How to Make Little Raspberry Cream Pies & More

Raspberry Cream Pies


Kitchen tools, gourmet foods, baking mixes, and hard-to-find baking ingredients mentioned in this article are available at The Prepared Pantry.

by Dennis Weaver & Julie Rencher

Dennis Weaver

"Someone else called and wants to know how you make those little raspberry cream pies." It was Heidi in Customer Service.

We had been making little cream pies and handing them out to visitors in our store. We started with a very simple raspberry cream filling in little pies or turnovers. Then we made blueberry cream cheese, blueberry lemon, mixed berries and cream, banana cream, and peaches and cream pies.

They're simple. You can make a batch of six little pies faster than you can make your favorite pie recipe.

How to create your own little cream pies

It's fun to experiment with these little cream pies. We used premade pastry fillings but you can use those boxed pie filling mixes at the store as well. But premade Bavarian cream is really good and budget friendly.

We made batches of six pies. Since each pie requires 1/3 cup filling, we made 2 cups of filling. Our basic ratio of fruit to cream filling was one cup of each—so one cup of raspberries to one cup of Bavarian cream and one cup of blueberries to one cup of cream cheese filling.

Our peaches and cream pie was an exception. Because there is such a high moisture content in peaches, we used 1 1/2 cups of peaches to only 1/2 cup Bavarian cream. We didn't have any fresh strawberries but we would use the same the ratio with strawberries as with peaches.

We used both fresh fruit and individually frozen berries. We thawed the berries in the microwave before using them. The pies worked best with room temperature pastry filling.

We've always made little pies with fruit-based pastry fillings. (Little lemon pies are my favorite.) This time we mixed fruit filings with Bavarian cream, one cup of each. Raspberry and cream is a to-die-for combination.

In each case, we used our just-add-water pie crust mix. This makes a great pie crust, the same as many professional bakeries. Two cups of mix and 1/3 cup + one tablespoon cold water is perfect for six little pies.

Here's how to make your little pies

This methodology is the same as for making little pies with fresh apples.

Turnovers - step 1

Step 1: Mix and roll out the pie crust.

Step 2: Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.

Step 3: Mix your filling—usually a combination of fruit and Bavarian cream or a packaged pie filling mix.

Step 4: Place the circles in the press one at a time. Press about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 16 minutes.

Step 5: Mix up your icing using powdered sugar, a little water, and flavor. If you would like a hard shell on the frosting, add a couple tablespoons of meringue powder. Once you have moved the little pies from the pan to a rack to cool, frost them.

Do you have to use a dough press to make your little pies?

No, you can trace your circles with plate or a lid and then seal the edges with a fork but a press is handier, easier, and will create a surer seal. Here are the keys to using a press for your pies:

Keys to Using Your Dough Press

Turnovers - step 1

1. Just as your dough sticks to your counter, it will stick to the surface of your dough press. Dust your dough press with a little flour just as you dust the counter and your little pie will slip right out.

2. Don't overfill your dough press. One-third cup filling will give you a nice, plump little pie. The concave surface of your dough press will cradle the filling so that it won't spill as you close the lid.

3. Brush the edges of the dough with water with a pastry brush. You need wet surfaces so that the layers of dough will bind and seal.

4. Use a fork to poke three or four sets of venting holes in the crust. The filling will expand with steam as it bakes. Without venting holes, your little pie will split open.

5. Press firmly to seal the two edges together.

We used a quarter cup, spring loaded, ice cream scoop and filled it above the rim to approximate 1/3 cup of filling. That way, we could scoop and plop to load our pie shells quickly. Pretty nifty.

Raspberry and Cream Little Pies

You can make raspberry and cream little pies with either fresh or frozen raspberries or with raspberry pastry filling. This recipe uses pastry filling and makes very scrumptious pies.

With only two ingredients in the filling, this is super easy and quick.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
  3. Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
  4. Mix the raspberry filling and the Bavarian cream together.
  5. Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
  6. Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
  7. For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used brown sugar flavor.
  8. Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.

Blueberries and Cream Cheese Little Pies

This recipe uses cream cheese filling instead of Bavarian cream abut it is good with either. Again, with only two ingredients in the filling, this is super easy and quick.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
  3. Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
  4. Mix the blueberries and the cream cheese filling together just until combined.
  5. Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
  6. Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
  7. For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used lemon flavor.
  8. Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.

Blueberries and Lemon Little Pies

Little Lemon Pies

We've always been partial to blueberries and lemon together. This recipe uses lemon filling with the blueberries. Again, with only two ingredients in the filling, this is super easy and quick.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
  3. Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
  4. Mix the lemon filling and blueberries together.
  5. Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
  6. Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
  7. For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used lemon flavor.
  8. Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.

Mixed Berries and Cream Little Pie

We used mixed berries, individually frozen, for this recipe and paired it with Bavarian cream

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
  3. Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
  4. Mix the berries and the Bavarian cream together.
  5. Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
  6. Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
  7. For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used lemon flavor.

  8. Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.


Peaches and Cream Little Pies

Little Peach Pie

I love fresh peaches and peach pie so I'm very partial to this pie recipe. We could have added cinnamon and a little nutmeg to the recipe but if you have good peaches, you don't need to.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
  3. Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
  4. Mix the sugar and the Bavarian cream together. Add the peach dices and fold in.
  5. Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
  6. Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
  7. For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used brown sugar flavor.
  8. Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.

Banana Cream Little Pies

Little Banana Cream Pie

Most banana cream pies are made with uncooked bananas so we were a little cautious with this recipe. But the bananas--even though they were cooked--buried in all that Bavarian cream, were excellent. The filling is very much like an old-fashioned banana pudding.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix the pie crust mix and water. Roll out the pie crust until it is just less than 1/4-inch thick.
  3. Use a dough press to cut out six circles for the little pies.
  4. Mix the bananas and the Bavarian cream together.
  5. Place the circles in the press one at a time. Scoop about 1/3 cup filling into the center. Brush the edges with water and fold and crimp with press. Place the completed pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining five dough circles. Poke four sets of vent holes in each pie to allow steam to escape as the pies bake.
  6. Bake for about 16 minutes or the pies begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
  7. For the icing: You may use whatever flavor you prefer: vanilla, brown sugar caramel, orange, lemon, butter rum, butterscotch, or more. For these pies, we used vanilla flavor.
  8. Make your icing by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon flavor. Mix until smooth and spreadable adding more water as necessary. Do not make the frosting too thin. Drizzle the frosting over the completed apple pies using a disposable pastry bag or a zipper-type plastic bag with the corner cut.

What You'll Need

Pastry fillings
A Large Dough Press to easily assemble your little pies
A just-add-water pie crust mix
Flavors for the frosting
Meringue powder (optional)

Your dough press can also be used to make calzones and pocket sandwiches. You can download a free e-book that tells you how to make pocket sandwiches with great recipes.

Dennis Weaver is the founder of The Prepared Pantry, a full line kitchen store in Rigby, Idaho. The Prepared Pantry sells kitchen tools, gourmet foods, and baking ingredients including hundreds of hard-to-find ingredients.



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