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mini cherry pies

Mini Cherry Pies

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  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 35 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Mini Cherry Pies are delicious little desserts made with a 4-ingredient crust, cherry pie filling, and a streusel topping. It’s perfect for summer gatherings topped with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.   


Ingredients

Units Scale

Filling

  • 12 oz. pitted frozen or fresh cherries, (if using frozen no need to thaw out)
  • 1/3 cup cane sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice

Crust

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. cane sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, spoon & leveled

Streusel

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Special Tools


Instructions

  1. To make the filling: In a small saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, and chia seeds. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
  3. To make the crust: In a medium bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar with an electric mixer on high until smooth and creamy. Add flour and beat on low speed until it comes together. The mixture will first be crumbly but then form into dough consistency.
  4. Divide the dough evenly between the muffin pan, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Press the dough onto the bottoms and halfway up the sides of the muffin cups.  You can use a small spoon or your fingers for this part.
  5. Spoon the cherry filling evenly into each pastry-lined muffin cup. Set aside.
  6. To make the streusel: In a bowl, whisk together the flour and brown sugar. Add melted butter and with a fork toss together until combined. You want the butter to absorb all of the flour and the mixture to be clumpy. Do not overmix or it will turn into paste.
  7. Sprinkle streusel evenly over each cherry-filled muffin cup.
  8. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until crust is golden. Cool in muffin cups for about 10 minutes then run a sharp knife around the edge of the pies to slightly release and using the tip of the knife lift the pie out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Cherries: Fresh cherries will require a few extra minutes to soften than frozen cherries. After 10 minutes, check for doneness. Cherries should be soft but still hold their shape.
  • Chia seeds: I prefer to use chia seeds to thicken the cherry filling instead of cornstarch. Feel free to use cornstarch if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Cream cheese: Make sure to use cream cheese sold in a brick and not in a tub.
  • Recipe originally published November 2015

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 mini pie
  • Calories: 221
  • Sugar: 14.7 g
  • Sodium: 24.4 mg
  • Fat: 12.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.2 g
  • Protein: 2.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 32.6 mg