Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies with Lemon Icing

Jessica Kostka — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 14:59:50 +0000

These strawberry rhubarb hand pies are a twist on a classic!

These hand pies are the perfect handheld treat for picnics, family gatherings, or potlucks.

This is truly the perfect sweet strawberry and tart rhubarb combo that you can’t get enough of.

Once rhubarb season starts, I am always in the market buying it every week until the season is over! Strawberry and rhubarb are a classic flavour combination which makes delicious hand pies, cocktails and sundaes.

Each flaky and buttery pastry is filled with juicy strawberries that pair perfectly with the tartness of the rhubarb. Taking these hand pies over the top is the lemon drizzle! Totally optional but the lemon glaze brings all the flavours together.

Why you’ll love these delicious fruit hand pies

These are simple to make as you can use ready made puff pastry, no need to make your own!
Each strawberry rhubarb hand pie is bursting with flavor thanks to fresh fruit filling ingredients.
It takes just 10 minutes to prep these hand pies and then you’ll need to let them chill for 20 minutes before baking.
This makes 4 perfect strawberry rhubarb pies, but you can easily double the ingredients to make more for a crowd!

What is better that a small little fruit pie that is all yours and you can hold in your hand to enjoy? To me it doesn’t get much better than these pies for dessert in the summertime!

And, the best part is you don’t need to make your own pie dough or need any fancy baking equipment. All you need are some basic pantry ingredients; fresh strawberries and rhubarb; and, frozen puff pastry that’s been defrosted. This is truly an easy summer dessert that you can make on repeat.

Ingredients Needed to make these strawberry rhubarb hand pies

Fresh Fruit: I recommend making this recipe when it’s rhubarb season, that way the rhubarb and strawberries are at their best for the strawberry rhubarb pie filling.

Cinnamon: a sprinkle of cinnamon is going to amp up the flavor.

Puff Pastry Dough: make sure you defrost your frozen puff pastry dough before starting this recipe!

Lemon Juice: you’ll need a tablespoon of lemon juice combined with icing sugar to make the glaze for the hand pies.

Milk: use milk or beaten egg wash to brush on the pies before baking.

These Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies are simple, elegant and the perfect ending to meal. So make a batch (or two, or three) and invite some family or friends over to enjoy together.

Step by Step Process to make this simple recipe

Step 1: Make sure to defrost the frozen puff pastry before you begin. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine the sliced strawberries and chopped rhubarb with the cinnamon, sugar and cornstarch.

Step 3: If your puff pastry comes in a square, use a rolling pin and roll it out on a floured work surface until it is 10×10-inches. Cut the dough into 4 equal squares.

Step 4: Divide the strawberry rhubarb mixture between the 4 squares of puff pastry, placing the mixture on one side of the dough and leaving a half inch border.

Step 5: Fold the dough over to create a triangle or rectangular hand pie. Pinch the edges around all sides and use the tines of a fork to seal the sides.

Step 6: Place the hand pies on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush the top of each pie with milk or an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. While the pies are in the fridge, preheat the oven to 400°Fahrenheit.

Step 7: Take the pies out of the fridge and use a sharp knife to cut 3 small slits on top of each hand pie – cutting slits in the top of the puff pastry crust allows the steam to escape while baking.

Step 8: Bake the hand pies in the pre-heated oven for 22-26 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Some juices will leak out which is totally normal so don’t fret! You’ll know the hand pies are done when the tops of the pies are golden brown and have puffed up. Let the hand pies cool fully on a baking rack.

Step 9: Once the pies are completely cooled, whisk the lemon juice with the icing sugar in a small bowl until combined and drizzle over the hand pies. Enjoy these mini hand pies on their own or add a scoop of ice cream on top.

Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies

These Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies are made for sharing! They are easy to make and perfect to enjoy all summer long at barbeques and picnics!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword hand pie, strawberry rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb hand pie

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 25

Total Time 1 5

Servings hand pies

Author Jess

Ingredients

1 square or sheet of puff pastry dough, defrosted
extra flour for rolling out the dough
3/4 cup strawberries, thinly sliced
1/2 cup rhubarb, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp milk
white sugar for dusting

Lemon Glaze

1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup icing sugar

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 400F. Line your baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
Combine sliced strawberries & rhubarb, cinnamon, sugar and corn starch in a bowl and mix until combined.
If using a square of puff pastry dough, roll out the dough to about a 10inch x 10inch square. Cut your dough into 4 squares.
Divide the strawberry-rhubarb mixture evenly between the 4 squares of puff pastry dough, leaving about a half inch border, placing the mixture on one side of the dough to make a triangle or rectangular pie.
Then, fold over the dough to create the pocket, gently pinching the edges around all of the sides and then pinch with a fork all around to seal.
Move the pies to your parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, brush the top of each hand pie with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up before baking (this helps to keep the hand pie's shape when baking).
Using a sharp knife cut 3 small slits into the top of the pies.
Bake for 22-26 minutes or until golden (don't fret, juices will run onto parchment) until pies are golden brown & have puffed up. Then take the hand pies out of the oven and let cool on a baking rack.
Once cooled, mix the glaze ingredients together (it will be fairly thick) and drizzle over the pies. Best enjoyed the day you make them!

Notes

Equipment: baking sheet, rolling pin, parchment paper

When I created this recipe here’s what I had in mind – you’re gathered with your family and friends catching up after a lovely summer barbecue and a batch of hand pies sits on the table for all to enjoy at their leisure. Or honestly enjoy them ANYTIME!

Expert Tips to make this strawberry rhubarb hand pies recipe

Using ready made puff pastry is going to make your life so much easier! Find it in your grocery store’s freezer section. You can find puff pastry in pre-rolled sheets or as squares that you’ll need to roll out.
Once you’ve assembled the hand pies, place in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking. This is going to help the gluten in the puff pastry relax and it helps the butter to stay cold, giving you lovely, puffy layers of dough!
Don’t forget to brush the top of the hand pies with milk or an egg wash before baking! This milk wash is going to give you that beautiful golden brown color.

FAQ

Can I use frozen strawberries or frozen rhubarb instead of fresh?
I recommend only using fresh fruit for this recipe. Frozen strawberries and frozen rhubarb will release a lot of moisture when baking so you won’t get a buttery and flaky hand pie if you use those frozen fruits.

My puff pastry doesn’t come in sheets, can I still use it?
Yes, if your puff pastry comes in a square instead of a sheet you’ll just need to spend a bit of extra time and effort to roll it out on a lightly floured surface.

How do I keep my pie filling from being runny?
Adding that little bit of cornstarch is going to help firm up your hand pie filling, so don’t leave it out! But don’t fret if some of the filling comes out of the pies while baking; this is definitely normal. Just make sure to let the pies fully cool before enjoying so that pie filling can firm up.

Can I make these pies a different shape?
Yes! You can use a circle-shaped cookie cutter to make pies as well. The filling will probably make 6-8 smaller circle hand pies. Here’s the thing with these hand pies, however you shape them they’re going to turn our delicious no matter what!

These Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies are simple and elegant and the perfect ending to meal. So make a batch (or two, or three) and invite some family or friends over to enjoy together!

And, if you’re looking for another unique strawberry dessert, try these Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies from my friends at Truffle Nation.

Now it’s time to enjoy! To me these taste just like summer and might just become your dessert of the season.

Storage

These strawberry rhubarb hand pies are best enjoyed on the day they’re made! Want to make them ahead of a gathering? If you’re having guests over for brunch, lunch or dinner, make a batch in the morning and they can sit at room temperature until you’re ready to enjoy later in the day.

Now it’s time to enjoy! To me these taste just like summer and might just become your dessert of the season.