Blueberry Hand Pies

This hand pies recipe is so good! Imagine the best blueberry pie filling nestled in bite-sized in buttery, flaky pie crust. You can also make any filling you like. I share a few of my favorites below. Apricot, apple, cherry, pumpkin, and even…Yep, 🍍 pineapple.

My Grammy always made homemade hand pies. I love how adorable these are.

If you’re asking, what is a hand pie? Let me tell you.

A hand pie is essential pie dough that is cut into a circle and then stuffed with filling. The dough is folded over and then crimped shut. The filling can be savory or sweet.

After the hand pies are filled, they are either baked or fried.

This blueberry hand pies recipe is a combination of my Grammy’s super flaky pie crust and her blueberry pie filling recipe.

I usually bake these hand pies in the oven. But you can for sure, make fried fruit hand pies.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe for Hand Pies

• Ultra-flaky pie crust.
• Sweet fruity filling.
• Portable pie.

You can use any flavor of pie filling to make these hand pies. Blueberry is one of my favorites. My Grammy loved apricot filling. Just imagine peaches, apples, or cherries, even pumpkin pie filling.

What You’ll Need

• Pie crust. Use one of my two pie crust recipes, they are both completely fail proof. Flaky Buttermilk Pie Crust OR Simple All-Butter Pie Crust.
• Pie filling.
• Turbinado sugar.

Step-by-Step Instructions

PRO-TIP: I like to make my pie dough and pie filling the night before and let it chill in the fridge overnight. I find that the crust is easier to work with and bakes up flakier if you put it in the fridge overnight.

1. Make the pie dough.
2. Make the pie filling.
3. Roll out the pie dough and cut it into circles.
4. Fill with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pie filling.
5. Bake or fry.

Recipe Variations

The instructions for these baked hand pies are pretty much the same no matter which type of filling you choose.

You’ll want about 2 cups of pie filling for this recipe. Here are a few easy variations. Just swap in different fruit and spices.

• Apricot filling. Apricots + 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon + 1 teaspoon coriander.
• Apple Pie Filling. Apples + cinnamon + cardamom.
• Pumpkin Pie Filling. Pumpkin + pumpkin pie spice + sugar.
• Cherry Pie Filling. Cherries + ½ teaspoon of almond extract.
• Pineapple Filling. Crushed pineapple. See my Pineapple Sweet Rolls for complete instructions.

Storing + Freezing Tips

How to store

At room temperature: Store hand pies in an air-tight container for several days at room temperature.

In the fridge: You can store hand pies in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Reheat according to the directions below.

How to freeze

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

To 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. 

How to reheat

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.]

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.

Making a perfect hand pie dough.

The pie dough that I used is my Flaky 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.

Tips for making ultra flaky homemade pie crust

• Use fresh, high-quality flour
• European butter
• Keep the butter very 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.

How to make mini blueberry hand pies

1. Roll the pie crust to about an eighth of an inch thick.
2. Use a circular cutter (affiliate link)to cut each circle of pie crust. (3-inch round)
3. Fill each little hand pie with about a teaspoon of filling. Use a handy scoop.
4. Brush the edges with an egg wash and pastry brush to seal them closed.
5. Use a  fork to crimp down the edges.
6. Once closed, each pie is brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with a little turbinado sugar before baking.

FAQs and Expert Tips

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 (affiliate link) on Amazon.

Other Pie Recipes That You’ll Love

For more sweet treats, check out some of my most popular pies and sweet rolls.

Plus you can use any of these fillings in the hand pies above. I highly recommend the pineapple ones.

• Pineapple Filled Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
• Apple Pie recipe with Fresh Apples.
• Classic Pumpkin Tarts
• The Best Caramel Sauce Recipe

If that isn’t enough, check out my readers top favorite dessert recipes.

• Mixed Berry Pavlova
• Sour Cream Cheesecake
• Easy Lemon Curd Recipe
• Bourbon Caramel Sauce

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