Southern Fried Pies
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Southern fried pies are a delicious treat. Filled with fruit and a crispy crust, this heirloom fried pies recipe is a treasure.
It was always a special day when Grandmother Verdie made her southern fried pies. She’d have them filled with apples or peaches and sometimes pears cooked to the perfect balance of sweet and tartness.
She knew they were one of my very favorite things she made and would call our house to let us know she was about to make fresh pies and to see if my sister and I wanted to come help her. And of course we did. Helping Grandmother to make her pies meant we were the first people to get to test them to make sure they were right. She would place a hot fried pie on a plate, cut it in half, give us a glass of milk each and ask us to let her know if it tasted alright. They always did.
When I married, Grandmother gave me a notebook filled with her recipes that she’d written down for me. I could tell by the writing how it must have pained her to write them with her arthritis, but never the less, she’d included all of my favorites.
My mother stayed with us some over the holidays and we spent a little bit of time in the kitchen together – cooking, talking, and laughing. We made Grandmother’s fried pies and just couldn’t wait to try that first one to be sure it was just right. I was immediately taken back to Grandmother’s kitchen and my childhood, surprisingly, not too far gone.
Here’s how Grandmother made her southern fried pies.
You’ll need your favorite pie dough. I recommend a soft, sturdy dough for these pies. You can also used canned biscuits.
Grandmother always preferred to use dried fruit for her pies, but you could use fresh fruit if you needed to.
Add water and sugar to your fruit and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface.
Cut out a large circle of dough. I like to use the largest biscuit cutter I have for this.
Now, roll out that piece of dough even thinner. Not too thin that you can see through it and that it would tear, but fairly thin.
Spoon some of your fruit filling into your dough. Don’t get skimpy here. This is the best part.
Fold one half of the dough over the other.
Press edges of pie closed with the tines of a fork.
Now prick the top of your pie a few times with your fork to allow heat to escape while your pie is cooking.
Fry your pies in a cast iron skillet over low to medium heat with about a tablespoon of butter per pie. Cook your pie about 2-3 minutes on one side, until crispy, and then flip and cook the other side of the pie.
About half-way through cooking all of your fried pies, you’ll need to wipe the browned butter out of your skillet to prevent your pies from tasting burnt on the crust. Whenever you see your skillet with too much browned butter, just take a quick break, wipe your skillet down with a paper towel, and start back cooking.
And be ready to enjoy the best southern delicacy you’ve ever put in your mouth.
Here’s Grandmother’s Fried Pies recipe. It is a family treasure!
Southern Fried Pies
Ingredients
- double crust pie dough, your favorite
- 4 cups (720 g) dried fruit , or fresh fruit
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- water, enough to cover fruit
- flour , for rolling dough
- 12 tablespoons (170 g) butter
Instructions
- Cook your fruit with water and sugar in a medium saucepan for about 20 minutes.
- Dust surface lightly with flour and roll out dough.
- Cut out large circles of dough and roll out again.
- Spoon fruit filling onto the center of dough.
- Fold pie closed and press seams closed with tines of a fork.
- Melt one tablespoon of butter per pie in a large skillet.
- Place pie into skillet and cook until crispy, about 3 minutes.
- Turn the pie and cook on the other side.
- Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Serve plain or with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and cinnamon or a scoop of ice cream.
Enjoy!
I would probably try in Crisco shortening.
And I would try a little cinnamon cooked in with the filling.
Lili, you can definitely ad cinnamon to this recipe and user Crisco shortening instead of the butterr. My family just does not like the cinnamon added to the apples. Hope you enjoy!
The best fruit for fried pies are dried or fresh apricots – LEGENDARY
You could use dried apricots for these pies, Allan.
I tried this and it was great!
Thank you very much for thes old favorites (recipes) that my mother
& both of my grandmothers made.
I am 76 years old & you don’t see these recipes any more, especially since they’ve all passed away.
Thank you, Donald. I’m glad you appreciate these recipes. I love these old family recipes of my grandmother’s and mother’s.
Great recipe!
Can they be cooked in the oven instead if frying?
Yes, Alice, you can bake these in the oven. I would bake at 375º F for between 20 to 35 minutes, according to how thick you have filled the crust.
My mother passed 25 years ago, but I still have wonderful memories of her dried apple fried pies. I’m going to try a batch right now. Wish me luck (and some wonderful, warm thoughts of my mom.
Hi Becky,
I love how these family favorite recipes give us such wonderful memories of our mothers and grandmothers. Wishing you such sweet memories of your mother as you make these pies!
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I never thought I would find this recipe on line. I bought a bag of dried apricots yesterday with these in mind. Its been 50 or 60 years since Ive had one, but Ive never forgotten them. One of my grandmothers worked at a roadside fruit and candy store called Drew’s Ranch in the Paso Robles CA area. We always received elaborate trays of dried fruits, nuts, pralines & fruit cake at this time of year. My mother was from OK & my grandpa from TX so fried pies were a holiday treat for us. But my other grandma made peach and apricot fried pies all summer when the entire Marysville CA area was peaches everywhere. Thanks for confirming how to make these little gems. Now if i can find cherry jello divinity recipe Im in holiday mode for sure.
Aww, I’m so glad you found this too, Gail! My grandmother made these often and I have such great memories too!
I don’t have a cherry divinity recipe, but I do have a delicious Divinity recipe. Thanks! xo
Is there a way to kinda make them dibaetic friendly ? I know I couldn’t eat just 1
Hi Delois,
I’ve never made this one another way. I do hope you enjoy them! xo
Use Splenda when softening and cooking dried fruit, or fresh or canned in its own juice. If recipe calls for 1/2 c. sugar, use 1/2 c. splenda instead.
Use Stevie all natural. No after tast.