Why We Love This Hand Pie Recipe
There’s nothing I love more in the summertime than baked goods made with fresh summer peaches… Specifically peach pie. These Peach Hand Pies have all of that sweet fruity pie flavor and flaky texture you crave, but with the convenience of a grab-and-go breakfast pastry. Although I love it in its traditional form, peach hand pies, a.k.a. pop tarts, are an amazing treat for breakfast, snacks, and to wrap and place in picnic baskets. Plus, they’re much easier to serve and enjoy! Speaking of easy: This handheld peach pie recipe is remarkably easy to make in under an hour. It includes a homemade peach jam filling that comes together in less than 20 minutes, but uses refrigerated ready-to-use pie crust sheets. So you get that lovely home-baked feeling and taste with way less prep and cleanup!
Ingredients You Need
For the Peach Pie Filling –
Peaches – fresh and peeled, or frozen Granulated sugar – or alternative sweetener like brown sugar or coconut sugar Cornstarch – to thicken the filling Lemon – juice and zest Vanilla extract – enhances the sweetness of the peaches Cinnamon – for that classic homemade peach pie flavor Salt – just a pinch
For the Pop Tarts –
Refrigerated pie crust – store-bought or Homemade Pie Crust Egg white – use the yolk to make Mango Pie or Chocolate Raspberry Pots de Creme Powdered sugar – makes a smooth icing Heavy cream – for rich and luscious flavor Lemon – freshly squeezed juice
How to Make Peach Hand Pies
If working with fresh peaches, peel and pit the peaches. Then dice them into ¼ inch cubes. If working with frozen peaches, thaw, then dice and cut into ¼ inch cubes. Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced peaches, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt. Stir to coat, then sauté the peaches for 5 to 8 minutes until very soft. Turn the heat off and set aside. Next, roll out the circular pie crusts. Use a pizza cutter or large chef’s knife to trim off the rounded edges creating 9 x 9-inch squares. Then cut each square into three long 3-inch strips. Dollop 2 tablespoons of peach filling on one end of each strip. Brush egg white around the pie filling. Fold the crust over the pie filling to create small 3 x 4.5 inch rectangles. Use a fork to press and crimp the edges together all the way around each rectangle, making sure the hand pies are well sealed. Move them to the baking sheets. Once all the pop tarts are filled and sealed, use a small knife to cut a vent in the top of each crust. This allows the steam to escape while the peach pop tarts bake, thereby keeping the pies from getting soggy. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven before they start to brown too much. Allow the hand pies to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes. While the pop tarts cool, get a small bowl to make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and lemon juice. It should be the consistency of white school glue. Pro Tip: If it’s too thick, add a little extra lemon juice or water to the mixture. Once the pies are cool but still slightly warm, drizzle the glaze over the top of each pop tart. Allow the glaze to dry before serving the peach pop tarts or storing them for later.
Recipe Variations
It’s easy to make this a gluten-free hand-held peach pie recipe! Simply purchase a GF-friendly refrigerated pie crust. Use nearly any other type of fruit to make the filling for your homemade pop tarts. This recipe works well with fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peeled apples, or apricots. Want an airier crust? You can make these with puff pastry as well! Short on time? You can certainly make sweet hand pies with store-bought canned peach pie filling! However, I do recommend mashing up the fruit filling so there aren’t large chunks before adding to the pie crust dough. We love this classic pop tart-style glaze, but feel free to add on your favorite toppings. Instead of drizzling, smear on an even layer of icing and add sprinkles to look more like the packaged treats. You can also mix things up with different flavors! Use orange juice instead of lemon for a sweeter glaze, or try drizzling on a chocolate ganache for an extra indulgent breakfast treat.
Looking for More Fun Breakfast Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
Chunky Pear and Applesauce Muffins Whole Foods Homemade Granola Bars Honey Goat Cheese Tart Strawberry Sweet Rolls Walnut Cherry Scone
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