Last Updated on April 12, 2025
These Vegan Blueberry Hand Pies make for a great on-the-go treat or breakfast.
And yes, these are very much like the nostalgic Pop-Tarts that most know and love from your childhood.
For me these really were a special treat growing up, because of my health conscious mother, did not want to waste money on something with empty calories and little nutrition.
And because of this, I only got to enjoy Pop-Tarts at homes of relatives or friends.
So I decided to create my own Pop-Tart that is much healthier, vegan, and gluten-free.
I believe these pies taste so much better than the old Pop-Tarts I grew up enjoying.
In this recipe, I used my favorite berry for the filling, The Blueberry!
If you are not a fan of blueberries, there are so many other berries that would make this pastry just as tasty.
These gluten-free portable pastries can be customized with any fruit filling of your choice.
Why not try strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or a mix of berries to make a taste explosion!
Filling Ingredients needed for these pies
- Berries – I used a blueberry in my hand pies. You can use fresh, frozen, or even a jam or jelly can work. Try different berries every time you make the pies, such as raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, or make a blend of different berries.
- Real Maple Syrup – I used maple syrup as the sweetener in the filling. Maple syrup will also add a caramel vanilla flavor to the recipe.
- Lemon Juice – The lemon juice added to the filling brightens and balances the sweetness of the filling.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – Vanilla enhances the other flavors in the filling.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch thickens the filling.
- Water
Pastry Ingredients for the pies
- Flour – I used the King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour in this recipe.
- Pure Cane Sugar – I used a pure cane sugar as the sweetener for the pastry of the pies.
- Vegan Margarine – Use your favorite vegan margarine.
- Salt – The salt enhances the flavor, balances the sweetness, and contributes to the structure of the crust, making it more tender and giving a flaky crust.
- Egg Substitute – I used a powdered egg substitute in this recipe.
- Oil – I have only used olive or avocado oil in this recipe. Use your favorite oil.
- Cold Water – The cold water is used to slow down the melting of the vegan margarine, resulting in a light flaky crust.
- Plant Based Milk – I brushed a little unsweetened vanilla almond milk on the top of each pastry before baking.
Frosting Ingredients – Optional
- Sugar – Powdered sugar is used to give a smooth frosting or icing.
- Plant Based Milk – I like to use a unsweetened vanilla almond milk in my frosting. Use your favorite plant based milk.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – The vanilla extract enhances the flavors as well as add a slight vanilla flavor to the frosting.
- Filling – Keep a little of the hand pie filling for the frosting, or you can just use the sauce pan from the filling to mix the frosting in. I recommend not cleaning the sauce pan from the filling.
- Water
How to make the Vegan Blueberry Hand Pies
Making the pie filling
Add the blueberries and the maple syrup to a small saucepan.
In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, water, vanilla, and the cornstarch and mix until there are no lumps, add to the saucepan.
Cook at a low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Notice that the blueberries will start to break down and thicken.
Once the filling is thick, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Making the crust for the pies
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Prepare a 13X9 baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the powdered egg substitute and set aside.
Combine flour, sugar, and salt into a medium mixing bowl.
Add the vegan margarine, and mix until the margarine is well combined.
Next add the egg substitute and oil to the medium mixing bowl and blend.
Now add the water, 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing with each Tbsp.
If the dough will not stick together, add 1 to 2 Tbsp of oil, mixing after each to make sure not to over moisten. IMPORTANT: Do not add more water.
Form the dough into a ball and cut in half.
Prepare a floured surface with a rolling pin.
Place 1/2 of the dough ball onto the floured surface and begin rolling out the dough.
Roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut the dough into rectangles, about 2×3 inches in size. (You are more than welcome to cut your pastries into any shape or sizes you would prefer.)
Carefully place the rectangles onto the baking sheet.
These will not spread, no need to space them too far apart.
Continue rolling out the dough until the baking sheet is full.
After the first half is rolled out and placed on the baking sheet, set this aside.
Place the other half of the dough onto the floured surface and roll it out to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut the dough into rectangles, you will be using these on the top of the filling.
Assembling the hand pies
For easy assembly place the baking sheet next to the saucepan with the filling and spoon 2 to 3 Tbsp. of the filling onto the center of each rectangle.
There will be left over fruit filling, just set this aside, we will be using this for the frosting.
Even if there is no filling left over, keep the sauce pan to mix the frosting, you will still get color from the berries for the frosting.
Once all the rectangles are filled, place another rolled out rectangles on top of each filled rectangles.
With a fork, press the prongs on the edges all the way around the sides to seal the sides.
Pour a little plant based milk into a shallow bowl and, with a pastry brush, brush each pasty. This will slightly brown the tops while baking.
Place the pastries into the preheated oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.
You will notice a slight golden color to your pastries when they are done.
Remove from the oven, let cool to touch and place onto a cooling rack.
Once the pastries have completely cooled, it is time to frost.
Frosting the hand pies
In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, water, vanilla, and the plant based milk.
Add about a teaspoon of the filling to the bowl, you could add more, but start with a teaspoon first.
Because I did not have any filling left I used the sauce pan that I had used for cooking the blueberries (that I did not clean, but set aside) to mix my frosting.
This way I used up every little bit of the blueberry filling.
Blend everything together and drizzle over each of the pastries. Add as much frosting as you would like.
You can serve these Vegan Blueberry Hand Pies warm and freshly frosted or let the frosting set before storing in a air-tight container so you can enjoy them on the go.
Related Posts:
Vegan Blueberry Hand Pies
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 2 Cups Blueberries Fresh or frozen.
- 1/4 Cup Real Maple Syrup
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Water
Pastry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cup Flour I used King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour.
- 1 Tbsp Pure Cane Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Vegan Margarine
- 1/2 Cup Cold Water
- 3 Tbsp Oil I have used either olive or avocado oil in this recipe.
- 1 Powdered Egg Substitute Equal to 1 egg.
- 1 to 2 Tbsp Plant Based Milk This is to brush on the top of the pastries before baking. I like to use unsweetened vanilla almond milk in this recipe. Use your favorite plant based milk.
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 tsp Plant Based Milk I like to use unsweetened vanilla almond milk in this recipe.
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Water
- Left over filling
Instructions
Making the pie filling
- Add the blueberries and the maple syrup to a small saucepan.
- In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, water, vanilla, and the cornstarch and mix until there are no lumps, add to the saucepan.
- Cook at a low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Notice that the blueberries will start to break down and thicken.
- Once the filling is thick, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Making the crust for the pies
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Prepare a 13X9 baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix the powdered egg substitute and set aside.
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt into a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the vegan margarine, and mix until the margarine is well combined.
- Next add the egg substitute and oil to the medium mixing bowl and blend.
- Now add the water, 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing with each Tbsp.
- If the dough will not stick together, add 1 to 2 Tbsp of oil, mixing after each to make sure not to over moisten. IMPORTANT: Do not add more water.
- Form the dough into a ball and cut in half.
- Prepare a floured surface with a rolling pin.
- Place 1/2 of the dough ball onto the floured surface and begin rolling out the dough.
- Roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch thickness.
- Cut the dough into rectangles, about 2×3 inches in size. (You are more than welcome to cut your pastries into any shape or sizes you would prefer.)
- Carefully place the rectangles onto the baking sheet. (These will not spread, no need to space them too far apart.)
- Continue rolling out the dough until the baking sheet is full.
- After the first half is rolled out and placed on the baking sheet, set this aside.
- Place the other half of the dough onto the floured surface and roll it out to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Cut the dough into rectangles, you will be using these on the top of the filling.
Assembling the hand pies
- For easy assembly place the baking sheet next to the saucepan with the filling and spoon on 2 to 3 Tbsp. of the filling onto the center of each rectangle.
- There will be left over fruit filling, just set this aside, we will be using this for the frosting.
- Even if there is no filling left over, keep the sauce pan to mix the frosting, you will still get color from the berries for the frosting.
- Once all the rectangles are filled, place another rolled out rectangles on top of each filled rectangles.
- With a fork, press the prongs on the edges all the way around the sides to seal the sides.
- Pour a little plant based milk into a shallow bowl and, with a pastry brush, brush each pasty. This will slightly brown the tops while baking.
- Place the pastries into the preheated oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.
- You will notice a slight golden color to your pastries when they are done.
- Remove from the oven, let cool to touch and place onto a cooling rack.
- Once the pastries have completely cooled, it is time to frost.
Frosting the hand pies
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, water, vanilla, and the plant based milk.
- Add about a teaspoon of the filling to the bowl, you could add more, but start with a teaspoon first.
- Because I did not have any filling left I used the sauce pan that I had used for cooking the blueberries (that I did not clean, but set aside) to mix my frosting.
- This way I used up every little bit of the blueberry filling.
- Blend everything together and drizzle over each of the pastries. Add as much frosting as you would like.
- You can serve these Vegan Blueberry Hand Pies warm and freshly frosted or let the frosting set before storing in a air-tight container so you can enjoy them on the go.
