Peach Hand Pies

These mini peach hand pies are made with a simple 3 ingredient fresh peach filling, a simple homemade brown sugar short crust, and finished with a quick powdered sugar glaze. They’re a great way to enjoy seasonal stone fruit and make a shareable, fresh dessert for cookouts, parties, or to stock your freezer.

For some reason I’ve isolated pie making for the colder winter months, but truthfully, it’s completely silly not to be baking pies all year! They’re an excellent way to highlight the fresh fruits of spring and summer, whether you’re into juicy blueberry hand pies or these adorable, sweet and tender peach hand pies.

It’s just a quick mix of peaches and sugar in a flaky dough that’s easy to make from scratch. They’re truly a celebration of peach flavor, and an easy dessert to make ahead for your next summer cookout.

Ingredients

The ingredients that come together to make peach hand pies are a simple combination of pantry items most of us have on hand. Add in a few peaches and you can whip these up!

• Pie Dough – I prefer to make my own short crust (aka pie dough), but store bought dough is fine as long as it’s not already pressed into a pie tin. Puff pastry is also a good option.
  • To make the dough I used for this recipe you’ll need – All purpose flour, unsalted butter, brown sugar, salt, and water.
• Peaches – I like yellow peaches best, but any soft, fully ripe (please not mushy) peach will work.
• Brown Sugar – white sugar also works, but brown tastes better. Coconut sugar or turbinado sugar also work.
• Cornstarch
• Egg – You’ll need one whole egg for an egg wash that gives the pie the beautiful color.

Pro Tip – Whether you decide to use my pie dough recipe, or to run with your own, keep this simple ratio in mind: 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, 1 part liquid.

This will yield a short crust that will work for most recipes, just keep in mind it works best with weight not volume measurements, so be sure to use your kitchen scale!

How to Make Mini Peach Pies

While filling and sealing pies can be fiddly work, it’s not complicated. From start to finish it’s just a series of simple steps that come together in a delicious dessert. You’ll need to make or prep your dough, have baking sheets ready with parchment paper, and a shaping method.

I prefer to use a mason jar lid to shape and keep each pie the same size. But, you can do this free hand, fold them into half moons like empanadas, or make them into rectangles like this recipe for vibrant ube pie.

Step 1 – Make your short crust dough

Whisk all the flour, sugar, and salt together until well combined. Chop up your really cold butter and add it into the flour. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to work it into the dough until it resembles fine crumbs.

Add in ice water a little bit at a time, gently working it until a soft dough forms. Form a ball, wrap it up and put it in the fridge while you make the filling.

Step 2 – Make the Peach Filling

Slice the peaches, discard the pits, and dice into similar sized 1″ chunks. Don’t worry about peeling them, they bake perfectly fine with them on.

Add in the remaining brown sugar and cornstarch and toss until combined.

Step 3 – Make an Egg Wash

Simply beat one egg with two tablespoons of water and set it aside with a pastry brush so it’s ready to go when you are.

Step 4 – Roll Out and Cut the Dough

After your dough has chilled it’s time to roll it out. I usually work in two sections by cutting the dough in half and sticking one back in the fridge. If the dough gets too warm, it will not be flaky or easy to work with.

Roll the dough out until about 1/4″ thick on a well floured surface. Then using either a large round biscuit cutter, or free hand with a knife, cut circles through the dough. I like to use a wide mouth mason jar lid (you can use a standard one too, if that’s what you have). Cut a circle about 1 1/2″ wider than the mason jar lid.

Step 5 – Fill and Seal the Pies

Lift one circle into the lid, and gently press down into the lid to make a pocket. Spoon enough peach filling in to be level with the rim.

Brushed the exposed edges with egg wash, then take a second circle of dough and press the edges of the two together. Flip it over onto your work surface.

Trim any excess dough if needed, and press the edges firmly together and crimp the edges. I use my finger and create little flutes around the edge. You can also use the tip of a fork to do the same.

Step 6 – Brush and Vent the Pies

Finally place the pies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with more egg wash to aid browning in the oven. Slice a few decorative cuts in the top to release steam while cooking.

Step 7 – Bake and Glaze

Pop them into a 350°F oven for 35 minutes. They should be golden and crisp when you remove them from the oven. If you’re nervous you can carefully lift with a spatula and check that the bottom is crisp and golden.

Remove from the baking sheet and set on a cooling rack to cool. If you’re a fan of glaze like I am simply mix 1/2 cup of sifted powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of water. It should be thin but sweet.

When your mini peach pies are completely cool apply the glaze. Slide a piece of parchment paper underneath the cooling rack to catch dripping glaze. Using a spoon or pastry brush apply the glaze to the entire top of the pies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage Tips

I found that keeping these pies at room temperature for 3 days is best. Do not seal into a plastic bag or container, as they get soft and soggy. Simply lightly cover on a plate with plastic wrap, leaving enough room for airflow.

To freeze them do so before baking and glazing. Form and place the unbaked pies on a baking sheet, then stick the entire sheet into the freezer. Once your hand pies have frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container or bag. Bake from frozen and add an additional 5-10 minutes of bake time.

That’s it! Mini peach hand pies, deliciously stuffed with summer stone fruit, and perfect for sharing. Don’t forget to check out my other fresh fruit desserts while you’re here.

• Red Wine Cherry Cobbler
• Strawberry Sorbet
• Mixed Berry Cobbler
• Plum Blueberry Cobbler
• Loquat Cobbler

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