Mini blueberry hand pies are a few bites of fruity bliss. Imagine the best blueberry pie filling nestled in bite-sized in buttery, flakey pie crust. These beauties freeze well so you can get a few bites of blueberry pie all year round.
These mini fruit hand pies are like the cutest blueberry dessert empanadas.
Tiny pies are perfect for indulging in pie without taking a wild trip on the calorie train. Part blueberry empanadas and part blueberry Pop-Tart – these individual blueberry pies are filled with the best homemade blueberry pie filling.
Not only are these mini blueberry pies delicious, but this recipe is also a recipe for baked hand pies. Because this mini blueberry pie recipe isn't the typical fried version of hand pies, you can feel a little bit better about eating them.
Creating these mini berry pies started with making a homemade blueberry pie recipe.
I was flipping through one of my food magazines and came across a recipe for a double-crust huckleberry pie.
The homemade berry pie filling was cooked down into a vibrant and bright berry compote and then baked between two layers of flaky pie crust. I wanted to create this same thick, jammy berry pie filling in my Easy Blueberry Pie Recipe.
Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling! Yes, please!
How to make the best blueberry pie filling.
I don't want to brag but this blueberry pie filling recipe is a keeper. I am definitely going to make it again and put it into a full-sized double-crusted pie.
PRO TIP: You can make a blueberry pie with frozen berries if fresh blueberries aren't in season.
STEP 1: Start with 6 cups of Berries: Use fresh or frozen berries. Add them to a large skillet.
STEP 2: Add the sugar to the skillet and cook on medium. Continue to cook the berries until the sugar is dissolved and all of the berries have broken down. You can cook the berries for a longer or shorter time depending on how "jammy" you want your filling to be. The longer you let them cook, the thicker the filling will be.
STEP 3: Add the cornstarch slurry to the berries and bring the berry filling to boil. You can also use arrowroot powder for this step.
STEP 4: Remove the berries from the heat. Then add the lemon, the lemon zest, and the cinnamon.
The first homemade blueberry pie recipe.
Don't get me wrong this was really good blueberry pie, but I still wanted the filling to be thick and jammy.
The huckleberry pie filling that I had seen in the magazine, was still stuck in my brain. I was determined to recreate it in blueberry form.
The sweet and juicy berry pie filling and the perfectly baked buttery pie crust was only more magical when it was topped off with some vanilla ice-cream — extra yum!
Perfectly sized bites of blueberry pie.
Next Stop: Mini Blueberry Hand Pies
I was still craving the jammy berry pie filling, but I didn't want to make an entire pie, so I decided to make these cute little dessert empanadas. OR my Mini Blueberry Hand Pies.
Making a perfect hand pie dough.
The pie dough that I used is my All-Butter Pie Crust recipe.
Or my Buttermilk Pie Crust.
Both of foolproof pie crusts are made in the food processor, and both are super easy.
Secrets to perfect buttery, flakey homemade pie crust.
- Use fresh, high-quality flour.
- European butter
- Keep the butter really cold.
- Do not overwork the dough.
- Refrigerate the pie dough overnight before rolling it out.
- Refrigerate the hand pies (or pie) before baking.
I usually make the crust the night before, letting it rest in the fridge overnight. I find that this technique yields a flakier crust. Making sure the pie dough is cold before it goes into the oven is one thing that helps to ensure that your pie crust will be super flakey.
Then it's time to put you blueberry mini pies together:
- Roll the pie crust to about an eighth of an inch thick.
- Use a circular cutter to cut each circle of pie crust. (3 inch round)
- Fill each little hand pie with about a teaspoon of filling. Use a handy scoop.
- Brush the edges with an egg wash and pastry brush to seal them closed.
- Use a fork to crimp down the edges.
- Once closed, each pie is brushed with an egg wash and then sprinkled with a little turbinado sugar before baking.
Yes absolutely! Frozen berries are a great way to have berry pie all year round.
Yes, if you do not like cinnamon. By all means, leave out the cinnamon.
Yes, cook the frozen blueberries down with sugar before baking
Yes, I refrigerate my blueberry pie if I have leftovers. Refrigeration will stretch out the shelf life of your pie.
Blueberry pie filling is most often thickened with cornstarch. Arrowroot powder or tapioca starch are two other options.
You can freeze these adorable hand pies before or after baking.
To freeze before baking:
1) Assemble the pies and then place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
2) Place the uncooked hand pies in the freezer and freeze until they are frozen solid.
3) Store in an airtight container in the freezer until you are ready to bake.
4) When you are ready to bake, bring them to room temperature for about an hour and then bake according to the directions.
The freeze after baking:
1) Assemble and bake the pies according to the instructions.
2) Let the pies come to room temperature and then place them on a parchment lined baking sheet baking sheet.
3) Freeze until solid.
4) Store in an airtight container until ready to reheat.
5) When you are ready to reheat bring the pies to room temperature and then reheat at 350℉ for 10 to 15 minutes. [I like to use my toaster oven for this.]
FUN FACT: I used an heirloom family biscuit cutter. My dad made this biscuit cutter for my Grammy (his mom) in his metal shop class in high school. How cool is that? And now I got to use it to make these fantastic mini blueberry pies.
If you don't have one of these, you can pick up a set of round pastry cutters on Amazon.
For more sweet treats, check out some of my most popular pies and sweet rolls.
- Pineapple Filled Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
- Apple Pie recipe with Fresh Apples.
- Classic Pumpkin Tarts
- The Best Caramel Sauce Recipe
PRO TIP: The fillings used in the recipes below could also be used as fillings to make a different variety of hand pies. Just imagine warm apple hand pies.
If that isn't enough, check out my readers top favorite dessert recipes.
Mini Blueberry Hand Pies
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- All Butter Pie Crust Or Buttermilk Pie Crust
Blueberry Pie Filling
Final Touches
- 1 Egg whisked to seal edges and wash tops of pastries.
- Turbinado Sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Make a batch of pie crust according to instructions. Refrigerate overnight.
- Alternatively, this can be made with a store-bought pie crust.
Blueberry Pie Filling
- Place the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and zest into a large skillet.
- Heat over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil.
- Continue to heat until sugar is dissolved and berries are broken down. Reduce heat if necessary.
- Once the mixture begins to thicken add the cornstarch slurry. (Make the slurry by adding water to the corn starch. Mix until it is a thin paste and has no lumps.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Increase heat if necessary.
- Boil until the fruit mixture begins to thicken.
- Remove from heat and let the fruit mixture cool.
- Place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 450℉
- Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator. Let is warm slightly for about 10 to 20 minutes before rolling out.
- Prepare several baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a silpat.
- Tear or cut the pie crust into four approximately equal pieces. Roll one section into a ball and then out to a thickness of about ⅛ of an inch.
- Cut the dough into rounds using the round pastry cutter and place onto parchment paper.
- Add about a teaspoon of filling to each mini pie.
- Wash the edges with an egg wash using your finger or a small brush.
- Fold over and seal with a fork.
- Wash the entire surface of the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Back for 12-15 minutes. Oven temperatures vary so watch your first batch closely
Notes
To freeze before baking:
1) Assemble the pies and then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2) Place the uncooked hand pies in the freezer and freeze until they are frozen solid.
3) Store in an airtight container in the freezer until you are ready to bake.
4) When you are ready to bake, bring them to room temperature for about an hour and then bake according to the directions.
The freeze after baking:
1) Assemble and bake the pies according to the instructions.
2) Let the pies come to room temperature and then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3) Freeze until solid.
4) Store in an airtight container until ready to reheat.
5) When you are ready to reheat bring the pies to room temperature and then reheat at 350℉ for 10 to 15 minutes. [I like to use my toaster oven for this.]
Nutrition
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I would also like to know how to freeze. It's not on the recipe yet.
Thanks for the reminder! The recipe is now updated with the How to freeze and reheat instructions. Enjoy 💜
How do you freeze these? Before they are cooked or after they are cooked? And then how do you cook or reheat? Thanks!
I was wondering the same thing, but looking it up, it says that for fruit pies you should freeze before you cook. It said that freezing it before baking it can actually help prevent a soggy pie crust. Here is the link https://comfortablydomestic.com/2016/11/make-pies-freeze-bake-later/#:~:text=Fruit%20pies%20freeze%20beautifully.,of%20a%20soggy%20bottom%20crust!
Hope that helps!
Tara
Briana, Thanks for the question. I will add this to the recipe today! I hope you enjoy them!