Remember the Hostess hand pies with glaze? The ones way back in the day with multiple variety of flavors? Well, the blueberry ones were my favorite! So I thought, why not make my own delicious blueberry fried hand pies?
These hand pies are made made from scratch and have a fresh blueberry filling and then fried to a golden brown perfection. Dip in a tart lemon glaze or sprinkle powdered sugar on top and devour! These are perfect for an after school snack or just because you are in the mood for one!
Please check out my other desserts with fresh blueberries! They are blueberry lemon cookies, blueberry banana muffins, and red white and blue cheesecake.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Blueberries: I chose fresh blueberries, but you can use frozen as well.
- Lemon juice: Is used in the filling and for the glaze.
- Cornstarch: helps create a thickness to the blueberry filling. If you don't have cornstarch, you may also use Clear gel.
- Confectioner's sugar
How to make the pie dough
The pie dough for these hand pies is similar as a classic pie dough recipe!
However, its texture is finer and stronger than traditional pie dough. In addition, this dough can be used for savory hand pies as it doesn't contain sugar.
See steps below to make the perfect hand pie dough.
Fresh blueberry filling
This step is simple and the end product is amazing.
First, in a large saucepan, add in fresh blueberries (if using frozen, no need to defrost) and butter until melted and bubbling. Next, add in sugar, water, lemon juice, and salt until combined. Bring to a simmer.
Lastly, mix cornstarch and water together to make a slurry. Add it to the simmering blueberry mixture and cook until clear. Let it cool to room temperature before adding to dough.
Assembly of blueberry hand pie
Assembling the blueberry hand pie well before frying is super important!
- Roll out dough: Let dough come to room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Then, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin into a large rectangle about ⅛ thickness.
- Cut out dough: Using a paring knife, cut out squares.
- Fill hand pie and seal: Fill each center with blueberry filling. Brush egg wash around edges and then seal with a fork.
Tips on how to keep pie from leaking
Follow these tips on how to prevent blueberry hand pie from leaking!
- Don't overfill: too much filling can leak out during frying.
- Seal the edges: Be sure to seal the edges well. Dampen the edges with a little egg wash and then press together with a fork. Make sure there is no filling on the edges or it will break the seal and the pie will leak.
- Cracking: Cracked dough will cause filling to leak out during frying. Make sure to smooth out before adding to fryer.
Step by step instructions for frying
- Prepare and heat up oil: Prepare hand pies as instructed. DO NOT vent for frying. Chill for 1 hour in fridge. In a large dutch oven or deep sided pan, add 4 inches or oil. Heat up to 375 degrees F and check temp with an instant read thermometer.
- Add in hand pies: Once oil is heated up, add in 2-3 hand pies at once for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
- Drain: drain on paper towel and dip in glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Alternative cooking methods for blueberry hand pies
Not all hand pies are fried! Many people prefer other methods to enjoy their hand pies! Easy to do and they taste just as delicious!
- Baking: Prepare the hand pies the same, but with baking it is necessary to vent the pie so steam can be released during baking and pie won't leak.
- Air fryer: Prepare blueberry hand pies and then chill for 20 minutes in fridge. Set temperature to 400 degrees. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and place 2-3 in basket for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.
FAQ's
These pies are similar to turnovers, but they are smaller and fried. The fruit filling is wrapped in dough, similar to a pie.
Blueberry fried (hand) pies
Equipment
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 large deep sided pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1-2 Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- 1 Large saucepan
- 1 Silicon Spatula
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter chilled and cubed
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon water
- Oil for frying Vegetable or canola
Fresh Blueberry filling
- 16 oz fresh blueberries
- 2 tbso lemon juice fresh
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon water
Glaze
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
Instructions
For the dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and chilled cubed butter. Using an electric mixer or a pastry blender, blend or hand mix until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Add in the one egg and enough water to bring the mixture together.
- Press dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for one hour in the fridge.
Fresh blueberry filling
- In a large saucepan, add in fresh blueberries and butter and melt until the butter is melted and bubbling.
- Add in the water, salt, lemon juice, and granulated sugar and mix until completely combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Combine cornstarch with water and mix until incorporated. Add into your simmering fruit mixture and cook until it is clear.
- Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Assembly of the hand pies
- Take dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
- Lightly flour a flat surface and with a rolling pin, roll dough out into a rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. The thinner the better, as it will result in a crispier hand pie.
- Cut dough into sqaures. Place with 1-3 tablespoon of blueberry filling (depending on size of sqaures). Brush the outside edges with egg wash.
- Fold hand pie over and using a fork crimp to seal the edges well so filling won't leak out. Place in fridge for 1 hour to chill. Make lemon glaze and set aside.
- Add oil to large deep sided pan to about 4 inches. Let it reach a temperature of 375 degrees. Use instant read thermometer to check temp.
- Place 2-3 hand pies in at once and fry for 3-4 minutes or until they are golden brown. Put on paper towels to drain and then cover in glaze when cool to touch.
- Best eaten the same day! Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Best eaten the same day when fried.
Nutrition
Fried desserts!
- Cronuts with lemon glaze
- Homemade fried maple donuts with glaze
- Churro Smores recipe
- Hummingbird Cannoli's
Fun fact of the day!
Instant coffee was invented in 1901.
Carrie
If I could eat these everyday for breakfast I would. The crust is so flaky and buttery and the blueberry filling is to die for!