Make Easy Mini Pies With Dishware Already In Your Pantry

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If you love diminutive desserts, then you know the many fun and fanciful varieties of miniature pies you can prepare. Though an empanada press is key for handheld desserts, if you don't already have one, you might be looking for other ways to make the teensy treats. Keeping your kitchen well stocked with gadgets and gizmos aplenty is a great way to take the tools you already have on hand and repurpose them in new ways. Try using mason jar lids to make the easiest four-bite (or less) mini pies for a batch of delightful sweets that are always in season.

As a note, mason jar lids are not labelled as oven-safe, and you should exercise extreme caution with this hack. Don't put the lids in the oven at excessively high temperatures or leave them in for too long, as they are not tempered for baking. Before loading your ingredients into the lid, be sure to flip the flat part over so the rubber side is facing down and won't come into contact with your pie dough. You can try Regular Mouth Lids or wide mouth, depending on your desired pie size. This works best with pre-made dough that you can roll out and cut into round shapes. Another option would be to use edible cookie dough for your crusts.

There are a number of sweet and savory pie recipes that are sure to suit your taste preferences. Feel free to get creative with your favorite ingredient combinations, but remember to keep it simple, as these pies pack a lot into a tiny offering. For fun flavors of the summer, try a peach pie using either fresh peaches, canned filling, or a mixture of peach jam filling inside two small rounds of sugar cookie dough pressed into your mason jar lid. This also works well with strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries. 

Pare down a classic pecan pie recipe into a miniature single-crust version with this mason jar trick, or use any combination of your favorite nuts and seeds. Using edible cookie dough is an especially good idea for this, as it doesn't require the application of extreme heat to be safe to eat. You can also try this with crushed cookies for a crumb crust. Additionally, you can assemble a no-bake icebox or refrigerator pie in your mason jar lid with an edible cookie dough base and pudding topping. There's no limit to the fun you can have with this small but mighty dessert as long as you practice safety and share the spoils of your efforts with friends.