Crispy, golden, glazed sweet potato hand pies made with canned Pillsbury biscuits and a silky, homemade sweet potato filling.

If you love sweet potato pie, wait until you try these sweet potato hand pies! I’m convinced this is the only way I want to eat sweet potato pie moving forward. We’re taking everything we love about a traditional Southern sweet potato pie, wrapping it in buttery, flaky Pillsbury biscuits, frying it until golden brown, and finishing it with a sweet cinnamon vanilla glaze. I’m telling you, the method is 100/10!

Inspired by Camirra’s Kitchen, this easy biscuit hack makes the most incredible individual sweet potato pies without having to make pie dough from scratch. They’re crispy on the outside, creamy and perfectly spiced on the inside, and absolutely perfect for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or whenever that sweet potato pie craving hits.

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Filling

1 large sweet potato, roasted and peeled
1 large egg
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon cinnamon paste, or to taste
⅛ teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon cake flour

Hand Pie Dough

1 (8-count) can Pillsbury Grands! Honey Butter Flaky Layers Biscuits
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Peanut oil, for frying (enough for approximately 1 inch of oil in the skillet)

Cinnamon Vanilla Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon cinnamon paste
2–3 tablespoons milk, added gradually

Instructions

Step 1: Roast the sweet potato

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Wash and dry your sweet potato, then place it on a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the sweet potato is completely tender and a knife slides through the center with little to no resistance.

Remove from the oven and allow it to cool until it’s comfortable to handle. Peel away the skin and transfer the sweet potato flesh to a large mixing bowl.

My tip: Don’t rush the roasting process. You want that sweet potato nice and tender so the filling blends into a silky, smooth consistency.

Step 2: Make the sweet potato filling

To the bowl with your roasted sweet potato, add the egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon paste, lemon extract, melted butter and heavy whipping cream.

Mix everything together until well combined.

Next, add 1 tablespoon of cake flour and mix again until incorporated.

Using a handheld immersion blender, blend the filling until completely smooth, making sure there are no visible sweet potato strings or threads.

The consistency should be thick, creamy, and smooth.

Important: This filling is intentionally a little thicker than traditional sweet potato pie batter. Because we’re stuffing it inside biscuit dough, we need it to hold its shape and not run out during frying.

Step 3: Prepare the biscuit dough

Lightly flour a clean cutting board or work surface.

Open your can of Pillsbury Grands! Honey Butter Flaky Layers Biscuits and separate the eight biscuits.

Working with one biscuit at a time, gently pull the biscuit apart horizontally into two layers.

Using your hands or a rolling pin, gently flatten each layer to create two rounds of dough large enough to hold the filling.

You don’t want to roll the dough paper-thin, but you do want enough surface area to fill and seal each hand pie.

Step 4: Fill and seal the hand pies

Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of sweet potato filling into the center of one flattened biscuit layer.

Place the second layer of biscuit dough directly on top, covering the filling.

Using a fork, press around the edges to seal the two layers together, similar to how you would seal an empanada.

Then, using your fingers, gently fold and roll the edges inward, creating a tight, rope-like design around the hand pie.

This second seal is important because it helps keep that delicious sweet potato filling inside while frying.

Repeat until all eight hand pies are assembled.

Step 5: Fry until golden brown

Pour peanut oil into a 12-inch cast iron skillet to a depth of approximately 1 inch.

Heat the oil to 375°F, checking the temperature with a cooking thermometer.

Carefully place four hand pies into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet.

Fry for approximately 4 minutes total, flipping the hand pies every minute so both sides cook evenly and develop a beautiful golden-brown color.

Do not skip the frequent flipping! The biscuit dough browns quickly, and if you leave the hand pies on one side for too long, they can become too dark or burn before the dough is cooked through.

Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the oil near 375°F, and make sure the center dough is fully cooked.

Once golden brown, carefully remove the hand pies from the oil and transfer them to a wire cooling rack.

Repeat with the remaining four hand pies.

Step 6: Make the cinnamon vanilla glaze

While the hand pies are still warm, prepare your glaze.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and cinnamon paste.

Slowly add the milk, starting with 2 tablespoons, and whisk until smooth.

Add the remaining tablespoon of milk a little at a time, if necessary, until you reach a thick but pourable consistency.

You want the glaze thin enough to coat the hand pies smoothly but thick enough to cling to the crispy biscuit crust.

Step 7: Dip, glaze, and enjoy!

While the hand pies are still warm, carefully dip one side of each hand pie directly into the cinnamon vanilla glaze.

Lift it out, allow any excess glaze to drip off, and place it back onto your wire cooling rack, glazed side up.

Let the glaze set slightly as the hand pies cool.

Once the glaze has set, break one open and enjoy that perfectly golden, buttery biscuit crust filled with silky, sweet, cinnamon-spiced sweet potato goodness.

I’m telling you, it’s a euphoric experience. Nobody wants regular sweet potato pie anymore. We want sweet potato hand pies made with canned biscuits, okay?!

My tips for the best sweet potato hand pies

Roast, don’t boil, your sweet potatoes. Roasting helps develop a naturally sweeter, more concentrated flavor without adding excess water to your filling.
Blend the filling until completely smooth. This is one of the most important steps. Nobody wants stringy sweet potato filling inside their hand pies.
Don’t overfill your biscuits. Approximately 2 tablespoons is plenty. Too much filling makes the hand pies difficult to seal and increases the chance of leaking.
Seal those edges twice. First with a fork, then by rolling the edges with your fingers. This helps create a secure seal and gives the hand pies that beautiful homemade appearance.
Flip every minute while frying. The honey butter biscuits brown quickly, so frequent flipping is the secret to getting a golden crust without burning.
Glaze while warm. The glaze adheres beautifully to the warm crust and sets as the hand pies cool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these sweet potato hand pies ahead of time?

Yes! You can roast your sweet potato and prepare the filling a day in advance. Store the filling covered in the refrigerator and assemble the hand pies when you’re ready to fry. For best results, enjoy the hand pies freshly fried and glazed.

Can I use regular Pillsbury Grands biscuits?

Yes, although I especially love the Honey Butter Flaky Layers variety for this recipe. The subtle sweetness and buttery layers complement the sweet potato filling beautifully.

Can I bake these instead of frying them?

You can try baking them according to the biscuit package’s temperature guidance, until golden and fully cooked, but the texture will be different. Frying is what gives these hand pies their signature crispy, golden exterior. I haven’t tested a baked version of this exact recipe.

How do I store leftover hand pies?

Because the filling contains egg and dairy, refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within two hours of cooking. They’ll keep for approximately 3–4 days. Reheat in an oven or air fryer until heated through to help restore some of the crispness. The glaze may soften during storage.

Can I use canned sweet potatoes?

Freshly roasted sweet potatoes are my preference because they offer better control over moisture and consistency. Canned sweet potatoes may contain additional liquid or syrup, which could make the filling too loose or overly sweet.

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes eight hand pies using one can of Pillsbury Grands! biscuits. Depending on the size of your sweet potato, you may have some filling left over. Avoid overstuffing the biscuits just to use it all.

The original recipe uses cinnamon paste, which gives the filling and glaze a concentrated cinnamon flavor. If substituting ground cinnamon, start with ½ teaspoon in the filling and adjust to taste.

For food safety, use a cooled sweet potato before mixing in the egg, keep the filling refrigerated if preparing ahead, and ensure the biscuit dough is cooked through before serving.

And listen, if you’re making these for Thanksgiving, start practicing now! These are the kind of sweet potato hand pies that might have everyone walking right past the traditional pie on the dessert table.

The combination of that crispy honey butter biscuit, smooth sweet potato filling, and cinnamon vanilla glaze is absolutely unreal. This might just be my favorite sweet potato dessert hack yet.

Easy Sweet Potato Hand Pies (Pillsbury Biscuit Hack)