Gluten-Free Mini Pie Bites Made in a Mini Muffin Pan

Ingredients:

For the Pie Crust Dough:
• Flaky gluten free pie crust recipe or your preferred gluten free pie crust
For the Filling:
• Gluten free fruit pie filling (check product labels)
• Pastry cream using cornstarch (for a creamier filling)
• Classic pastry cream
• Gluten free Bavarian cream
• Crème brûlée–style custard
• Chocolate mousse (no-bake)
• Chocolate ganache
• Sautéed apples or other fruit
For the Egg Wash:
• 1 large egg (use egg white only for a lighter color)
• 1 tablespoon milk or cream (for dairy-free options, use yolk only)

Instructions:

1. Prepare your chosen gluten free pie dough and chill it, especially in warm weather. Lightly oil the cups of a mini muffin pan and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut circles from the dough. Gently press one circle into each muffin cup and crimp or scallop the edges as you prefer.
3. If using shelf-stable pie filling, spoon about 2 tablespoons into each cup. For a decorative finish, cut shapes—stars, stripes, or flowers—from the remaining dough and place them on top of the filling. Make an egg wash by whisking the egg with milk or cream (or use egg yolk for dairy-free browning) and brush the crust edges and any decorative tops. If you plan to use a cold filling like pastry cream or mousse, skip adding filling now and bake shells only.
4. Bake on the center rack for about 10 minutes, or until crusts are golden. If you baked shells only, remove them and allow to cool before filling.
5. Let the pies cool in the pan until they can be removed comfortably. Transfer them to a cooling rack quickly to avoid trapped steam, which can make the bottoms soggy.
6. If using cold fillings, fill the cooled shells now. A nice combination is pastry cream topped with a small spoonful of fruit pie filling. Keep any pies with cold fillings refrigerated until serving.

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