Hand pies are the perfect grab-and-go treat, combining a flaky golden crust with a warm, flavorful filling in every bite. No matter what flavor you’re craving, these handheld delights are as fun to make as they are to eat.
There’s something timeless and comforting about biting into a perfectly baked hand pie —crisp, buttery layers giving way to a rich, flavorful filling that feels like a little surprise wrapped just for you.
And this delicious strawberry hand pie recipe is the perfect way to use up spring and summer fruits.
The best thing about these homemade hand pies is the simplicity. This recipe brings together everything you want in a handheld pie: a tender, flaky crust that holds its shape without being dry, and fillings that are bold, balanced, and endlessly customizable.
It’s all the goodness of a full apple pie or pumpkin pie — but in a miniature, less messy version.
Whether you’re packing lunches, planning a picnic, or just looking for a cozy baking project, homemade hand pies are both impressive and approachable. It is a great recipe for entertaining and is simply fun to make.
You get consistent results, a satisfying texture contrast in every bite, and the kind of crowd-pleasing flavor that keeps people reaching for more. You’ll love them so much that you’ll want a double batch!
Looking for more delicious baking and pastry recipes? We also love to make homemade pop tarts, sourdough pastry braid, and sourdough blueberry coffee cake. There is almost always something baking here at the farmhouse!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Portable and versatile – These hand pies are like smaller pieces of a delicious pie and fit in the palm of your hand. They are great for picnics, lunchboxes, or quick snacks and are easy to customize – make cherry hand pies, mini apple hand pies, a breakfast hand pie, or savory hand pies!
Flaky, buttery crust – Skip the puff pastry dough and use my favorite homemade pie crust recipe to give your hand pies the perfect tender crunch. The fruit-filled version below pairs well with ice cream for a decadent treat.
Make-ahead friendly – These hand pies freeze beautifully (simply flash freeze on a lined baking sheet and put in a zip-top freezer bag!), making them a great option for meal prep or entertaining.
Ingredients
All butter pie crust – This pie crust gives you the best results over store-bought puff pastry. (It’s my favorite pie crust recipe!). However, if you don’t have time to make it, you could use puff pastry sheets.
All-purpose flour – You just need enough to create a lightly floured surface to roll out the dough.
Strawberry jam – Homemade jam makes a delicious pastry that you just can’t get from the grocery store! Strawberry is a favorite at the farmhouse year round, but we love making them on Valentine’s Day for something red and festive. You can easily mix up your homemade hand pies in different ways by switching out the filling.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Tools You May Need
Rolling pin – This helps to roll out the piece of pie dough more easily.
Pastry brush or small paintbrush – Use this to apply the egg wash to the top of the dough.
Recipe Modifications and Variations
There are some wonderful ways to mix up your hand pies – savory filling included! Keep filling amounts small. Simply use 1 – 2 tablespoons of filling for each individual pie.
- Shepherds pie: Savory hand pie recipes are a great way to mix up dinner. Fill your hand pies with the ground beef filling from a delicious shepherd’s pie.
- Chicken pot pie: Use the filling from this easy chicken pot pie. These are delicious topped with sour cream and paired with baked sweet potatoes.
- Paw paw jam: Instead of a classic apple pie for dessert, how about a hand pie with paw paw jam?
- Little apple hand pies: Use the filling from our favorite apple pie recipe. A little apple pie spice makes the best apple hand pies.
- Pumpkin pie: Who wouldn’t love mini pumpkin pies?! Use the pumpkin pie filling from our pumpkin pie recipe.
How to Make Hand Pies
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll one of the dough discs into a large oval or circle, about ⅛” thick. It doesn’t need to be perfect!
Step 2: Using a 4 – 5” round cookie cutter, cut circles out until you’ve used all the dough. Gather the scraps and re-roll until you’ve used up all of the dough. Repeat with the second dough disc until you’ve gotten 12 rounds from the dough.
Step 3: Take one of the dough rounds and dollop 1-2 tablespoons of the strawberry jam onto one half of the dough round.
Step 4: Take the other side and carefully fold it over the jam. Use a fork to pinch the edges together, then repeat with the remaining dough rounds.
Step 5: Brush each hand pie with egg wash and a sprinkle of cane sugar. Use a knife to cut three small slits into each hand pie, then place the assembled pies onto the prepared baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 7: Let cool for about 10 minutes on the pan then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Tips
- Stick to about 1 – 2 tablespoons of jam or filling per hand pie to prevent leaking during baking.
- Use a fork to crimp the edges tightly after filling — this helps keep the filling inside and gives a nice rustic look.
- Don’t skip the egg wash! This gives the top of each pie the golden brown crust you want.
- Cut a small slit or poke a couple of holes in the top of each hand pie before baking to release steam.
Recipe FAQs
A hand pie is simply a pie that can be eaten out of your hand.
Yes, they are essentially the same thing. An empanada is basically a Latin American hand pie.
They are very similar. Hand pies are shaped into half circles with filling sealed between two layers and crimped on all sides. Turnovers are made by folding one piece of dough over the filling in a rectangle, like in homemade pop tarts.
The best pastry for hand pies is a buttery, flaky pie dough like the all-butter pie crust we used as the first step in this recipe.
Store the baked hand pies in plastic wrap or an airtight container for up to 2 days. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 325 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 5 – 10 minutes to restore crispness.
More Delicious Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Sourdough Discard Monster Cookies
- Sourdough Monkey Bread
- Sourdough Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler
- Sourdough Lemon Cake
- Delicious Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Easy Cinnamon Roll Icing Recipe
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Hand Pies
Ingredients
- 1 batch all butter pie crust, or store-bought pie dough
- All-purpose flour, to roll out the dough
- 1 ½ cups strawberry jam
- 1 egg + splash of water, whisked
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll one of the dough discs into a large oval or circle, about ⅛” thick. It doesn’t need to be perfect!
- Using a 4 – 5” round cookie cutter, cut circles out until you’ve used all the dough. Gather the scraps and re-roll until you’ve used up all of the dough. Repeat with the second dough disc until you’ve gotten 12 rounds from the dough.
- Take one of the dough rounds and dollop 1 – 2 tablespoons of the strawberry jam onto one half of the dough round.
- Take the other side and carefully fold it over the jam. Use a fork to pinch the edges together, then repeat with the remaining dough rounds.
- Brush each hand pie with egg wash and a sprinkle of cane sugar. Use a knife to cut three slits into each hand pie, then place assembled pies onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes on the pan then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Notes
- Stick to about 1 – 2 tablespoons of jam or filling per hand pie to prevent leaking during baking.
- Use a fork to crimp the edges tightly after filling — this helps keep the filling inside and gives a nice rustic look.
- Don’t skip the egg wash! This gives the top of each pie the golden brown crust you want.
- Cut a small slit or poke a couple of holes in the top of each hand pie before baking to release steam.
- Store the baked hand pies in plastic wrap or an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
