Somewhere between the certainty of grade-school rock-throwing and the rise of the text message, love became complicated. These Heart Shaped Strawberry Hand Pies, however, are anything but complicated.
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Is the three-day “no-call” rule really a rule? Is it a bad sign if a man doesn’t punctuate his text messages? What does it mean that my husband bought me a toaster for our anniversary (but also made me Flourless Chocolate Torte)?
Do the pink Valentine M&Ms demonstrate more affection than the regular colored ones? COMPLICATED.
This Valentine’s Day, I say we take a deep breath, set “the rules” aside, and say “I love you” with one of the least fussy and most sincere forms of affection: pie.
(Or, if you’re into saying “I love you” at breakfast, try these Strawberry Crepes.)
5 Star Review
“Made these today for Valentine’s Day and they turned out great!”
— Cheri —
Pie is homey. It’s sweet. It’s at its best when at its messiest, when the crust is so flakey it litters the plate with crumbs of love.
More than any other dessert, pie, to me, expresses tenderness and caring.
While this sentiment applies to Brownie Pie, Pumpkin Pecan Pie, and even Vegan Chocolate Pie, for Valentine’s Day, these little heart-shaped strawberry hand pies are especially dear.
How to Make Heart Shaped Strawberry Hand Pies
Made with your favorite pie crust recipe (such as this Oil Pie Crust) or store-bought pastry dough) and a jar or can or prepared strawberry pie filling, these little heart-shaped hand pies are almost as easy as they are adorable.
The Ingredients
- Pie Crust. To keep things as simple as possible, I used my tried-and-true Darn Good Whole Wheat Pie Crust (but you could also reach for your favorite store-bought crust).
- Strawberry Pie Filling. Makes these little hand pies as easy as can be. If you don’t love strawberry, you could also go with cherry, apple, or even blueberry (this Cranberry Orange Sauce would also be a tasty filling).
- Lemon Zest. Jazzes up the store-bought filling with a little extra brightness.
- Egg. A brush of egg wash creates a nice seal and gives the tops some shine.
- Turbinado Sugar. For a finishing flourish of sparkling sugar. Because even the simplest Valentines deserve a little glitter.
The Directions
- Stir together the pie filling and lemon zest. Set aside.
- Roll out the two pie crusts to a 1/8-inch thickness.
- Cut out 24 to 28 hearts from the rolled crusts using a heart-shaped cookie cutter.
- Beat the egg, then lightly brush over half of the hearts.
- Top the center of each heart with strawberry filling.
- Top each with one of the reserved hearts, gently pressing the edges together with your fingers.
- Use the tines of a fork to press around the edges of each heart to seal and cut two small slits in the top of each heart to vent.
- Brush the tops with additional egg, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake, on a parchment-lined baking sheet, until golden and bubbling.
- Remove and let cool completely. ENJOY!
Recommended Tools
- Baking Sheets. Perfect for baking these mini pies.
- Parchment Paper. To keep your pies from sticking to the baking sheet.
Heart-Shaped Strawberry Hand Pies: because I love you. No texting or rock throwing required.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have never made these hand pies gluten free before so it would be an experiment. However, if you have a gluten free pie crust recipe and a prepared filling that you enjoy and have worked with before, I don’t see why these wouldn’t work. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear your results.
Absolutely! Feel free to get creative and use other cookie cutters you have lingering in your drawers. Christmas trees for the holidays, stars for the Fourth of July, or dinosaurs because (if your three) any occasion is the right occasion for a dinosaur hand pie.
Yes! To make ahead, I’d assemble the hearts, freeze them unbaked, then bake directly from frozen. Just add a few minutes to the baking time. You could also freeze them after baking and then reheat them from frozen in a 400 degree F oven until heated through.
Heart Shaped Strawberry Hand Pies
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Ingredients
- Prepared pastry pie dough enough to yield 2, 9-inch rounds
- ½ cup Strawberry Pie Filling or your favorite fruit pie filling
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 large egg beaten
- Coarse Turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Place racks in the upper third and center of the oven, then preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line to baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a small bowl, stir together the pie filling and lemon zest. Set aside.
- Place the first pie crust on a well-floured surface and roll into a 1/8-inch thickness.
- With a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut 12 to 14 hearts from the rolled crust. Transfer the hearts to a plate or baking sheet and place them in the refrigerator, then roll and cut the second crust. After cutting both crusts, you should have 24 to 28 hearts total.
- Beat the egg in a small bowl to create an egg wash, then lightly brush over half (12 to 14) of the hearts.
- Place 1 heaping teaspoon of the strawberry filling in the center of each egg-washed heart, ensuring that you place a piece of fruit in each.
- Gently stretch each of the remaining hearts with your fingers to make them slightly larger, then set them on top of the filling-topped hearts. With your fingers, gently press the edges together. With the tines of a fork, press around the edges of the hearts to seal, then use a small knife to cut two small vents in the top of each heart.
- Brush the tops of each complete heart with the beaten egg, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Place the hearts 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes, until golden and bubbling, rotating the pans’ position halfway through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
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Made these today for Valentine’s Day and they turned out great! I even served them on a pretty floral plate like yours. Super easy, super yummy, and totes adorbs! ;)
Cheri, I’m so excited to hear this. Thanks for letting me know and Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’d love to make these for a Bridal Shower I’m hosting! How far in advance do you think I could make them, while still keeping them fresh? If made the day before, should I store them in the refrigerator or keep on the counter? Thanks!!
Hi Erin! I’d assemble the hearts, freeze them unbaked, then bake directly from frozen. Just add a few minutes onto the baking time. I hope that helps. These would be so sweet for a shower!
Thanks for this question. I am going to do the same thing. They look perfect for a bridal shower!
How would you store these after they’ve been baked in a Sunday but don’t need them till Friday?
Thank you!!
Hi Lisa! I would suggest letting them cool completely, then freezing them. You can reheat them directly from frozen in the oven whenever you are ready to serve. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
How long do you think you’d have to heat them in the oven if they are baked, cooled then frozen? Would you still do 400 degrees? Thanks!
Hi Selena! Yes, still 400 degrees. I don’t have an exact time — I would just add a few minutes on to the recipe bake time, then check them regularly. I hope you love them!
I was afraid to try these because I’m not the greatest at pie crust, but I bought a good quality frozen one and they turned out great! So cute, so yummy, so try them!
Hi Nancy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
What size platter would you recommend for 24 heart pies and 24 mini cheesecakes. This is for abridal shower
Hi Danielle, I don’t really have any suggestions when it comes to serving platters for a bridal shower but I’m guessing something large. Hope you enjoy these hand pies!
So, after baking can I store for a few days on the countertop in a covered container? How long will they remain fresh?
Hi Maryann, should be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Enjoy!
Hi Erin, so you say you can use refrigerated pie crust. So, I could only find Pillsbury brand, round frozen 9” . Will that work? Guessing I defrost first and then roll them out? Or, am I looking for a flat already prepared pie crust dough? Thanks
Hi Maryann, that should work. Enjoy!