Easy Fried Pies
A few weeks ago (my goodness, how this month has flown by!), I brought you my Granny Lela’s Fried Peach Pies and promised you an easier way. I may get distracted, but I always try to follow through so here is that post for those of us who don’t have time or perhaps just don’t have the desire to make our fried pie dough from scratch.
Most folks who make fried pies have taken this shortcut at one time or another and although it does yield a bit different result, I can guarantee it is still just as delicious and will certainly draw no complaints from those lucky enough to sample the wares! It’ll also takes away any waning excuses you may have for not making these little hand held beauties so lets stop dilly dallying and get to it!
You’ll need: Cooking oil, lemon juice, cinnamon, bit of margarine, sugar, and some dried fruit. This is for the filling.
Lets talk dried fruit.
Peaches are pictured up top but you can use apples, apricots, peaches, or dried fruit of your preference. Most of this tutorial is going to use apples but you’re going to see a photo or two with peaches in it. Don’t fret over it, the procedure is exactly the same no matter which dried fruit you use.
To read more about the history of dried fruit in the South, visit my previous fried pie post.
~looks around to make sure the coast is clear and then leans in to whisper~
If you want, you can just substitute pie filling and bypass the next several steps. Shhhh! Let’s keep that between us.
Note: Peaches are pictured but the procedure is the same for apples.
To begin with, place your dried fruit in a pot and cover with two cups of water. Bring to a boil.
If you are using apples, you may find that your fruit needs about 1/2 cup more of water. There seem to be a lot more apples in that bag than there are peaches!
Bring that to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until they are tender and soft. This will take about twenty minutes.
To test, moosh one with a fork and see if it is able to mash up a bit, like a cooked potato. If so, you’re ready.
Apples will be a bit firmer than peaches but that’s okay.
Turn off the heat and add margarine…
Add sugar
I know that looks like an obscene amount of sugar but it is only a cup
YES, you CAN substitute Splenda!!! ~does happy dance~
Add cinnamon
If you are making apple pies, add just a bit of allspice too!
I’d add 1/4 of a teaspoon. Anytime you are baking with apples and using cinnamon, just a pinch of allspice really makes your cinnamon flavor*POP*. Allspice amplifies cinnamon to that delicious degree that you smell when you go to cinnamon roll places or restaurants specializing in Apple Pie. Take a whiff of this amazing spice and you’ll understand!
Add splash of lemon juice.
I would have added a great deal less if I wasn’t trying to capture the moment on film!
Stir all of that up really well.
Then have a little fun mooshing it.
I use a potato masher but you can use a fork if you like, or pretty much anything else that works.
Open a can of biscuits and place them on a floured surface.
Pretend you see a can of biscuits here.
I was doing this tutorial while being interviewed for the paper so it was a bit awkward, actually posing for a *real* photographer while taking photos myself and talking up a blue streak. The talking up a blue streak wasn’t awkward at all though.
Whenever I need to use a floured surface, I roll out a bit of waxed paper and flour it. Super easy cleanup. Y’all know I’m all about the easy.
Sprinkle a little flour over them and roll out to make a six inch circle with your rolling pin or a glass.
You can read why this rolling pin is so special on my post about Mama Reed’s Teacakes.
Voila!
You know my high school french teacher is beaming with pride that I remembered that word. I also remember how to count to three and say Merry Christmas ~grins~That was a well spent two years, huh?
Place a little filling on half of your circle, being sure to keep it away from the edges.
Wet your fingertips and run them around the outside edge so it will stick when you seal your pie.
Like this.
Crimp the edges with a fork.
Pour about 1/2 inch of oil into a skillet (I’m using my cast iron but you don’t have to) and heat on medium heat for five minutes or so.
This ensures that your oil is hot enough to sear and cook the pies rather than just soaking into them (prevents greasiness).
Place your pies carefully in the oil and cook for a minute or two on each side until browned. Remove to paper towel lined plate.
Gaze at your lovely creations and think about whose day you want to make a little brighter!
Start with yourself.
~winks~
Easy Fried Pies
Filling
- 6-7 ounces dried fruit (I used peaches, can use apples, apricots, or other dried fruit)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 1 T lemon juice (optional, but I use it)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional, but I use it) – if using apples, I add 1/4 tsp Allspice too
- 10 – 15 flaky layers biscuits
Place dried fruit in a pot and add water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until fruit is tender. Add other ingredients and mash together with a potato masher or fork. Set aside while dough is prepared.
Roll each biscuit out on a floured surface into a five or six inch circle. Place two tablespoons of filling in each. Wet the edges and fold over, crimping with a fork.
Cook in oil which has been heated on medium heat, until browned on both sides, turning as needed. Remove to paper towel lined plate.
Burn the candles, use the fancy dishes. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today IS special.
~Southern Plate Reader, Vickie. To submit your quotes, click here.
Thank you for taking the time to read Southern Plate. I hope you have a day every bit as wonderful as you are!
Gratefully,
Christy
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I love biscuits as a short cut!!! Yummy Yummy Yummy!
Holy Moly, I was first!! Woo hoo!! Does a happy dance… BTW we finally did the Monkey bread and it has got to me one of my favorites!!!!! *drools*
~takes Brittainy’s hands and does the spinny around happy dance with her~
I just love Monkey bread, too!!
ok, the biscuit dough idea is just genius. I’m going to have to try this, when it isn’t 5 billion degrees outside (did I mention that we Washingtonians don’t handle heat well?)
Stay cool!
-Lindsay
Oh my heavenly days………I remember my granny using fresh made biscuit dough for these things…and frying them up in her iron skillet………my mouth is just pouring with wanting these. Hmmm, guess I will have to use pie filling (shhh, don’t tell!). I have nowhere to get dried fruit around these parts.
THanks for making my day today!
sharon
I just spent 2 days on a fried pie dough from a certain magazine. Butter & lard…keep it cold…..roll & fold, chill again…roll & fold.
It was a great dough, however tremendous amount of work! I am going to try the biscuts and see if they compare.
I was shipping them to family on the west coast… they are a great ‘taste of home’ for kids & grandkids!
My mom used to make fried pies this way when we were kids and she wanted to make something fast. She would use leftover fried apples.
I have a rolling pin just like yours that my great aunt gave me when I got married. I love it.
My mouth is watering and now I’m really hungry…
Hello Christy!
Just wondering, can I really use pie filling? I’ve looked high and low (and in the middle too!) for dried fruit. For some reason, I don’t think they sell it in Florida. I can’t find it anywhere! If the results will be fine with pie filling, I’ll be making your fried delights tommorrow night!
Why not tonight? Well, thanks for asking! Tonight, I’m going to the monster truck rally and drag races. Now, there is living proof that a mom will come out of her comfort zone for her boys. I’m taking off my pearls and capris and putting on my jeans and boots. Wish me luck my friend! (I’ll take photos!)
Cheers,
Maralee
Have you checked in the store area where the raisins and craisins are? I lived in southwest FL until April of this year and Publix and Winn-Dixie both carried dried fruit. Sometimes I even could find it at the Dollar Tree where they kept trail mix. Take a second look around and I hope you can locate some as I am sure it will be better than canned pie filling. I use that in a pinch but find it too gooey with filler.
I can’t wait to see the photos!! I’ll never forget a first date I had when I was seventeen. He had a “surprise” date planned. I got all dressed up and spent two hours on my hair.
Then he took me to a monster truck tractor trailer pull! We sat on the FRONT ROW! I was picking red dirt clumps out of my hair all night! lol
YES, you sure can use apple pie filling if you like. I’d add a bit of cinnamon and allspice to it and then mash it up as you would if you had of cooked it.
Sorry I’m slow on comments today, I want to respond to more but have so much work left to do before I can go to bed tonight!
Gratefully,
Christy
I live in the Tampa Bay area and found the dried apples in the aisle with the kids fruit rolls, raisins and dried plums (formerly known as prunes). Dressing up the name does not change what they are.
I am looking forward to making a batch using the biscuit method and if they are not so great (how could that happen) I will eat the evidence.
I love fried pies! Thanks so much for posting the recipe!
yum yum!!! This is just how my Grandmother Lucy Belle made them in Tuscaloosa!!!! Only difference is she used homemade apple sauce that she made from the trees in her yard!!!
What wonderful memories!!!!
Bless you, Christy! I tried Lela’a version with disasterous results. MY FAULT…not the recipe. Dough was too dry, oil was too hot before it was too cold. Last batch was indeed good.
BTW I used dried mango instead of peaches. I don’t think that this was the cause of the problem as the filling was correct texture and delicious! What I botched was the dough. Canned biscuits here I come.
Do you think you could use canned cresent rolls?
Thanks so much, I love all the home cooking recipes. So much like my mother used to make, but I never took the time to learn.
{{HUGS}}
Maybe crescent rolls and bake them?
You sure can use crescent rolls and bake them! They are delicious.
I’d shy away from frying them though. Crescent roll dough is a little more delicate and the seams would be more prone to burst.
I’m getting groceries but wanted to catch this one on my phone in case you needed to know soon!
Be back in a bit!
Gratefully,
Christy
Awwwwwwww, u used my quote! ~grins~
Those pies look soooo good, I’m gonna have to see about making those for my hubby’s b-day coming up on the 5th.
Your site gets better and better with each post. Now I need to go to the store for fruit and biscuits
I’m here reading with a cup of coffee in my hand and thinking how good one(or two!) of those Fried Pies would be! Looking forward to making them! What would we do without canned biscuits?!!
Bountiful Blessings!
Ditto that thought, Tina……canned biscuits have saved me many a time when I needed a quick fix for food. I loved the little individual pizzas we used to make at my house when I was little using a flattened out biscuit, tomato sauce and ground beef or sausage. Just right.
YUUUUUUMMY!
I want to make them the old fashioned way because that’s just the kind of girl I am 
however, I can appreciate the shortcuts when things get out-a-control busy!
You are a treasure, Christy, many thanks for bringing us Southern Plate!
Oh girl! I am craving these BIG TIME from the description and the pictures! I think I’m going to try the crescent rolls and bake them. I know it won’t be the same, but we’re trying to cut out fried foods.
Thanks so much for sharing!
This morning I made Granny Lela’s Fried Pies using dried peaches. Didn’t change a thing. Planned to take them to a reunion but…Good/Bad/ problem? The crust was so FLAKY,(Delicious) that those babies will not travel well! They break apart at the first touch……….ooh! So… I just decided to save these for family and make another batch with the canned biscuits.(So glad I checked your site today.) Think they might travel better. If not I’ll just share with neighbors! Yummy pies, just like my mom’s!
Sue
I can almost smell the warm smell of the crust frying, and the sweet/tart scent of fruit on the air. (mentally kicking off shoes, pulling a chair up to Christy’s kitchen table, wearing my nifty black and white apron….) Here’s to all the Southern Plate family- a nice glass of sweet tea or a cup of coffee to go with!
Christy,
Have you ever made a jiffy pie? My husband’s granny did these. Put sweetened applesauce on slice of bread, top with cinnamon, make into a sandwich and fry in butter like a grilled cheese, then sprinkle with powdered sugar—not exactly Granny Lela’s, but very quick and tasty!
Wow–I think even I couldn’t mess those up. My Ma-Maw made fried pies lots when I was growing up–she loved to make them with figs she had put up. Thanks for the memories.
My grandmother used to make fried chocolate pies. Any idea on how you would make the filling? I assume with cocoa powder and sugar. Is there anything else I would need? What about the amounts of cocoa and sugar?
Thanks!
To Lisa from Madison AL: If Southern Plate allows another website to be posted here? (I do not want to break any rules!) Try http://www.cooks.com for your Fried Chocolate Pie Recipe.
Hope this is OK?
Sue
Or, just make Jell-O chocolate pudding, and use a little less (little! 1~2 tablespoons) less milk, and add a dash (1/4 teaspoon or so) vanilla flavoring.
I think my SO would love these, and its something I can do in relatively no time, by the way, your crunchy hamburger casserole was a HIT, there was none left after the first night I made it, GOD you make my life so easy. Oh yeah, just got my first Amish Butterprint Pyrex casserole dish off of Ebay for THREE BUCKS. Its a small one, enough to reheat leftover veggies in, but I love it. Ya got me hooked Christy, gotta get to lookin on there for more dishes. The butter dish is my next score.
This is a great idea!!! I also make doughnuts with this same concept…powdered sugar or whip up some easy chocolateor strawberry frosting…and you’ve got a treat your kids will love!!!
Keepem coming…(:
To make the chocolate fried pies mix 2 parts sugar to 1 part coco (or to suite your taste)in a small dish or cup. Then place a small amount of mixture in center of pie crust. Place several small amount of margarine on top of coco mixture. Fold crust into half moon as Cnristie has shown. When placed in skillet to fry the margarine will melt and make a chocolate paste.
They do look just as good!
I am going to try and make your original pie recipe. I’ve never made pastry but I’m going to try. I might do it for my birthday. I always do a trial run first though. lol
So hopefully it all works out and I have double the amount of pies!
OH WAIT!!! I don’t think we have dried peaches?!?! What should I do?
Christy,
I look so forward to each new e-mail and recipe. I have made many of them now in the short time I have been a subscriber. I can’t wait to try the fried pie recipe.
Thanks again for all your hard work.
I’m all for shortcuts. I’ll use wal-mart pie filling with Splenda and the biscuits. Thanks Christy for all of your creative recipes.
These sound really yummy! Life has been crazy busy lately, so I will have to try out the biscuit/pie filling version first! Easy as un, deux, trois — that’s about all I remember from French class myself! Merci beaucoup!
My mother used to make fried pies all the time when I was younger, uh much younger, in fact I think it was just last week. Anyway, she would mix a little sugar with some cocoa and make chocolate ones… Oooooh how good!
After reading this post, it makes me want to make another batch of fried pies. The first time around was good…but I’m curious about the differences using the biscuit dough instead of the from-scratch dough. Still looks really good!
Yum!
I’m so glad I discovered your site. I’m sharing it with my friends.
My Mom used to make chocolate fried pies. Do you have a recipe for that? She also made chocolate gravy. I’m going to try your recipe for that
As you might guess, my family loves chocolate.
Roar Lions!
oops, didn’t read all the posts. that question was already asked. Sorry
Wow those look so delicious!
My grandma made fried apples pies all the time. I just loved them along with everything else she made!!! I miss her cooking, but will give these a try…
These reming me of being a little girl again and waiting for my mother to give the okay to eat one! If anyone knows how to make Chocolate fried pies please forward me the recipe. I have had people to make them that taste like jello pudding but they are the chocolate fried pies I remember as a girl. It is similiar to the tase of the chocolate gravy recipe. I love this website!
kristy i made these the last of july to take to my mother in law at the hospital, but igot sick and could not take them to make along story short she passed away before i could make them again .she made them for my husband when he was little . his favortttttite was the CHOCHLATE fried pies .now i cant find her reciept . yours and her fried pies were exactly the same !!! soooo do you have a chocolate pie receipe???????????? my kids , which are grown now say did christy make this to day ? when i try something new!!!! lol thanks debbifred in arkansas
My son in-law’s grandmother makes him fruit fried pies, but they don’t live close, so he doesn’t get them as often as he’d like:)
I will try my hand to see if mine come close to hers, but I would love it if you acquire a chocolate recipe, if you’d pass it on
Thanks!
Kathy
do you think i could you cheese cake filling for this??? my husband just loves the fried cheesecake at longhorn… i might make his day if i can replicate it!!!
I have made these…they are easy & delicious!!! Enjoy