These little hand pies are great for a treat or tea or coffee time, dessert, brunch, or just a little sweetness with your breakfast. Recently, I was craving apricot flavors. However, it wasn’t apricot season. So, I baked some of these Easy Mini Hand Held Fruit Pies using Trader Joe’s Organic Apricot Preserves. Apricot Preserves have so much flavor and can stand-in when apricots aren’t in season! The preserves are perfect on top of our flaky gluten-free pie dough.
These fruit pies are easy to make and bake quickly
Not only do the hand held fruit pies come together easily. They also bake very quickly.
Also, you choose how you want to make them!
Method #1: First roll the dough and cut out squares of pastry dough. Place the dough in a small muffin tin (or regular sized), add a spoon of preserves and a few berries or sliced fruit. You can top with another square of pastry dough or a small cutout of dough. Brush with milk or an egg wash, sprinkle with sugar and then bake for about 16-20 minutes!
Method #2: You can alternately choose to cut out 2 squares of rolled dough, adding a tablespoon of preserves to the bottom pie of dough. Top with a few berries or sliced fruit. Next, add another square of pie dough to the top. Seal the edges with a fork, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for slightly longer (about 25-30 minutes).
Use just a teaspoon of jam of your choice in the small muffin tin size and a tablespoon in the 4″ size pies. I also like to add a few berries or a few slices of fruit to make these extra delicious!
Easy peasy!
The perfect treat for a holiday
These Easy Mini Hand Held Fruit Pies may be the perfect holiday dessert! Make them for Valentine’s dessert if you’re in a hurry but want a festive treat. You could even pipe sweet 💖 words on the larger tarts.
For this batch, I made a little frosting and piped around the cutout once the tarts were completely cooled.
Use our favorite gluten free pie crust recipe or your own favorite
Any gluten free or regular pie crust will work for the recipe. For our Simple Gluten Free Flaky Pie Crust and Mini Galettes recipe, check out the link here.
Simply follow the dough recipe above. I love to make a double or even triple recipe of this pastry and freeze the excess dough balls in flat rounds. This dough is very versatile and is my choice for making these mini hand held fruit pies, galettes, quiches, mini galettes, as well as my Brie and Fig and Pizza Bites. It’s great to just thaw in the refrigerator over night before using for ease.
Success in rolling the dough out
When ready to roll out, bring to one disc of the Simple Gluten Free Flaky Pie Crust from the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature for 15 minutes. Cut two pieces of cellophane, for the easiest method. Then sprinkle the dough with a small amount of gluten free flour. I find that cassava flour works well. My favorite cassava flour is Otto’s Naturals Multi-Purpose Cassava Flour. It’s fine milled and gluten free. It’s my choice for rolling out pastry doughs or pizza crusts.
If you prefer not to use cellophane you can also use parchment to roll the dough out. Just remember that you want to handle as little as possible for the best flaky dough.
Set the disc on the lightly sprinkled with flour cellophane (or parchment) and roll one direction. Turn and roll perpendicular. Turn the dough over and do the same. Repeat until the dough is approximately 1/8″ thick across the dough. Remove the cellophane and cut out the dough.
Cut out 4″ squares for the Hand Held Pies or 2.5″ squares for the Mini Hand Held Pies. The mini pies are made by simply lining the dough in a muffin tin hole, adding jam and a few berries. They are still delicious and are quite cute, especially on a dessert bar with other mini desserts.
Set aside any excess dough. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the second disc of dough.
Once you’ve cut the amount of 2.5″ squares for the mini pies or the 4″ for the larger pies from the rolled dough, roll the excess pieces of dough into a ball. Reroll in the same method. Then cut out the remaining squares. You can make a few smaller hand pies if you don’t have enough dough to make the larger 4″ size.
Making Mini Hand Held Pies
I like the variation in making these pies. You can make the hand held pies round. You can make a square or rectangular tart, making the bottom and top the same, or even make a cutout on the top piece. Another variation is to add words or even a glaze and some fresh edible flowers just before enjoying.
If you really want to simplify the process, try the mini pies by just cutting the dough into a 2.5″ square. Place it in the muffin tin hole. Add the teaspoon of raspberry jam and a small handful of berries or fruit pieces. Add a pastry heart if desired and brush the heart with an egg wash. Bake at 400 degrees F for 16-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
For making 4″ mini tarts
For making these as 4″ tarts, cut the dough into 4″ squares. Use a cookie cutter to punch a heart into half of the 4″ squares, if desired. Add jam to the center of one 4″ piece, leaving space for the tart edges to be sealed. Lay a cut-out heart piece on top. Add berries or other sliced fruit to the center. Finally, use a fork to seal the edges, then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until light golden brown.
Easy Mini Hand Held Fruit Pies (Gluten Free)
Equipment
- 1 or 2 baking sheets or muffin tins
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 recipe chilled Simple Gluten Free Flaky Pie Crust Dough Ball , divided in two pieces or other gluten free pie dough
- ½-⅓ cup jam or preserves of your choice
- 1 cup berries or sliced fruit of your choice
- egg wash (below)
- coarse sugar to sprinkle before baking
Egg Wash
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 tbsp milk or water
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup
Sweet Vanilla Cream
- 1 cup heavy, full fat cream
- 1½ tbsp fine granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste, gf
- 1 pinch or sprinkle of ground nutmeg, gf
Instructions
Hand Held 4" Fruit Pies
- For making these as 4" Fruit Pies: Roll the dough between two pieces of cellophane or parchment with a small amount of gluten free flour. Cut the dough into 4" squares. Optional, use a cookie cutter to punch a heart, flowers, or other shape into half of the 4" squares.
- Add jam to the center of one tart, leaving a 1/2" space on the outside free of jam. Add a handful of washed and dried berries or sliced fruit. Set a 4" piece or a cutout piece on top. Add a handful of washed and dried berries or sliced fruit to the center of the cutout.
- Use a fork to seal the edges. Next, brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake at 400℉ for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cool completely before piping words or outlining the cutout in the top. Or serve on a plate with a dollop of sweet vanilla cream. (Makes 7-8 hand held pies).
Mini Hand Held Fruit Pies
- For making Mini Fruit Pies: Roll the dough between two pieces of cellophane or parchment with a small amount of gluten free flour.Cut the dough into 2.5" squares and place each in the muffin tin holes. Add a teaspoon of raspberry jam and a small handful of berries or sliced fruit. Add a pastry heart or other pastry shape on top, if desired.
- Then brush the top pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake at 400 ℉ for 16-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly or completely to serve. Serve with a dollop of sweet vanilla whipped cream if desired. (Makes 20-24 mini hand held pies).
Egg Wash
- Whisk the egg, water or milk, and maple syrup together.
Sweet Vanilla Cream
- Whip the heavy cream until the beater leaves lines in the cream. Or whip by hand in a chilled bowl with a whisk. After the cream is beginning to thicken, add sugar and pure vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract, plus a sprinkle of ground nutmeg. Hand whisk or finish beating until pillowy clouds form. Chill until ready to serve.