Vegan Cherry Pie Cups

These sweet-tart Vegan Cherry Pie Cups are perfectly portioned for outdoor potlucks, but good luck eating just one! Their buttery, flaky crusts and easy made-from-scratch filling make these mini pies downright addictive.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 45

Servings: servings

Calories: 210kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Pie Crust

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
10 tbsp. vegan butter
½ cup coconut oil, chilled
3-4 tbsp. ice water

Cherry Filling

4 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter and coconut oil in small pieces – about 1 tablespoon in size – and add to the dry ingredients. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, press the butter and coconut oil into the flour until the fats are evenly distributed and the dough resembles small pea-size pieces.
Dribble 1 tablespoon of ice water over the flour mixer and kneed together with your hands. Add water as necessary. You want a fairly dry dough (this creates the flakiness) but that has enough moisture to roll out and shape. Place the dough onto a piece of floured parchment paper and roll it out until your dough is about ⅛" thick. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Using a 5" circle cutter, cut circles in the dough, cutting them as close as possible. Reroll the scraps and continue cutting circles until you have 18 rounds. Fit the rounds into 18 ungreased muffin cups, pressing in gently. Return to the refrigerator while making the filling.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Combine all the ingredients for the filling in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are tender and the juices have thickened.
Evenly divided the filling (about 2 tablespoons per cup) into the chilled dough. Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered until the cherries are bubbling up and the dough is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with non-dairy ice cream of your choice.

Notes

Serving and storing - One of the best parts about these mini cherry pie cups is that they're perfect to let everyone serve themselves! They're delicious at room temperature or slightly warm. Serve with a scoop of vanilla vegan ice cream. Any leftover pies can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days, or wrapped well and frozen for up to three months.

Make in Advance - If you want to prepare this pie in advance but don’t want a soggy crust, you can prepare the filling and crust separately. Store the pie filling in the freezer for up to 2 months or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The crust should be made within a day of assembling the pies.

Recipe Tips

Make sure to use chilled coconut oil. This is used in place of shortening. If your coconut oil is not properly chilled, you won’t have a flaky crust.
When possible, opt for fresh fruit. However, when fresh berries are not possible, frozen berries can be substituted. To use frozen, follow these tips:
1. Place the cherries in a colander and run them under room temperature water, breaking them up with your fingers. This will allow the excess juices and water to run out.
2. Let the cherries sit in the colander for at least 30 minutes so all the water has drained from them. If they are still wet, they will add liquid to your filling.
3. Gently pat the cherries dry with a paper towel before mixing them with sugar and cornstarch.

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