Homemade Heart Hand Pies are so adorable and taste so good! They are made with a buttery, flaky crust and filled with a delicious homemade filling. I made these as a fun Valentines day treat that would be perfect for your holiday gathering or party! Easy to make, with my step-by-step tutorial.
WHAT ARE HAND PIES?
Usually, homemade hand pies are made with either a sweet or savory filling and then wrapped in a buttery, flaky crust. Then they are baked or fried to give them a slightly crispy outside with a delicious warm and gooey inside. You can fill them with your favorite fillings to customize them individually! Everything you love about a pie in the palm of your hand.
WHAT IS ANOTHER NAME FOR A HAND PIE?
Sometimes they can be referred to as a turn-over, a pastry, empanadas or a tart. But, most of the time these are all different types of pastries with slight differences in the type of crust that is use like a pie crust as opposed to a puff pastry crust. The turnover is usually has a crust that folded in half over itself, etc.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAND PIES AND TARTS?
Turnovers and hand pies are very similar, but the biggest difference between the two is the crust. Turnovers are often made with puff pastry dough, or sometimes pie crust. Also, turnovers are made with a folded piece of dough — like a calzone — so it looks like a half-moon shape after you fold it.
DO YOU NEED A SPECIAL CRUST?
Most people make mini pies with a traditional pie crust. You can make a homemade pie crust recipe like my favorite pie crust recipe here, or you can use a pre-made, store bought pie crust.
HAND PIE FILLING IDEAS
There are so delicious filling ideas you can fill you hand pie with! Here are some of our favorites!
SWEET PIES
- homemade raspberry jam or jelly
- apple pie filling
- pumpkin pie filling
- nutella
- cherry filling
- blueberry pie filling
- peach pie filling
- brown sugar and cinnamon
- berry filling
- strawberry filling
- brownie batter
- chocolate chip cookie dough
- chocolate chips and mini marshmallows
SAVORY PIES
- beef, cheese and potatoes
- Philly cheese steak
- ham, eggs and cheese
- beef, refried beans and cheese
- chicken pot hand pies
- chicken curry
- pepperoni pizza hand pies
- veggies and spices
ARE HAND PIES BAKED OR FRIED?
Hand pies can be baked or fried. I have tried both and I prefer mine to be baked. But both are delicious!
BAKED HAND PIES
Baked hand pies are made in the oven.
- Make the hand pies as usual. Cover the top crust with an egg wash.
- Place pies on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. They should be golden brown on the tops and bottoms and the filling will just be starting to bubble.
- Let your hand pies cool for 10 minutes. While your hand pies are cooling, make your glaze. Just whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze on top or use a pastry brush to apply the thin glaze over the hand pies and enjoy!
FRIED HAND PIES
Hand pies that are fried taste more like a pie you would get in a restaurant or from a store.
- Prepare your hand pies without cutting a slit or a shape out of the top pie crust.
- Chill for at least one hour.
- Heat up 4 inches of a frying oil in a deep pot to 375ºF. Use a thermometer to keep an eye on the temp. Place the hot oil on a back burner on the stove and wear long sleeves to be careful of the hot oil splashes.
- Place 2-3 hand pies in the hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Turn over half way through the tying process to cook both sides.
- Drain on a paper towel, and then cool for 10 mins. Dust them in powdered sugar or cover in sugar glaze before serving.
HAND PIES IN THE AIR-DRYER
The air fryer makes the dough light and crispy without the added oil and calories from deep frying.
- Prepare your hand pies and them let them chill for one hour in the refrigerator.
- Brush the surface of the pie crust with an egg wash and sprinkle on some sanding sugar for color and flavor (optional).
- Set your temperature to 400ºF on your air fryer.
- Place your hand pies inside the air fryer basket and fry for 13-15 minutes or until they are a golden brown color.
GLUTEN FREE HAND PIES
You can can these gluten free. Simply use a homemade GF pie crust or buy one from the store and use the pre-made gluten free pie crusts that can usually be found in the freezer or fridge section.
SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE MINI PIES
- jelly roll pan
- silpat baking mat
- parchment paper
- cookie cutters
- paring knife
- fork
- pastry brush
- small bowl
- powdered sugar spoon
- sprinkles
- hot pad
- hand towel
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR HAND PIES
- pie crust
- filling like raspberry jam or Nutella (shown here)
- egg
- milk
- powdered sugar (optional)
- sprinkles (optional)
HOW TO MAKE HAND PIES
- Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat. Set aside.
- Roll out your pie crust on a floured work surface and roll out your homemade pie dough or roll your store bought pie crust out on the lined baking sheet or a lightly floured surface. Be sure your store-bought crust has reached room temperature so it is easy to roll out.
- Cut the pie crust into cute shapes using a cookie cutter or cut into rectangles or circles.
FILL PIES
- Place the pie crust shapes evenly spaced on the baking sheet and add a small amount of your chosen pie filling in the center of the crust and spread around leaving 1/2 inch of space around the edges of the crust.
- Place your top pie crust on the lower pie crust. I chose to cut out a smaller shape on the top crust to let some of the filling show through. You can also cut small slits or cut small holes or poke holes with a fork so the pie can breathe while it is cooking.
- Press all around the edges of the pie so that the two crusts seal together.
- Go around and preserve the tines of a fork for extra sealing.
- Make an egg wash ( a whole egg, egg yolk, or egg white mixed with a small amount of water, milk, or cream) and brush it onto the top of each hand pie crust to give your crust that shiny golden brown finish.
BAKE PIES
- Bake or fry according the the directions below. For these pies I baked them in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool for at least 10-15 minutes so they are room temperature.
- Serve as is or add a powdered sugar glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar or sprinkles.
HOW TO STORE HAND PIES
Hand pies can be stored for up to one week if stored in an air-tight container. Also, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months to be eaten later as well. Simply let thaw and then heat them slightly in the oven or the air fryer again to make them warm.
HOMEMADE HAND PIE RECIPES
Hand Pies
A delicious, buttery and flaky pie crust filled with your favorite sweet or savory filling. A tasty pastry that fits in your hand.
Ingredients
- pie crust
- raspberry jam
- egg
- powdered sugar
- milk
- powdered sugar optional
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
-
Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat. Set aside.
-
Roll out your pie crust on a floured work surface and roll out your homemade pie dough or roll your store bought pie crust out on the lined baking sheet or a lightly floured surface. Be sure your store-bought crust has reached room temperature so it is easy to roll out.
-
Cut the pie crust into cute shapes using a cookie cutter or cut into rectangles or circles.
-
Place the pie crust shapes evenly spaced on the baking sheet and add a small amount of your chosen pie filling in the center of the crust and spread around leaving 1/2 inch of space around the edges of the crust.
-
Place your top pie crust on the lower pie crust. I chose to cut out a smaller shape on the top crust to let some of the filling show through. You can also cut small slits or cut small holes or poke holes with a fork so the pie can breathe while it is cooking.
-
Press all around the edges of the pie so that the two crusts seal together.
-
Go around and preserve the tines of a fork for extra sealing.
-
Make an egg wash ( a whole egg, egg yolk, or egg white mixed with a small amount of water, milk, or cream) and brush it onto the top of each hand pie crust to give your crust that shiny golden brown finish.
-
Bake or fry according the the directions below. For these pies I baked them in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until they are golden brown.
-
Remove from the oven and let them cool for at least 10-15 minutes so they are room temperature.
-
Serve as is or add a powdered sugar glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar or sprinkles.
How fun are these heart hand pies? Perfect for Valentines Day dessert or a treat for you friends and family. Next time, I want to try making cherry hand pies and apple hand pies since those are two of my favorite pie recipes.
MORE VALENTINES DAY IDEAS
I came up with some other Valentine Crafts and Activities. Sharing them below:
- Valentine Hearts Yahtzee Game
- Valentines Day Table Decorations
- Handprint Activity for Kids
- Valentines Day Sugar Cookie Bars
- Heart Hand Warmers
- Valentines Day Classroom Parties
- Valentines Day Classroom Boxes
- Paper Heart Garland
- Valentines Day Sign
- TIssue Paper Kissing Balls
- Sealed with a Kiss
- Candy Cane Heart Suckers
- Love Potion no. 9
- Just a Little Crush
- Tic Tac Valentines
- Heart Bottles and Cookies
- I Chews You Valentine
- Three Valentine Printables
- Framed Heart Decor
- Be Mine Décor
- Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Cookie Pops
- Valentine’s Candy Bark
- Heart Shape Pancakes
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Holly says
yum. i remember making these as a child and with my kids when they were younger.
Amy says
That’s such a fun memory!