These Peaches and Cream Mini Pies are a great dessert to celebrate summer! Bright and sweet peaches sit on a pillow of vanilla cream, and tender and buttery pie crust brings these mini pies together.
RECIPE AND POST UPDATED 8/3/2021
Peaches and Cream Mini Pies
It doesn’t get much better than peaches and cream. Well, maybe it does when you fresh peach slices in a flaky, buttery pie crust. And it is a little hand held dessert, perfect for summer! What may be even better is when the juices from the fresh peach slices combine with the silky vanilla cream when baked.
And these Peaches and Cream Mini Pies tastes just as you would expect:
- Bright Peach Flavor – Fresh peaches are the way to go with this dessert. Peaches provide a vibrant and sweet flavor that is reminiscent of summer.
- Silky Vanilla Cream – Think homemade vanilla pudding but much creamier. Because we use only heavy cream, the vanilla cream is simply luxurious.
- Flaky Butter Crust – My pie crust is always all butter. I prefer a flaky pie crust and the butter makes sure this happens. The pie crust is light, flaky, and full of flavor. This is the same pie crust I use for the popular Cherry Almond Galette – except I use brown sugar in this recipe to pair with the brown sugar in the peaches.
Easy Single-Serving Peach Pies
Not only is pretty cute to serve a pie as a single serving, but I also think it is practical. They are easier to transport; easier to store, and easier to serve. Think of a backyard barbecue and it comes to dessert time. Instead of having to plan for small dessert plates and forks, you can just grab one of these little pies on a napkin, and your guests can eat by hand.
Baking the pie in a muffin pan also gives you some flexibility if you want to have different pie flavors. How about making one cherry, another apple, and another blueberry. Now you have 4 different pie flavors without actually having to bake 4 different full-size pies!
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What You Need To Make Mini Peaches and Cream Pies
Ingredients
- Fresh Peaches
- Lemon Juice
- Light Brown Sugar – I like the rich flavor of brown sugar and think it pairs nicely with fresh peaches.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Unsalted Butter
- White Vinegar – Vinegar also helps with the tender and flaky pie crust.
- Salt
- Heavy Cream
- Egg Yolk – You can reserve the egg white to brush on the crust of the pie dough before baking. Or you can use it for your next omelet!
- Corn Starch
- Vanilla Extract
Baking Equipment
- Muffin/Cupcake Pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Rolling Pin
Tips For Making Peaches and Cream Mini Pies
- Make the Vanilla Cream first – Or even the night before. This way it has time to cool and thicken.
- Strain the Vanilla Cream – The method for making this Vanilla Cream is different than how I would make vanilla pudding. Instead of tempering the egg yolk with warm cream, we are mixing it with the cream and heating. This method may create small egg pieces, which is why we want to strain it.
- Use fresh peaches – Again, when in season, use fresh! Frozen peaches may work, but I would caution they may turn too mushy when baked.
- Slice the peaches thin – Because these are mini pies, we want to make sure we can fit the peach slices in the dough.
- Reserve the peach juices – Naturally, the peach slices will create some juice when you mix them with the brown sugar. I like to use the fruit juices to brush over the tops of the peaches before and after baking.
- Use cold, cold butter – Cold butter is what makes pie crust flaky. As the dough bakes, the cold butter releases steam which leads to flaky, tender layers of pie dough. The colder the butter, the better.
- Try grating the butter – Instead of cutting the butter into cubes, you can also grate it on the big holes of a cheese box grater. I am a fan of grating the butter because it gives you the butter piece sizes you want, and there is less handling of the butter, which may cause it to warm or even melt. Most importantly, I find grating the butter is easier.
- Chill the dough – The pie crust dough will need some time in the fridge to firm up and come together before rolling it out. Don’t skip this part, or you pie dough may not turn out as flaky.
- Cut the dough disc into 4 pieces when ready to roll – It is easier to roll out a smaller piece of dough, and there are less dough scraps this way.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the muffin cup – Make sure the dough makes it all the way to the bottom of the muffin cup. We want equal size mini pies, and the deeper the cup, the more peaches you can pile on!
- Go rustic or refined – When crimping the edges of the mini pies, you can get super perfect with your edges. Or, not worry about it and go a little more rustic. And I will be the first to admit, I am more of a rustic pie edge person!
- Brush the edges of the pies – if you want! – You will have an extra egg white, so why not use it to create golden edges on your pies. The egg white will also help the sugar adhere – if you choose to sprinkle the edges.
- Enjoy the pies the day they are baked – Just like using fresh fruit, enjoying baked goods the day they are baked is one of my mantra’s. It is difficult to replicate that fresh-from-the-oven tastes when you try to reheat the pies. That said, if you do have leftovers, they will store fine in the refrigerator for a couple days.
Common Questions For Making Mini Peaches and Cream Pies
While I have not tested it, I think doubling the recipe would work fine.
I recommend fresh peaches. I think frozen peaches would get too soft when baked. Perhaps try a fruit that is in season instead of using frozen fruit.
You do not! Though, I highly recommend it to get that quintessential peaches and cream flavor.
Good question! You can use it to brush on the edges of the pie dough for a golden crust. Or, save it for your scrambled eggs or omelet.
I have never tried making a pie dough with shortening. I know a lot of baker’s prefer it to make a soft and tender dough. My preference is a light and flaky, and buttery, pie crust. I would recommend searching for a shortening pie crust recipe that appeals to you.
Chilling the dough allows the butter to firm up, all of the ingredients to meld together, and gives the gluten time relax.
I like to brush the juice on top of the peaches before and after baking the mini pies. Brushing the juices on the peaches after the pies are baked makes the peaches glisten.
If you have any – I recommend storing covered in the refrigerator because of the vanilla cream. Then let come to room temperature before serving.
More Peach Dessert Recipes
- Peach Cupcakes – Gluten Free Small Batch
- Mini Peach Clafoutis
- Peach Monkey Bread Muffins
- Mini Peach and Cream Cheese Tarts
- Peach Mousse Trifles
- Mini Peach Caramel Cake
Peaches and Cream Mini Pies
Equipment
- 1 – Muffin/Cupcake Pan
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar - or sweetener of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
- Turbinado Sugar - optional – for topping pie crust
Peach Filling
- 2 fresh peaches, sliced - peeling the peaches is optional
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar - or sweetener of choice
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Vanilla Cream
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar - or sweetener of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
Instructions
Vanilla Cream
- Make the Vanilla Cream first – In a small saucepan, add the egg yolk, cream, brown sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until the cornstarch and egg yolk are thoroughly incorporated. Turn on the heat to medium.
- Cook the cream until it thickens and bubbles slightly – about 3-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla and butter. Stir until the butter has melted.
- Strain the cream through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap – with the plastic set directly on top of the cream. This keeps a skin from forming. Set aside to cool at room temperature until ready to use.
- The cream can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.
Pie Crust
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter. Begin to 'cut' in the butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the butter is about the size of peas. Note – You an also grate the cold butter, instead of cutting it into cubes and cutting it into the flour.
- In a liquid measuring cup, add 2 tablespoons of the ice water and vinegar. Add to the dough and stir with your fingers or a fork until you have a rough dough. If the dough still seems too dry, add more ice water – 1 teaspoon at a time. Note – The dough is supposed to be rough and scrappy. You will know you have added enough water when you squeeze some of the dough in your hands and it holds together.
- Pour the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a ball, then flatten into a small disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Peach Filling
- In a small bowl, mix the peach slides, lemon juice, brown sugar, and flour until the peaches are covered. Set aside. Note – You can reserve the juices from the peaches to brush on the peach slices before and after baking the pies.
- Baking – Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Lightly grease 4 muffin cups in the muffin baking pan.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and lightly flour your work surface. Cut the dough disc into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, gently shape the dough into a ball, and roll into a 6-inch diameter circle. Press the dough circles into the prepared muffin cups – working the dough so it touches the bottom of the cup, and leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang. Trim off any excess, and crimp the edges of the dough – just as you would a regular pie dough.
- Spoon equal amounts of vanilla cream into each pie cup. Then pile the prepared peach slices on top of the cream. Optional – brush some of the peach juice over the top of the peaches.
- If using, sprinkle the coarse sugar on the edges of the pie crust. Note – You can also brush the edges of the pie crust with the leftover egg white for a shiny, golden crust.
- Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the crust is a golden brown and the cream is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes. Then carefully lift each pie out of the muffin cups to cool completely on the cooling rack. Top with your favorite whipped cream, ice cream or reserved peach juice, and Enjoy!
