should remain visible so there will be marbling in the dough.
- STEP 2: Stir in the sour cream. The mixture will not be cohesive. It will not be a dough. It will be a loose, dry, crumbly mix.
- STEP 3: Turn it onto a well-floured board. Gather it together. Knead it into a dough. It may take a bit. Be patient. It will become a cohesive ball.* Dust board with flour. Pat dough into a square. Roll it into an 8″ x 10″ rectangle. If at any time the dough becomes warm, chill it in the freezer.
- STEP 4: Dust both sides of the dough with flour. From a shorter end, fold dough in thirds like a business letter. Rotate dough a quarter turn. Roll it into an 8″ x 10″ rectangle. Fold it in three. Slip dough into a zip-top bag. Chill it in the freezer 20 minutes (or refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight).
*IF DOUGH DOESN’T COME TOGETHER: Add ice-cold water, up to 3 tablespoons, as needed. But keep in mind, the dough should not be moist or sticky. Moisture is not the friend of flaky pastry.
CHERRY PIE FILLING
RECIPE PREP: Prepare an ice-water bath. Fill a broiler pan or an oversized bowl with ice water. Pull out an aluminum pie pan or a stainless steel bowl. Set them aside.
- STEP 1: Remove cherry stems and pits.
- STEP 2: In a ramekin, mix the cornstarch with water until it dissolves and looks milky. Set the bowl aside.
- STEP 3: In a medium saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to simmer.
- STEP 4: Stir in cornstarch slurry until fully incorporated. Cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until cherries soften and liquid thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Transfer cherry pie filling to prepared ice water bath. Let it it sit for 20 minutes to shed heat and chill. Refrigerate until it’s time to assemble the cherry hand pies.
ASSEMBLE CHERRY TURNOVERS
RECIPE PREP: Line 2 rimmed baking trays with parchment paper. Put them aside.
- STEP 1: Roll out chilled dough into a 15-inch square between 1/8″ and 1/4″ thick. Cut out 9 squares.
- STEP 2: In a ramekin, beat an egg with 1 tablespoon cold water. Brush all edges of the pastry squares with egg wash.
- STEP 3: Work with 1 pastry square at a time. Place 2 tablespoons cherry pie filling slightly off-center in the square. There should be more cherries than thickened juices. Fold square in half diagonally to form a triangular turnover. With tines of a fork, close and seal edges. Transfer to a lined baking sheet. Refrigerate hand pies for 30 minutes, uncovered. Or stick tray into the freezer 20 minutes.
- STEP 4: Adjust oven rack to center position. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly brush tops of turnovers with milk. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden blonde.
RECIPE NOTE: Some filling may ooze out during baking. Cool cherry turnovers on a rack. Serve and enjoy while warm or at room temperature.
RECIPE FAQ
The fruit-filling can be doubled, but not the puff pastry dough. If more dough is desired, it’s best to make it in separate batches.
The quick version of puff pastry dough takes just 15 minutes to make. Then it must chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. It’s different than regular puff pastry dough that takes longer, but it’s so delightful.
Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets are approximately 9.75″ x 10.5″ x 3/16. There are 2 sheets in each package. If using this pre-made option for cherry hand pies, the product will yield 8 cherry turnovers.
For best results, thaw the box of Pepperidge Farm brand frozen puff pastry sheets in the refrigerator overnight.
It takes 38 minutes from start to finish before the mixture is ready to use. Time breakdown: 10 minutes to remove cherry stems and pits. About 8 minutes to cook and thicken cherries on stovetop. About 20 minutes to shed heat and chill in an ice-water bath.
One can Duncan Hines Comstock Cherry Pie Filling contains about 2 1/3 cups of product.
This cherry pie filling recipe from scratch yields about 2 1/3 cups.
An OXO Cherry Pitter. This tool is the easiest way to pit cherries quickly. If you don’t have one on hand, open your kitchen tool drawer. Look for these options: metal decorating tip, metal drinking straw, or a chopstick. Carefully apply pressure at stem indention and push.
Place turnovers in an air-tight container or wrap in plastic. Store on a cool countertop for 1 to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month.
Yes! Place unbaked turnovers in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined tray. Freeze until solid. Transfer pies to an airtight container or freezer bag. To bake, add a few minutes to original baking time.
more eASY SUMMER DESSERTS
If you loved these flaky cherry turnovers, you’ll be excited to try these delicious summer desserts!
RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Friends and family say these are the best cherry turnovers! The pastries are beautifully flaky. The filling is perfect. Not too sweet and not too tart.
If you love this easy recipe for cherry hand pie, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. And share it with a friend!
Cherry Turnovers
- Total Time: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
- Yield: 9 Pastries 1x
Description
These flaky cherry hand pies are bakery-worthy treats. Enjoy them for breakfast, snacks or dessert. It’s easy to make cherry turnovers from scratch! Or save time with store-bought puff pastry sheets and/or canned fruit filling.
Ingredients
QUICK PUFF PASTRY DOUGH
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (+ more for dusting)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, cold
- 1/2 cup sour cream
CHERRY PIE FILLING
RECIPE YIELD: 2 1/3 cups cooked fruit filling
- 3 rounded cups fresh cherries (about 70), stemmed & pitted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR SEALING AND SPRINKLING
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons milk (for brushing the tops)
- Sparkling white sugar (coarse sugar crystals)
Instructions
QUICK PUFF PASTRY DOUGH
RECIPE PREP: Cut sticks of cold butter into pats or pieces. If butter softens, stick it in the freezer to harden it up. It’s important that the butter stays as cold as possible!
- Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Add butter. Toss it in flour mixture. Lightly rub and press flour into the butter to create a coarse crumbly mixture. Most of the butter should remain visible so there will be marbling in the dough.
- Stir in the sour cream. The mixture will not be cohesive. It will not be a dough. It will be a loose, dry, crumbly mix.
- Turn it onto a well-floured board. Gather it together. Knead it into a dough. It may take a bit. Be patient. It will become a cohesive ball.* Dust board with flour. Pat dough into a square. Roll it into an 8″ x 10″ rectangle. If at any time the dough becomes warm, immediately chill it in the fridge or freezer.
- Dust both sides of the dough with flour. From a shorter end, fold dough in thirds like a business letter. Rotate dough a quarter turn. Roll it into an 8″ x 10″ rectangle. Fold it in three. Slip dough into a zip-top bag. Chill in the freezer 20 minutes (or refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight).
*IF DOUGH DOESN’T COME TOGETHER: Add ice-cold water, up to 3 tablespoons, as needed. But keep in mind, the dough should not be moist or sticky. Moisture is not the friend of flaky pastry.
CHERRY PIE FILLING
RECIPE PREP: Prepare an ice-water bath. Fill a broiler pan or an oversized bowl with ice water. Pull out an aluminum pie pan or a stainless steel bowl. Set them aside.
- Remove cherry stems and pits.
- In a ramekin, mix the cornstarch with water until it dissolves and looks milky. Set the bowl aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to simmer.
- Stir in cornstarch slurry until fully incorporated. Cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until cherries soften and liquid thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Transfer cherry pie filling to prepared ice water bath. Let it it sit for 20 minutes to shed heat and chill. Refrigerate.
ASSEMBLE CHERRY TURNOVERS
RECIPE PREP: Line 2 rimmed baking trays with parchment paper. Put them aside.
- Roll out chilled dough into a 15-inch square between 1/8″ and 1/4″ thick. Cut out 9 squares.
- In a ramekin, beat an egg with 1 tablespoon cold water. Brush all edges of the pastry squares with egg wash.
- Work with 1 pastry square at a time. Place 2 tablespoons cherry pie filling slightly off-center in the square. There should be more cherries than thickened juices. Fold square in half diagonally to form a triangular turnover. With tines of a fork, close and seal edges. Transfer to a lined baking sheet. Refrigerate hand pies for 30 minutes, uncovered. Or stick tray into the freezer 20 minutes.
- Adjust oven rack to center position. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly brush tops of turnovers with milk. Sprinkle with sparking sugar. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden blonde.
RECIPE NOTE: Some filling may ooze out during baking. That’s normal! Cool cherry turnovers on a rack. Serve and enjoy while warm or at room temperature.
Notes
CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED? The fruit-filling can be doubled, but not the puff pastry dough. If more dough is desired, it’s best to make it in separate batches.
HOW TO STORE BAKED TURNOVERS: Place turnovers in an air-tight container or wrap in plastic. Store on a cool countertop for 1 to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month.
HOW TO FREEZE UNBAKED TURNOVERS: Place unbaked turnovers in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined tray. Freeze until solid. Transfer pies to an airtight container or freezer bag. To bake, add a few minutes to original baking time.
- Prep Time: 35 Minutes
- Chill Time: 1 Hour
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
CHERRY HAND PIE > JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Have you ever tried homemade cherry hand pies? What do you think of this flaky cherry turnovers recipe? Share your thoughts in the comments!
These Cherry Turnovers are incredibly yummy. The pastry is flaky, and the filling almost melts in your mouth. I’ve tried many recipes. These are the BEST ones by far.
I love any kind of cherry dessert and these turnovers looks amazing. They make a nice change from apple too.
I totally love the fresh cherry pie filling in this recipe! It was really easy to make. The taste and texture is way better than fruit filling from a can.
Great recipe! Perfect to freeze and enjoy anytime. Thanks for showing me a great way to use cherries!
I’m planning to make these a second time! This recipe came out great. Cherry turnovers are just so festive! This next batch is for an upcoming 4th of July party.
This is a fantastic recipe for cherry turnovers! A summer favorite for my family!
Such a classic and delicious treat! Exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth; definitely a new favorite recipe! It was delicious!