Apple Hand Pies

Treat yourself with this delicious apple hand pies recipe that’s easy to make. Get ready for the perfect sweet treat that everyone will love!

Nothing says comfort quite like a homemade apple hand pie! These little treats are deceptively simple to make but packed with warm flavour and deliciousness that evokes childhood memories.

Whether it’s an afternoon snack, a dessert, or even breakfast-on-the-go; these tasty bundles of joy will be the highlight of your day. The sweet aroma of apples filling your kitchen while they bake will be enough to tantalise your senses before you even take that first bite.

Get ready for some enjoyment, as this Apple Hand Pie recipe is easy to follow and sure to delight all!

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!

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 absolutely delicious when enjoyed on the day they are made. However, if you happen to have any leftovers, simply pop them in a 350°F oven to warm them up or enjoy them cold straight from the fridge. They’ll still be a delightful treat! Remember, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

If you’re looking to prep your apple hand pies in advance, no worries! You can freeze them unbaked for up to 3 months. Just follow the recipe as directed, but skip the egg wash on top. Instead, pop them in the freezer on a lined baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Easy peasy!

When you’re ready to bake, simply take it out from the freezer and let it thaw for around 30 minutes. Then, give it a nice egg wash and bake it 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 – For the best flavor, opt for a tart apple variety like Bramley, Granny Smith, Macintosh, Empire, Cortland, or Braeburn. Want to elevate the taste even more? Mix and match two different apple types! Remember to let your apples reach room temperature before you start cooking to ensure even cooking throughout. With about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of diced apples, four medium-sized apples will do the trick!

Sugar – I usually go for white, granulated sugar for the filling, but hey, if you prefer brown sugar, go for it! Oh, and don’t forget to grab some coarse sugar, like Turbinado, for that extra sprinkle of sweetness.

Cinnamon – A little sprinkle of cinnamon in the filling is all you need! Personally, I love my apple pies, apple crisps, and apple crumble British style. I find that letting the apples shine makes these mini pies absolutely irresistible. But hey, if you’re into that extra spice, feel free to add a teaspoon or so more of cinnamon or nutmeg to the apple filling.

Butter – For the best flavour, go for unsalted butter when cooking the apples. However, using salted butter is totally fine too, just skip adding extra salt.

Cornstarch – Cornstarch works its magic to thicken the apple juices, ensuring they don’t bubble out while baking. Alternatively, you can use 4 teaspoons of tapioca starch for this.

Pie shells – Using store-bought is a fantastic shortcut here, but if you prefer, feel free to use your favorite recipe instead! Just remember to let your dough come to room temperature before rolling it out. It should be soft enough to roll without cracking, yet still pleasantly cool to the touch.

Egg – You’ll definitely want to use an egg wash here to achieve that gorgeous golden brown on the pastry since we won’t be baking these for very long. Of course, feel free to skip the egg wash if you prefer, but just keep in mind that your hand pies might turn out a bit paler.

Looking for More Apple Dessert Recipes?

Check out more of my favourite apple desserts!

This Old Fashioned Apple Crisp recipe is definitely the best of the best.  Sweet slightly spiced apples topped with an amazing crumble – just like your Grandma always made! 

The perfect fall dessert with apples, caramel and pretzel – this Salted Caramel Apple Pretzel Pie Recipe is sweet, salty and creamy.

This cinnamon apple cake recipe is sure to become a family favorite! It’s loaded with apples and topped off with a sweet sugar crust.

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. Allow to cool slightly before enjoying.