Mini Sweet Potato Pocket Pies With Premade Pie Crust

Sweet potato pie is one of my favorite holiday traditions. But why make this delicious dessert only around the holidays? I've created this pocket pie recipe with a fresh twist that should be made all year long!

Mini sweet potato pie turnovers are the perfect size for one. They work well if you need to feed a crowd since everyone can have their very own individually sized pie.

• Tips on keeping store-bought pie crust flaky.
• How an egg wash helps the pie crust become golden brown when baked.
• A homemade chai spice blend that you can use for almost any baking recipe.

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Pocket pies, also sometimes called hand pies, are just a mini version of your favorite pie. It includes the crust and filling, just like a regular pie.

However, pocket pies are very portable since they are handheld. Usually, they are made in a way that all of the filling is encased by the crust so nothing spills out (like a turnover).

Not only does this make hand pies an easy, on-the-go option. It's also a great way to pre-portion a pie. Plus, if you're looking for sweet potato pie for one, you can easily freeze these pocket pies and heat up one individual pie when you need something sweet.

• Sweet potatoes: This is the star of the show in this recipe! In a pinch, you can substitute sweet potatoes for yams. Be sure to check out more about the history of sweet potato pie.
• Evaporated milk: Evaporated milk helps smooth out sweet potatoes to achieve a creamy, silky filling. Don't confuse this ingredient with condensed milk - it's not the same thing.
• Unsalted butter: Butter is a must in my world when making rich and delicious sweet potatoes. If you're using salted butter, be sure to adjust the amount of added sea salt.
• Light brown sugar: For some sweetness, we are using light brown sugar. Always measure by firmly packing it into a dry measuring cup.
• Vanilla extract: A high-quality vanilla extract will help add additional flavor and warmth to the recipe.
• Chai spices: All sweet potato pies have a slightly different combination of spices. This recipe will teach you how to make your own chai spice blend. However, feel free to substitute for your favorite pre-made chai spice.
• Fine sea salt: This is my preferred salt for baking as it blends nicely with the pie filling.
• Refrigerated pie crust: We're using a shortcut in this recipe with store-bought refrigerated pie crust.
• Egg: An egg wash is an important part of finishing off pies. It helps give the crust that rich golden brown color we all love.
• Turbinado sugar: This type of sugar will leave our pocket pies with sparkly, crunchy, golden tops. Turbinado sugar is made from the byproduct of refined white sugar. It's coarse sugar, great for finishing off desserts like these rugelach cookies.

Next, you'll work on the sweet potato pie filling. You'll first have to cook the sweet potatoes. The recipe below includes an option for oven-roasting or microwaving sweet potatoes. It really just depends on how much time you have, as well as your preferred cooking method.

Then, you'll work on creating a smooth and creamy filling with the help of some evaporated milk and butter. At this time, don't forget to also add in some flavor enhancers like brown sugar, vanilla, chai spice blend, and salt.

You'll be left with a silky smooth sweet potato pie filling at the end of the process.

It's time for the fun part - forming all the mini hand pies. Be sure to work on this process with one pie crust at a time. It's important to keep the crust cold so it bakes up super flaky.

You'll use a 3.5 inch circle cutter to shape the crusts. Each of these pies will hold about 2 tablespoons of sweet potato filling. It's the perfect amount for an individual pie.

Finally, it's time to seal the pies with the tongs of a fork. This process helps ensure all of the filling stays inside.

The last important step before baking is an egg wash. The egg wash, a mixture of one whole egg and 1 tablespoon of water, will help the crust develop a golden brown color.

• Want to make these sweet potato pies ahead of time? Once you've made the pies, you can freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, cover and store them in the freezer until you're ready to bake. Once you're ready to bake, brush the tops of the pies with egg wash, sprinkle with chai sugar mixture, and bake as directed in the recipe.
• The key to a flaky crust is keeping the pie dough cool. You'll notice at different points throughout the recipe that I remind you to keep the dough in the refrigerator or place the dough in the freezer while preparing the other pocket pies. This will help the hand pies stay flaky!
• When sprinkling the sweet potato hand pies with turbinado sugar, don't get the sugar on the baking sheet, or it may burn in the oven. Do your best to keep the sugar on the pie dough.