These little cuties are peach hand pies – like a peach pie in miniature form. With buttery, flaky pastry and a no-cook, juicy peach filling they are sublime and just try to stop at one.
- The pastry is buttery and flaky – such a gorgeous texture to bite into.
- The peach filling is juicy, sweet, and laced with cinnamon and vanilla.
- Minimal ingredients and made from scratch.
- Even making the pastry is so easy.
- Topped with the easiest homemade icing but don’t even think about skipping it.
I love hand pies — small, portable, and perfect picnic food. The filling is soft and sweet, but the outside is buttery, flaky pie crust that’s super easy to make. Also, no fighting over who gets the biggest piece — everyone can have their own. You can eat hand pies hot, room temperature, or cold, and they can be frozen and reheated for a treat whenever you feel the urge.
You’ll love these Nutella hand pies and these puff pastry peach tarts too!
This recipe was first published here on July 24th, 2018. It has been updated with new images, information and recipe tweaks.
Ingredients you’ll need
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Flour: Use regular plain flour/all-purpose flour.
- Sugar: You’ll need two types of sugar for this mini peach pies recipe: icing sugar (powdered sugar) and brown sugar.
- Butter: Make sure to use unsalted butter.
- Peaches: You, of course, need peaches for your peach hand pies! Riper peaches tend to be darker in colour and have a slight give when you squeeze them.
- Vanilla & Cinnamon: I love the combination of earthy cinnamon and vanilla in this recipe. Both add warmth and complement the natural flavour of the peaches.
- Milk: You’ll only need a splash to create an egg wash and the homemade icing.
How to make peach hand pies (step-by-step)
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
The hand pie dough
- Start the pastry: First, add all ingredients except the water to a food processor and process until it looks a bit like lumpy sand. Slowly drizzle in the cold water just until it starts clumping together.
- Bring the dough together: Turn the dough for your mini peach pies out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pull it together, and be sure not to knead too much.
- Chill: Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill. Don’t skip the chilling.
The fresh peach filling
- Combine the ingredients: Add the filling ingredients to a bowl and mix. Set aside.
Assemble the peach hand pies
- Roll out the pastry dough: Cut the dough into 2 pieces and roll each one out to about 3 mm (⅛-inch) thick.
- Cut the circles: Use a 9 cm (3 ½-inch) round cookie cutter to cut 8 circles of pastry from each.
- Add the filling: Place a little peach pie filling (try to leave most of the juices behind) in the centre of each circle. If you add too much juice, it will just leak out when they cook – don’t worry there, is still plenty of flavour in and coating those peach pieces.
- Top the pies: Use your finger to run a light line of water around the edge of each pie then add another pastry dough circle on top.
- Seal and reshape the pies: Use a fork to press down around the edges to crimp and seal the pieces of pastry together then place a cookie cutter over the top to trim and reshape if they need it.
- Bake: Transfer them to a baking sheet, brush with egg wash and make a little slit or cross in the top of each one. Then bake until golden brown, crisp and gorgeous.
Finally, the glaze is just a very simple combination of 2 ingredients that you then drizzle over the top. Take my word for it, do not skip the glaze – it’s the icing on the pie.
Tips and tricks
- Ingredients must be cold: This technique keeps the butter cold, so it doesn’t work all the way into the flour but instead remains in very small pieces. If it’s a very hot day, you can even go so far as to chill the flour first.
- Don’t overwork the dough: If you overwork the dough, you may end up melting the butter. No bits of butter equals no flaky dough. Just make sure to work somewhat quickly but gently.
- Don’t skip chilling time and the longer the better: Chilling the dough helps to relax the gluten in the dough but also helps with that flaky texture. 45 minutes is good, overnight is great.
- Leave excess juice behind: It may seem a waste, but don’t add all of the excess liquid to the peach hand pies or it will seep out during cooking. Don’t worry, the peaches are still beautifully flavoured, sweet, and juicy.
- Don’t skip the drizzle: It adds a little moisture, texture, and a touch of sweetness to a relatively lightly sweetened pastry.
FAQs
Don’t add all the liquid from the filling mixture. Bake the peach hand pies in a hot oven and make sure the pastry isn’t too soft. Don’t skip the chilling time either!
Peaches are already nice and soft, so the filling does not require cooking before going into the pies.
Don’t add all of the liquid, as mentioned. And, you must seal them completely. Refer to the detailed instructions above as well as on the recipe card below!
Peach hand pies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours or in the fridge (up to 4 days). They can be frozen for up to 3 months, also in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
You don’t need to peel the peaches first. Leave the skin on as it isn’t detectable once baked.
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Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY
- 295 g plain flour (all purp flour) (2 ¼ cups / 10.4oz)
- ½ cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 226 g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled (2 sticks / 1 cup / 8oz)
- ⅓ – ½ cup iced water (only use as much as needed)
FOR THE FILLING
- 1 large peach or 1 ½ medium peaches, peeled and finely diced (about 1 ⅓ cups diced)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (40g / 1.4oz) (notes 1)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cornflour (US cornstarch)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
TO FINISH
- 1 egg yolk mix with a teaspoon of milk
- ½ cup icing sugar (powdered sugar) (65g / 2.3oz)
- 1 teaspoon milk
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
- TO MAKE THE PASTRY:Place the flour, sugar, salt and butter into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it looks like lumpy sand. You want to see pieces of butter about the size of a lentil.
- With the food processor on low, drizzle in the ice water iced water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just starts forming small clumps – only use as much water as you need, often ⅓ cup is fine.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (it will be quite loose and crumbly) and just gently pull it together – don’t knead it too much (see notes).
- Shape the dough into a smooth-ish disk. Wrap it up in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
- TO MAKE THE FILLING:Mix the filling ingredients – diced peaches, sugar, vanilla, cornflour and cinnamon – together in a bowl and set aside.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN:Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) / 395F. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Cut the disk of pastry dough into 2 pieces. Place the first one onto a lightly floured work surface and dust the top with just a little flour too. Gently and gradually roll the pastry out, turning it often, to about 3mm (⅛ inch) thick.
- Use a 9cm (3 ½ inch) round cookie cutter to cut out 8 circles and remove the excess pastry out of the way.
- Repeat the last two steps with the second piece of pastry dough.
- If you’re gentle with the dough, and shake off any excess flour, you may be able to get a 9th pie out of it.
- ASSEMBLE THE PIES:Place about 1 ½ tablespoons of the peach mixture (leaving most of the juices behind) in the centre of each of 8 circles. I use a small cookie scoop for this to keep them all even.
- With your finger, run a light line of water around the edge of each one. Place another circle of pastry over the top and press down lightly around the edge.
- Press down with a fork around the edge to crimp and seal the 2 pieces of pastry together. The dough may be quite soft at this point so try to work quickly but gently – or chill the dough for a few minutes to make crimping easier.
- Place the cookie cutter over the top again and use it to trim and reshape the little pies. Carefully transfer the pies to the prepared baking sheet.
- Beat together the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of milk and brush it over the tops of the pies. Cut a small cross in the top to let steam out as they bake.
- Bake for around 25-30 minutes or until golden and the edges look flaky. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes before adding the icing. You can transfer them to a wire rack until you're ready to ice them.
- THE GLAZE:Mix together the icing sugar and remaining milk, then drizzle the icing over the top of each hand pie.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Serve the pies as they are or with vanilla ice cream for a more indulgent dessert.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- All ovens vary – always test for doneness 3-5 minutes before the recipe suggests
- For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
- These peach hand pies should be stored in an airtight container. Store them in a cool place (like the pantry) for up to 1 day or for any longer, they must be stored in the fridge (up to 4 days).
- These can also be frozen for up to 3 months, in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
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10 Comments on “Peach Hand Pies”
Made these the other day and the peach pies were divine. Absolutely love your pastry! We loved them so much, my son just devoured them.
I’m so happy you love them as much as I do, Phan. Thanks so much for trying them and leaving a review.
Had to use frozen peaches no fresh good peaches in Chicago this time of year. They still came out fantastic. Kids loved to help me make them. Delicious. There were none left to freeze. Kids mixed peaches and used fork to seal pies. Will make again.
Makes my day to hear this, Joyce. I’m so happy that you all loved them but even happier that even the kids helped to make them 🙂
Amazing dough! I will be using this recipe for all my pies from now on.
My favourite too. So happy you love it, Cynthia.
Have you tried freezing them? I’m working up a party menu and I need a bunch…
I haven’t, though I think they will freeze fine. Probably best pre-baking
These pies look super cute, and the combo of peaches, cinnamon, and ginger is delightful. Wouldn’t mind having some (like a dozen), maybe with a hint of cardamom too.
ooh yes. Cardamom sounds like a great addition. Thanks Ben