Mini Cherry Pies (Paleo, Low-Carb)

These incredible mini cherry pies are great for when you want just a small treat after dinner. Tasty, sweet and tart, these cherry pies are a crowd pleaser! Gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, dairy-free, low-carb, ketogenic. 

I can’t even tell you how long Shane has been pestering me to make him a cherry pie. I’ve never been the world’s biggest fan of pie, and the cherry pie filling from a can really never appealed to me.

I’m of the mindset that homemade is always best, and I’m not willing to compromise on some foods I put into my body, now that I have a keen understanding of the foods that make me feel good.

So I knew if I made a cherry pie I was willing to eat, it would have to live up to my expectations. It had to be gluten and grain-free, made with fresh cherries, low in sugar and moderate in size.

I try not to overdo it on sweets, and in order to keep it lower carb, I knew I would have to make them into little cups for portion control. PLUS there was the added complication of waiting for cherries to be in season.

I’m happy to report that the time has finally come to make these little guys, and let me tell you, it was not the easiest recipe to come up with. There’s a lot that goes into these little but mighty desserts.

If you’re looking for a quick and simple recipe, these mini cherry pies are one of the few recipes on my site that I would advise you against making. But for those willing to take the plunge, there is a HUGE payoff at the end! Alright, let’s jump in!

Start by pitting the cherries. I love me some fresh cherries, and may have snacked on a few while doing so. It’s the perfect prequel for what is to come!

Add the pitted cherries to a small pot and add in some sweetener (I used a stevia/erythritol blend), and some lemon juice. Turn heat to medium low and simmer until the cherries become soft and start to release their juices.

It’s up to you how liquidy you want the filling. I wanted mine to still resemble whole cherries, so I didn’t cook them down too much.

While the filling is cooking down, make the pie crust recipe here. Start by mixing your almond flour, cassava flour, water and sweetener together in a bowl until well-incorporated. Roll out dough into a thin sheet with a rolling pin, between two sheets of parchment paper. You want to roll it out to roughly 1/4 inch thick.

I do recommend using parchment paper underneath the cups, so you can easily pull them out. I made the mistake of not doing so the first time, and did end up breaking a few of the crusts. They are a bit fragile, so do be careful!

Using a cookie cutter or cup, cut dough into 6 circles, approximately 3 inches (75 mm) in size each. Remove excess dough and cut parchment paper so you can lift each circle individually.

Flip dough and parchment paper over, and gently place dough into 1 of the 8 muffin tin holes. If your dough falls apart, just reform it after it goes into the tin.

Spoon in your filling and bake! You could add a crumble or more dough on top, if you like. I decided to keep mine open-faced because I just love how deep dark purple those cherries are! So rich and full of antioxidants.

If you give these mini cherry pies a try, please let me know what you think in the comments below. Also be sure to follow us on Facebook and Pinterest so you don’t miss a recipe!

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Print Recipe

Mini Cherry Pies

These incredible mini cherry pies are great for when you want just a small treat after dinner. Tasty, sweet and tart, these cherry pies are a crowd pleaser! Gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, dairy-free, low-carb, ketogenic. 

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cherry pies, low-carb

Servings: 6 pies

Ingredients

For Filling

• 1.5 cup fresh cherries pitted (340 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons granulated sweetener of choice 1 tablespoon for more tart, 2 tablespoons for more sweet, I recommend a stevia/erythritol blend
• 2 teaspoons tapioca starch or cassava flour
• 1/4 cup water

For Crust

• 1 batch low-carb pie crust click here for recipe

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Gather 8 silicone baking cups. Alternatively, you can use the muffin tin directly, as long as it is greased well (I recommend coconut oil).
• To make filling, add fresh cherries, lemon juice, sweetener, water and tapioca starch/cassava flour to a pot over medium heat. Cook until the cherries start to release their liquid and sauce begins to thicken, approximately 5 minutes.
• While the cherries are cooking, mix ingredients to make the low-carb pie crust. You want the consistency to be nice and solid, but not crumbly.
• Place dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to approximately 1/4 inch thick (6 mm). Remove top layer of parchment paper.
• Using a cookie cutter or cup, cut dough into 8 circles, approximately 3 inches (75 mm) in size each. Remove excess dough and cut parchment paper so you can lift each circle individually. Alternatively, if you don't have a cookie cutter of the right size, you can split the dough into 8 evenly sized balls, then roll them out with the rolling pin.
• Flip dough and parchment paper over, and gently place dough into a silicone baking cup. If your dough falls apart, just reform it after it goes into the cup.
• Repeat for all 8 cups. Add to oven for 5-6 minutes.
• Spoon filling into each of the cups after removing from oven.
• If you want to do the lattice, or another design on top, you will need to increase the amount of pie crust used. Add that additional pie crust now, if desired.
• Place muffin tin on middle or lower rack of oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.
• Allow to cool before removing from baking cups.

Notes

Nutrition Facts (per pie, recipe makes 8 pies): 74 calories, 4 g fat, 14 g total carbs, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugar alcohols (10 g net carbs), 2 g protein