Photo by Sunny Le

Growing up I was taught homemade is ALWAYS better. Not only does it allow you to customize your food, but there is a level of pride and appreciation for what you serve yourself and others. With this in mind, I have a deep respect for those who cook from scratch. This is clearly done by Delta Hand Pies with their — you guessed it — hand pies!

Delta Hand Pies is a new, home-based, small business that uses fresh fruits and vegetables from the Yolo and Sacramento Region. The pies are beautifully handcrafted and use strong flavors to give your palate a vacation from its usual menu.

Experience

Since Delta Hand Pies is a home-based business, they do things a bit differently than most restaurants. For example, if you want to receive your hand pies on Thursday or Friday then you must order by 11:59 p.m. the Tuesday before. Fortunately, delivery is free, and they deliver to the City of Sacramento, West Sacramento, Woodland, Davis, Clarksburg, and Elk Grove as well as Rio Vista, Walnut Grove, Citrus Heights, Carmichael, Folsom, and the Roseville area. Each pie is $7 and includes free delivery, no matter how many pies you buy. Not only do they provide contactless delivery, but a portion of the proceeds go towards local charities. If this hasn’t convinced you to order, just wait until you see the pies!

Fresh Local Peach, Fontina, & Prosciutto

So let’s get started. The first hand pie I ordered was the peach, fontina, and prosciutto. The pie was moderately sized and stuffed with delicious ingredients. The meat was tender and the peach was juicy. This allowed for very clean bites. The crust was buttery and infused with herbs, which blended perfectly with the fontina cheese. While the pie was a bit over salted, I could easily taste each ingredient.

Fresh Local Peach, Fontina, & Prosciutto Photo by Grace Davis

Fresh Hemly Bosc Pear, Honey-Chèvre, & Candied Walnut

For my second pie, I ordered the pear, chèvre, and walnut. Once again, this was packed to the brim with ingredients. As someone who loves to bake, I was amazed by how thick the pear was, while still having a very clean and thoroughly cooked crust. The honey-chèvre cheese was a lovely compliment to the pear, and the walnut allowed for the perfect crunch.

Hemly Bosc Pear, Honey-Chèvre, & Candied Walnut Photo by Grace Davis

Photo by Grace Davis

Vine-ripened Delta Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella Cheese & Basil Chiffonade

The third pie was a hit among my party. Perhaps it was the similarity to a mozzarella calzone or the freshness of the ingredients. The juiciness of the tomato incorporated a sweet element that meshed well with the strong basil flavor. The mozzarella cheese was a perfect complement to the dough because it allowed the dough to be extra soft without being raw, and that’s not an easy task. The dough was well seasoned and held together firmly. This was an overall favorite in my household.

Delta Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella Cheese & Basil Chiffonade Photo by Grace Davis

Brie, Caramelized Onion, & Apricot

The fourth pie was brie, onion, and apricot. My 14-year-old brother and I absolutely loved this one. The flavors were strong, but worked well together. It was a huge surprise for us. The pie was extremely full, which packed each bite with flavor. The brie was very balanced, and the apricots weren’t too sweet. The caramelized onions were soft and managed to work their way into every bite.

Brie, Caramelized Onion, & Apricot Photo by Grace Davis

Hemly Cider & Gala Apples

Lastly, for my fifth and final pie, I tried the cider and apple pie. This was the vegan option and boy, was it delicious. The crust is coated in a cinnamon-sugar mixture, then stuffed with soft juicy Gala apples. The flavor of cider is strong, but not overwhelming. The crust was extremely flaky, which made it a bit difficult to eat with my hands. Each bite reminded me of apple picking with my family in Apple Hill.

Hemly Cider & Gala Apples Photo by Grace Davis

Overall

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Delta Hand Pies. The pies were fresh, flavorful, and filling. If you are someone who loves crust based food, then you will love these hand pies. Here are some tips for your next order!

1. Keep an eye on their website. The type of pie changes depending on what produce is in season.

2. Check their website for details on how to heat up the pies as they are served at room temperature.

3. And lastly, make sure to share! Each pie is so filling that a family of five could easily cut up 4-5 pies and split them among each other. Overall, I would absolutely order these for a party, get well gift, or just to eat! Happy dining!