Blackberry Passionfruit Hand Pies
I decided it was about time to make my own hand pies. Since, at the time of making this recipe, we’re in fresh fruit season – specifically blackberry – I figured it was our time to shine. I also had a little bit of passionfruit in the freezer that I needed to use, so there we have, a match made in fruity, blackberry passion fruit hand pie, heaven.
One summer, my mom and I did a three-week road trip through Utah, where I learned two key things: I’m 100% here for dry heat, and I will forever love a hand pie. What does a hand pie have to do with Utah, you ask? Well, while we were exploring Salt Lake City, we came across a hand pie bakery called Pie Fight. It was a little walk-up-to-the-window shop with a select number of hand pies ready to order. I don’t know why it had never crossed my mind that true, fresh pie could be handheld, and I didn’t need to wait until Thanksgiving to have it. Then, last year, when we road-tripped Canada, on Prince Edward Island, they had a shop called The Handpie Company, with a mix of sweet but mostly savory pies for the hand. LOVE I tell you. That was what love felt like.
So roll out your dough, get your cookie cutter ready, and fill these pies to bursting (no really, they look a little gruesome leaking out when you’re crimping them closed, so much so that you’ll think you’ve failed… you have not). I want my hand pies bursting with filling; it also gives it a lovely aesthetic, trust me. Prepare yourselves for the flakiest, blackberriest, hand pies your heart will ever desire.
If you love this recipe, please rate and review it below and tag @accentgolden in your posts on social!
BLACKBERRY PASSIONFRUIT HAND PIES
Who doesn’t want a handheld pie? I don’t want to know them, if those people exist. No fork (or spoon) needed, just handheld, flaky goodness. These blackberry passionfruit handpies come together relatively simply – you have to cook down your filling and chill your pie dough – and are bursting with fruity flavor.
The passionfruit adds just a touch of sharp sweetness to the berries, letting the fresh blackberries shine through. It’s not an overwhelming flavor, but the right balance to brighten the blackberries – kind of like adding coffee to chocolate cake batter, though you can actually taste a hint of the passionfruit in these babies.
How to seal hand pies: Use your egg wash as a glue, by painting a rim of it along the inside edge of your pies. Once you press the edges of your discs together to form half-moon pies, you can seal them in a variety of ways. Use a fork and press them together, pinch and crimp the dough together, you can even start from one corner and fold and press the dough in (like an empanada!).
INGREDIENTS
- Blackberries: Fresh or frozen for that sweet and tart bite
- Passionfruit: Frozen and seedless to cook down with the blackberries
- Sugar: Sweetens and helps to set your blackberries and passionfruit
- Cornstarch: Helps to thicken your filling
- Salt: Balances and enhances flavor
- Flour: Binding and providing structure to your dough
- Butter: For flavor and flakiness in your pie crust
- Egg: Beaten with a little milk or water and brushed over your pies before baking, for that crisp, golden finish
- Coarse Sugar: Because a crunchy, sweet pie crust topping is always a must
I can’t find passionfruit, can I omit it? Yes! Sometimes passionfruit is hard to find, so if you cannot, simply swap in an extra 1/4 cup of blackberries and omit the passionfruit.
HOW TO MAKE BLACKBERRY PASSIONFRUIT HAND PIES
Make your blackberry passionfruit filling first, so it has time to cool. Add your blackberries, passionfruit, and lemon juice to a pot and place on the stove over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl and gradually stir into the blackberry mixture. Bring the fruit mixture to a boil, while stirring frequently, and allow to thicken at a boil for 4-5 minutes.
Pour your thickened filling into a bowl and allow to cool completely. This is very important ahead of assembling your pies! If your mixture is too hot, you could risk melting the butter in your dough.
To make your hand pie crust, combine your salt and flour in a large bowl. Add your cold cubed butter to the bowl and use two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a coarse sand. You can also rub the butter into the mixture between your fingers. If you have a food processor, feel free to throw everything in there as well, as another option. Add in your cold water, stir, and start to press your dough together with your hands. Flatten into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Once your blackberry filling has cooled, remove your dough from the fridge and cut it in half. Roll each half between two large pieces of parchment paper, into a circle ⅛” thick. Grab your round cutter and cut four discs out of each rolled dough. Set to the side and then reroll your scraps, cutting and setting aside. You should get fourteen discs total, seven discs from each half.
Spoon 2 heaping teaspoons of your cooled blackberry mixture into the center of each dough round. Beat together your egg and a splash of water or milk. Brush your egg wash around the rim of your dough, then fold one edge over to the other side, and press them together. Crimp the edges shut, or use a fork to seal. You want to make sure your edges are well sealed together!
Place 4-6 pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with your egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Then cut two small parallel slits in the center of each pie. This will allow the filling to breathe while it bakes (so your pies don’t explode).
Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes until the tops are nicely golden. Then, immediately remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
3 reasons you’ll love these pies
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- If you don’t have passionfruit, no worries! Just swap in for extra blackberries. You can also easily change the fruit completely. Raspberries or strawberries would be delicious!
- Make sure to give your blackberry filling enough time to cool, so it’s not hot when you go to assemble your pies. The pie dough is packed with butter and a hot filling will potentially melt it, and ruin your bake.
- You can roll out your pie dough before or after it spends time in the fridge. If your kitchen is warm and your dough is feeling to soft to roll immediately, go for the fridge first. You want your butter to stay cold as you prep your pies! This will ensure it melts properly in the oven, so you get those flaky layers from the buttery steam.
- Really crimp your pie edges shut. Using a fork or twist them closed, before baking so the hand pies don’t burst in the oven.
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
You can make your blackberry passionfruit filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to two weeks (or in the freezer for up to 3 months). Your pie dough can also be made in advance and stored in the fridge for two days or up to three months in the freezer.
Once baked, your blackberry passionfruit hand pies can be stored at room temperature for two days or in the fridge for up to 5. You can also place these in a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight. Then place on a sheet pan, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F until heated through (around 10 minutes).
MORE PIE RECIPES
For more blackberry flavor, try this easy Blackberry Pie with Marshmallow Whipped Cream. Made with a graham cracker crust, a thick layer of fluffy marshmallow cream, and topped with fresh blackberries. For my pie crust lovers, make my brother’s favorite Homemade Blueberry Pie is a classic just for you. If you want something more savory, use up your roast chicken leftovers and some store-bought puff pastry to make these Cozy Chicken Hand Pies!
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
- Medium Pots
- Spoons
- 2 Butter Knives or food processor
- 4 1/2" Round Cutter
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- ¼ cup passionfruit frozen and seedless
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅛ cup cornstarch
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 ⅔ cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter
- 5 tbsp cold water
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
Instructions
FILLING
- In a pot combine blackberries, passionfruit, and lemon juice, place on the stove over medium heat
- Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl and gradually stir into the blackberry mixture
- Stir frequently, bringing the mixture to a boil. Allow to thicken at a boil for 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool completely. Your mixture must be room temperature or cooler before assembling your pies or you risk melting your dough!
CRUST
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add cubed cold butter and using two knives, slice the butter into the flour/salt mixture until it resembles fine grains of sand. You can also add everything to a food processor and pulse until fine if you have one.
- Pour in the cold water one tablespoon at a time, stirring the dough between each add. Once you’ve added a few tablespoons, begin compressing your dough with your hands. The butter will start to shape the dough alongside the water so give it some work before adding any more water to the mixture. If it still feels dry and crumbly, add another tablespoon of water, then compress, and repeat as needed.
- Once your dough is compressed into a firm ball, wrap and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes or until your blackberry filling is cooled.
ASSEMBLY
- Remove your dough from the fridge and cut in half
- Roll one of the halves of the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, into a circle ⅛” thick
- Using a 4 ½” round cutter, cut four discs out of the rolled dough
- Bring together the scraps of dough into a ball, reroll between the parchment paper, and cut the remaining discs
- Roll out your second half of the dough and repeat the rolling and cutting process. You should get seven discs out of each dough half, for fourteen discs of dough total.
- Spoon 2 heaping teaspoons of your cooled blackberry mixture into the center of each dough round
- In a bowl make your egg wash by cracking one egg and adding a splash of water before whisking together with a fork
- Using a pastry brush, brush the inside rim of each dough round with the egg wash
- Fold one edge of a dough disc over to the other side and press the edges together before crimping or closing with the tongs of a fork. However you choose to close it, make sure the edges are well-sealed together
- Brush the tops of each hand pie with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Cut two small, parallel slits into the center of each pie, to allow the filling to breathe while it cooks (without exploding the pie)
- Bake at 375F for 25 minutes until the tops are nicely golden
- Immediately remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely
- Enjoy!
