Just in time for your Labor Day Weekend BBQs, and delicious Blueberry Hand Pies!

Originally Published 09/01/2021

Happy September! This is one of my favorite months of the year! Partly because it’s my birthday month, lol, but also because it usually heralds in Fall which is my favorite season!

Seriously though, you need to make these pies. The filling is based on a King Arthur Blueberry Pie recipe, and they just really nailed it! It’s half delicious, vanilla, cinnamon blueberry compote, and half fresh, juicy blueberries! Every bite is just yum! Plus who doesn’t love a portable pie?! 😂🤷🏼‍♀️ The recipe is pretty easy, doesn’t take too long, and makes 10 pies.

Let’s get going!

The Blueberry Hand Pie filling needs to be made first so it has time to cool.

So grab an 18 oz package of fresh blueberries and divide it in half. Put half in a heat-proof bowl, and half in a saucepan on the stove. Add 2 tbsp of water, and 1 tbsp of lemon juice, and cook the blueberries for about 2 minutes. 

In the meantime, in a separate bowl, mix 3 tbsp of cornstarch, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of salt, and then pour this into the saucepan full of blueberries. Cook all of this together for around 5 minutes, until it gets thick. Then remove it from the heat, stir in the butter, scoop it into the bowl of fresh blueberries, and stir everything together. That’s it for the filling!

Usually,

there are two things about hand pies that are frustrating. 1. The filling being too runny and leaking EVERYWHERE… 2. The crust not cooperating and falling apart while you’re trying to work with it.

Well… I feel like I found the holy grail with King Arthur’s blueberry pie filling. It’s beautifully thick. Gloriously, it just stays right where you scoop it! 😍 I am seriously in love. Like love love. 

The crust for this recipe is made with coconut oil and it’s decently sturdy while still maintaining that flakey crust goodness.

So to make the crust, mix the 2 1/2 cups of flour, 4 tsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Then add in the 2/3 cup of coconut oil. Mix it into the flour until the flour sort of looks damp. Then add 10 tbsp of ice water.

It MUST be ice water. Let me tell you, I made the crust one time with melted coconut oil and room-temperature water and it did not hold together, it was cookie dough consistency and just crumbled to pieces. The moral of the story is solid coconut oil, and ice water! 

Also, if the dough seems too dry, it probably is and will be too crumbly again, so add a 1/2 tbsp more water or so if necessary.

The next step,

is to roll out the dough and cut your pie circles.

As usual, make sure you’ve floured your countertop so the dough doesn’t stick.

Using a 5″ circle, I was able to get 10 circles out of this batch of pie dough. Rolling the dough out to a 1/4″ thick, I cut 5 circles out of the first go, 3 out of the second roll-out, and then 1 circle, roll, and the last circle. (hope that makes sense lol)

Place the pie crust rounds on the baking sheet as you go.

Hand pies are easy to overfill. Less is more so it doesn’t squish out the sides when you fold the dough over, preventing the hand pie from sealing and leaking while baking.

Each round can handle about 3 tbsp of filling. You will have filling leftover, but you can either freeze it for the next batch or use it on pancakes, waffles, in a crepe, eat it with a spoon, in your yogurt…skies the limit!

After they’ve been filled, egg wash the bottom half, fold the top half down, and use a fork to gently press and seal each blueberry hand pie. 

Use the rest of the egg wash on the tops of each of the pies.

Before you bake the Blueberry Hand Pies

They need to sit in the fridge and chill for at least 10 minutes.

This brief resting time in the chill-blaster will help firm the coconut oil back up and hopefully help the little guys stay closed while baking!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and once the blueberry hand pies are cooled off, throw them in the oven and bake them for 45-50 minutes.

I think some blueberry spillage is likely. Most of mine had some to more than some lol. But I think it adds character and kinda makes them look appetizing when they’re finished. ☺️

Towards the end of the baking, it’s time to make the vanilla glaze! Super simple, add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 tbsp of milk, and 1 tsp of vanilla to a bowl and whisk together until smooth.

As soon as those delicious little blueberry hand pies come out of the oven, brush them with the glaze until it’s all gone! 

I waited a little too long the first go around and the glaze was drying out faster than I could get it on which resulted in a little clumpier look lol. 

Move them to a cooling rack and if you can stand it, let them cool down some before eating them!

I mean you don’t have to wait too long because they’re super tasty warm! 

If you’re headed to, or hosting a Labor Day BBQ this weekend and need a dessert everyone will love, this one here is for sure a winner! 

Let me know if you give them a try, and how they turn out!

Print Recipe

Blueberry Hand Pies

Rustic and delightful Blueberry Hand Pies bursting with an amazing blueberry flavor, and topped off with a light vanilla glaze! You’re going to need more than one!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: blueberry pie, dessert, Dessert Recipe, hand pies, pie, Summer Recipe

Servings: 10 pies

Equipment

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Small Sauce Pan
• 2 Medium-Size Bowls
• Small Bowl
• Rubber Spatula
• Baking Sheet
• 5″ Circle Cutter
• Pastry Brush

Ingredients

Blueberry Filling

• 1 18 oz Package of Fresh Blueberries 510g divided
• 2 tbsp Water
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 3 tbsp Cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Salted Butter

Crust

• 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 4 tsp Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2/3 Cup Coconut Oil
• 10 tbsp Ice Water
• 1 Egg + 1 tbsp Water for Egg Wash

Vanilla Glaze

• 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 tbsp Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Blueberry Filling

• Divide the blueberries in half, placing 255g in a medium-size bowl, and 255g in a small saucepan. Add two tbsp of water, and 1 tbsp of lemon juice to the blueberries in the saucepan and begin cooking over medium heat for 2 minutes.
• While the blueberries are cooking, in a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tbsp of cornstarch, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt. Then pour this into the saucepan with the blueberries. Continue cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes. The blueberries will get really thick. Remove them from the heat and stir in 1 tbsp of butter. After this, scoop the cooked blueberries into the bowl with the fresh blueberries. Stir to combine and then place in the freezer to begin chilling the mixture.

Pie Crust

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium-size bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour with 1/2 tsp of salt, and 4 tsp of sugar. Next, cut 2/3 cup of coconut oil into the flour. After this, stir 8-10 tbsp of water to bring the dough together. Make sure the dough is not too dry or it will crack while you’re trying to roll it out.
• Generously flour the counter and roll the dough out into a large circle that is 1/4″ thick. Use a 5″ round circle to cut out the hand pies. Place them on the baking sheet as you go. Squish up the discard, roll it into a ball, re-flour the counter, and roll it out again. Cut more circles. Repeat until all the dough is gone and you have 10 circles.

Assemble and Bake

• Remove the filling from the freezer and stir it. Scoop 3tbsp of filling into the middle of each circle. Mix up the egg wash and brush it along the bottom half of the circle. Fold the top half of the circle over the filling, lining it up with the bottom half, and use a fork to press the edges closed. Try to keep the edges clean of filling as this makes the seal weaker and they’ll break open in the oven. Repeat until all ten are filled, folded and pressed.
• Place them in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes. This will chill the coconut oil and help them hold together better while baking. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• After they’re done chilling, remove them from the fridge, brush them all with the leftover egg wash, and place them in the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown!

Vanilla Glaze

• Toward the end of the baking time, make the glaze. In a small bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with 1/2 tbsp of milk and 1 tsp of vanilla. Set to the side.
• Once the Blueberry Hand Pies are finished baking, remove them from the oven and immediately brush the tops of each one with the Vanilla Glaze while they’re still hot. You can also sprinkle them with lemon zest for a little added fanciness!
• Remove them from the baking tray and let them finish cooling on a cooling rack.
• Pick up that hand pie and get a bite! Enjoy!

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