Apple Hand Pies

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Simple handheld pies filled with spiced apples and made with puff pastry for an easy assembly and even easier eating!

apple hand pies on a wire cooling rack

I have a confession on top of a confession: this post was originally published in 2015, and I had prefaced the whole thing by saying that I wasn’t all that into pies.

That I’d rather eat a brownie, or a cookie, or ICE CREAM, but that pies just didn’t really do it for me.

HOWEVER, I have totally come around on pie, thanks to years of my classic pumpkin pie gracing my Thanksgiving dessert plate and discovering that chocolate chip pecan pie was a thing this past holiday baking season.

apple hand pies on a platter

Previously, pies didn’t quite do it for me, but the more I bake, the more I branch out with what I make, and the more I see what my readers enjoy on my blog, the more I tend to inch a little more toward the “I like pie” side of the dessert spectrum.

So, my FAF friends, this republished/revamped/rephotographed/all dolled up hand pie recipe is here for your apple pie enjoyment, in the form of a portable, simple, handheld dessert made with pre-made puff pastry and a whole slew of perfectly chosen spices.

apple hand pies on a wire cooling rack

As I mentioned, this apple hand pies recipe was born on my blog back in 2015. At that time, I made a large batch of them to celebrate the retirement of the (now late) CEO of the company I worked for prior to taking the blog on full time.

His favorite dessert was apple pie, and rather than making pies for 50+ people, I decided that a sort of mini apple pie would be an easier way to get the apple pie job done for a large crowd.

I also wanted something that was easy to store if there were leftovers.

apple hand pies on a platter

And guess what? I wasn’t expecting to go ga-ga over these apple hand pies, but I totally did. And so did my large group of taste testers!

CHOP AND FLAVOR THE APPLES

Whenever I make these mini apple hand pies, I typically choose 1 large Granny Smith apple and another smaller red apple, like Gala.

We sweeten with brown sugar and season with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I love cloves, but not everyone does. Reduce or omit if the taste is too strong for you (or if you’re serving to kids– cloves tend to be a little over-powering for them).

USE PUFF PASTRY FOR QUICK AND EASY

Made with pre-made frozen (thawed) puff pastry, these mini-pies are similar to turnovers and also remind me of Toaster Strudels. Surely you were a fan of Toaster Strudels growing up? Oh yeah. Memories.

The puff pastry makes for super flaky apple hand pies. I love me some homemade pie crust, but nothing flakes quite like puff pastry!

apple hand pie sliced open to see the inside

AND, since we’re working with pre-made puff pastry, the hard work is basically done for you.

HOW TO MAKE APPLE HAND PIES

After you prepare your apple chunks, you’ll prepare your pastry shell. Each box of puff pastry contains 2 sheets, which will give you 12 pies (24 rectangles total). Use a pizza cutter to cut your dough into 12 rectangles.

slicing puff pastry with a pizza cutter

You’ve just created your hand pie bottoms. Wasn’t that easier than rolling out a big pie crust?

And don’t worry if you forgot to thaw your puff pastry overnight in the fridge: frozen puff pastry will thaw at room temperature in about 45 minutes. Just be sure to refrigerate to firm them back up if you notice they’re took hard to work with.

Next, fill each pie with about 2 Tablespoons of your spiced apple filling, leaving a bit of a margin around the edge for crimping.

spooning apples onto puff pastry to make apple hand pies

Cut the other sheet of puff pastry into 12 more rectangles, pop those babies on top of the filled bottoms, and crimp the edges with a fork.

crimping apple hand pies shut with a fork

You’ll likely have some apple chunks fall out or get crimped into the sides of the pie. This is totally ok. And totally encouraged.

Cut a couple slices into the tops of each pie, brush with an egg wash, and sprinkle with more cinnamon + sugar.

Bake. Enjoy.

aerial photo of apple hand pies on a platter

Easy, right?

HOW TO FREEZE APPLE HAND PIES

Remember how I said I wanted something that could be easily stored if there were leftovers? So simple– just refrigerate, then either microwave as needed or toss in a toaster oven for a few minutes before enjoying. If you want to freeze them, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

apple hand pie sliced open to see the inside

Buttery, flaky, perfectly spiced, and full of natural, sweet/tart apple flavor… These pies are definitely something that should go on your rotating baking list. I promise, they’re much easier than you probably originally thought at first glance.

Plus… No fork necessary! That’s my kind of dessert!

Apple Hand Pies

Simple handheld pies filled with spiced apples and made with puff pastry for an easy assembly and even easier eating!
Prep Time30 mins
Bake Time20 mins
Total Time50 mins
Recipe Author Lynn April
Servings: 12 hand pies

Ingredients

FILLING

  • 2 cups (240g) chopped apples1
  • 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter melted
  • ¼ cup (50g) firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • teaspoon ground cloves2

CRUST

  • 1 box (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry thawed
  • 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15mL) water
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

FILLING

  • Place the chopped apples in a large bowl. Drizzle melted butter over apples and stir to coat.
  • In a small bowl, toss together the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Sprinkle mixture over buttered apples and stir until apples are evenly coated3 with the spices. Set aside.

CRUST

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (204ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pastry sheet. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the sheet evenly into 12 rectangles. These will be the bottoms of your pies. Place 6 pie bottoms on one baking sheet and 6 on the other.
  • Spoon 1 to 2 Tablespoons of apple mixture onto each of the 12 bottom rectangles. You may have a little bit of filling leftover, but can certainly use it all up by overfilling the crusts.
  • Roll out the second she of puff pastry. Cut into 12 rectangles. Place the top rectangles over the filled bottoms, slightly stretching the top layer if necessary (puff pastry is very sturdy and forgiving). Crimp the edges with a fork to seal.
  • Cut two small slits in the top of each hand pie, then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
  • Place baking sheets side-by-side in the oven. If they can't fit, bake one at a time, allowing the other to chill in the refrigerator. Bake pies for 20 minutes, or until the tops are desired golden brown color. Rotate the baking sheets once during bake time. Remove pies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet until safe to handle and serve. Leftover hand pies can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, up to 5 days. Reheat in microwave or in a 300°F (149ºC) oven for 10-15 minutes.
  • Make ahead: you can prepare the hand pies up to 12 hours in advance. After cutting slits into the tops of the pies, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture before baking.

Notes

  1. Apples: you’ll want to peel and core your apples before chopping. I like to use 1 Granny Smith apple + another smaller red apple, like Gala.
  2. Cloves: this is a very strong spice. If you don’t like cloves, simply omit.
  3. Seasoning the filling: I strongly recommend tasting the filling before spooning onto your puff pastry. Adjust spices to your liking.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @freshaprilflours on Instagram or tag #freshaprilflours!

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

Check out some more of my favorite recipes containing apples!

Apple Scones

aerial view of apple scones on a green plate with burlap cloth

Baked Apple Oatmeal

baked apple oatmeal in a white bowl with a spoon

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Bread

apple cinnamon streusel bread

Homemade Apple Butter

Homemade Apple Butter: This deliciously sweet apple butter is spiced with the perfect fall flavors. It's so easy to make your own at home!

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25 Comments

  1. I’m not a huge pie person either! When it comes to winter desserts is much rather have a crumble! I do love the idea of hand pies though! These would be perfect for Autumn picnics or even summer ones! Delicious!

    1. I’m so glad I’m not alone in the non-pie loving world!

  2. YUM! I’m not surprised in the least that there was not a single one of these left!!! I’m not much of a pie girl myself — I’m obsessed with the filling but unless the crust is just PERFECT, I’m happy to pass it up. But these? Oh my goodness the flaky crust looks to DIE for. I would definitely not be able to be trusted around those hand-sized beauties. Nice work, Lynn (photos are SO gorgeous, too!)

    1. Thanks so much, Leah! I was a fan of this photoshoot 🙂

  3. Yummy! I love apple strudels. Thanks for the recipe, Lynn! 🙂

  4. Payton's Cake Shelf blog says:

    I just LOVE apple pie, and this seems like the perfect way to have an apple pie… Without all the hard work involved!
    I will definitely be trying these out 🙂

    1. I hope you do! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂

  5. Karen Clark says:

    Do you really use only 1 Apple?

    1. Hi, Mrs. Clark! Yes, just one apple. I made a triple batch and used 3 apples. You’re looking for about 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of finely diced apples.

    2. Karen Clark says:

      Thanks Lynn, I think I’ll try them 🙂

  6. Christina M says:

    I’m obviously a little late to this pie party, but I came across this recipe from Sally’s post about pies today (Sally’s Baking Addiction) and these look so yummy and simple! I’ll need to make these way before fall begins. This is my first time visiting your blog, but you definitely have a new follower 🙂

    1. I’m so glad you stopped by, Christina! You’ve got to try the hand pies– SO much fun to make and serve!

  7. So, I’m wondering….do the apples fully cook in just 20 minutes? I like a softer apple, not crunchy, and it seems like 20 minutes wouldn’t be long enough to fully cook them. These look wonderful though– I love puff pastry as a crust!

    1. Hi Lisa– sorry, I’m just now seeing this comment! If you’d like the apples to be softer, I think it would be perfectly fine to leave them in the oven longer. I might suggest covering the pies with foil to prevent them from browning too much or burning, depending on how much longer you bake them. Let me know how it works out if you try it!

  8. I used puff pastry to make Caramel Apple Hand Pies and Pumpkin Hand Pies.

  9. 5 stars
    These were so good and so easy! Thanks for the recipe.

  10. 5 stars
    I tried it! It came out delicious

  11. Ava Enbody says:

    5 stars
    I love the idea of these for 4th of July so I don’t have to make a bunch of apple pie I can just make these and everyone can have there own !!!!!!!!