Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake Hand Pies
Hold deliciousness in the palm of your hand with this easy recipe for Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake Hand Pies! They are so delightfully fun and delicious that you won’t want to let them go!
These sensational Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake Hand Pies are the grown-up rendition of everyone’s favorite childhood treat! No matter your age everyone lights up at the delicious sight of a tasty hand pie. That is why this nostalgic dessert is sure to hit just right.
These irresistible chocolate hand pies are loaded with creamy strawberry cheesecake filling. It’s a familiar flavor mash-up with a fun and playful twist that will delight your taste buds and your inner child! Plus, they look so cute you almost won’t want to eat them!
The real wonder of these yummy handheld treats is how easy they are to make! This recipe uses common ingredients that are probably already in your pantry and the method is so simple that cooks of all levels can whip up this delicious dessert!
If you are looking for some other cheesecake treats to try, here are a few.
- No Bake Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Recipe
- Cheesecake Raspberry Galette Recipe
- Homemade Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- Easy No-Bake Oreo Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Ingredients You Need for Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake Hand Pies
Cream Cheese: In this recipe, the cream cheese will be melted so keep it easy and use the brick-style of this ingredient. You can also opt to use low-fat cream cheese if you prefer.
Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract or scraping from a vanilla bean will add a deliciously sweet and smooth flavor to these treats!
Sugar: Granulated sugar brings the sweet flavor you want from the cheesecake filling. It also brings a little sweetness to round out the chocolate flavor of the hand-pie dough.
Water: A little water helps keep the creamy filling soft and smooth.
Strawberry Pie Gel: Strawberry pie gel can be found in the baking section of your local grocery store. It is a sweet and spreadable filling that tastes great in these tasty pies.
Flour: All-purpose flour is the perfect commonly on-hand choice for this easy dessert recipe.
Salt: For this recipe, use fine-grain salt to highlight all the yummy sweet notes in the cocoa-infused dough.
Unsalted Butter: Cold butter makes pie dough flaky and oh-so-tasty! If you only have salted butter, use a little less salt in the dough to balance out the flavor.
Ice Water: Cold ice water helps turn the pie dough into a pliable mixture that can be cut and filled.
Dark Cocoa Powder: This ingredient works with the flour to form the pie dough and it brings loads of rich chocolatey flavor. Always remember to sift cocoa powder well before using because it is prone to clumping.
How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake Hand Pies
- Prepare the pie dough. Sift the flour, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl.
- Use a pastry cutter to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles pea-sized gravel.
- Mix in the ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball. Let it rest.
- Dust your work surface with flour and cocoa powder. Roll out the dough into a rectangle with a thickness of about ¼-inch. Dust as needed.
- Cut the dough into equal-sized shapes and arrange them on a lined baking sheet.
- Prepare the filling. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and cream cheese.
- Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring often. Continue heating until the cream cheese has fully melted. Remove the mixture from the heat. Stir in the vanilla.
- Assemble and bake the hand pies. Add a small strip of strawberry pie gel to the center of one side of each pie. Add one spoonful of the cream cheese filling. Fill half of the dough shapes and then cover each filled section with an unfilled dough sheet. Seal the edges by pressing them together with a fork.
- Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow them to cool slightly before enjoying them!
Expert Tips
When making the hand pie dough keeping your cool is key, literally! Keeping everything cold helps create a nice, flaky, buttery layering in the pie dough. For the best results, use cold butter and water. You can also chill your bowl and pastry cutter.
Don’t have a pastry cutter? Don’t worry! Grate the butter into the flour mixture and use a large fork to help cut it into the dry ingredients.
If you prefer a more natural flavor, you can use strawberry preserves instead of pie gel. Or you can swap the strawberry altogether for another type of berry preserves or pie gel.
You can have a lot of fun with the shape of these treats. Use rectangular, circular, or even heart-shaped cutters to make these cute cheesecake pies.
Serving Ideas
These delectable cheesecake hand pies are perfect when enjoyed freshly baked and warm, but they also taste great after chilling out in the fridge. They are incredible at parties and always a hit with young, and young-at-heart, eaters.
Pair these yummy hand pies with warm coffee, black tea, or a cold glass of milk.
Storing Suggestions
These delicious pies can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
You can enjoy the leftover cheesecake hand pies straight out of the fridge or try warming them back up.
The microwave is a great way to warm the pie back up. Another great option is to Reheat them in the air fryer for a few minutes to make them crispy and warm in the middle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I Frost The Hand Pies?
A: Yes. These pies are perfect in the buff, but if you want a little something extra, you can make a quick glaze or simply dust them with powdered sugar.
Q: Can I Freeze These Hand Pies?
A: Yes, you can freeze them! To freeze, allow the pies to cool completely and then wrap each one in plastic wrap. Place the pies into a freezer-safe bag, label, and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the bag in the fridge overnight.
Q: Are Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake Hand Pies Nut-Free?
A: Yes, this recipe is naturally nut-free!
Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake Hand Pies
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling:
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of water
- Strawberry Pie Gel
Pie Crust:
- 1 ½ Cups Flour
- A pinch of salt
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Stick Butter
- 1 Tbsp Ice Water
- 2 Tbsp Dark Cocoa Powder
Instructions
Pie Crust:
- Sift flour, sugar, salt and cocoa powder together into a mixing bowl.
- Discard any lumps.
- Using a pastry cutter work the butter into the dry mix until the butter is in small pea sized bits.
- If you do not have a pastry cutter you can grate the butter into the flour mixture with a cheese grater.
- Begin adding very cold water one tablespoon at a time, mixing as you go until the crust forms together into a ball.
- Allow the crust to rest in the bowl for a moment while you prepare the surface you will roll the crust out on.
- Sprinkle a little flour and dark cocoa powder on the work area and swirl it around to mix.
- Begin rolling out your dough, dusting with the flour as needed, until you have a rectangle of dough that is ¼” thick.
- Cut out shapes in the dough, you can use a rectangle shape, circles, whatever you like.
- Place the cut out dough on a baking sheet and begin to prepare your filling according to the directions below.
Cheesecake Filling:
- In a small saucepan add sugar, water, and cream cheese.
- Over low heat melt the cream cheese, stirring often.
- When the cream cheese has completely melted remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.
Assemble & Bake
- When the filling is ready, begin by adding a smidge of strawberry pie gel to the center, then spooning on a little of the cream cheese filling. Be careful to only add about a spoonful of each to the dough! Fill half of the sections of dough. Cover with an additional dough section and seal by pressing a fork lightly into the dough.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, at 350 degrees.
These Are Estimated Nutrition Facts
Know that estimated nutrition facts are just a guideline and will vary depending on any variation you make or brand you use from what we have listed.
