If you love traditional fruit pies you'll love this hand -held fried version. When a dessert is this quick, easy, and delicious it becomes a family favorite!
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Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- SO easy
- Uses convenience foods to cut down on time and mess
- Easily pan fried
A traditional apple hand pies recipe is delicious but takes time that most of us don't have on a regular basis.
This fried pie recipe (grandma used to call them "fry pies") uses easy to find convenience foods to cut the prep time down to 5 minutes!
Once you see how easy it is to make this southern favorite you'll want to make them with ALL your favorite fillings.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Chop large slices of fruit into bite sized pieces.Stir in the bourbon or other liquid ingredients.
- Roll out each biscuit to the size of a saucer, about ⅛-inch thick or a little less.
- Add about two generous tablespoons of filling to the center of each biscuit round.
- Dampen the edges with a little water or beaten egg using a pastry brush. Fold over and press with the tines of a fork to seal.
- Add a couple of the pies at a time to the hot oil.
- Turn and fry on the other side until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Brush the top with melted butter. Add, butter side down, to the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
- Brush the other side with melted butter. Turn to coat the whole pastry in cinnamon and sugar.
🎥 Video
Click on the image to watch me make this recipe from start to finish with extra tips! (Video opens in a new tab).
🥫 Storage
Apple fried pies can be stored in at room temperature for 2 days. You'll want to store them in the refrigerator after that.
Let cool completely then just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or put in an airtight container with wax paper or parchment paper between the layers.
How to freeze fried pies
You can also freeze fruit fried pies, either fried or uncooked, for up to 3 months. Do not glaze or dip in sugar before freezing.
To freeze raw fried pies
- Assemble the pies as instructed. Do not use cream fillings if you plan on freezing them.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You may need two.
- Place in the freezer uncovered.
- Once the pies are frozen you can put them in a large, air tight container with parchment paper between the layers OR freeze them in freezer bags.
To freeze cooked fried pies
- Let fried pies cool completely.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place in freezer until frozen solid.
- Layer in a large airtight container with parchment between layers. Or put in a plastic freezer bag.
To cook raw pies from frozen
You can cook the raw pies right without thawing first if you want to.
- Be careful when putting frozen pies in the oil. The ice crystals can cause the oil to pop and splatter and cause burns.
- You'll have to increase the frying time by about 3 or 4 more minutes.
- Do NOT overcrowd the fryer. The icy cold pies will cause a rapid drop in the temperature of the oil. Only fry one or two at a time.
You can also let the pies thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Place in a single layer on baking sheets and cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Fry according to instructions in the green recipe card below.
To reheat finished pies
It's best not to reheat the hand pies in oil. The oil will soak into the crust and it will be soggy and oily.
- Bake in a 350F oven until heated through.
- Place in an air fryer for a few minutes.
Either way, let them cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before eating.
📖 Variations
The bourbon or lemon juice is completely optional - and you'll want to match the liquid you use to your fruit filling. For example:
- Blueberry pie filling with amaretto for blueberry pies
- Apple pie filling with bourbon or rum for apple pies
- Peach pie filling with bourbon or amaretto for peach pies
...and so on.
You can add a little extra sugar or brown sugar to the pie filling if you need to.
You can also use ginger ale. The point of adding this small amount of liquid is to give more flavor to the canned pie filling which is sometimes a little flat and bland.
Also, I use peanut oil for frying because it's light and has a high smoke point. If there are allergies or you prefer to use something else any light frying oil will work.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Be sure not to crowd the pan when frying - the oil will cool down too much and the fried pies will be greasy. Keep the oil temperature at a steady temperature as much as possible.
- Some people like to use homemade pie crust. I like the fluffier texture of the biscuit crust and I think it holds up better. You can use either.
- I like to use a large skillet but you could use an electric fryer or large saucepan for deep frying.
- You can bake these if you prefer. You lose some of the character of a southern fried pie but they're still yummy. Bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes.
- Any kind of homemade or canned pie filling will work, including lemon, coconut, pecan, or chocolate.
- Do not leave the warm fried pie on paper towel for too long when you take it out of the fryer. You want to brush with butter and then quickly dredge in the cinnamon and sugar mixture while piping hot.
- If you aren't eating them right away let them cool on a rack so the bottoms don't get soggy.
- Be careful! Biting into a fresh-from-the-fryer, hot fried pie too quickly can give you quite a painful burn. Be sure to let them cool for at least a few minutes.
- Some people prefer a simple glaze on their fried pies rather than granulated sugar or sugar and cinnamon. Just mix powdered sugar with enough milk to make a thick glaze and spoon it over the hot pies while they are on a rack.
👩🍳 FAQs
If you haven't eaten them within a couple of hours then you should cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can refrigerate these for up to 4 days.
Hand pies are usually baked but the term can be used interchangeably.
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📞 The last word
You can use homemade biscuit dough, homemade pie dough, or pick up a can of biscuits in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
Keep it simple!
Another southern favorite? This blackberry cobbler!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Fried Pie Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
Instructions
- Taste the fruit pie filling and add a little sugar if needed for taste.
- Stir in the bourbon or lemon juice, if desired.
- Chop the filling into smaller, bite sized pieces.
- Set aside.
- Dust the countertop with the flour.
- Roll out each biscuit to the size of a saucer, about ⅛-inch thick or a little less.
- Add about two tablespoons of fruit pie filling to the center of each biscuit round.
- Fold over and press with the tines of the fork to seal.
- Poke a small hole in the top for the steam to escape.
- Heat the oil in a heavy skillet until it's about 300 degrees.
- Add a couple of the pies at a time. The oil should sizzle when you add them - don't overcrowd the skillet or the oil will cool down too much.
- Fry for about 3 minutes, or until golden, then turn and fry on the other side until golden.
- Drain on absorbent paper. Change the paper often so it stays fresh.
- Brush the top with melted butter.
- Add, butter side down, to the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
- Brush the other side with melted butter then turn to coat the whole pastry in cinnamon and sugar.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Be sure not to crowd the pan when frying - the oil will cool down too much and the fried pies will be greasy.
- Some people like to use pie crust. I like the fluffier texture of the biscuit crust and I think it holds up better. You can use either.
- You can bake these if you prefer. You lose some of the character of a southern fried pie but they're still yummy. Bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes.
- Any kind of canned pie filling will work, including lemon, coconut, pecan, or chocolate.
- Do not leave the pies on paper towel for too long when you take them out of the fryer. You want to brush with butter and then quickly dredge them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture while piping hot.
- If you aren't eating them right away let them cool on a rack so the bottoms don't get soggy.
- Some people prefer a glaze on their fried pies. Just mix powdered sugar with enough milk to make a thick glaze and spoon it over the hot pies while they are on a rack.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.
At some point in my life I decided to stop being the best at every. single. thing.
I decided that done was better than perfect.
I decided that making quick and easy fried pies for my family to enjoy regularly was better than making my original recipe (which takes a couple of hours - but as my 17 year old says... it SMACKS) once a year.
So I begin cutting corners and creating shortcuts - because I want to enjoy making memories with my family - not watching as they enjoy making memories without me.
But I still wanted to honor those old recipes.
So, I figured out how to make fried pies the easy way. I hope you love these as much as I do.
First published August 19, 2020. Last updated June April 19, 2023 for additional tips and better instructions.
Lorie Bollinger says
Do I use regular sized canned biscuits or the jumbo ?
Marye says
I used regular sized biscuits.
Terry Tucker says
Can these pies be made with sugar substitute?
Marye says
Im sure they could