These easy strawberry hand pies are the perfect spring dessert with little mini pies bursting with strawberry flavor! Top them with a simple glaze for the perfect addition to a Valentine’s Day party, bridal shower, or an Easter brunch!
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After our blueberry hand pies were so popular last year, I knew I had to make a version with my favorite flavor – strawberry, especially with strawberry season just around the corner!
These delicious strawberry hand pies start with a store-bought pie dough then get filled with a delicious strawberry filling made of fresh strawberries and all topped with a sweet vanilla glaze! The combination of the filling and the glaze on top of each pie is what really makes these the best strawberry hand pies!
With their sweet flavor and pink coloring, they’re a great addition to a girl baby shower, a bridal shower of any kind, or even a Valentine’s Day party! And no one will ever know that you didn’t make the entire thing from scratch!
Why you’ll love this
- Easy – these easy strawberry hand pies are just that, easy! It’s just making the filing, cutting the dough, and baking!
- Delicious filling – unlike some recipes that just use strawberry jam or something store-bought to fill the strawberry hand pies, these ones make a homemade strawberry filling that really elevates the flavor of these!
- Semi-homemade – since we’re starting with store-bought pie crust (instead of making a homemade flaky pie crust), these delicious strawberry hand pies will be done way faster than if you were making everything from scratch!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Refrigerated pie crusts – I just grabbed a box of two Pillsbury pie crusts but you could use any kind as long as they’re refrigerated, not frozen. Frozen ones work if you let them thaw first but refrigerated is definitely easier! You could also use your favorite pie crust recipe, but I really recommend just going with the store-bought ones!
- Egg – this is just used to make an egg wash to help you get the perfect golden brown color for the hand pies!
- Lemon juice – the hint of acid really helps bring out the natural sweetness of the strawberries! Fresh lemon juice or bottled lemon juice works just fine!
- Fresh strawberries – this strawberry hand pies recipe needs fresh strawberries, not frozen. Frozen strawberries tend to have too much liquid in them, even if drained, and you need the right amount of liquid in the filling! I always like to use local strawberries but any will work!
- Milk – I always recommend using full fat milk but any type of milk will work!
Note!
I like to sprinkle the tops of the hand pies with a coarse sugar such as a turbinado sugar. If you don’t have this and only have granulated sugar, you can use that – it’s just not the same.
How to Make Strawberry Hand Pies
These easy hand pies are so simple to make! It’s as simple as making some strawberry water, making strawberry filling, and then putting all between buttery pie crust to create little mini hand pies!
Before you get started, preheat the oven 450 degrees then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. And remove the refrigerated pie crust from the fridge so the chilled dough has time to soften slightly.
1 – Make the Strawberry Water
- Add quartered strawberries to a saucepan along with one cup of water.
- Bring the strawberries and water to a boil, then boil for two minutes. While the strawberries are boiling, press them up against the sides of the pan to release their juices with a fork.
- Place a bowl under a strainer to catch the water then strain the strawberries – saving the water for later!
2 – Make the strawberry filling
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, and cornstarch, stirring until there are no clumps.
- Combine the salt and sugar mixture, strawberry water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and continually whisk the mixture on medium heat until it starts to thicken and it turns clear, about 3-5 minutes.
- Once the strawberry filling has thickened, remove it from the heat. You will know the strawberry filling is done when it coats the back of your spoon.
- Add in the chopped strawberries and stir gently to mix them into the filling.
3 – make the Little strawberry hand pies
- Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter or on a lightly floured surface if you don’t have parchment paper.
- Roll out one of the pie crusts flat on the parchment paper, then using a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, cut out your shapes. If you have any remaining dough, put it back into a ball, roll it, and cut it out again. After the shapes are cut out, place them onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Roll out the second pie crust and cut out the shapes, this time leaving the pie crust on the counter after you cut them out. You’ll use them again in a minute.
Tip!
You can make these in any shape you want! If you want traditional hand pies, you can make circles! If you want something for a bridal shower or Valentine’s Day, try large hearts instead!
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl to form an egg wash.
- Add two teaspoons of the strawberry pie filling on top of each pie crust shapes on the baking sheet, leaving space around the edge to add on the top pie crust.
- Brush the egg wash onto the outer edge of the pie crust with a pastry brush, outside of the filling.
- Gently place the top pie crust onto the pie filled shape on the baking sheet. Use just the top edge of a fork to press the shapes together to seal the pies.
- Use a fork again to poke little holes on top each pie. This will allow steam to escape and lets the pie crust get crispy. Brush edges of dough and the top of the pie crust with leftover egg wash.
- Lightly sprinkle coarse sugar on the tops of each hand pie.
4 – bake the mini strawberry hand pies
- Once all of the pies are prepped and brushed with egg wash, place them in the hot oven for five minutes or until the tops are a golden brown.
- Take them out of the oven and let them place them onto a cooling rack to allow them to cool. While the pies are cooling, make the icing.
5 – Ice and Eat the Mini Hand Pies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth.
- Immediately drizzle onto the tops of each pie even if they’re still a little warm!
Once the icing is set, serve immediately. These cute little hand pies are so good while they’re still warm but also good at room temperature! They’re pretty much good all the time!
Serve them as a personal pie on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! There’s not much better than fresh strawberry pie with ice cream!
Expert Tips & Storage Info
Enjoy leftovers the next day by storing any leftover hand pies in an airtight container in the fridge. Put them in a cold oven, turn the temperature to 350 degrees, and allow the pies to warm up with the oven. They’re just as good leftover as they are fresh!
Don’t cut the strawberries in a food processor. A food processor tends to churn strawberries, releasing the juice, while it’s chopping. You want the juice released in the process of making the strawberry water!
Skip the strawberry water if you’re short on time. While it’s delicious and really adds a lot of flavor, you could just 1/2 cup of water. If you have time, strawberry water is the best way to go!
Freeze these hand pies by wrapping them individually in plastic wrap then placing them in a freezer safe container in the freezer. They’ll freeze for up to three months! Put in the refrigerator overnight when you’re ready to thaw and warm up as outlined above.
Change it up! Use different shapes of cookie cutters to make these for all sorts of occasions! Hearts work great for Valentine’s Day, bridal showers, and even baby showers!
Recipe FAQs
Will my pie filling thicken as it cools?
As the strawberry hand pie filling cools, it’ll thicken as well. Heat it up until it’s thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it’ll be perfect for inside the strawberry hand pies!
Can you freeze fruit hand pies?
Freeze these hand pies by wrapping them individually in plastic wrap then placing them in a freezer safe container in the freezer. They’ll freeze for up to three months! Put in the refrigerator overnight when you’re ready to thaw and warm up in the oven.
More Strawberry Recipes
Grab some plump strawberries and make some of these delicious strawberry recipes, they’re easily some of my favorite things we have on the site!
- Strawberry ice cream cake – what do you get when you combine strawberries, Golden Oreos, and ice cream? The most amazing summer dessert!
- Strawberry mocktail – use leftover strawberries to make this refreshing strawberry drink!
- Strawberry salad – a spinach strawberry salad with the most amazing dressing!
- Strawberry brownies – fresh strawberries and lemon combine in a simple fruity dessert!
- Strawberry fluff – a simple side dish that goes with pretty much anything!
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Strawberry Hand Pies
Ingredients
Strawberry water
- ½ cup quartered strawberries
- 1 cup water
Filling
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup strawberry water see below
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups roughly chopped strawberries
Hand pies
- 1 box refrigerated pie crusts 2 crusts
- 1 egg
- coarse sugar
Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tsp milk
Instructions
Strawberry water
- Add quartered strawberries to a saucepan along with one cup of water.1/2 cup quartered strawberries, 1 cup water
- Bring the strawberries and water to a boil, then boil for two minutes. While the strawberries are boiling, press them up against the sides of the pan to release their juices with a fork.
- Place a bowl under a strainer to catch the water then strain the strawberries – saving the water for later!
Strawberry Filling
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, and cornstarch, stirring until there are no clumps.1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- Combine the salt and sugar mixture, strawberry water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and continually whisk the mixture on medium heat until it starts to thicken and it turns clear, about 3-5 minutes.1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 cup strawberry water
- Once the strawberry filling has thickened, remove it from the heat. Add in the chopped strawberries and stir gently to mix them into the filling.1 1/2 cups roughly chopped strawberries
Hand Pies
- Preheat the oven 450 degrees then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out one of the pie crusts flat on the parchment paper, then using a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, cut out your shapes. If you have any remaining dough, put it back into a ball, roll it, and cut it out again. After the shapes are cut out, place them onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.1 box refrigerated pie crusts
- Roll out the second pie crust and cut out the shapes this time leaving the pie crust on the counter after you cut them out.
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl to form an egg wash.1 egg
- Add two teaspoons of the strawberry pie filling on top of each pie crust shapes on the baking sheet, leaving space around the edge to add on the top pie crust. Brush the egg wash onto the outer edge of the pie crust with a pastry brush, outside of the filling.
- Gently place the top pie crust onto the pie filled shape on the baking sheet. Use just the top edge of a fork to press the shapes together to seal the pies.
- Use a fork again to poke little holes on top each pie. This will allow steam to escape and lets the pie crust get crispy. Brush edges of dough and the top of the pie crust with leftover egg wash. Lightly top each pie with a sprinkle of coarse sugar.coarse sugar
- Bake in the oven for five minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Take them out of the oven and let them place them onto a cooling rack to allow them to cool.
Icing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth.1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 tsp milk
- Immediately drizzle icing onto the pies.
- Let the icing set on the pies then serve!
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