This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure.
This easy recipe for peach hand pies features a golden, flaky, buttery crust with a sweet spiced peach filling. It’s everything you love about pie, but in a perfectly portioned portable treat!
If you think hand pies are hard to make, this recipe will surprise you. It requires minimal ingredients (and you probably already have all of them on hand), and uses an easy method. It’s the perfect summer baking project if you have a couple hours to spend in the kitchen. And if it’s summer vacation and the kiddos are home, this is a fun activity to get them involved in.
These individually portioned peach pies are as easy to make as a regular pie. However, I like these hand pies just a little more because they have a higher crust-to-filling ratio and a lot less sugar. And the buttery pastry crust is to die for.
With a sweet spiced peach filling and flaky, crisp crust, these individually portioned pies are a real crowd-pleaser. Make them for your next summer barbecue, picnic, or potluck!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Peach Filling Ingredients:
- Peaches – The star of the show! For this recipe, we need 2 small ripe peaches. Wash them and dice them, but don’t peel them.
- Sugar – Here we use granulated white sugar as the sweetener, and we only need 2 tablespoons! That’s one of the biggest differences between hand pies and a standard pie; regular pies have a lot more sugar in the filling.
- Cinnamon – Sweet, warm, woody cinnamon is a beautiful pairing with the flavor of peaches. If you want, you can add a pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg as well.
- Salt – Salt intensifies the natural sweetness of the peaches.
Pie Crust Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour – The base of this pie crust.
- Salt – To season the dough so our crust isn’t bland.
- Unsalted butter – Adds rich flavor and creates the perfect flaky pastry texture.
- Water – Use ice-cold water to keep the butter cold.
Other Ingredients:
- Egg yolk – Lightly beaten with water to brush on top (it gives the pastries a lovely golden color).
- Sugar – We sprinkle just a touch of granulated white sugar on the tops before baking for a little extra sweetness and crunch.
Instructions
This recipe is easy to make, but because both the filling and dough have wait times, I recommend reading through the entire recipe before starting so it flows smoothly and you know what to expect. The peach filling needs to sit at room temperature for an hour (we’re essentially macerating the peaches), so I recommend making that first. After that, make the pie dough and there will still be time to chill it before the peaches are ready.
Step 1: Make the Peach Filling (1 hour wait time):
- Stir together all ingredients and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Step 2: Make the Pie Crust (30 minutes wait time):
- Meanwhile, make the dough. Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl, and then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until it looks like coarse meal. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, working the dough together with your fingertips just until it comes together.
- Gather the dough together into 2 balls and then flatten each into a disk. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
Step 3: Assemble the Hand Pies:
- Lay a piece of parchment paper out on your work surface, place 1 disk of dough on the parchment, and top with another piece of parchment (or if you have it, freezer paper works even better because it’s thicker). (TIP: Done this way, there is no need for flour to roll out the dough. However, if you don’t have parchment paper, you can use flour to roll it out.)
- Working from the center out, roll the dough out to a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter (or a glass with that diameter) to stamp out circles in the dough. Gather the scraps of dough, re-roll them, and repeat until the dough is gone (you should get about 16 circles from each disk of dough for a total of 32 circles from this recipe). (TIP: You can chill the dough scraps at any point if it becomes too difficult to re-roll them, or sprinkle on a little flour.)
- Place 1 tablespoon of peach filling in the center of each circle of dough. Lightly wet your finger with water and run it on the dough along the outside of the peach filling to help the other piece of dough stick on top. Place another circle of dough on top and crimp it with a fork. Continue this way until all the pies are formed. You should get 16 pies.
Step 4: Bake the Hand Pies:
- Use a thin metal spatula to lift up each pie and arrange them on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silpat liner. Use a paring knife to make a couple small slits in the top of each pie so steam can escape. Lightly brush the top of each pie with the egg yolk/water mixture and sprinkle on a little sugar.
- Bake the pies until they’re golden and flaky, about 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 375F, rotating the tray once halfway through.
Storage
Store these little pies layered between wax paper in a glass container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. After the first couple days, you can re-crisp them in a 350F oven until warm (about 5 to 10 minutes) before eating.
Tips For the Best Peach Hand Pies
- Don’t rush the 1 hour rest time for the peach filling (and make sure it’s at room temperature because it takes longer in the fridge). We don’t cook the peaches for these little pies. Instead, we macerate the peaches to help soften them and draw out their juices.
- If you want to see step-by-step photos and a video for how to make this crust, check out my best flaky all-butter pie crust recipe. I also share a ton of pie making tips in that post!
Frequently Asked Questions
Turnovers and hand pies are similar pastries that both usually have a fruit filling and flaky crust. The main difference is the type of crust used and their shape. Turnovers frequently use puff pastry shaped into triangles. On the other hand, hand pies typically use short crust pastry (aka pie dough) shaped into rectangles, circles, or half-circles.
All-butter flaky pie crust or rough puff pastry.
If you’re wondering whether you can use store-bought pie crust for hand pies, the answer is yes. You can buy pastry dough in the refrigerated section at the grocery store. However, I want to encourage you to try the homemade version because it really is so easy to make. And when it comes to taste and texture, there is no comparison between store-bought and homemade pie crust!
More Fruit Hand Pie Recipes to Try
- Spiced Apple Hand Pies
- Vanilla-Cardamom Pear Hand Pies
- Mincemeat Hand Pies (aka Christmas Pop Tarts)
- Sweet Apple Hand Pies With Cheddar Shortcrust
Let’s Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
Peach Hand Pie Recipe
Email This Recipe
Get this recipe link emailed straight to your inbox!
Ingredients
Peach Filling:
- 2 small ripe peaches washed and diced but not peeled
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Pie Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter chilled and diced small
- 3/4 cup ice cold water plus more as needed
Other:
- 1 egg yolk lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for brushing on top)
- 1/2 tablespoon granulated white sugar (for sprinkling on top)
Instructions
Make the Peach Filling (1 hour wait time):
- Stir together all ingredients and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Make the Pie Crust (30 minutes wait time):
- Meanwhile, make the dough. Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl, and then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until it looks like coarse meal. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, working the dough together with your fingertips just until it comes together.
- Gather the dough together into 2 balls and then flatten each into a disk. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
Assemble the Hand Pies:
- Lay a piece of parchment paper out on your work surface, place 1 disk of dough on the parchment, and top with another piece of parchment (or if you have it, freezer paper works even better because it’s thicker). (TIP: Done this way, there is no need for flour to roll out the dough. However, if you don't have parchment paper, you can use flour to roll it out.)
- Working from the center out, roll the dough out to a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter (or a glass with that diameter) to stamp out circles in the dough. Gather the scraps of dough, re-roll them, and repeat until the dough is gone (you should get about 16 circles from each disk of dough for a total of 32 circles from this recipe). (TIP: You can chill the dough scraps at any point if it becomes too difficult to re-roll them, or sprinkle on a little flour.)
- Place 1 tablespoon of peach filling in the center of each circle of dough. Lightly wet your finger with water and run it on the dough along the outside of the peach filling to help the other piece of dough stick on top. Place another circle of dough on top and crimp it with a fork. Continue this way until all the pies are formed. You should get 16 pies.
Bake the Hand Pies:
- Use a thin metal spatula to lift up each pie and arrange them on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silpat liner. Use a paring knife to make a couple small slits in the top of each pie so steam can escape. Lightly brush the top of each pie with the egg yolk/water mixture and sprinkle on a little sugar.
- Bake the pies until they’re golden and flaky, about 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 375F, rotating the tray once halfway through.
Notes
- Storage: Store these little pies layered between wax paper in a glass container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. After the first couple days, you can re-crisp them in a 350F oven until warm (about 5 to 10 minutes) before eating.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
Share it with me on Instagram and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
