This hand pie recipe is a fun way to make customizable mini pies. This recipe with strawberry makes a perfect breakfast pastry, but these simple treats can be filled with all kinds of sweet or savory flavors.
These are also the strawberry hand pies I made on Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network. When the Minnesota weather turns cold, I stock my freezer with easy, bake-and-take hand pies. In this episode I make both sweet strawberry and savory curry chicken pies, and then visit a local Mexican café called Vivir to prepare empanadas.
Want a savory version? Try these Curry Chicken Hand Pies.
Hand Pie Tips and Tricks
- Make sure to refrigerate the dough! Just like with standard pie dough, you want to work with a cold dough to get the wonderful, flaky pie texture.
- Chilled butter is the key! Make sure your butter is nice and cold, and avoid soft or melted.
- You can chill the dough overnight, which is a great way to break up the work and make sure your dough is nice and cold.
- Once you have your pastry filled, make sure to gently crimp the edges with a fork so you don’t lose any wonderful filling.
Hand Pie Variations and Ideas
Customize your fillings! The sky’s the limit when it comes to flavors. Here are a few ideas:
- Blueberry
- Raspberry
- Chocolate
- Peanut butter
Or try a savory version like my Curry Chicken Hand Pies.
You can also try different shapes by using sturdy cookie cutters or the pastry wheel used in this recipe.
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my chicken curry hand pies recipe as well!
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and well chilled
- 3/4 cup sour cream
Filling
- 1 lb strawberries, about 3 cups sliced can be frozen, left whole if frozen
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
- 2 tbsp 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Topping
- Egg wash (whole egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
- Sugar for sprinkling
Strawberry Icing
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 strawberry sliced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Dough
- Blend the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor.
- Add the butter and blend until the flour/butter mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the sour cream and pulse until the dough starts to form a ball in the machine. Turn out onto a slightly floured surface and press into a rectangle. Divide the dough into two pieces, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.
Filling
- Cook the strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla over gentle heat (you can use a fork to break up the fruit if using fresh strawberries) until they start to break down slightly. Cook until the strawberries are tender and have released their juices.
- Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch, then add to the strawberries. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture starts to thicken and turn translucent. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
To Bake the Hand Pies
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- When you are ready to prepare the hand pies, roll one of the chilled doughs out on a floured surface. As you are rolling, you can straighten out the edges with your hands to create a 10×15-inch rectangle. Using a pastry wheel, cut the dough into 12 equal squares, by cutting 4 strips along the length and 3 strips along the short side.
- Put about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of half the squares. Lightly brush the edges of the filled squares with egg wash. Cover with remaining squares. Press the dough together then use a fork to gently adhere them together around the edges. Cut a cross on the top. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. If baking both trays at once, rotate top to bottom after 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mash the strawberry with the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and whisk until a smooth icing is formed. Allow the hand pies to cool before drizzling on the strawberry icing.
I made your hand pie dough and refrigerated it overnight. It is very soft. Is it supposed to be or did I do something wrong? Also I made a double batch.
Hi Melody, it should not be particularly soft. Not so much that it is hard to roll out or work with. Did you measure the flour by cups or weights? Is there a chance you measured something else incorrectly to get a softer dough? You can try rolling the dough between pieces of parchment or plastic wrap and then freeze the dough to firm it before filling. That will make it easier to handle. Let us know how it goes!
Delicious and simple. The dough was easy to make which is great because I’m always kind of leery. And the filling is tasty with the added lemon notes. Next time I’m making a double batch of dough since it’s easy especially because they’re fiddly and I might as well make more. They disappeared quick!! OH and I used a dollop of the filling in the glaze and it was perfect (instead of a strawberry) plus the filling makes more than needed anyway.
It was harder because the dough got soft,and I had to stick the strips back into the fridge. But, eventually, I made the hand pies, and they were delicious. Since I kept chilling the dough, the flaky crust was wonderful and crisp. Thank you.
Only 2 tablespoons of filling, doesn’t seem like enough. Any suggestions?
Hi Chris! If you use more, the pies may ooze some filling out, but you can certainly try it if you’d prefer more filling. Let us know how it goes!
My pies came out great. Sent one in my sons lunch he sent picture holding the pie saying omg Mom these are great can I use same dough and make them savory pies
So glad you both enjoyed these! Here is a savory recipe. Cheers!