Apple Hand Pies

This delicious recipe for apple hand pies is perfect for autumn! These handheld pies are easy to make and perfect for a quick snack or dessert.

I love the Fall season for a lot of reasons, but one of the main ones is because it’s apple season! There are so many delicious ways to enjoy apples, but one of our favourites is apple hand pies.

Apple hand pies are a fun and easy way to enjoy the taste of apple pie. This recipe is simple and quick to make, and perfect for a dessert or snack. The hand pies are crispy and flaky, with a sweet and juicy apple filling. Enjoy them warm from the oven, or pack them in your lunch box for a delicious treat on the go.

Today I’m going to show you how to make super simple apple hand pies. These little guys are packed with flavour and will disappear before your eyes! So get in the kitchen and celebrate Fall with some apple hand pies!

What Makes This the BEST Apple Hand Pie Recipe

• Easy recipe, anyone can make it!
• Apple forward flavour with just a hint of spice
• I mean it, you will taste apples, not an overload of cinnamon
• Addictive, buttery, flaky crust in a perfect ratio with the filling.
• Basic pantry ingredients
• Ready to eat straight from the oven!
• Can be made even faster int the air fryer.
• Quintessential fall favourite dessert
• Portable dessert, great for parties or school snacks.

Do You Need to Cook the Apples First?

For the best results, I would definitely take the time to cook the apple filling before assembling the pies. Taking the time to do this ensures that the apples are tender and evenly cooked.

If you prefer a less soft filling, you can definitely toss the filling ingredients together in a bowl and prepare the pies with uncooked filling.

You do risk the apples not cooking evenly this way, and you may end up with some hard bits in your pies. But if you don’t mind a little extra texture, feel free to save yourself the step of cooking the filling first.

Baked Hand Pies vs. Air Fried Hand Pies

The choice is yours! While I love the crispy, flaky crust you get from baking these pies, you can also achieve similar results in the air fryer. In fact, I couldn’t distinguish between the two when I did a side by side taste test.

While the air fryer does cook the pies faster, it can only handle small batches at a time, where you aren’t as limited using your oven.

I would say though that the benefit of using the air fryer is that it does free up the oven for other things you might be cooking, like a main dish or side. So if you are already short on kitchen space or time, the air fryer is a great option and nobody will know they weren’t oven baked!

Apple Hand Pie Variations

You can change up the filling as you like too! Try some of these tasty options instead!

Berries – Use about 3 cups of fresh or frozen berries and prepare as described. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice when cooking down the berries with the sugar and cornstarch.

Cherries – Again, about 3 cups of fresh or frozen pitted cherries and prepare as described along with a tablespoon of lemon juice. You will want to cook the cherries until they burst before adding the cornstarch slurry.

Jam – Make jam pastries using 2 heaping tablespoons of your favourite jam.

Pie fillings – In a rush? Canned pie filling works here too!

The Best Apples for Apple Hand Pies

The best apples to use for making apple hand pies, and pies in general, are any variety that is tart and crisp, with flesh that holds its shape well. Good cooking apples like Pink Lady, Braeburn, Cameo and Cortland work well, as does Granny smith.

If you can get a hold of Bramley apples though, they are definitely the superior pie apple with their tart flavour and crisp flesh. Only the Granny Smith comes close. Bramley apples are unfortunately not always easy to find in stores in North America, so if you see them, snap them up!

I also really like the flavour of Macintosh apples in pies and such, although they are very juicy and soft. It is all a matter of taste really. Here I used Granny Smith and it was absolutely perfect.

How to Serve Apple Hand Pies

Apple crisp can be served warm or cool. They are best with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, but absolutely amazing with a bit of warm caramel sauce or vanilla custard to dip into.

Another family favourite is a slice or two of old cheddar cheese. The contrast of the sweet, warm filling and flaky crust contrasts perfectly with salty, savoury cheddar cheese. It’s my absolute favourite combination.

Tips for Making the BEST Apple Hand Pies

Uniform pieces – The key to a perfectly cooked filling is to try and cut uniform pieces of apple so they cook evenly.

Small pieces – You also want to be sure to dice the apples into small pieces so that you can fit more apple filling into the pies!

Room temperature – You also want to make sure that your apples are room temperature before starting, this also helps to ensure the apple filling cooks evenly.

Choose the right apples – You can use virtually any apples for apple pie, but do read the section above for the BEST apples for apple pies.

Don’t forget the vents – Make sure to cut vents into your hand pies so that the steam can escape while the pies bake.

How to Store Apple Hand Pies

Apple hand pies are best enjoyed the day they are made, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you have any leftovers, reheat them in a 350°F oven until warm, or enjoy cold straight from the fridge.

If you want to make your apple hand pies ahead of time, you can freeze them unbaked for up to 3 months. Simply prepare as directed, but do not apply the egg wash to the top. Instead flash freeze on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer safe bag or container.

When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and thaw for 30 minutes, then egg wash and bake as directed.

You can also freeze baked pies for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature before reheating in a 350°F oven until warm.

About the Equipment Needed to Make Apple Hand Pies

Biscuit cutters – You will want to use a cutter between 3-4 inches. I’ve linked to the set I have and used here. I used the 3 7/20″ (8.5cm) size cutter for these hand pies.

Air Fryer – I have a COSORI Air Fryer which is 5.8 QT. It is larger air fryer, so it easily handles larger amounts of ingredients. For this recipe you can get away with a smaller air fryer, but if you are looking to buy, I would definitely recommend this model.

You will also need a saucepan, cutting board, paring knife, etc…

About the Ingredients for Apple Hand Pies

Apples – You want to use a tart apple such as Bramley, Granny smith, Macintosh, Empire, Cortland, or Braeburn. Try mixing two different apples together for even better flavour! Make sure your apples are room temperature before starting so they cook evenly. Four medium apples should get you about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of diced apples.

Sugar – I usually use white, granulated sugar for the filling but you can use brown sugar in the filling if you prefer. You will also want coarse sugar, such as Turbinado for sprinkling.

Cinnamon – Just a touch of cinnamon in the filling is all you need. I like my apple pies, apple crisps, and apple crumble British style, without the loads of spices that is more typical in North America. Letting the apples shine really makes these mini pies irresistible. Of course, if you prefer your apple filling spiced, feel free to add a teaspoon or so more of cinnamon or nutmeg to the apple filling.

Butter – Use unsalted butter for cooking the apples for the best flavour, but you can use salted butter, and simply omit the additional salt.

Cornstarch – Thickens the apple juices just enough that it doesn’t all bubble out while baking. You can also use 4 teaspoons of tapioca starch here instead.

Pie shells – Store bought is a great short cut here, but feel free to use your favourite recipe instead. Make sure your dough is room temperature before rolling out. It should be soft enough to roll out without cracking, but still relatively cool to the touch.

Egg – You will want to use an egg wash here to get the pastry to that beautiful golden brown since we aren’t baking these for very long. You can absolutely skip the egg wash if you like, but your hand pies will be quite pale when done.

Looking for More Apple Dessert Recipes?

Check out more of my favourite apple desserts!

A classic, old fashioned apple crisp recipe, made with fresh apples and a crispy oat topping. It’s simple, delicious and sure to please!

Inspired by classic apple pie, these apple filled donuts are fried to golden perfection and tossed in cinnamon sugar for a sweet finish.

A delicious apple dump cake recipe that is easy to prepare and makes a great fall dessert served warm with ice cream and caramel sauce!

How to Make Apple Hand Pies

Yields: 16 pies | Prep time: 15 Minutes | Cook time: 12 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium apples
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 Cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 pie shells, store bought or homemade
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar

Directions:

Core, peel and dice the apples into 1/2 inch sized pieces.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.

Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and salt and bring to a simmer.

Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until apples are tender.

Combine the cornstarch with a tablespoon of water, and add to the skillet with the apple mixture.

Once thickened, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

If baking in the oven, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Use a 3-4 inch round circle cutter, and cut dough into circles.

Re-roll the dough as need to use up all the dough.

Add a rounded tablespoon full of the apple pie filling to the centre of half of the circles.

Use a knife to cut vents into the remaining circles.

Beat the egg with a teaspoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the wash around the edges of the apple topped circle.

Place the circle with vents over the top of the filling.

Use a fork to crimp the edges to seal the filling in the crust.

Brush the tops of each pie with more egg wash and sprinkle over liberally with turbinado sugar.

Place your hand pies on your prepared baking sheet or directly into the air fryer basket.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and cooked through. Allow to cool slightly before enjoying.