Mini Apple Hand Pies
Flaky handheld pies filled with cinnamon apples, crimped and baked until deep golden.
- Measurements grams + cups
- Cuisine American
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Shop-bought pie crust does the hard part, so this is a pastry recipe with no pastry making in it.
- The apples go in raw, which keeps them in distinct pieces rather than collapsing into sauce.
- They travel well and are as good at room temperature as they are warm.
Recipe
Mini Apple Hand Pies
Flaky handheld pies filled with cinnamon apples.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1. Heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F and line a sheet pan with parchment.
- Step 2. Mix the diced apple with the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon juice and vanilla.
- Step 3. Cut eight 10 cm / 4 inch rounds from the pie dough, rerolling the scraps once as needed.
- Step 4. Spoon filling onto one half of each round, leaving a clear border of about 1 cm.
- Step 5. Fold the pastry over and press the edges together, then crimp firmly all the way round with a fork.
- Step 6. Brush the tops with egg wash, cut a small vent in each and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Step 7. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until deeply golden.
- Step 8. Cool for 10 minutes before eating — the filling is extremely hot.
Notes
- Dice the apple small, around 1 cm. Large pieces stay firm and tear the pastry as you fold it.
- Do not overfill. Two tablespoons per round is about right — more and the seal fails and the filling leaks out and burns on the tray.
- Cut the vent. Steam has to escape somewhere, and if it cannot it will find a weak point in the seam.
- Crimp firmly with a fork and press right to the edge. A half-sealed pie always opens in the oven.
Mini Apple Hand Pies — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/mini-apple-hand-pies/
Ingredient Notes
- Apples
- A firm variety that holds its shape is what you want. Very soft eating apples break down into sauce in the time it takes the pastry to colour.
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the juice the apples release inside the sealed pie. Without it the filling is watery and pushes the seams open.
- Egg wash
- What gives the deep golden colour. Milk alone browns much more palely, and nothing at all leaves them looking underdone.
- Coarse sugar
- Cosmetic and textural rather than sweetening. Regular granulated sugar works, it just melts more.
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- 10 cm / 4 inch round cutter
- Rolling pin
- Fork
- Pastry brush
Substitutions
- Refrigerated pie crust
- Homemade shortcrust or all-butter puff both work. Puff gives a lighter, flakier pie and may need a couple of minutes less.
- Apple
- Pear works with the same quantities and needs slightly less sugar. A mix of apple and blackberry is good but wetter, so add another teaspoon of cornstarch.
- Egg wash
- Milk or single cream browns less deeply but works. For a vegan version, a plant milk with a pinch of sugar whisked in is the closest.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4. Refresh in a hot oven for 5 minutes to bring the pastry back.
Freezing: Freeze the assembled unbaked pies on a tray, then bag them, for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen with 5 to 7 extra minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my hand pies leak?
Overfilled, underseated seams, or no vent cut. Keep the filling to about two tablespoons, crimp all the way around with a fork, and always cut a vent.
Can I make them ahead?
Yes. Assemble and refrigerate for up to a day, or freeze them unbaked. Both bake straight from cold — frozen ones need about 5 extra minutes.
Do I have to cook the apples first?
No. Diced small, they cook through in the time the pastry takes. Precooking gives a softer, more sauce-like filling if that is what you prefer.
Can I fry them instead?
Yes, at about 175 C / 350 F for 2 to 3 minutes a side. Skip the egg wash and coarse sugar and roll them in cinnamon sugar while still warm.
Why is my pastry pale underneath?
The tray was too cool or crowded. Bake on the lower third of the oven with space between the pies, and preheat the tray if pale bases are a recurring problem.
What apples work best?
Anything firm and slightly tart. Granny Smith, Braeburn and Honeycrisp all hold together well. Very soft varieties turn to purée.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
Thanks — that helps.
