How to Make Patriotic Mini Fruit Pies


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Patriotic mini strawberry and blueberry pies by blogger Stephanie Ziajka on Diary of a Debutante

Fill disclosure– baking isn’t a talent of mine. I tend to follow the “eyeball it” measurement approach, which I’ve found isn’t ideal for baking projects. I want to get better, though, so I decided to start small on the pie making front. Solution: mini pies. Y’all… I was shocked by how easy they are to make! Honestly, I use Pillsbury’s pre-made pie crusts, so that definitely helps, but everything else is so much simpler than I thought it’d be. Plus, they’re downright perfect for summer, especially the 4th of July, and I love how you can play around with multiple pie crust designs and pie filling flavors at once. Keep reading for tips on how to make mini pies in a muffin tin. I’m also sharing my mini blueberry pie recipe and mini strawberry pie recipe (from start to finish) below!

How to Make Miniature Fruit Pies

Patriotic cupcake tin pies baked by blogger Stephanie Ziajka on Diary of a Debutante

Probably my favorite thing about these mini fruit pies is that you can customize them however you like. I’m sharing both my mini blueberry pie recipe and mini strawberry pie recipe below, but any fruit fillings will work with this technique. Here’s everything you’ll need to make twelve miniature fruit pies–

  • 2 Pie Crusts– Doesn’t matter if they’re homemade or store-bought; you need two standard pie crusts. I buy Pillsbury Pie Crusts, which comes with two, and always get an extra box in case I want to do fun pie crust designs (and also in case I mess up). 
  • Muffin Tin– Any standard muffin tin will do, but I use this one. It’s non-stick, and all mini pies and muffins always just pop right out.
  • Biscuit Cutter– I ordered this set of biscuit cutters off Amazon and used the 3.9-inch one. It cuts circles of dough that fit the muffin cavities perfectly. If you’re debating between a smaller and larger biscuit cutter, go the larger route. Ideally, the mini pie crusts should fold over the top of each muffin cavity.
  • Baking Spray– You can’t make mini pies without a super well lubricated muffin tin– both inside and outside the cavities. I use avocado spray oil, but any baking or cooking spray will work. 
  • Pie Filling– Again, you can go the store-bought or homemade route. I can’t do super sweet pies (and we always try to have lots of fresh fruit on hand), so I like to make my own blueberry and strawberry pie filling. I’m sharing both recipes below!
  • 1 Egg (Whisked)– A whisked egg gives the baked mini pies the most gorgeous golden brown color!
  • Sugar– I started sprinkling coarse sugar on top of my pre-baked mini pie crusts after reading some of A Carried Affair’s mini pie tips and tricks. She seriously makes the most gorgeous little pies!

To make a batch of twelve mini fruit pies, preheat oven to 375F. Spray an entire muffin tin, including both the inner and outer cavities, with baking spray. I use avocado oil, but honestly any baking or cooking spray will do! 

Roll out pie crust on a lightly-floured surface. Use a four-inch biscuit cutter to cut out circles of dough. Gently press each circle into an open muffin cavity and make sure to fit the cavity as snugly as possible to eliminate any air pockets. If you feel like your dough is too thin, cut out a smaller circle to reinforce the bottom (see photo below). Set aside any extra dough for pie crusts designs.

Step one of how to make mini pie shells by blogger Stephanie Ziajka on Diary of a DebutanteStep two of how to make mini pie crusts by Stephanie Ziajka on Diary of a Debutante

Fill each cavity about 3/4th’s of the way full with pie filling. I’m sharing my mini strawberry pie filling recipe and mini blueberry pie filling recipe below!

Blogger Stephanie Ziajka shows how to make mini pies in muffin tins on Diary of a DebutanteStep four of how to make miniature pies by Stephanie Ziajka on Diary of a Debutante

Now onto the fun part! Get creative and use any extra dough to make your mini pie crusts. If you want to do some more intricate pie crust designs, look on Amazon for fun fondant molds and cutters! For these 4th of July mini pies, I ordered this rope fondant mold and used a small star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out dough stars.

Next, gently press crusts together until there are no gaps. If you do have gaps, the pie filling will ooze out onto the pan, which is fine (it happens me to every time, as you’ll notice with my mini strawberry pies)– it’s just not pretty. Also, if you want to do any “floating” designs, cut out the shape of dough you want to use and lay it on top of the filling. Easy peasy.

Mini blueberry pie recipe by blogger Stephanie Ziajka on Diary of a DebutanteMini strawberry pie recipe by blogger Stephanie Ziajka on Diary of a Debutante

Before putting them in the oven, brush all the pie crusts and tops with a whisked egg and sprinkle coarse sugar on top. I also recommend putting a baking sheet underneath your muffin tin, just in case any major pie catastrophes occur.

Bake 30-35 minutes until lightly golden with bubbling filling. Remove from the oven and wait for the mini pies to cool before attempting to remove them. I always wait at least an hour, but if you can wait longer, even better.

Blogger Stephanie Ziajka shows how to make miniature strawberry pies in a muffin tin on Diary of a DebutanteBlogger Stephanie Ziajka shows how to make miniature blueberry pies in a muffin tin on Diary of a Debutante

Once they’ve cooled, use a small and sharp pairing knife to gently cut around and remove each pie. And voila– you’ve got twelve super cute mini pies ready to serve (or sell at fundraisers, bake sales, etc)!

Blogger Stephanie Ziajka holding mini fruit pies in a red gingham sundress on Diary of a DebutanteAffordable fashion blogger Stephanie Ziajka wears a red gingham midi dress while holding patriotic little pies on Diary of a Debutante

Mini Strawberry Pie Recipe

Mini strawberry pie filling recipe by blogger Stephanie Ziajka on Diary of a Debutante

If you love strawberries, you’ll love these mini strawberry pies. After I’ve baked a batch, I love to heat them up in the oven (around 10 minutes at 250F) and serve them with ice cream. They’re so freaking good, y’all, and I’m a big fan of the built-in portion control (even though I’ve been known to eat two different flavored mini pies at once for variety). Anyways, in addition to the pie crust and whisked egg, here’s everything you’ll need to make a dozen mini strawberry pies–

  • 1 cup mashed strawberries
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup cup water
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 cups strawberries, chopped

To help keep the recipe simple, here’s how to make a dozen mini strawberry pies from start to finish–

mini strawberry pie recipe by blogger Stephanie Ziajka on Diary of a Debutante

Mini Strawberry Pies

Yield: 12 mini pies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

These adorable mini strawberry pies are filled with a homemade strawberry pie filling and baked in a muffin tin! Served warm with a side scoop of ice cream, they're a perfectly-portioned mini dessert for summer and a delightful party favor for all your Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day festivities!

Ingredients

For the Homemade Strawberry Pie Filling:

  • 1 cup mashed strawberries
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup cup water
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 cups chopped strawberries

For the Mini Strawberry Pies:

  • 2 pie crusts, store-bought or homemade
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • Pinch of sugar

Instructions

How to Make Mini Strawberry Pie Filling:

Combine mashed strawberries and 3/4 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 3-4 minutes. Pour mixture into a measuring cup through a fine mesh strainer (ensuring you have at least 1 cup) and discard the pulp.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt in a saucepan. Stir strained strawberry juice into sugar mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Stir sliced strawberries into strawberry sauce and set aside. 

How to Make Mini Strawberry Pies:

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray muffin tin, including both inner and outer cavities, with baking spray.

Roll out pie crust on a lightly-floured surface. Use a four-inch biscuit cutter to cut out circles of dough. Gently press each circle into an open muffin cavity and fit the cavity as snugly as possible to eliminate any air pockets. Set aside any extra dough for pie crusts designs. Fill each cavity about 3/4th’s of the way full with homemade strawberry pie filling.

Use any extra dough to make mini pie crust tops and gently press the top crust and bottom crust together until there are no gaps. Brush mini pie crusts  with a whisked egg and sprinkle coarse sugar on top. Bake 30-35 minutes until lightly golden with bubbling filling.

Remove from the oven and allow mini pies to cool completely, ideally for at least an hour. Use a small and sharp pairing knife to gently cut around and remove each pie. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Strawberry pie filling recipe adapted from All Recipes.

To make these patriotic mini pies, I used a mini star-shaped cookie cutter and rope fondant mold

Nutrition Information

Amount Per ServingCalories 0Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 0mgCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g

Mini Blueberry Pie Recipe

Mini blueberry pie filling recipe by blogger Stephanie Ziajka on Diary of a Debutante

This probably sounds cheesy, but blueberries hold a special place in my heart. I got engaged on an “island” called Blueberry Island in Maine, so I always default to blueberry-flavored everything. Sentiment aside, not only do ripe blueberries taste like candy, you need very little sugar to sweeten them up, especially in desserts. Here’s everything you’ll need to make a dozen mini blueberry pies–

  • 4 pints fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces

To help keep the recipe simple, here’s how to make a dozen mini blueberry pies from start to finish–

mini blueberry pie recipe by blogger Stephanie Ziajka on Diary of a Debutante

Mini Blueberry Pies

Yield: 12 mini pies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Baked in a muffin tin and filled with a simple homemade blueberry pie filling, these mini blueberry pies are super easy to make (and absolutely adorable)! Serve them with a side of ice cream to create the perfect mini dessert for summer or the perfect party favor for all your Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day festivities! 

Ingredients

For the Blueberry Pie Filling:

  • 4 pints fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces

For the Mini Blueberry Pies:

  • 2 pie crusts, store-bought or homemade
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • Pinch of sugar

Instructions

How to Make Mini Blueberry Pie Filling:

Combine 3 pints blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and water in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes until sugar is dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened.

Remove saucepan from heat. Add in butter and remaining pint of blueberries and stir gently so blueberries stay whole. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and set aside.

How to Make Mini Blueberry Pies:

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray muffin tin, including both inner and outer cavities, with baking spray.

Roll out pie crust on a lightly-floured surface. Use a four-inch biscuit cutter to cut out circles of dough. Gently press each circle into an open muffin cavity and fit the cavity as snugly as possible to eliminate any air pockets. Set aside any extra dough for pie crusts designs. Fill each cavity about 3/4th’s of the way full with homemade blueberry pie filling.

Use any extra dough to make mini pie crust tops and gently press the top crust and bottom crust together until there are no gaps. Brush mini pie crusts  with a whisked egg and sprinkle coarse sugar on top. Bake 30-35 minutes until lightly golden with bubbling filling.

Remove from the oven and allow mini fruit pies to cool completely, ideally for at least an hour. Use a small and sharp pairing knife to gently cut around and remove each pie. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Blueberry pie filling recipe adapted from All Recipes.

To make these patriotic mini fruit pies, I used a mini star-shaped cookie cutter and rope fondant mold

Nutrition Information

Amount Per ServingCalories 0Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 0mgCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g

Blogger Stephanie Ziajka shares how to make mini blueberry pies in muffin tins on Diary of a DebutanteBlogger Stephanie Ziajka shows how to make mini pies for the 4th of July on Diary of a Debutante

So… what’d y’all think?! As always, please let me know if you have any comments, questions, or complaints about either recipe. I’m happy to help! I’m also planning on sharing my mini peach pie recipe in the next few weeks here, so let me know if there are any other mini pie flavors you’d like to see, as well! Thanks so much for reading, y’all!

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Photography by Catherine Rhodes

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