Apple hand pies are easier to make than full-size apple pie, and there is no need to share! These adorable mini apple pies are made of flaky pie dough and a creamy spiced apple filling. They are super easy to make and totally irresistible.
This recipe was first shared on the blog back in 2020. Since then, I've updated it with new photos, added helpful baking tips, and included several flavor and ingredient substitution ideas based on your queries.
Read what others said about this recipe
"Best apple pie recipe ever!" Miriam
Best apple hand pies recipe
Nothing beats homemade apple hand pies! They have the perfect texture. Crispy yet juicy without being soggy and the ideal crust-to-filling ratio that makes the pies perfectly balanced.
The buttery pie crust is loaded with sweet, fresh apples, making this hand pie irresistible!
What's more, they are so quick & easy to make. This is a really simple pie, much easier than making full-sized pies. Even if you are a beginner in the kitchen, you can comfortably try this recipe.
Katalin's key take on homemade pie dough
No one ever believes how easy it is to make homemade pie dough! But honestly, my easy pie crust recipe uses just a few basic ingredients and takes just 15 minutes to prepare. There really is no need to buy store-bought pie crust; nothing compares to homemade pastry.
You will know exactly what ingredients are in there, and with my easy lamination technique, your apple hand pies will turn out so flaky and delicious.
The only consideration is to make sure you are working with a dough that is cold enough. But I'll give you all my tips on that below, so keep reading!
When making pie dough, it is essential that all of your ingredients are cold
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt until fully combined. Cut the cold butter into small chunks, and measure out the water and vinegar separately. Place all of these ingredients into the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
Now add the very cold butter chunks into the bowl of flour and rub the mixture between your fingers until it becomes a sand-like consistency. It is okay if some of the chunks are still larger or more visible; this will help contribute to a flaky dough.
Now begin slowly adding the cold water and apple cider vinegar to the dough while stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon. A clump of dough will start to come together in the middle.
Once about 75% of the liquid is used, take out this part of the dough from the bowl, and keep adding the water to the rest of the dryer dough. You might need slightly less or slightly more water depending on your ingredients.
Move the pie dough on a lightly floured surface (or silicone baking mat), and start working it with your hands quickly, just until it comes together. Do not use a mixer, and do not overwork it.
Form the dough into a disk, cover it with plastic food wrap, and place it into the fridge to rest for a minimum of 2 hours.
Use my easy lamination technique for the flakiest pie dough
For extra flakiness, you can add an optional step here. What you can do is laminate the pie dough pastry in a similar way to puff pastry.
After 2 hours, take the pie dough disk out of the fridge and let it rest for a few minutes on the kitchen counter so it can be rolled out but is still cold.
Roll the dough out into a rectangle roughly 11x17 inches / 28x43 cm in size. Always work quickly so the dough won´t warm up.
Fold the left half over the right half. Then, fold this long rectangle into half by folding the bottom half over the top half. Lastly, fold the bottom half over the top half again. You will end up with a 5.5x4 inches / 14x11 cm rectangle. Cover the dough with plastic wrap again and let it rest in the fridge for a further 2 hours.
In 10 minutes, you will have the most delicious homemade apple pie filling
Peel (optionally) and cut apples into small pieces. Squeeze lemon juice over them to prevent them from browning.
Cook the apple pieces with the brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes. The apples will cook slightly, and the hand pie filling will thicken due to the cornstarch, which will prevent it from leaking out when baking the pies.
Cool the filling to room temperature or chill it in the fridge before using it.
While assembling the apple hand pies, remember to keep the dough cold!
Roll the dough until it reaches around 3mm in thickness, turning frequently to give an even thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out circles around 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) in size. The top part should be slightly larger in diameter so you can pack a good amount of apple filling in between. Keep the pastry offcuts to make 'stems' for your apple hand pies.
Refrigerate the cutout circles for 10-15 minutes, then place half of the circles (the smaller ones) on parchment paper or a Perforated "air" baking mat. Place a small piece of pastry at the top to make a stem. These will be the bottom of the hand pies on the lined baking sheet.
Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the remaining circles - these will be the top pies. The slits will help steam to escape as the hand pies bake and also look pretty.
Apply a light egg white wash around the bottom pie circle. This will help to "glue" the top and bottom together. Then, place about 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each bottom crust,
Finally, place the top crust over the filling, gently press around with your fingers, then crimp the edges with a fork. Make sure that you do not overfill the pies.
Whisk together one egg with a splash of milk, and using a pastry brush, gently apply egg wash on top of the pastry. Sprinkle also with a small amount of granulated sugar, if desired.
Now it is time to bake
Place the filled apple hand pies into the freezer for 15 minutes while pre-heating your oven to 190C / 374F.
Bake the mini apple hand pies on the prepared baking sheet for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottoms are evenly baked.
Allow the hand pies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray, and then move them onto a wire cooling rack.
Serve the mini apple pies dusted with powdered sugar.
You can easily store and freeze any leftover
Leftover apple hand pies (if any) should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for 2-3 days.
You can easily freeze mini apple pies, too! Wrap in plastic food wrap and defrost thoroughly before enjoying.
Customize your mini pies
Try flavoring the apple hand pie filling with different spices like ginger, cardamom, or vanilla bean. You could also make it with pears instead or a mixture of apples and pears. Blackberries also taste delicious when mixed in with apples, as do raspberries!
I love adding some chopped pecans to the filling, or drizzling the apple hand pies with pecan butter or homemade caramel sauce before serving. Of course, it goes without saying that serving these hand pies warm with vanilla ice cream and a dollop of chantilly cream is the ultimate luxury!
Ingredient substitutions for common dietary needs
Baking is a science, so swapping out ingredients needs to be done carefully. Sadly, I am unable to provide exact substations for every diet, but I have. range of baking guides that can help you substitute ingredients if needed.
You can substitute the applies with any other fruit that is similar in texture e.g. pear.
Feel free to substitute butter with margarine or vegan butter for a vegan version. These non-dairy products work slightly differently, so pay attention to the texture and temperature of the dough. Did you know that you can make your own homemade butter?
You can skip the egg wash for an eggless version of this dessert and substitute it with one of my eggless egg washes.
Regarding substituting the flour, you can absolutely make this with gluten-free flour; however, the recipe almost always needs some reformulation.
Expert tips to make apple hand pies
- Use high-quality 82% fat content European style to make the pie dough. The butter needs to be chilled, so cut it into cubes and then place it into the freezer for 10-15 minutes before using it. Working with cold butter is absolutely key to reaching the right consistency of your pie dough.
- Work as quickly as possible while assembling and kneading the dough without overworking it or making it too warm. Kneading literally should not take more than a minute or two. Do not use a food processor or mixer.
- You should not need to add too much flour while rolling out the pie dough. It should not stick to the kitchen counter if it is cold enough. If the dough gets too warm at any point, pop it back into the freezer for a minute and continue.
- Don't overcook the apple filling, as it can become mushy. Only cook it for 5-10 minutes until it thickens slightly.
You will hardly need any equipment to make this recipe
Weigh your ingredients by the gram using a digital scale for accuracy. Baking is a science and requires precision, so you will always get better results this way.
Roll out the easy pie dough with a rolling pin between two silicone baking mats so it won´t stick. Otherwise, roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Use a round cookie cutter or a knife to cut out the circles.
All ovens vary, and oven temperature is vital in baking. So I recommend using a digital oven thermometer to accurately measure your oven temperature.
Try some of my other apple dessert recipes
Have you tried this recipe?
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Apple Hand Pies
Equipment
- Digital scale
Ingredients
Homemade Flaky Pie Dough
- 375 g (3 cups) All purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 225 g (1 cups) Unsalted butter 82% fat, use it very cold
- 120 g (½ cups) Water use it very cold
- 30 g (2 tablespoons) Apple Cider vinegar
Apple Filling
- 660 g (5 cups) Apple Peeled, sliced into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 50 g (¼ cups) Granulated sugar
- 50 g (¼ cups) Brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Corn starch
- 55 g (¼ cups) Unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Egg wash
- 1 Egg
- Splash of milk
- Granulated sugar
US customary cup measurement is an indicative figure only. Measure the ingredients with a digital scale by weight (gram). Baking is art but also science which requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
Start with Pie dough
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt until fully combined and place it into the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Cut the cold butter into small chunks and place it into the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Measure the water and vinegar separately, and place them into the freezer as well for 5-10 minutes.
- Once all ingredients are nicely chilled, add very cold butter chunks into the bowl of flour and rub the mixture between your fingers until it becomes a sand-like consistency. Leave some bigger butter chunks in the mixture - this will encourage flaky pie texture on the pie crust - no need to fully incorporate the butter into the flour.
- Add very cold water and apple cider vinegar into the dough, a small amount at a time, and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon after each addition. Once about 75% of the liquid is used, take out the part of the dough from the bowl, that is already well hydrated, and only keep adding the water to the rest of the dry dough. You might need to use all the water, or slightly less, or very slightly more, depending on the flour you are using and how neatly you hydrate the dough.
- Now, on a lightly floured surface (or silicone making mat), start working the dough with your hands. First, it will look crumbly but it should come together in the next minute or so. Do not knead the dough as such, stop mixing, as soon as the dough comes together. Remember, leave in some butter chunks, do not overwork the dough, and do not use a mixer.
- Form a disk, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
Optional; laminating the pie dough for extra flakiness
- After 2 hours, take the pie dough disk out of the fridge and let it rest few minutes on the kitchen counter. The dough should stay cold but slightly warmed up to be able to roll it out without breaking it. Transfer the disk to a silicone baking mat or a lightly floured surface and start rolling it out, make sure you turn the dough with your hands after each rolling so it will become even. No need to add too much flour while rolling, the pie dough should be cold enough not to stick to the kitchen counter.
- The goal is to roll the dough out into a rectangle of 11x17 inches / 28x43 cm relatively quickly without warming it up. Then, apply the following fold: Fold the left half over the right half. Then, you will get a 5.5x17 inches / 14x43 cm rectangle. Then, fold this long rectangle into half by folding the bottom half over the top half. You now have a 5.5x8.5 inches / 14x21.5 cm rectangle. Lastly, fold again the the bottom half over the top half, so you will end up with a 5.5x4 inches / 14x11 cm rectangle. After the last fold, cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
Continue with making the Apple filling
- Cut the apples into small, identical pieces and sprinkle them with freshly squeezed lemon juice so they won't brown. Mix the apple pieces with the rest of the ingredients (sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon) and pre-cook the mixture in a saucepan over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until some water evaporates. You should have a lovely thick apple caramel sauce after the apples are pre-cooked. Use this filling cold or at room temperature.
Assembling and Baking
- After the 2 hours rest time, take the pie dough disk out of the fridge and let it rest few minutes on the kitchen counter. The dough should stay cold but slightly warmed up to be able to roll it out without breaking it.
- Transfer the disk to a lightly floured surface or Silicone baking mat and start rolling it out. Make sure you turn the dough with your hands after each rolling so it will become even. No need to add too much flour while rolling, the pie dough should be cold enough not to stick to the kitchen counter. If at any point the dough gets too warm, pop it back into the freezer for a minute and continue.
- Roll the dough into 3mm thickness. Remember, do not force the dough, after rolling, it should stay smooth and cold, easy to work with.
- With the help of a cookie cutter (size 3-4 inches, 8-10cm), cut out circles. Then, if the dough is warmed up, place the circles into the fridge for 15 minutes, otherwise, continue with the filling. Keep the pastry offcuts to make 'stems' for your apple hand pies.
- Apply a light egg white wash around the bottom pie circle. This will help to "glue" the top and bottom together.
- Prepare the top crust: using a sharp knife cut slits into the remaining dough circles.
- Take the apple filling now and drain some of the apple caramel sauce - to use it later when serving the hand pies. Place about 1-2 tablespoons of apple filling in the center of each bottom crust, then place the top crust over the filling. Press your fingers around the edges to properly seal them, then crimp with a fork.
- Finally, whisk together one egg with a splash of milk, and using a brush, gently apply egg wash on top of the pastry. Sprinkle also with a small amount of granulated sugar, if desired.
- Chill the assembled apple hand pies while pre-heating your oven to 190C / 375F.
- Bake the hand pies for about 30 minutes at 190C / 375F or until the top is golden brown and the bottom is evenly baked. Let hand pies slightly cool in the baking tray for 5 minutes, then move them onto a cooling rack.
- They are best to serve fresh, either dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with the apple caramel.
- Store any leftover hand pies at room temperature for 2-3 days, or freeze them.
Notes
- All ingredients, including butter, flour, and water, should be very cold for the pie dough.
- Assembling this flaky pie crust will take less than 5 minutes. If you are assembling the dough for more than 5 minutes, then you are overworking it, and risking warming the ingredients up too much with your hands.
- Resting the dough in the fridge is a must - you won't be able to roll it out without appropriate resting time (minimum 2 hours).
- When cooking the apple pie filling, make sure to cook it only until the sauce somewhat thickens - you can use it later to drizzle the baked hand pies. Don´t overcook the apples, as they can become mushy.
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If the hand pies are brownies too much during baking, place aluminum foil on top of them loosely.
- Always check the bottom of the hand pies to judge whether they are well baked. It should not look doughy but golden brown.
- Try making these hand pies with different fruits e.g. pear or blackberries. You can also flavor the dough with some citrus zest, vanilla extract, or a small amount of nut flour e.g. hazelnut or walnut flour would be really nice.
Tammy Main
Do you freeze these little pies before baking or after? If freezing raw, do they need to thaw first or can they be baked straight from the freezer and about how long at what temperature?
I plan on making these for a baby shower and was hoping I could prep them now and bake a day before hand. Would love your feedback. Thank you
Kata
You can easily freeze them and bake them frozen, just add a few extra minutes of baking time. Always check the bottom of the pastry, if it is well-baked, you can consider it to be done 🙂
Tammy Main
Excellent! I will let you know how they turn out!
Amalia
Delicious!
Sára
Sooooooo good it's too much better for my liking so I reduced it with not putting in the filling 🙂
Great recipe, easy to make straight forward 😊 just make sure you have planty space in the fridge and freezer before you start😅
Miriam Stefou
Best apple pie recipe ever!!!
Karla Andrino
I also loved it😍 and I will try it with mango filling😋
Karla Andrino
I also loved it😍 I will try it with mango😋
June Sultan
JUNE SULTAN
December 6, 2020 - 11:54 am
Tried your apple tart.. love the texture of the pastry it’s flaky & crispy …& the filling is simple delicious but I did reduce the sugar by half as I personally love less sweet dessert.. Tq dear for the lovely recipe
admin
Thanks so much for baking my recipe, glad you liked it! I think if apples are sweet enough this can be turned into even sugar-free! Might try it in January for some detox 🙂