Ready to bake up the most adorable, festive, and completely irresistible treats for your next holiday gathering or cozy winter day? These incredible, from-scratch-tasting Cherry Mitten Hand Pies are the ultimate festive bake! We’re talking a flaky, buttery pie crust, stuffed with a warm and gooey homemade cherry filling, and decorated to look just like a tiny, cozy winter mitten, complete with a fluffy cuff and delicate snowflakes.
This isn’t just another hand pie recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite edible winter craft. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to a flawless, no-leak hand pie and the easy, foolproof techniques for creating the stunning, professional-looking royal icing decorations. This is a guaranteed, crowd-pleasing hit that is as fun to make as it is to eat, perfect for a cookie exchange, a Christmas party, or a fun snow day project with the kids.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Cozy & Cute Holiday Treat
What makes these Mitten Hand Pies so spectacularly fun is their brilliant, adorable design and their classic, crowd-pleasing flavor. This recipe is a masterpiece of festive creativity. The “mitten” is a classic, handheld pie, made extra easy with a store-bought refrigerated pie crust. The filling is a simple, from-scratch, and perfectly balanced sweet-tart cherry filling. The real magic, however, is in the decoration. A beautiful, smooth royal icing is tinted a frosty blue and used to “knit” a beautiful pattern on the mitten, complete with a fluffy, white, ruffled “cuff” and a delicate sprinkle of snowflake sprinkles.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 3 hours (includes cooling & decorating) |
| Active Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
| Servings | 8-10 hand pies |
The Holiday Bakeshop: The Essential Ingredients & Tools
This iconic party treat uses a handful of high-quality ingredients and a few key tools to create its signature festive look.
- The Flaky Pie Crust (The Shortcut Superstar!):
- Refrigerated Pie Crust: This is the key to an incredibly easy and impressive treat! A box of your favorite brand of store-bought, refrigerated pie crust makes a wonderfully flaky, buttery, and golden-brown pastry with zero extra work.
- The Sweet-Tart Cherry Filling: A simple, from-scratch fruit filling is made with frozen cherries, sugar, and a hint of cinnamon. The secret to a perfect, thick, and non-runny filling that won’t make your pies soggy is a simple cornstarch slurry.
- The Royal Icing “Knitting”:
- Meringue Powder: This is the essential, modern secret to a safe, stable, and easy-to-use royal icing that dries to a hard, matte finish, perfect for intricate decorating.
- The Key Equipment: A cute, 4-inch mitten-shaped cookie cutter, a few piping bags, and some assorted piping tips (a flat/rose petal tip and a small round tip) are all you’ll need to bring your cozy mittens to life.
The Hand Pie Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfect, No-Leak Pastry
The number one, non-negotiable secret to a perfect hand pie that doesn’t leak its delicious filling all over your baking sheet is a good seal and a steam vent.
- The Egg Wash “Glue”: Brushing a thin layer of a simple egg wash around the border of your bottom crust before you add the top crust is the key that will act as a delicious, edible “glue,” helping the two layers to adhere to each other.
- The Crimp: After you have placed your top crust, use your fingers or the tines of a fork to firmly press down and crimp the edges of the hand pie to completely seal it shut.
- The Steam Vent: Before you bake, you must cut a small slit in the top of each hand pie. This is the crucial step that will allow the steam from the hot, bubbling fruit filling to escape, which prevents the pressure from building up and bursting through the seams of your pie.
Step-by-Step to the Best Mitten Hand Pies
This fun and festive project is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: Make the Warm Cherry Filling
In a medium saucepan, combine your 1 bag of thawed and drained frozen cherries, the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, the 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and a pinch of kosher salt. Bring this to a simmer over a medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes, until the cherries are juicy and the liquid begins to thicken.
In a small bowl, stir together the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water until it is smooth. Pour this cornstarch slurry into the saucepan and continue to simmer, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the filling has thickened. Transfer the filling to a bowl, stir in the 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and let it cool completely.
Part 2: The Flaky Mitten Crusts
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Step 2: On a lightly floured surface, unroll both of your pie crusts. Use a 4-inch mitten-shaped cutter to cut out as many mittens as you can. You should have 16 to 20 pieces in total. Step 3: Arrange half of your mitten cut-outs on your prepared baking sheets. In a small bowl, beat 1 large egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the edges of the mittens on the baking sheet with this egg wash. Step 4: Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of your cooled cherry filling in the center of each mitten. Do not overfill! Step 5: Cover each filled mitten with a second mitten cut-out, pressing down on the edges with your finger to seal it. Step 6: Brush the tops of the hand pies with the egg wash and cut one small slit in the top of each mitten to let the steam escape. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is a beautiful golden brown and crisp. Let the pies cool completely on a wire rack.
Part 3: The Art of Icing and Decoration
Step 1: To make the royal icing, beat 1 pound of confectioners’ sugar, 5 tablespoons of meringue powder, and 6 tablespoons of water in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft, glossy peaks form. Step 2: Divide your icing: Remove a third of the icing to a small bowl and keep it white. Add your blue gel food coloring to the remaining icing to make a light blue color. Step 3: Transfer your blue icing to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. Transfer half of your white icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip, and the other half to a pastry bag fitted with a rose petal tip. Step 4 (The Fun Part!): Pipe a thin blue border around the edge of each cooled mitten, leaving the cuff area plain. Fill in, or “flood,” the inside of the border with more blue icing and spread it smooth. Immediately sprinkle the wet icing with your snowflake sprinkles. Step 5: Use the white icing with the rose petal tip to pipe a beautiful, fluffy ruffle on the mitten cuff. Use the white icing with the plain round tip to pipe a decorative “stitching” detail around the edge of the mitten.
Let the icing harden completely, for about 1 hour, before serving.
Cherry Mitten Hand Pies (A Fun Holiday Recipe!)
A festive and fun recipe for ‘Cherry Mitten Hand Pies,’ perfect for a winter holiday treat. This from-scratch dessert uses refrigerated pie crusts as a convenient shortcut. The crust is cut into mitten shapes and filled with a simple, homemade cherry pie filling. After baking until golden, the cooled hand pies are elaborately decorated with light blue and white royal icing to create a detailed winter mitten design, complete with snowflake sprinkles and a fluffy cuff.
Ingredients
- For the Filling:
- One 10-ounce bag frozen cherries, thawed and chopped
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- For the Crust:
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- One 14- to 16-ounce box refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
- 1 large egg
- For the Royal Icing and Decoration:
- 1 pound confectioners’ sugar
- 5 tablespoons meringue powder
- Blue gel food coloring
- White snowflake sprinkles
Instructions
- Make the Filling: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, bring the cherries, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes until the liquid begins to thicken. Stir in a slurry of the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water and cook for 1-2 more minutes until thickened. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the lemon juice, and let it cool completely.
- Prepare the Crust: On a floured surface, unroll both pie crusts. Use a 4-inch mitten-shaped cutter to cut out 16 to 20 mitten shapes, rerolling the dough once.
- Assemble and Bake: Arrange half of the mittens on the prepared baking sheets. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the edges of the mittens with the egg wash. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cooled filling in the center of each.
- Cover each with a second mitten shape, pressing the edges to seal. Brush the tops with the egg wash and cut a small slit in each to let steam escape.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is golden and crisp. Let the pies cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the Icing and Decorate: Beat the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 6 tablespoons of water with an electric mixer until stiff, glossy peaks form. Color about two-thirds of the icing light blue.
- Transfer the blue icing and the white icing to separate piping bags. Pipe a blue border around the ‘hand’ part of the mitten, then fill it in (‘flood’) with more blue icing. Sprinkle with snowflake sprinkles.
- Use the white icing to pipe a fluffy ‘cuff’ and decorative ‘stitching’ details. Let the icing harden for about 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- Special Equipment: The recipe requires a 4-inch mitten-shaped cookie cutter and several pastry bags with various tips for decorating.
- This is a multi-step project that requires the cherry filling and the hand pies to cool completely before decorating with the royal icing.
- Using refrigerated pie crust is a key time-saving shortcut.
- The royal icing uses meringue powder, which allows it to dry hard and is a safe alternative to raw egg whites.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
These Mitten Hand Pies are the perfect make-ahead holiday treat!
- Make-Ahead: The unbaked, assembled hand pies can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored, well-covered, in the refrigerator. The baked and un-decorated hand pies will also stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Storage: Store the finished, decorated hand pies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a hand pie that doesn’t leak its filling in the oven?
The two most important secrets are a good seal and a steam vent. By brushing the edges with an egg wash and firmly crimping them, you are creating a strong seal. Cutting a small slit in the top of the pie is the crucial step that allows the steam to escape, which prevents the filling from bursting through the seams.
Q2: Can I make these hand pies ahead of time for a party?
Yes, these are a perfect make-ahead cookie! The best method is to freeze the unbaked, fully assembled hand pies. You can place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, and then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. You can then bake them directly from frozen, just be sure to add a few extra minutes to the total baking time.
Q3: What is meringue powder, and do I really need it for royal icing?
Meringue powder is a fine, white powder made from dried egg whites. It is the modern, secret weapon for a perfect royal icing because it is completely shelf-stable, easy to use, and eliminates any food safety concerns associated with using raw egg whites. It is the key to an icing that will whip up to a beautiful, stiff consistency and will dry to a hard, matte finish.
Q4: Can I make these with a different kind of filling?
Of course! This fun technique would also be fantastic with about a tablespoon of your favorite canned or homemade apple pie filling, a simple brown sugar and cinnamon mixture, or even a smear of Nutella®.
Q5: Can I make these in an air fryer?
Yes, an air fryer is a fantastic way to make these! Simply preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Place the assembled hand pies in a single layer in your air fryer basket. You will likely need to work in batches. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown and crispy.