Mini Pear and Vanilla Pies
End off the year with a bang with the best pie of 2024!
With the holidays upon us, there’s no better time to make these delicious and yummy mini pear pies! Since I was kid, I’ve been whipping up pies for my family for the holidays - not going to lie, it was kind of my claim to fame. I always enjoyed it because pastry and desserts as a kid was always my favorite thing to make. They were practical, made sense when you followed the order or steps and everyone always loved them. I was not messing around either, I would make everything from scratch, no pre-made pie crusts or fillings from a can, instead it was all made early Christmas morning so it would be as fresh as possible. My family didn’t enjoy the mess I would make (sorry mom), but the pies were always a hit.
Now years later, I wanted to keep the tradition alive and well by sharing with you a mini pear pie recipe that’s obviously all made from scratch. Pie crust can often intimidate some people but I promise its easy, and worth the effort. Just make sure you have icy cold butter and ice water to keep the pie holding onto its shape. It’s actually quite simple recipe and a great way to get the kids and others involved too. Bookmark this recipe for the next time you want a dairy free dessert that will blow your mind!
These pear pies are:
refined sugar free
dairy free
kid friendly
perfect for the holidays
Makes 3 mini pies:
THE GOODS:
5 pears, thinly sliced
3 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 1/4 cups spelt flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup hard vegan butter, cut into small cubes
6 tbsp cold water
1 tbsp melted vegan butter
Vegan vanilla ice cream (optional)
THE METHOD:
First, grab a large mixing bowl and add in the sliced pears, tapioca flour, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until fully mixed. Set aside.
Into another separate large bowl, add in the spelt flour, coconut sugar, another pinch of salt, mix well and then and 1 cup hard vegan butter. Use a fork to mix and mash the butter into the flour until it’s crumbled throughout, (you can also use your hands for this!) in small tiny butter pellets. Slowly add in the cold ice water one tablespoon at a time. Start stirring with a fork then use your hands to form into dough ball. Don’t over work it to make sure that there are still little balls of butter for that flaky crust! Cover and place the dough into the fridge for 5-15 minutes to cool slightly.
Preheat your oven to 375. Grab a large cutting board and dust it with a little bit of extra flour. Place the dough ball onto the center of the cutting board and roll it out into a flat oval about 1 cm thick using a rolling pin,
Grab three 4 inch mini pie pans (or any small dish you want to use for these - see photo for what I used!) and use the three pie pans to outline and cut out three circles for the crusts. Carefully place the three circles of dough onto the bottom of each pie dish. Grab the remaining dough and roll it back up into a ball and cut the ball into equal thirds. Roll each dough piece into a ball and use the rolling pin to roll each one out into a circle.
By now the pear mixture should have sweated a bit and should be sitting in a beautiful sauce. Divide the pear mixture into all three pies and make sure to divide the sauce evenly too! Take the three remaining circles of dough and place them onto each pie to cover up the pears inside. Use your fingers or a fork to press together the top and bottom pie crust and then use a knife to cut the side as necessary. Take your melted vegan butter and brush a thin coating of butter onto all three pies and sprinkle with a bit of coconut sugar for each one.
Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes. If the tops are still soft, bake for 5 minutes increments until it’s slightly hard and golden brown. All ovens vary a bit so make sure to keep an eye on them after 30 minutes. Once done, let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Best enjoyed immediately with a scoop of vegan ice cream!
