My kitchen life lately: raw, raw, raw... BAKED. I've developed a rather strong preference for raw and no-bake treats over the years, but the occasional baked treat is still a must. I know it's V-Day approaching, but these raspberry almond hand pies were actually dreamt up, crafted, baked, photographed, and devoured precisely on Christmas day. Maybe it was the chilly atmosphere, maybe a longing for the smell of something sweet baking away in the oven, maybe I was just inspired by the arriving company that included a favorite little princess, but hand pies were suddenly a must...
And so I quickly re-purposed another recipe idea and whipped up a batch that we all thoroughly enjoyed. Comforting, warm, filled with gooey jam little treats are always welcome at...well pretty much any house I'm sure! My raspberry-almond-anything loving husband was even willing to overlook the "silly" heart shapes for the sake of enjoying a few of these little guys, which sort of made me laugh -- watching a bearish man with little heart-shaped pies in hand can be rather entertaining ;)
To be honest, perhaps I'm the one feeling the hearts to be "silly". I have to fess up here: I'm really not a V-Day person (major understatement); Valentine's day things tend to make me all kinds of squirmy and uncomfortable...am I the only one who gets this way? Maybe that's the reason I felt ok with whipping out the heart-shaped cutters on a day that was far, far away from V-Day -- no pressure that way ;)
Today is the coldest day of the year here so far (-41C :S ), and that same sense of longing for something warm and comforting baking away reminded me that I've yet to share the recipe for these hand pies! So here I am, sheepeshly giving you a heart shaped recipe two days before V-Day... eeeek. Oh well, the pies are truly delicious, V-Day or not, and always a good recipe to have in mind for a day you need something warm, sweet, gooey, fruity, and nutty to cozy up with.
And of course these can be made any shape you like -- the hearts just happened to be on the bigger end of my cookie cutter selection, so I went with those. But circles were equally nice too. Stars were too fussy for my liking -- beware ;)
You can fill these with whatever filling you like. I went for a fruit-sweetened jam, but any other thicker jammy filling will work great here too. Or even some bananas and chocolate. Apples and caramel, anyone? I think one of my favorite fillings to try was apricot jam with some thin chocolate squares. Those were amazing for variation. But raspberry and almonds are a super simple classic that's always a crowd pleaser, so those are the ones I recommend going with first and foremost <3
Raspberry Almond Hand Pies
A classic gluten-free hand pie with an almond sorghum crust and gooey raspberry jam filling. Dairy-free.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 pies
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
- ½ cup sorghum flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 3 tbsp almond butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp pure almond extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Filling:
- Raspberry jam of your choice (I used St. Dalfour's fruit-sweetened raspberry jam)
Optional Topping:
- raw sucanat for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Process all cookie ingredients in a food processor into a uniform sticky mixture. Lump into a ball of dough and flatten into a disk. Roll out the dough flat into 1/16". Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many hearts as you can. Transfer 5 of them onto the cookie sheet, spaced about 1" apart for easier handling. Spoon ½ tablespoon jam onto the center of each heart, leaving the edges clean all around. Cover with any remaining cut-out hearts and pinch the sides closed by pressing down evenly all around with your fingers. Roll out remaining dough from the leftover scraps to create more hearts to cover remaining cookies and pinching the sides closed. Optional: use a fork to press the dough down along the edges all around.
- Use a knife to cut a tiny slit in the center of each cookie. Optional: sprinkle with raw sucanat if using.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven for 15 mins. Cool completely on a wire rack and enjoy!
Dee says
OUtstanding recipe, thank you!
And! For a savory tart crust: I substituted 2 TBL aqua faba for the maple, increasing the salt a tad bit, using a couple pinches of onion and garlic granules.
The filling: I used yellow crookneck squash steamed in broth with fresh cut corn and minced onions, adding cashew cream cheese to hold it together. These were baked in my sun oven (too hot to bake indoors) they turned out great!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Wow, that sounds awesome, Dee! Thanks so much for sharing a savory take on them.
Sophie says
I made these lovely hand pies & the dough tasted just right & the filling was yummy!
Audrey says
Thanks so much for the feedback, Sophie! :) I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Mika says
Hey, Audrey, I know you already said that most flours would work for this, but I thought I should ask anyway to avoid an awful mess in the kitchen :) Do you think I could use oat flour in place of the almond AND sorghum? Or would a mix of almond and oat be better? This is just the recipe I was looking for too, by the way. I just picked up some fresh raspberries from the market and have never tried the raspberry almond combo, but I love both, so I think they would be delightful together. Thanks!
Audrey says
Hi Mika,
Sorry for the delayed reply. I think all oats might work, but you'll lose a lot of the flavor as the almonds give the dough a nice taste. I think a mix of almond and oat would be fine though. If you try it, I'd love to hear how all oat turns out.
If you like the raspberry almond combo, there are a few other recipes on the blog inspired by that flavor.
Bella says
These turned out great & look so impressive coming out of the oven! I made mine in circular shapes from a glass as it was all I had on hadn't & they still looked so adorable!! I also used a quick homemade raspberry chia jam & it worked perfectly if anyone else is wondering if homemade jams work out as filling. Can't wait to play more with this recipe & experiment with different shapes & fillings!
★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Bella,
So sorry I missed your comment earlier somehow -- but thank you so much for the beautiful feedback. I'm really glad to hear you liked these :) And extra thick jam sounds fantastic!
Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy says
Love these Audrey! They are adorable!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Anjali! <3
Tiina @myberryforest says
Is it possible to fall in love with food? I LOVE these so much!! As you might have guessed I go gaga over anything heart shaped and my kids are pretty much used to seeing heart shaped food every day. Perhaps your hubby loved the heart shape too (and not just the taste) :) And the recipe sounds amazing too! Thank you for sharing this cuteness. And one last thing...-41 C, really?! You need lots of pies to keep you warm ;)
★★★★★
Audrey says
Oh yes, I can imagine the heart plethora with your little ones :) And yes, lots and lots of pies to warm my hands ;) Luckily it's getting a little warmer here again. Phew.
Rosie says
These are of course perfect for little princesses, but we must never forget the Queen ;) Kid and Mom approved for sure. <3
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hehe. Thanks Rosie :) I'll keep that in mind. Maybe I'll make one with cauliflower next just for you ;)
jasmin says
Almond and strawberry jam pie on Christmas or Valentine's day sounds equally great to me :)
Audrey says
Hehe. Thanks Jasmin :) I agree -- no wrong day to enjoy these.
Nadia says
They look stunning and the ingredient list is so short! :D the best recipes are the simplest! :)
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Nadia! :) Short ingredients are a mission for me lately. Simple stuff can be so good ♥
Sharon says
Hi Audrey,
your heart cookies look absolutely cute and yummy, I will def. try the recipe. My recipe-to-do- list is getting longer and longer... :-D haha! I love that these cookies are filled with jam.
Have a lovely day,
Sharon :)
★★★★★
Audrey says
Aw, thanks so much, Sharon. That's too funny. Gosh my own recipe to do list is never-ending it seems. So many things to try. Always. :) ♥
Evi @ greenevi says
These hand pies look amazingly cute, Audrey! I love that you used sorghum flour :)
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks Evi -- I've been really enjoying sorghum lately. Such a delicate flour ♥
Sarah | Well and Full says
These little hand pies are the cutest!! I'm so glad you decided to make them even though you're not the biggest Valentine's Day Fan ;)
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Sarah :)
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
I have to say it is strange to see a baked treat here, it's been a while, but these are so sweet (literally and figuratively haha!) I'm not really that into Valentine's Day, but making cutesy heart things I am totally into. And I'm laughing a little too at the thought of a man eating a little heart shaped hand pie too :D Much more suited to princesses, but irresistible to all! Raspberry, choco-banana, caramel apple--yes yes YES! I'm going to need the variety pack please :)
Audrey says
Me too -- I really WANT the caramel apple version now myself. And isn't it funny? My husband actually stashed a few away before the princess arrived :D
Jenny says
Hi, these look delicious. I wonder, could I use buckwheat or brown rice flour in place of the sorghum pleade?
Thanks,
Audrey says
Hi Jenny, yes, rice works well. I prefered it with sorghum personally, but made it both ways and both worked great. I had a friend make them with spelt (not gluten-free) and they turned out perfect, so I'm sure most flours will work. Enjoy them!
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
I like that you still make / eat some baked recipes - variety is always nice and life is much more flexible when you have an array of choices! These look really delicious and perfect for any holiday, Christmas, Valentine's or other.
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Kari! And yes, absolutely. Some years ago (after experimenting with so many ways of eating) I came to the realization I'm done with the diets and done dealing in absolutes. Just eat more intuitively and what feels right. I do naturally love all things raw so that's what most of my day (and desserts) tend to be. But baked / cooked is never excluded. Definitely a fan of variety.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
These look like those little "uncrustable" sandwiches! Although, much prettier and heart shaped ;) Love the raspberry jam...one of the best jams!
Audrey says
Whaaa? How come I never heard of uncrustable sandwiches?! Just had to go look those up and I see what you mean :)
Natalia says
I am not such a Valentine day fan either, but I love hearts and all these little things around... and I am in love with your recipe! Sorgum is one of my favorite flour in cakes, love its interesting and exotic taste. Beautiful creations, thanks for the inspiration, Audrey!
Audrey says
Oh, you're most welcome :) I've been having fun with sorghum lately and loved it in this. Such a delicate flour.
Kyra @ Vie De La Vegan says
These pies look soooo good Audrey! I love the idea of the raspberry and almond filling, but the other options sound amazing too - apples and caramel, yes please! Hope you keep warm - luckily it's almost spring for you :)
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Kyra! I saw you already made these with the spelt and they're a beauty! Can't wait to share the pic :) Thank you so much for being the fastest taste-tester in the world :) And yes, I'm totally craving an apples and caramel version right now. Might make a batch of my tahini caramel for the occasion :P