Flaky Southern Strawberry-Rhubarb Fried Pies (Best Ever Hand Pies)

Strawberry-Rhubarb hand pies are one of the best things spring has to offer! Made using our all-time family favorite buttermilk fried pie dough filled with a quick and easy homemade strawberry-rhubarb pie filling.  If you enjoyed our Southern Fried Cherry Pies, we think you're going to really love this version too. 

This light and flaky buttermilk pastry dough becomes bubbly and crispy from a "secret" ingredient I like to add that makes them superiorly crispy on the outside.

For the homemade pie filling, it's incredibly easy and takes just a few minutes to cook which allows it to maintain its full summer strawberry fruit flavor with a hint of tart rhubarbs instead of tasting like a tin can (and you know exactly what's in it so you can feel good about feeding it to your family).

The Origins of Fried Pies (Hand Pies)

Fried pies filled with fruit or creme mixtures are a traditional southern dessert and ubiquitous throughout the American South. In fact, my home state of Arkansas is synonymous with this dessert.

They've been a part of the culinary heritage there for well over a century (check out what Saveur had to say about it). And everyone's granny, Mama, or aunty swears they have "the best recipe" (which of course is only sometimes true).

When made well, fried pies can be one of the best desserts you'll ever eat, or they can be tough, greasy, and often made with low-quality cheap ingredients.

This fried pie recipe might just be one of the best things to ever come out of the South.  So, if you've never had the pleasure of eating a genuine scratch-made Southern hand pie give them a try. You'll be happy you did!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Fried Pie Ingredients

This traditional southern dessert is 100% made from scratch using two of our favorite seasonal spring combos -- rhubarb and strawberries. Made with just a few basic ingredients, this is a quintessential Southern dessert worth making while fresh strawberries and rhubarb are in season.

For the dough

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (225g)
• 1 ½ tablespoons pure cane sugar, or granulated sugar (23g)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (2g)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup lard, pinched off into small pieces (95g)
• ¼ to ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature (88-121g) *see recipe notes for how to make a faux buttermilk substitution
• 2 to 3 cups neutral vegetable oil for frying (450g-675g)
• powdered sugar for dusting fried pies
• a pinch of cinnamon (optional, but recommended)

For the pie filling

• ½ recipe Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Filling

For the all-natural strawberry sugar (optional)

• All Natural Homemade Strawberry Sugar

*I use 00 flour when I'm in Italy for this recipe (and King Arthur flour when I'm in the States), and the weight of different flours varies based on the humidity content and absorption potential of the flour you're working with. Just be sure to use the 'scoop and level' method to measure your flour into measuring cups and spoons and the recipe works perfectly every time.

Overview: How to Make Really Good Homemade Strawberry-Rhubarb Fried Pies

This dough comes together quickly using just a fork. And it only takes about 15 minutes to make the homemade strawberry-rhubarb pie filling. If you happen to have a dough cutter or food processor to help create the dough, feel free to use them.

But it's not necessary because the fat in this recipe is combined at room temperature which makes it really easy to get everything blended properly with a fork.  If you have kiddos they can definitely help with this part.

1. Mix the dry ingredients together using a whisk until combined. 
2. Add the lard in ½" (1cm) pieces to the dry ingredients and use a fork to cut the fat into the flour mixture. 
3. Add the buttermilk ¼ cup at a time until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Form the dough into a disc, fold it over itself 3-4 times and wrap with plastic wrap, and rest in the fridge.
4. Roll out the dough.
5. Cut out dough circles and fill.
6. Seal the dough. 
7. Fry the dough and dust with powdered sugar.
8. Dust pies with powdered sugar.

How to Roll Out and Cut Dough for Fried Pies

When rolling out fried pie dough be sure to dust the surface of the countertop and the rolling pin with a little flour to keep the dough from sticking. Try not to add too much flour.

Roll out the dough using even pressure until it's about ¼ inch thick. Once you've got it rolled to the desired thickness, use a floured 3 or 4-inch round cookie cutter to cut circles.

If the dough circles become too warm while you're working with them, place them on a floured or parchment-lined tray, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and pop them into the fridge for a few minutes to chill and firm up slightly before adding the filling and sealing the edges.

Keeping the dough nice and cool or cold but still malleable is key to being able to easily fill the dough without it becoming too messy.

Do Not Over-Fill Fried Pie Dough 

As tempting as it is, do not overfill the pie dough. It's easy to want to put in "just a little more", but if you over-stuff the dough, it can tear and split apart when you're sealing it or while it's frying.

When filling fried pie dough, the goal is to get a good dough-to-filling ratio and fill it without the pie filling seeping out from the edges. Plus, a little filling goes a long way.

Once you add the filling, close the circle by pressing down with your fingers to remove any air bubbles all the way around the perimeter. Then use a fork to create a closed seal. This process can be a little messy but it's still quick and easy.

The Secret to Making the Crispiest Flakiest  Fried Pie Dough

Baking powder is my "secret" ingredient in this fried pie dough recipe. It's a leavening agent that when combined with a liquid in a flour-based recipe, allows for the escape of carbon dioxide gas adding lightness and unbeatable crispiness to the final fried pies.

You can see from the photos below how light, bubbly, and crispy this fried dough is. These bubbles equal crispy-crunchy flaky goodness.

Correct Oil Temperature is Key to Fried Pie (Hand Pie) Success 

Always make sure the oil is at the right temperature before frying. If the oil is too hot it'll brown the outside before the inside has time to cook through. 

If the temperature is too low, the pies will absorb too much oil and become greasy.

The temperature should stay between 350°-375°F (176°C-190°C) when you first drop the pies into the oil. Try to maintain an oil temperature of 325-350°F (163-176°C) throughout the frying time.

Don't overcrowd the pies while cooking. Doing so can lead to a rapid drop in oil temperature which leads to greasy fried pies. If you're new to deep-frying, test-fry one pie or a small leftover piece of dough to get the hang of it first, or buy a cheap thermometer.  You can always check to see if the temperature of the oil is ready by placing a wooden chopstick into the hot oil being sure the chopstick touches the bottom of the pan. If you see bubbles coming up around the chopstick, the oil is ready.

Homemade Southern Strawberry-Rhubarb Fried Pie Best Tips & FAQ's

Can I freeze fried pies?  Yes, you can freeze filled uncooked fried pies for up to 6 months before frying. After filling the pies and sealing them, lay them out in a single layer (not touching) on a parchment-lined sheet pan and pop it into the freezer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the pies have firmed up. At this point, they may be placed inside an airtight container or freezer bag and sealed.

How to cook frozen fried pies? When you're ready to fry the frozen fried pies, remove them from the freezer for about 15 minutes to allow some of the chill to come off. Alternatively, you may place frozen pies in the refrigerator for 2 hours before frying which also helps take the chill off. Fry them for about 8 minutes being sure to turn them occasionally, or until cooked through and golden brown.

If you don't have buttermilk make faux buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon (13g) of freshly squeezed lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup, then pour in whole milk until it reaches the ½ cup mark on the measuring cup. Stir the mixture and allow it to rest at room temperature to thicken for 5 to 10 minutes before adding to the flour mixture.

This fried pie dough recipe can easily be doubled and frozen. Wrap the extra dough and seal it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

How do I know if the dough is ready to form it into a brick? You'll know the dough is ready to be formed into a 'brick" when you can squeeze a handful of dough together and it holds.  If the dough crumbles, add just a bit more buttermilk a teaspoon (6g) at a time until the mixture just holds together. Avoid adding too much buttermilk or the dough will be wet and sticky and never add all of the buttermilk all at once. Instead, add it in increments so you can be sure to use just the right amount.

Substitute vegetable shortening for the lard if you prefer.  You may also use a mixture of half butter and half lard.  Using butter only will yield a slightly different texture but wonderful flavor.

Let the pie dough rest.  Do not skip this step. It's very important to let the dough relax so that it's more pliable and easier to roll out.

Use a scale to weigh the ingredients for more consistent measurements but feel free to use measuring cups and spoons if that's what you have.

For this recipe, I use a 4-inch round cutter for this recipe. But you can make mini fried pies using a 2 or 3-inch cutter. For a 4-inch round cutter, I fill the dough with no more than 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of filling. Doing so helps ensure the pies will seal and fry properly. If you make larger or smaller pies, be sure to adjust the amount of filling.  Whatever you do, resist the urge to overfill them or they may bust open while frying.

Dust the pies with powdered sugar twice.  Sprinkle the fried pies as soon as they finish frying which allows the sugar to melt into the hot pies. Then dust them a second time after about 10 minutes so you can see the powdered sugar on top.

Add extra flavor to the powdered sugar by adding a pinch or two of cinnamon to it before dusting the pies. This is especially good for peach, cherry, and apricot fried pies.

Use this pie dough with other fillings.  Try chocolate, peach, cherry, lemon cream, apricot, vanilla-bean cream, wild blackberry, sweet potato, pecan, or even coconut.

Let's get started!

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Crispy & Flaky Southern Strawberry-Rhubarb Fried Pies recipe photos + step-by-step instructions