Flaky, fried pie dough wrapped around a jammy strawberry filling. These strawberry hand pies are crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle, and small enough to eat with one hand! Perfect for strawberry season.
Strawberry hand pies are similar to the traditional strawberry pie, except these hand pies are fried! Frying the dough (instead of baking) gives you an evenly golden, crispy crust. No risk of soggy or underbaked bottoms that can sometimes happen with a baked pie. Small and bite-sized, these are perfect for a dessert spread, picnic, or just a sweet anytime treat.
Recipe Highlights
- Vinegar in the dough : a small amount of apple cider vinegar limits gluten development, so the dough is easier to roll and stays tender. You’ll smell it while working the dough, but it disappears completely once fried.
- Fried, not baked : gives a crisp, evenly cooked crust with none of the soggy-bottom risk of a baked hand pie.
- Flexible shape : assemble as half-moons (shown here), rectangles, or use hand pie molds if you have them.
- Flexible filling : swap strawberries for apples, mixed berries, peaches, or other stone fruit.
How to Assemble Fried Hand Pies
- Roll out chilled pie dough and cut out rounds using a 4 1/2-inch cookie cutter.
- Add one tablespoon of strawberry filling to each pie dough.
- Fold over the round to create a semi-circle. Pinch the seams together to seal the filling instead.
- Use the tines of a fork to ensure the seams of the pie dough are secure.
- Place assembled hand pies on a parchment lined sheet tray. Chill hand pies in the fridge while you heat up frying oil.
Tips for Success
- Use a candy thermometer and don’t overcrowd the pot. Too many pies at once drops the oil temperature and leads to greasy, unevenly cooked crusts.
- Frying in solid shortening (rather than oil) gives a crisper, less greasy exterior.
- Seal the edges well and double-check with the fork tines. A weak seam is the most common reason filling leaks out during frying.
More Strawberry Desserts
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Ice Cream
- White Chocolate Strawberry Scones
- Strawberry Layer Cake
- Easy Strawberry Galette
Fried Strawberry Hand Pies
With strawberry season in full swing, it's time to make these portable little strawberry hand pies. Eat them on the go or enjoy them with a scoop of ice cream!
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Pie Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, (360 g)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, (30 g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, , (113 g) cut into small cubes, cold
- ½ cup vegetable shortening*, (90 g)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 6 Tablespoons ice water
Strawberry Filling:
- 2 ½ cups fresh strawberries, (454 g) hulled, large slices
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, (50 g)
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, (7 g)
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- pinch kosher salt
Additions:
- sifted confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- ice cream, to serve
Instructions
Pie Dough:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add cubed butter and shortening. Cover and let chill in the freezer for about 5-8 minutes until ingredient are cold.
- Using a pastry blender (or two forks), cut cold butter and shortening into flour mixture until it resembles coarse, pebbled sand. Add vinegar and ice water. Fold to combine until dough is a shaggy mess.
- Dump dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until mixture comes together. Pat dough to a thickness of about ½-inch. Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).
Strawberry Filling:
- In a small sauce pot, combine strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch. Set over medium heat and bring to a boi. Stir often to prevent mixture from burning along the sides. Boil for 10-15 seconds to cook out cornstarch flavor.
- Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and salt. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer to an airtight container and keep chilled in the fridge until ready to use.
Assembly and Cooking:
- Allow dough to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Roll dough out ¼-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out as many 4 ½-inch rounds. Gather, knead, and re-roll the dough to cut out additional rounds.
- Place one tablespoon of chilled filling in the center of each dough round. Fold dough over to make a semi-circle (half-moon shape). Secure the edges with the tines of a fork.
- Place assembled hand pies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes while frying oil heats up.
- Fill a large pot (dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot works best) with 3-inches of vegetable oil or vegetable shortening. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature. Heat oil to 365°F.
- Carefully place 3-4 hand pies at a time into hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden in color.
- Drain fried hand pies on wire rack or paper towel lined baking sheet. Keep an eye on candy thermometer and adjust heat according to maintain a constant cooking temperature.
- Strawberry hand pies can be served warm or at room temperature. Dust hand pies with sifted powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- I use this organic vegetable shortening.
- These hand pies are better served the same day as frying.
- Frying in shortening results in a crispier exterior. The hand pie will feel less greasy than oil-fried.
- Use a candy thermometer to maintain proper cooking temperature.
- There will be leftover strawberry filling. Use as dipping sauce or spoon over ice cream. Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 197mg, Potassium: 82mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 241IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I used this recipe for pie dough 3 times. I measured in grams the 2nd and 3rd time. I believe when measuring in grams 113g of butter is way too much. 2nd time I assumed the pie fell apart because I was using creamy shortening and but the it happened again using vegetable oil. I felt that 113g looked like too much but since I’m not a baker I didn’t trust my instincts. I’ll try again using less butter. I really need a good recipe so I can sell fried pies. I feel like this could be a great dough so I’ll continue to work with it
Sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work for you. I have tested this several times with successful results. I’m confused by your comment. What is creamy shortening?
Creamy liquid Shortening. It’s not solid like regular shortening and used for folks who fry frequently in higher volumes. Shortening but it can be poured . A Kirkland brand I purchased because my oil for fried pancake balls would get dirty too fast
I see, thank you for the clarification. Liquid shortening does not work in this recipe. I used solid shortening. Solid shortening is able to hold air, thus giving the pie dough texture.