These Apple Hand Pies have an irresistibly warm, spiced apple filling wrapped in a homemade buttery, flaky pie crust. It is handheld, adorable, and eliminates the need for slicing and serving. Make them in the oven or air fryer!
Apple hand pies are the perfect way to use up fresh fall apples. With my buttery, flaky, completely made from-scratch all butter pie crust, these are even better than regular pies like pecan pie made without corn syrup. Thanks to their higher ratio of crust to filling.
What are hand pies? Thay are typically a type of portable, small single serving pastry that consists of a sweet or savory filling enclosed in a pocket of pastry dough like pie crust.
Their fillings can vary widely, from fruits like apples, peaches, berries, cherries to savory options like meats, vegetables, or cheese. They are often sealed by crimping or sealing the edges of the dough to keep the filling enclosed.
They can be held in one hand like the mac and cheese cups, making them convenient for on-the-go snacking or individual servings for entertaining. They eliminate the need for slicing and serving, as each guest can grab their own portion.
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Why you'll love it?
- Bake in the oven or in the air fryer.
- Awesome portion control.
- Handheld mini apple pies.
- Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.
- Golden, flaky buttery crust provides a crisp contrast to the soft and juicy apple filling.
- Completely out-of-this-world with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Makes a great fall baking recipe.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Pie crust - I like using my favorite pie crust recipe sturdy enough to hold the juicy fruit filling. There's nothing quite like homemade pie crust; my recipe uses all butter for an unparalleled buttery flavor. If using store bought pie crust, then you will need one package of two sheets for this apple hand pies recipe.
- Apples - As with all apple recipes, It’s best to use apples that hold it's shape when cooked without turning mushy. Just like when I make air fryer apple fritters, I recommend using Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Jazz, Fuji or Gala.
- Butter - Just a dab, for cooking the apples for some richness.
- Sugar - I typically use white sugar so the apple and cinnamon flavors shine. But like in air fryer apple crisp, brown sugar also works fine, and makes a slightly more caramelly-tasting filling.
- Cinnamon - Like in my apple cinnamon bread, ground cinnamon is a classic pairing with apples. You can also a combination of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
- Cornstarch - This thickens the apple juices so it doesn’t soak the base of the pie crust.
- Egg - This is for sealing the apple hand pies and brushing the surface so they come out of the oven or air fryer lovely and golden.
How to make apple pie filling?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
1.Melt butter over medium heat. Stir in chopped apples, sugar & 2 tablespoons water.
2. Cover and cook stirring occasionally for 4-6 minutes or until very slightly softened.
3 & 4. In a small dish combine cornstarch, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon water. Add to the pan while stirring and continue to cook until apples are soft and not mushy, and the filling is thickened. Cool completely.
When done, the apple chunks should be tender and offer no resistance when you pierce them with a knife. However, you don’t want them mushy.
👩🍳 Cool your filling completely; otherwise, it will soften or begin to melt the butter in the pie crust when you fill it. Therefore, I prefer to make the filling ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
The ingredients in the filling are my go-to choices for most apple recipes including my apple cinnamon muffins or apple waffles.
How to shape apple hand pies?
5. Roll out pie dough to ⅛-inch thick and using a 4 or 5 inch circle cutter, cut out 10 circles.
Alternate shapes
Hand pies can be made in a variety of shapes, especially fun for Holidays or creative presentations, like my Halloween pop tarts shaped like ghosts. What ever shape you choose to use, I don’t suggest anything smaller than 3 inches because you can’t fit enough filling in a pie that small. Here are some common shapes you can make with hand pies:
- Half moon: This is one of the most traditional shapes for hand pies, like used in this apple hand pies recipe. The filling is placed on one half of the circle, and then the other half is folded over to create a half-moon shape.
- Rectangle: Using a ruler, cut into 3×4-inch rectangles, add filling to one rectangle and place another rectangle sheet on top.
- Circle: Circular hand pies are created by placing the filling in the center of a circular piece of pie crust and topping it with another circle.
- Heart: For valentines day, you can shape hand pies like hearts by using a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the pastry.
- Star: Star-shaped hand pies are made by using a star-shaped cookie cutter, making them especially perfect for the 4th of July.
- Animal or Character Shapes: For a playful touch, use cookie cutters or stencils to create hand pies in the shapes of animals or different characters.
Pro tip: Once I've cut the dough into circles, I stack them on a plate and refrigerate them for atleast 15 minutes. Working with colder pie dough is much easier.
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6. Add 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of the apple pie filling to each circle.
7. Brush egg wash around the edges and fold over the dough making a half circle.
8. Use a fork to crimp the edges firmly together, like in the sweet potato pie recipe.
9. Brush the tops with egg wash. Make three slits on the top of the pie. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top.
Pro tip: Egg wash, a blend of egg and milk or water, imparts a golden shine to the crust, preventing it from appearing dull. To enhance both texture and sparkle, I also sprinkle coarse sugar on top.
Air frying instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 360°F.
- When hot, place 4 hand pies into the basket and cook for 13 to 16 minutes, or until the tops are deep golden in color.
- Repeat the process until you have air fried all the prepared hand pies.
Tip: Store the shaped apple hand pies in the fridge until cooking each batch.
Do you like air fryer desserts? You'll like this air fryer banana cake or air fryer chocolate chip cookies or find a full collection of air fryer Thanksgiving recipes.
Baking instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place prepared hand pies in a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 13 to 17 minutes or until the tops are deep golden in color.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet before serving.
How to serve?
Allow the baked hand pies to cool for a few minutes to be easier to handle and enjoy without burning your mouth. Enjoy them with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce. A dollop of whipped cream would be excellent here, too!
How to store?
Before storing, allow the hand pies to cool to room temperature to prevent condensation so your crust will stay crisp.
- Fridge: Store the hand pies in the refrigerator if you intend to eat them within a few days. They can stay fresh for about 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Apple hand pies are great to be stored in the freezer. Place them airtight container or zip lock bag and store them for up to 2 months. Leave them at room temperature for a few hours to thaw.
- Reheat: If you like to serve them warm, then when you're ready to enjoy your leftover hand pies, reheat them in a preheated 325-degree oven or a 300-degree air fryer until they are warmed through. This will help restore their original texture and flavor.
Recipe tips
- Serve warm or room temperature: The longer you allow apple hand pies to cool, the more the filling will firm up, and the crust will set. I recommend cooling for at least 15 minutes before serving.
- Pie crust: If using store bought pie crust, then you will need one package of two sheets for this apple hand pies recipe.
- Let the filling cool: The apple pie filling can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Keep them cold: Store the shaped apple hand pies in the fridge until cooking each batch.
Recipe FAQs
Firmer apples that maintain their structure after cooking are ideal for pies. As for apple waffles, avoid soft, mealy, and mushy apples. For a more complex flavor, consider mixing a combination of tart and sweet apples. The best options include Gala, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, or Fuji.
It's a matter of personal preference! Peeling the apples creates a smoother, softer filling, as the apples tend to break down more during baking. This results in a filling with a uniform color, offering a traditional and consistent appearance.
On the other hand, keeping the skin on the apples adds a contrasting texture and additional specks of color. The skin can contribute to a subtle chewiness and also saves time.
1. Roll out the pie crust to an even thickness. If it's too thin in some areas and too thick in others, it's more likely to tear or allow filling to escape.
2. Don't overfill! Overfilling is one of the most common causes for leakage. Also, leave some room around the edges for sealing.
3. Seal the edges. Using a fork or your fingers along with an egg wash,
press the edges together firmly to create a tight seal, ensuring no gaps or openings for the filling to escape.
4. Create small slits in the top to allow steam to escape during baking or air frying. This helps prevent pressure from building up inside and potentially pushing out the filling.
5.Brushing the top with egg wash before baking can help seal the edges and create a protective barrier to reduce the risk of leaks.
6. Keep your shaped apple hand pies in the fridge until cooking time to ensure the pastry is firm, reducing the risk of leakage.
More Fall desserts
Apple Hand Pies
Equipment
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
- 2 medium apples peel, core and chop
- ¼ cup sugar, white
- 3 tablespoons water, divided
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspooon ground cinnamon
Additional ingredients
- 2 Homemade pie crusts click link for recipe
- 1 egg
- Coarse sugar optional
Instructions
Make apple pie filling
- Melt butter over medium heat. Stir in chopped apples, sugar, 2 tablespoons water and salt. Cover and cook stirring occasionally for 4-6 minutes or until very slightly softened.
- In a small dish combine cornstarch, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon water. Add to the pan while stirring and continue to cook until apples are soft and not mushy, and the filling is thickened.
- Cool completely. Tip: You'll want to cool your filling completely; otherwise, it will soften the pie crust when you fill it. Therefore, I prefer to make the filling ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Shape hand pies
- Make egg wash by combining the egg along with 2 teaspoons of water in a small bowl.
- Roll out pie dough to ⅛-inch thick and using a 4 or 5 inch circle cutter, cut out 10 circles.
- Add 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of the apple pie filling to each circle.
- Brush egg wash around the edges and fold over the dough making a half circle. Use a fork to crimp the edges firmly together.
- Brush the tops with egg wash. Make three slits on the top of the pie. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top.
Bake in oven
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place prepared hand pies in a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 13 to 17 minutes or until the tops are deep golden in color. Allow to cool on the baking sheet before serving.
Air fry
- Preheat your air fryer to 360°F.
- When hot, place 4 hand pies into the basket and cook for 13 to 16 minutes, or until the tops are deep golden in color.
- Repeat the process until you have air fried all the prepared hand pies. Tip: Store the shaped apple hand pies in the fridge until cooking each batch.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Lynn
I made these pies and baked them and used your pie crust recipe but my homemade pie filling. They were outstanding the crust was flaky and buttery I will use this recipe for hand and no one else's! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!❤️❤️❤️
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡
Jess
Made this today and your crust recipe. Turned out great. My wife said it's the best apple pie she's ever had.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡