Easy Hand Held Pies With Seasonal Fruit | Homemade Recipe 

There’s something wonderfully simple about hand-held pies. You start with a buttery pastry crust (we love our homemade all-butter pie crust recipe), roll it into individual rounds, spoon fresh fruit into the center, then fold those rustic edges up around the filling. 

A little heavy cream and sugar go over the top before they head into a hot oven, where the crust turns golden and flaky and the fruit cooks down into a bubbling, juicy filling.

These plum hand-held pies are especially good when late-summer fruit is coming in faster than you know what to do with it. And while we originally made this recipe with plums, you certainly don’t have to wait until you find a plum tree to make them. Blackberries, cherries, peaches, and other local fruits can all work beautifully.

What Makes This Recipe Unique?

If you are new to pie making and our homemade pumpkin pie recipe or traditional apple pie recipe makes you nervous, this is a really good place to start. These little pies are rustic on purpose. You don’t need a perfect pie plate, fancy crimping, or beautifully even edges.

• They're beginner-friendly. The crust gets folded around the fruit rather than fitted into a pie plate, so “good enough” really is perfect here.
• They're made with simple ingredients. Flour, butter, sugar, fruit, and a handful of flavorings become a beautiful homemade dessert.
• They're perfect for seasonal fruit. Use plums when you have them, or adapt the filling to what’s growing locally.
• They're individually portioned. Each person gets a little pie of their own.
• They're practical. This is a wonderful way to put ripe fruit to use when you have an abundance on the counter.
• They're flexible. Once you understand the basic method, you can make these handheld pies again and again with different fruits.

And maybe most importantly, you don’t have to wonder whether your pie looks “perfect.” Rustic is exactly what we’re going for.

Key Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients and measurements, check out the recipe card below.

• Seasonal Fruit - Our plums are plentiful, so we put up this plum jelly recipe and use any leftover plums to make these hand pies. Feel free to use whatever fruit you have on hand; blackberries, cherries, peaches, or even this canned apple pie filling recipe works great.
• Pastry Dough - No need for store-bought. This easy homemade all-butter pie crust recipe is included.
• Cornstarch - Cornstarch helps thicken the juices released by the plums as they bake. Without a thickener, especially with very juicy fruit, you may end up with more liquid running out of the pastry.

Recipe Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Make the Pastry Dough

Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C).

While the oven is preheating, place 2½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup (225 g) cold cubed unsalted butter into a food processor.

Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Don't keep processing until everything is completely smooth. Those bits of cold butter are exactly what you want.

Step 2: Add the Water

Transfer the flour mixture to a bowl and add 12 tablespoons ice-cold water.

Using a fork, mix just until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and divide it into 6 even pieces.

Step 3: Roll the Crusts

Gently press each portion into a ball.

Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a flat disk. Place each rolled crust onto a baking sheet and set it aside to rest while you prepare the fruit.

Don't worry if your circles aren't perfectly round. These are rustic hand held pies. A little irregularity is part of their charm.

Step 4: Prepare the Plum Filling

In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar.

Add the plum wedges and toss until they're coated.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon almond extract over the plum mixture.

Step 5: Assemble the Hand-Held Pies

Divide the plum mixture evenly among the six crusts, leaving about 2 to 3 inches of pastry around the outside edge.

Fold the edge of each crust up and over part of the plums, leaving the center uncovered.

Brush the exposed pastry with heavy cream, then generously sprinkle sugar over the tops of the pies.

Step 6: Bake

Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven, shut the door, and immediately reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C).

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the pies are bubbling and the fruit juices run clear.

Let them cool before serving.

Tips and Troubleshooting

If you've tried pie crust before and ended up frustrated, don't let that stop you. Pastry becomes much less intimidating once you know what you're looking for.

If the dough feels crumbly: Give it a moment before automatically adding more water. You want the mixture to come together, but you don't want a wet dough.

If the butter starts getting soft: Cold is your friend with pastry. If your kitchen is warm and the butter is becoming very soft while you work, chilling the dough briefly before continuing can help.

If the pies look uneven: Wonderful. They're homemade. You're folding pastry around pieces of real fruit, not manufacturing identical desserts. Don't let an imperfect edge convince you that you've failed.

If fruit juice escapes: A little bubbling juice around the edges isn't necessarily a problem. These are open, rustic pies. Make sure you've used the cornstarch and left enough crust around the fruit to fold securely toward the center.

If you're unsure whether they're done: Look for actively bubbling filling and clear fruit juices, just as the original recipe instructs. The pastry should also have good golden color.

And remember, you don't need to master pastry in one afternoon. Every batch teaches you something. That's how these skills eventually become second nature instead of something you have to Google every time.

Storage Instructions

Allow leftover hand held pies to cool completely before storing them. Because this recipe contains cooked fruit, I prefer not to leave leftovers sitting out for extended periods.

Store the cooled pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For the best pastry texture, warm them gently before serving again rather than eating them straight from the refrigerator.

For longer storage, these pies can be frozen after baking and cooling. Wrap them individually before placing them in a freezer-safe container so you can pull out one or two at a time.

When you're ready to enjoy them, thaw and reheat until warmed through. An oven will generally do a better job of bringing back some of that lovely pastry texture than a microwave.