Easy Mini Apple Hand Pies
These are the best apple hand pies I've ever made! With spiced apple filling, homemade pie crust, and raw sugared edges, they're flaky, jammy, and so cozy. Serve them as-is or with a scoop of ice cream for a simple and crowd-pleasing dinner party dessert that comes together in just 1 hour.
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 454 grams Honeycrisp apples (1 pound)
- 28 grams unsalted butter (2 Tablespoons)
- 72 grams brown sugar (1/3 cup, packed)
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 12 grams cornstarch (1 1/2 Tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Hand Pies
- 1 recipe homemade pie dough (or 399 grams/14 ounces of store-bought dough)
- 1 egg
- 48 grams raw sugar, for sprinkling (1/3 cup)
Equipment
- 4 inch cookie cutter (or jar lid, drinking glass, etc.)
- Parchment paper
Instructions
Apple Pie Filling
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the apples. Core the apples and dice them into cubes that are 1/2-inch or smaller. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced apples, brown sugar, salt, apple pie spice, cinnamon, and cardamom. Stir everything together well. Sauté the mixture until the apples are slightly softened and the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch with 1 Tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch slurry to the apple mixture, stirring constantly.
- Cook the mixture until the filling is thickened and jammy. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Cool completely.
Hand Pies
- While the apple mixture is cooling, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Roll the pie dough until it's 1/8-inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out as many circles in the pie dough as you can. Gather & re-roll the pie dough scraps as needed until you have about 28 circles.
- Place half of the pie dough circles on the prepared sheet pans, spacing them at least 2-inches apart. These will be the bottom crusts. In the center of the bottom crusts, add about 1 heaping Tablespoon of apple pie filling. (Keep dividing the pie filling evenly between the bottom crusts - it doesn't have to be perfect!)
- Cover the bottom crusts with the remaining pie dough circles (the top crusts). Use your fingers to press the edges of the bottom & top crusts together until they're completely sealed. Then, use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges of the hand pies for decoration. Using a sharp knife, cut an X on top of each pie. This will be a vent for any steam to escape while the hand pies bake.
- Refrigerate the pies for 10-20 minutes, until they're chilled. Meanwhile, whisk the egg with 1 Tablespoon of water to make egg wash. Brush the chilled hand pies with the egg wash and sprinkle each pie with about 1 teaspoon of raw sugar.
- Bake the pies for 20-25 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust is deep golden-brown. Let the pies cool on the sheet pans for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer the pies to a wire rack to cool for at least 10-15 more minutes before serving. Or cool completely before storing.
Notes
Cook the apple just until they're softened but still have a 'bite' to them. Don't worry, they'll finish cooking in the oven!
Make sure the pie dough stays as cold as possible for those flaky layers! Refrigerate the pie dough circles as you cut them out. If the dough gets too warm, pop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
Don't over-fill the hand pies. If you do, the top crusts will definitely split apart.
Make sure to seal the edges of the pies together really well. Otherwise, they will pop open in the oven!
The pies are ready when the filling is bubbly and the dough is a deep golden-brown. If they aren't deep golden-brown after 25 minutes, bake them for another 5 or so.
Let the pies cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. You want to give them time to set up.
Serving: 1pie, Calories: 84kcal, Carbohydrates: 16.6g, Protein: 0.1g, Fat: 2.5g, Saturated Fat: 1.4g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 21mg, Potassium: 10mg, Fiber: 1.2g, Sugar: 12.8g, Calcium: 12mg
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