Delicious Homemade Apple Hand Pies: Your Perfect Portable Fall Dessert
There’s something undeniably comforting and nostalgic about a classic apple pie. Now imagine all that warm, spiced apple goodness, encased in a perfectly flaky, golden crust, but in a convenient, hand-held package! These homemade apple hand pies are a charming and utterly irresistible twist on the traditional favorite. Each mini pie features a luscious, sweet apple pie filling, lovingly sandwiched between two delicate pieces of buttery pie crust, creating a delightful treat that’s as easy to eat as it is to love. They are the quintessential fall dessert, ideal for festive holiday gatherings, casual parties, thoughtful gifting, or simply as a special everyday indulgence.
These individual, hand-held apple pies offer all the beloved flavors and textures of a homemade apple pie – the satisfying crunch of a flaky crust, the tender, perfectly spiced chunks of apple, and the warming aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg – without the need for a fork or plate. This makes them incredibly convenient and a fantastic choice for any occasion where you want to offer a delightful dessert with minimal fuss. Think Thanksgiving dessert tables, cozy autumn bonfires, school bake sales, or even a picnic in the park.
Beyond their charming appearance and delicious taste, apple hand pies boast a significant advantage in terms of preparation and serving. They can be baked in advance, making them a stress-free option for entertaining. Simply arrange them on a beautiful platter, and your guests can easily help themselves. Compared to slicing and serving a whole pie, these mini marvels simplify the dessert course considerably. You’ll spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the company of your loved ones, all while impressing them with these adorable and flavorful treats.
Whether you’re planning your Thanksgiving menu, looking for a unique Christmas cookie alternative, or just craving a comforting treat on a crisp autumn evening, these mini apple hand pies are the answer. I personally find them to be utterly divine when gently warmed in the microwave for a few seconds, then served à la mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream. The contrast of the warm, soft filling with cold ice cream is simply heavenly.
Essential Ingredients for These Delicious Apple Hand Pies
Crafting these delectable apple hand pies requires many of the same wholesome ingredients you would use for a classic apple pie. The beauty lies in their simplicity and the quality of each component working in harmony to create that signature taste. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need to assemble these perfect portable treats:
- Pie Crust: The foundation of any great pie! For convenience, high-quality store-bought pie crusts are an excellent shortcut, saving you significant time without compromising too much on flavor. However, if you’re a purist and enjoy the process, a homemade pie crust will elevate these hand pies to an even higher level of flakiness and buttery richness. I highly recommend trying my easy homemade pie crust tutorial here for a truly exceptional result. The extra effort is well worth it for that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Apples: The star of the show! The type of apple you choose significantly impacts the filling’s texture and flavor. I find that a combination of apples offers the best balance. My preferred mix includes Granny Smith for its tartness and firm texture, which holds up well during baking, and Honeycrisp for its sweet-tart flavor and crispness. Other excellent baking apples include Pink Lady, Fuji, and Braeburn, which also maintain their structure and offer delightful flavors. Ensure your apples are peeled, cored, and diced into small, uniform pieces (about ¼ to ½ inch) to ensure even cooking and a tender, consistent filling.
- Granulated Sugar: This sweetens the apple filling to perfection, balancing the tartness of the apples and enhancing their natural sweetness. You can adjust the amount slightly based on the sweetness of your apples and your personal preference. For a deeper, more caramel-like note, a small amount of brown sugar can also be substituted or added.
- All-Purpose Flour: A crucial ingredient for thickening the apple filling. Just a couple of tablespoons help absorb the juices released by the apples during baking, preventing a watery filling and ensuring your hand pies aren’t soggy. For a gluten-free option or an alternative, cornstarch can be used, typically half the amount of flour.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: A splash of pure vanilla extract adds a wonderful depth of flavor, enhancing the sweetness and spice of the apple filling. Always opt for pure vanilla extract over imitation for the best, most authentic taste.
- Ground Cinnamon & Nutmeg: These classic warming spices are essential for that quintessential apple pie flavor. Feel free to adjust the amounts to suit your personal taste. Some bakers also like to add a tiny pinch of ground cloves or allspice for an even richer spice profile, especially during the holiday season.
- Egg & Milk (for Egg Wash): A simple mixture of one lightly beaten egg and a tablespoon of milk creates the perfect egg wash. Brushing this mixture over the pie crust before baking helps achieve that beautiful, glossy, golden-brown finish on top, making your hand pies look as good as they taste.
- Butter: While optional, adding a small piece of cubed butter on top of the filling before sealing the pies makes the filling a little richer and adds a subtle, creamy undertone. I’ve tested these pies both with and without it, and while they taste great either way, the butter does add a lovely extra dimension of flavor.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Apple Hand Pies
Creating these delightful apple hand pies is a rewarding process, and following these steps will ensure your pies turn out perfectly golden, flaky, and bursting with flavor. Let’s get baking!
- Prepare Your Workspace and Preheat Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 400°F (204°C). This ensures your oven is at the correct temperature when your pies are ready to bake. Line one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze. Set them aside for later.
- Roll Out and Cut the Pie Dough: On a lightly floured surface, unroll both pie crusts. Using a rolling pin, carefully roll them out to a uniform thickness, aiming for about 1/8 inch. This thinness ensures a delicate, flaky crust. Next, use a 3.5-inch round cookie cutter to cut out as many circles as possible from the dough. Don’t worry about the scraps! Gather any leftover dough, gently knead it together (without overworking it), and reroll it to cut out additional circles. You should yield approximately 18 to 20 circles in total from two standard pie crusts. Place these cut-out pie crust circles onto your prepared baking sheets and transfer them to the refrigerator to chill. Keeping the dough cold is crucial for preventing shrinkage and achieving a super flaky crust.
- Make the Apple Pie Filling: While your dough is chilling, it’s time to prepare the star of your hand pies – the apple filling! In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced apples, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, pure vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Toss all the ingredients together gently but thoroughly with a spoon or your hands until all the apple pieces are evenly coated with the sugar and spice mixture. This ensures every bite is flavorful.
- Prepare the Egg Wash: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the large egg and milk until they are well combined and smooth. This will be your egg wash, which will give your pies that beautiful golden sheen. Set this aside.
- Fill the Hand Pies: Retrieve your chilled pie crust circles from the refrigerator. Arrange half of these circles (about 9-10) on your parchment-lined baking sheets. Evenly distribute the apple pie filling onto the center of each of these circles, being mindful to leave a clear border of about ½ inch around the edges. This space is essential for sealing the pies effectively. On top of the filling on each pie, place one to two small pieces of the cubed butter. This adds extra richness and a delightful melty texture to the filling.
- Form and Seal the Hand Pies: Take the remaining (unfilled) pie dough circles and carefully place one over the top of each filled circle, creating a little pie “sandwich.” To ensure a tight seal and prevent any delicious filling from escaping during baking, dampen the edges of the bottom crust with a tiny bit of water or the prepared egg wash. Then, use the tines of a fork to gently but firmly crimp the edges of both crusts together all the way around. This not only seals the pies securely but also creates an attractive, rustic decorative border.
- Prepare for Baking: Now for the finishing touches! Brush the top of each assembled hand pie generously with your egg wash. This will contribute to that beautiful golden-brown color. If desired, sprinkle a pinch of coarse sugar over the top of each pie for an extra sparkle and a slight sugary crunch. Finally, and this is a crucial step, use a small sharp knife to cut two to three small slits in the center of the top crust of each hand pie. These slits act as vents, allowing steam to escape from the apple filling as it bakes, which prevents the pies from becoming soggy and ensures a perfectly cooked interior.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Carefully transfer the baking sheets with your prepared hand pies into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 18 to 22 minutes, or until the pies are gloriously golden brown on top and you can see the apple filling bubbling temptingly through the slits. Once baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly on the baking sheets before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. While they are tempting to eat immediately, allowing them to cool slightly helps the filling set and prevents burnt tongues!
Frequently Asked Questions About Apple Hand Pies
Got questions about making these delightful apple hand pies? We’ve got answers to help ensure your baking experience is a success!
For this apple hand pie recipe, there is generally no need to pre-cook the apple filling on the stove. This is because the apples are diced into relatively small, uniform pieces (typically ¼ to ½ inch), which allows them to soften and cook thoroughly within the pie crust during the baking process. Pre-cooking is usually recommended for larger apple chunks or if you’re making a full-sized pie where the baking time is longer, ensuring the apples are tender. For hand pies, sticking to small dice and relying on oven heat is sufficient for a perfectly tender filling.
Absolutely! The beauty of hand pies is their versatility. You are more than welcome to get creative and fill the pie dough circles with any fruit pie filling you desire. Imagine juicy cherry hand pies, sweet peach hand pies, or vibrant mixed berry hand pies! Just ensure your chosen fruit filling isn’t too wet; if it is, you might need to increase the amount of flour or cornstarch slightly to prevent a soggy crust. Adjust sugar and spices according to the sweetness and flavor profile of your chosen fruit.
For the perfect apple pie filling, whether for hand pies or a traditional pie, I consistently recommend using a blend of apple varieties. My top choices are Granny Smith for its tartness and firm texture that holds its shape beautifully when baked, and Honeycrisp for its delightful sweet-tart balance and crisp bite. This combination offers both flavor complexity and ideal texture. Other excellent baking apple options that work wonderfully include Pink Lady, Fuji, or Braeburn apples, all known for their ability to maintain structure and offer great flavor after baking.
While the ingredients are similar, this specific recipe’s ratios and instructions are optimized for hand pies. If your goal is to make a full-sized, classic apple pie, I highly recommend using a dedicated recipe designed for that purpose. My classic apple pie recipe here has been thoroughly tested and perfected to ensure the ingredient ratios, baking times, and techniques yield a flawless result in a standard pie dish. It will ensure your crust is perfectly baked and your filling sets just right for a larger pie.
Essential Baking Tips for Perfect Apple Hand Pies
Achieving perfectly baked, delicious apple hand pies is easier than you think, especially with a few handy tips. Follow these suggestions to ensure your pies are a resounding success:
- Proper Apple Preparation is Key: Before chopping your apples, always make sure to peel and core them thoroughly. More importantly, chop the apples into small, uniform pieces (ideally ¼ to ½ inch dice). This uniformity is critical for ensuring that the apple filling bakes evenly throughout each hand pie, resulting in consistently tender apples without any undercooked or mushy bits.
- No Cookie Cutter? No Problem!: If you don’t have a 3.5-inch round cookie cutter specifically for cutting out the pie dough circles, don’t let that stop you! Get creative and use the rim of a large mug, a regular drinking glass, or even a small jar as an effective alternative. Just press firmly to cut through the dough, and you’ll achieve perfectly sized circles.
- Don’t Forget the Steam Vents: This step is often overlooked but is absolutely vital for a successful hand pie. Always remember to cut two to three small slits into the top crust of each hand pie before baking. These tiny openings act as essential vents, allowing steam to escape from the bubbling apple filling. Without these vents, steam would build up, potentially causing your pie crusts to puff up excessively, crack, or become unpleasantly soggy.
- Keep Your Dough Chilled: Working with cold pie dough is fundamental for a flaky crust. If your dough becomes too warm and sticky while rolling or cutting, simply pop it back into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to firm up. Chilled dough is much easier to handle and helps prevent the butter in the crust from melting too quickly, which is essential for that desired flaky texture.
- Don’t Overfill: While it’s tempting to cram as much delicious filling as possible into each hand pie, resist the urge to overfill. Leaving a good ½-inch border around the edge of the dough circles is crucial for a secure seal. Too much filling makes it difficult to crimp the edges properly, increasing the risk of leakage during baking.
- Serving Suggestions to Elevate Your Treat: While these apple hand pies are absolutely delicious on their own, fresh from the oven, you can easily take them to the next level with simple accompaniments. They are wonderful topped with a generous dollop of homemade whipped cream, a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream (especially when the pies are warm!), or a decadent drizzle of salted caramel sauce. A sprinkle of powdered sugar or a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and a touch of milk also adds a lovely finish.
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Apple Hand Pies
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Ingredients
- 2 pie crusts (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 cups chopped apples (240 grams, preferably a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (15 grams)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (adjust to your personal preference)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk (15 ml)
- 1 tablespoon butter (15 grams) cubed into small pieces (optional, for richer filling)
- coarse sugar for sprinkling on top (optional, for added crunch and sparkle)
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Prepare 1 to 2 large baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set these aside.
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On a lightly floured surface, carefully roll out both pie crusts to an approximate thickness of 1/8-inch. Using a 3.5-inch round cookie cutter (or the rim of a suitable cup or jar), cut out as many circles as possible. Gather any dough scraps, gently reroll them (avoid overworking the dough), and cut out additional circles until you have about 18 to 20 circles in total. Place these pie crust circles on your prepared baking sheets and transfer them to the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped apples, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, pure vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Toss thoroughly until all the apple pieces are evenly coated with the mixture.
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In a separate small bowl, whisk together the large egg and milk until well combined. This will be your egg wash. Set aside.
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Remove the chilled pie crust circles from the refrigerator. Evenly distribute the apple pie filling onto the center of half of the circles (approximately 9-10 circles), ensuring you leave a clear border of about ½-inch around the edges. Place 1 to 2 small pieces of the cubed butter on top of the filling on each pie (this step is optional but adds richness).
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Place the remaining (unfilled) pie crust circles over the top of the filled circles. If needed, lightly dampen the edges of the bottom crust with a little water or egg wash to help them adhere. Then, use the tines of a fork to firmly crimp and seal the edges of each hand pie all the way around, preventing the filling from leaking out during baking.
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Brush the top of each assembled hand pie generously with the prepared egg wash. If desired, sprinkle with coarse sugar for added sparkle and crunch. Finally, use a small sharp knife to cut 2 to 3 small slits in the center of the top crust of each pie to allow steam to escape during baking.
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Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the hand pies are beautifully golden brown on top and the filling is visibly bubbling through the slits. Once baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly on the baking sheets before serving warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Freezing Instructions: To freeze baked hand pies, allow them to cool completely. Then, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 2 to 3 hours, or until fully frozen solid. Once frozen, wrap each pie tightly in plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer bag or an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen hand pies at room temperature before gently reheating in a microwave or oven if desired.
Adjusting Ground Cinnamon: The amount of ground cinnamon can be adjusted to your personal preference. I am a big fan of cinnamon and often use a full 1 teaspoon in these hand pies for a more pronounced spiced flavor. Feel free to experiment with the quantity to find your perfect balance.