Although this post is sponsored by Welch’s® Frozen Fruits, all opinions are my own.

Easy Mini Fruit Pies Recipe

When it comes to using fruit in recipes, most moms think they have to or “should” use only fresh fruit from the produce aisle or farmer’s market, right? I did too, until I started reading about how Welch’s Frozen Fruits are frozen almost as soon as they are picked! Talk about convenient and having healthy options always on hand, just by going into my freezer. Let me tell you a little bit more about the choices with Welch’s Frozen Fruits.

There are many flavor varieties to choose from when you purchase Welch’s Frozen Fruits from your local Meijer store:

Welch’s 48oz Blueberry Fusion, Welch’s 48oz Tropical Blend and Welch’s 48oz Antioxidant Blend.

Each one of these delicious and healthy fruit blends are amazing and full of nutrients and goodness for the whole family. I personally love that I can have seasonal fruit in my freezer year round and not have to pay a premium to get them out of season. Plus, the bag is resealable so I only pull out exactly how much I need to use and save the rest for next time. There’s also no added sugar or additives since they are frozen so quickly after they are picked.

The easiest ways I’ve found to use them at first were to add them into my morning smoothie, toss a handful into my yogurt or oatmeal, or even pop a few into my iced tea. But, I started looking for other options to use in recipes that use canned or processed fruit (and add a ton of sugar), and my bag of Welch’s Blueberry Fusion was perfect!

To thaw the fruit, simply take out what your recipe calls for and either leave out at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or you can heat it for 15 seconds in the microwave.

Homemade Pie Filling Recipe

Makes approx. 6 cups

Ingredients:
8 cups of Welch’s Frozen Fruits in Blueberry Fusion, thawed
2 cups sugar
5 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup lemon juice

Instructions:
Add all of the ingredients, except for the lemon juice, to a large pan.
Over medium high heat, gently mix the fruit & other ingredients together with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Continue mixing until all cornstarch is blended with the fruit.
Once the pie filling begins to thicken, set the heat to low and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice, stirring it in completely. The pie filling is now ready to use, either immediately or after storing in glass jars after it has cooled.

I found this homemade pie filling was a wonderful and healthier alternative to canned or store bought versions. Plus you can use it for so many more things than just making pie:

Ice cream Topping, waffle or pancake topping, spread on biscuits or toast, stir into oatmeal or yogurt, or pour over sponge cake

Now, we certainly love a good fruit pie in my house, but sometimes they can be hard to travel with, and pie is made to share! So using my homemade pie filling recipe, I made my own mini pies!

Easy Mini Fruit Pies Recipe

Serves 7-12

Ingredients:
2 nine inch refrigerated pie crusts
1 cup homemade pie filling
1 egg, beaten

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Gently unroll pie crusts onto a clean work space and flatten out if needed.
Using a cookie cutter, cut out as many shapes as you can fit from each crust and gently lay them on your baking mat.

Add a spoonful (adjust as needed depending on the size of your cookie cutter) to the center of half of the pie crust pieces.
Apply a light egg wash to the crust around the pie filling (this acts as a glue) and then place a matching pie crust piece over top.
Seal the edges with a fork by lightly pressing around the outside of each miniature pie.
Brush the tops of each pie with the beaten egg.

Bake at 350 for approximately 18-25 minutes, depending on the size of your pies.
Allow them to cool completely before packaging.

I like that you can use any shape cookie cutter, jar lid, or any other shape you want to make these mini fruit pies! And it’s another way to use the frozen fruit from Welch’s!

You can buy your own Welch’s Frozen Fruits at your local Meijer stores. Go here to save $1 off your purchase! And be sure to share with us your favorite way to have Welch’s Frozen Fruits!

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