Hostess Fruit Pie [Copycat Recipe]
Making a store-bought-like pie from scratch always feels like an experiment. It is a bit tricky to achieve taste and texture without adding industrial ingredients and flavor boosters, but it’s not impossible! To save you loads of time, I did it for you!
Hostess fruit pies look-alikes are easier to make than you think. I love the fusion between the flaky crust and silky filling. I also like to keep tiny chunks of fruit to bite into. These pies have a perfect ratio between sweet and sour, plus a melt-in-mouth texture. What’s there more to ask?
What Makes It Similar to Hostess Fruit Pie?
First things first, the key is to prepare a flaky crust that is lightweight and airy. You’ll get that texture by using just a few ingredients and keeping it the simplest way possible. I used Martha Stewart’s recipe for pie crust as that’s the one that fits the best, hands up!
When it comes to the filling, make it gooey and silky. Many people find Hostess fruit pies too sugary and packed with cinnamon, so I reduced it to a perfect ratio (for my taste). I made two varieties – statement apple and blackberry pie. The finishing touch is definitely the glaze, in any case!
How to Make a Hostess Fruit Pie Recipe?
When I say it’s a few ingredients in the recipe, I really mean it. The best thing is you don’t need to have much of the skill, as they are super easy to make! Here is what you need!
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour as it gives the perfect crusty texture.
- Butter – Cube and freeze the butter first. You can mix it with vegetable lard if you want the dough to be flakier.
- Apples – I used green apples – Granny Smith – for a bit of acidic taste. You can use any other apples you want, though, if you want it on the sweeter side.
- Blackberries – Sweet but tangy blackberries give a bit of a tart flavor. This is my favorite pie filling.
- Instant pudding – Instant pudding is here to achieve the perfect consistency of the fruit sauce. I use vanilla-flavored for an apple sauce, and berry-flavored for a blackberry. You can substitute it with corn starch.
- Sugar – You can use both granulated or powdered. I use powdered for the glaze and granulated for the sauce.
- Lemon – Squeezed lemon juice is there for the glaze, but you can exchange it for the milk. I like a bit of fresh, acidy flavor.
- Spices – My spice choices are statement cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg for apple pie.
- Juice – I use blackberry juice to dilute the blackberry filling but still keep the rich flavor. Same thing with apple juice and apple pies. You can use water, as well.
- Egg – The egg is there just to seal the edges. You can exchange it with milk or water, though.
Get your food processor and let’s get on baking!
Step 1: Making the Dough
Start with freezing butter cubes and chilling your flour in the fridge. It may sound silly, but all-cold ingredients will give you the flakiest texture. Take a food processor and combine all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, sugar, and frozen butter.
Pulsate the processor for a few seconds at once. You are going for a crumbly texture, the biggest piece in there should be pea-sized. This takes about a minute, with pauses in between so your processor doesn’t heat, as it could melt the butter.
Tip: Instead of a food processor you can use a blender, pastry cutter, or a simple fork.
Now, add a spoon by a spoon of ice-cold water. Just mix it lightly till all the dough is moist. The key thing is not to add too much water, just enough for the crumbles to link so you can make a ball. Don’t knead the dough, though, as it will become hard, chewy, and rubbery.
Dust the kitchen counter with flour and place the dough there and just turn it over a few times to connect. Wrap it in the freezer bag immediately, press it to form a disc, and place it in the fridge. Leave it there for at least an hour.
Step 2: Rolling Out the Dough
Place the dough on lightly floured baking paper so it doesn’t stick. Cover it with another piece of parchment paper and roll it out immediately. If it’s too hard, leave it for 2 minutes on the counter and try again.
Roll it out with short movements and be patient. Keep in mind to achieve the same thickness everywhere, about 1/8 inch (4 millimeters). Use a cookie cutter, glass, or a lid to shape the circles in the dough. Remove the excess dough and place the circles back in the fridge.
Chilling them again will secure tender and flaky consistency. Leave them there for half an hour, not less.
Step 3: Making the Fruit Sauce
In the meantime, make a fruit sauce with the fruits of your choice. I made two different fillings – apple and blackberry. The first one is apple sauce, so let’s dig in!
Peel the Granny Smith (green) apples and chop them into bite-size cubes. Transfer the apples to the saucepan along with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Place it on a medium-heated stove, and mix occasionally so they don’t stick to the pan.
The apples will release some water and the sugar will melt. When they start to simmer, add some apple juice and wait for them to become soft and tender. Don’t cook them, though, just simmer them lightly. When ready, mix some vanilla instant pudding with apple juice and pour it into the sauce.
This will dense the sauce to a perfect consistency but add a bit of an aroma, as well. You can press the apples with a potato masher if you fancy a more sauce-like texture, I like to leave some chunks.
Now, skip to blackberry filling. The process is the same though. Simmer the blackberries with sugar, then add blackberry juice with pudding and simmer till creamy. Leave them both to chill, with plastic foil on top.
Step 4: Assembling the Pies
Take out rolled-out dough from the fridge and fill it with sauce. Use an egg to brush the rims of the circles, so they can stick well.
Place a spoon or two in the center and fold the dough in half. Press the edges with a fork to seal them properly. Be careful not to add too much filling, though.
Make three slits on the top so the sauce can breathe and brush them with an egg. Get the pies in the fridge again, while the oven heats.
Step 5: Baking the Pies
I tried to fry the pies, but to be honest, they didn’t come out well. They were soggy and very greasy, so I wouldn’t recommend this method to you at all.
I bake them at 375° F (190 °C) for about half an hour, or until they are golden and crispy. Just arrange them on the baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Step 6: Making the Glaze
Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice till smooth. It should be easy to pour, but hold a shape for a moment, like royal icing. Place the baked pies on the rack and pour the glaze over them. Leave them for about 15 minutes to stiffen and they are ready to enjoy!
How to Store Hostess Fruit Pies?
As with any other pie, it is best the same day, but it will last for 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge or for 3 months frozen. The same stands for the dough only.
Hostess Fruit Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (350 grams)
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (230 grams)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup ice-cold water
Apple Sauce
- 1 green apple (large)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (40 grams)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup apple juice (240 milliliters)
- 1 tbsp instant vanilla pudding
Blackberry Sauce
- 1½ cups blackberries (200 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (40 grams)
- ⅚ cup blackberry juice (200 milliliters)
- 1 tbsp instant berry pudding
Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (100 grams)
- 4 tbsp lemon juice (squeezed)
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Start with freezing butter cubes and chilling your flour in the fridge.
- Take a food processor and combine all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, sugar, and frozen butter.
- Pulse the processor for a few seconds at once. You want a crumbly texture, the biggest piece in there should be pea-sized. This takes about a minute, with pauses in between so your processor doesn’t heat, as it could melt the butter.
- Now, add a spoon by a spoon of ice-cold water. Just mix it lightly till all the dough is moist. The key thing is not to add too much water, just enough for the crumbles to link so you can make a ball. Don’t knead the dough, though, as it will become hard, chewy, and rubbery.
- Dust the counter with flour and place the dough there and just turn it over a few times to connect. Wrap it in the freezer bag immediately, press it to form a disc, and place it in the fridge. Leave it there for at least an hour.
Rolling Out the Dough
- Place the dough on lightly floured baking paper so it doesn’t stick. Cover it with another piece of parchment paper and roll it out immediately. If it’s too hard leave it for 2 minutes on the counter and try again.
- Roll it out with short movements and keep in mind to achieve the same thickness everywhere, about 1/8 inch (4 millimeters).
- Use a cookie cutter, glass, or a lid to shape the circles in the dough.
- Remove the excess dough and place the circles back in the fridge. Chilling them again will secure tender and flaky consistency. Leave them there for half an hour, not less.
Making the Fruit Sauce
- Peel the apples and chop them into bite-size cubes.
- Transfer the apples to the saucepan with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Place it on a medium-heated stove and mix occasionally so they don’t stick to the pan.
- The apples will release some water and the sugar will melt. When they start to simmer, add some apple juice and wait for them to become soft and tender.
- When ready, mix some vanilla instant pudding with apple juice and pour it into the sauce.
- Simmer the blackberries with sugar, then add blackberry juice with pudding and simmer till creamy.
- Leave them both to chill, with plastic foil on top.
Assembling the Pies
- Use an egg to brush the rims of the circles, so they can stick well.
- Place a spoon or two in the center and fold the dough in half. Press the edges with a fork to seal them properly. Be careful not to add too much filling, though.
- Make three slits on the top so the sauce can breathe and brush them with an egg. with an
- Get the pies in the fridge again, while the oven heats.
Baking the Pies
- Arrange the pies on the baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
- Bake them at 375 °F (190 °C) for about half an hour, or until they are golden and crispy.
Making the Glaze
- Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice till smooth. It should be easy to pour, but hold a shape for a moment, like royal icing.
- Place the baked pies on the rack and pour the glaze over them. Leave them about 15 minutes and they are ready to enjoy!
