Best Apple Hand Pies are an easy, simple recipe that comes with a ton of complex sweet flavors, a flaky, buttery crust and warm spice filled center with apple chunks. The perfect breakfast or dessert for the entire family and a great way to enjoy homemade versions of mini apple pies. Vegan option available.
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I seriously can't get enough of apples and whenever I'm making anything that contains them, I get so excited! These Apple Hand Pies are literally one of my favorite things and they were made in inspiration of McDonald's apple pies. Yes---I know. Those apple pies were the thing that I had to get in droves because they were made so warm and so full of spices and bits of apples.
So, if you loved those apple pies as much as I did, then you'll love these Apple Hand Pies.
Plus, I love a good baking moment that can be done with the entire family and these hand pies are just that! Of course, if you'd like to make your dough from scratch instead of the use of puff pastry, you can. I'll discuss that option more further down in this post!
An easy breakfast or dessert apple hand pie recipe that comes together easily with the oven and few short steps. This is a quick and easy recipe. The hands-on time is only 10 minutes. You’ll start by making a quick apple filling made from apple chunks (chopped), brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Then finish the puff pastry dough with an added layer of spices and bake everything to perfection.
Things you need to know about some of the key ingredients in these apple hand pies.
Even though these hand pies are based on using Gala apples, you can also switch things up and add a slightly new flare in their flavor profile by adding any of the following apples for a bit more sweetness or tart:
Here, I’ve curated a list of cooking + baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods or cooked meals, especially with these apple hand pies. Everything from my fave baking sheet, pastry brushes, pastry blender (for mashing too), mixing bowls, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
If you'd prefer to make your apple hand pie dough from scratch as opposed to using puff pastry sheets, you totally can! In just a few short steps and with a handful of ingredients, you can enjoy a completely buttery, flaky crust as well:
To make the crust, you can follow my pop tart recipe for similar steps. NOTE: In this pop tart recipe, I use vegan ingredients, however, just use the listed ingredients above in replacement.
Here are a few tips for making the perfect at-home hand pies:
Because the flaky dough (or puff pastry) is so sensitive, I like to make my filling first. Butter needs to stay cold to achieve the layers we want, so having the filling ready to go when the dough is ready is essential.
You’ll see that I use organic all-purpose flour, however, you can use pastry flour as well in some of my recipes that include pastries. I discovered this mix when experimenting with many of my pastry recipes. Pastry flour adds a nice crunchy, flaky outer layer to the pastries.
It may seem tedious to measure out your dough squares/rectangles before creating the hand pies. After many trials, I have learned that randomly cutting squares and sticking them together was uneven and a waste of dough. Instead, I now measure the dough squares out to 3” x 4”, and the tops fit onto the bottoms each time!
Store leftover puff pastry sheets (uncooked) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for longer. Always remember that when thawing out the puff pastry from the freezer, be sure to do so in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours before using.
Yes! To make these hand pies entirely vegan and dairy-free, simply ensure that the puff pastry brand used is vegan-friendly and melted vegan butter (w/ 1 tablespoon of Agave mixed together) in place of the egg wash.
STORAGE: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 1-3 days. To serve warm, simply re-heat in the oven, microwave, or a toaster oven.
FREEZE: For longer storage–leftovers can be stored in the freezer. After they have baked and are completely cooled, simply place your hand pies onto a baking sheet (spaced apart) and freeze them for 2-3 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to a zip loc bag and reheat when ready to eat!
If you make these Best Apple Hand Pies, tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea!
Tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea
Best Apple Hand Pies.
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