zucchini hand pie

A new, portable spin on the trend that’s sweeping TikTok: swapping out apples for zucchini in an all-American dessert.

Sweet Zucchini Hand Pies Recipe

One of my favorite things about TikTok is how much knowledge people are willing to share, from kitchen hacks and recipes to the newest apps and beauty tools to buy. Lately, I’ve been seeing a new way to cook up zucchini, and it’s as easy as apple pie. Literally. 


TikTokers are using the summer bounty in place of apples to make pies, claiming the results were just as delicious as apple pie. Of course, I had to give it a try. Here’s my variation of the trend, made in cute, tiny form and without adding any apple flavoring. Maybe these are the next big thing. 

Ingredients for Sweet Zucchini Hand Pies

  • 1 pack frozen puff pastry (I used DuFour), thawed

  • 2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 egg

  • 1 teaspoon cold water

How to Make Sweet Zucchini Hand Pies

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

  2. Prepare your filling. Grate the zucchini with the wide holes of a box grater or food processor. Place the zucchini in a fine-mesh strainer and lightly salt to remove excess water. Let sit for about 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt. Once the zucchini has sweated out some of the water, squeeze with your hands or a tea towel to get it as dry as possible. 

  3. Assemble your hand pies. Cut the puff pastry into 12 even rectangles. On one rectangle, spread some of the sugar mixture, then spoon about 2 teaspoons of zucchini on top. Cover with another puff rectangle and seal with the tines of a fork. Repeat five more times, until you run out of pastry. Place the hand pies on the baking sheet.

  4. Brush with egg wash. Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash over each hand pie with a pastry brush. Using a knife or scissors, cut small vents into the tops of the pastry, in any pattern of your choice.      

  5. Bake the hand pies. Place the hand pies in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, until the hand pies are puffed and golden. Let them cool for a few minutes before biting into one—the filling is hot!

What You'll Need

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