Blackberry Hand Pies
These blackberry hand pies combine flaky pastry and sweet and juicy blackberry filling. It’s individual servings of a homemade blackberry pie.
The individual portions make them perfect for serving at parties or gatherings, and their handheld nature makes them easy to eat on the go.
The pastry is my flaky pie crust, an all-butter pie crust laminated to create delicious layers. The blackberry pie filling is super simple and delicious, and it’s pre-cooked before being added to the pie crust. It’s the same filling that I use in my Blackberry sweet rolls.
Coupled with buttery pie crust, it’s the perfect combination. I’ve got strawberry hand pies on the blog too!
Ingredients
Find the full measurements for these blackberry hand pies in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.
Flaky crust
You can use pre-made pie dough from the grocery store, but a homemade crust is extra delicious! You’ll need a double 9-inch pie crust. Alternatively, you can use puff pastry.
- Butter. You can use salted butter or unsalted butter. The added salt component in the recipe can be slightly adjusted if using salted butter.
- Flour. All-purpose flour or pastry flour.
- Salt.
- Sugar. Optional, but together with the salt, it enhances the crust flavor.
- Plain yogurt. You can use natural or Greek yogurt. If you don’t have yogurt, use iced water mixed with one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Ice-cold water – just a little bit to help bring the dough together.
Blackberry Filling
- Juicy blackberries – Fresh blackberries or frozen blackberries
- Lemon juice and lemon zest – enhances the blackberry flavor.
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
- Salt
Method
Crust
Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour.
Use a pastry cutter or pulse the food processor to cut the butter into small pieces until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter.
Add the yogurt to the bowl and stir until the dough comes together. Use your hands to combine the dough into a shaggy ball, and add in as much chilled water as needed, ½ a tablespoon at a time.
It should hold together easily when pressed but not be sticky. If the dough is crumbly, add a bit more water.
If the butter has softened or the dough is warm, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before continuing with the next step.
Roll the dough into a 10-inch/25cm rectangle on a floured surface, fold it into thirds like a pamphlet, and turn it a quarter turn.
Repeat this roll and fold process once more. Cut the dough into two pieces and gently shape each into a round.
Wrap the dough rounds in cling film and chill them in the fridge for around 2 hours or overnight.
Filling
Add the blackberries, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, and salt to a medium saucepan over low heat.
Keep stirring until they begin to break down.
Once they have broken down more and released their juices, turn the heat to medium and let the mixture boil for around 2 minutes, stirring the whole time.
As the mixture boils, it will thicken and become jelly-like. Once thick, remove it from the heat, scrape it into a bowl, and let it cool to room temperature. Cover it and place it in the fridge until it’s needed. It’s much easier to fill the pies when the filling is cold.
Assembling
Roll half the refrigerated pie dough out on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 1/4 inch (6mm) thick.
Cut out pastry rounds using a 3-inch/7.5cm round cookie cutter. You can reuse the dough scraps left after cutting to roll more rounds.
Stack the scraps on each other to keep the layers, then roll them out again.
Brush the edge of a dough round with egg wash.
Place a heaped tablespoon of the cold blackberry mixture into the center, then cover with another dough round.
Crimp the edges of the pie dough with the tines of a fork.
Refrigerate the little hand pies once they are assembled. Repeat the process with the second dough portion.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the pies with egg wash, then cut 2-3 little slits using a sharp knife in the top to allow steam to escape.
Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of each pie. Place them onto the lined baking sheet.
Bake the pies for 20-24 minutes until deep golden brown. I bake the pies in batches.
Let them cool to room temperature or slightly warm before serving.
Storing
Leftover pies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days. The mini blackberry pies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Unbaked hand pies can also be frozen, wrapped tightly for up to 3 months.
Blackberry Hand Pies
Ingredients
Pastry
- 312 g all-purpose flour or pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 225 g butter, cold
- 120 g natural yogurt, cold (see notes for substitutions)
- Ice-water as needed
Filling
- 340 g blackberries, fresh or frozen
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Topping
- Large egg + 1 Tablespoon water whisked
- Coarse sugar
Instructions
- Pastry
- Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour and use a pastry cutter or pulse the food processor to cut the butter into small pieces until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter in there too.
- Add the yogurt to the bowl and stir until the dough comes together. Use a fork or your hands to combine the dough into a shaggy ball, and add in as much chilled water as needed, ½ a tablespoon at a time. It should hold together easily when pressed but not be sticky. If the dough is crumbly, add a bit more water. If the butter has softened or the dough is warm, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before continuing with the next step.
- Roll the dough into a 10-inch/25cm rectangle on a floured surface, fold it into thirds like a pamphlet, and turn it a quarter turn. Repeat this roll and fold process once more. Cut the dough into two pieces and gently shape each into a round.
- Wrap the dough rounds in cling film and chill them in the fridge for around 2 hours or overnight.
- Filling
- Add the blackberries, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, and salt to a medium saucepan over low heat. Keep stirring until they begin to break down.
- Once they have broken down more and released their juices, turn the heat to medium and let the mixture come to a boil. Once boiling, boil for around 2 minutes, stirring the whole time. It will thicken and become jelly-like.
- Remove it from the heat, scrape it into a bowl, and let it cool to room temperature. Cover it and place it in the fridge until it's needed. It's much easier to fill the pies when the filling is cold.
- Assembling
- Roll half the refrigerated pie dough on a lightly floured surface until it's about 1/4 inch (6mm) thick. Cut out pastry rounds using a 3-inch/7.5cm round cookie cutter. You can reuse the dough scraps left after cutting to roll more rounds. When rolling the scraps, stack the scraps on each other to keep the layers, then roll them out again.
- Brush the edge of a dough round with egg wash. Place a heaped tablespoon of the cold blackberry mixture into the center, then cover with another dough round. Crimp the edges of the pie dough with the tines of a fork.
- Refrigerate the little hand pies once they are assembled. Repeat the process with the second dough portion.
- Baking
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the pies with egg wash, then cut 2-3 little slits using a sharp knife in the top to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of each pie. Place them onto the lined baking sheet. I bake the pies in batches.
- Bake the pies for 20-24 minutes until deep golden brown. Let them cool to room temperature or slightly warm before serving.
