Best Apple Hand Pies

August 27, 2022

•

Shanika | Orchids + Sweet Tea

You need to try these Apple Hand Pies ASAP! They are sure to be the next family favorite sweet treats that uses simple ingredients, comes with amazing tips for perfection, and makes for a fun baking experience for everyone.

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Best Apple Hand Pies

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.

Apple Hand Pies on parchment paper with sprigs of rosemary and apple pieces

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links via Amazon for products that I wholeheartedly love.

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. Transform your weekend brunch experience with our mouthwatering Apple Pie Hawaiian Roll French Toast.

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!

How to Make Best Apple Hand Pies

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.

INGREDIENT NOTES

Things you need to know about some of the key ingredients in these apple hand pies.

Puff pastry. Feel free to use any puff pastry (including a vegan-friendly version) that you have on hand. I love using an organic premium version.
Apples. I love using Gala or Honeycrisp apples or you can use a firm, tart apple like Granny Smith for best results.
Spices (Cinnamon, Allspice + Nutmeg) for warming fall flavor.
Brown Sugar. Make sure it’s organic for vegan.
Maple syrup. You can also use Agave syrup as well.
Sea Salt to balance out the sweetness of apples and brown sugar.
Vanilla. Another important flavor boost to these hand pies.
Unsalted butter. No need to have the butter at room temperature. You can take it right out the fridge if needed because you’ll be melting it in a skillet for the filling.
Egg wash. This helps the hand pies to become golden while baking.

Best Types of Apples for these 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:

Granny Smith
Honeycrisp
Fuji
Pink Lady
Golden Delicious
Braeburn
and more!

SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR BAKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THESE HAND PIES!

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!

How to Make Hand Pie Dough from Scratch

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:

2 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour
2 Tbsps organic brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
pinch of sea salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, COLD + cut into pieces
1 cup VERY COLD milk

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.

Tips for Making the Best Apple Hand Pies

Here are a few tips for making the perfect at-home hand pies:

MAKE YOUR FILLING FIRST!

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.

MORE PASTRY FLOUR MEANS MORE FLAKINESS.

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.

DIMENSIONS MATTER!

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!

How to Store + Thaw Puff Pastry

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.

Can I Make Vegan Apple Hand Pies?

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.

How to Store + Freeze Leftover Apple Hand Pies

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!

More Delicious Baking Recipes

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you make these Best Apple Hand Pies, tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea!

Apple Hand Pies on parchment paper with sprigs of rosemary

Best Apple Hand Pies

August 27, 2022 •

By Shanika

5 from 5 votes

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 50

Serves: hand pies

Units:

US Customary|Metric

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Ingredients

APPLE FILLING:

2 organic Gala apples, peeled + chopped into medium chunks
2 Tbsps unsalted butter
2 Tbsps organic brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

HAND PIES:

2 (14 oz.) packages premium puff pastry sheets
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk)

Instructions

COOK THE APPLE FILLING:

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the butter and heat until melted. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt and stir until combined and everything begins to bubble a bit, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the apple chunks and toss until well coated and cook for 8-10 minutes, until tender and the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

TO MAKE THE PUFF PASTRY:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove pastry sheets from packaging and roll out unto a floured surface. Cut the pieces into 8 squares total (per package; 16 squares total for both). Place about 2 Tbsps of cooled cooked apple filling unto one square and lightly brush the edges with egg wash to create a nice seal and then cover with another square, gently pressing the edges down. Using a fork, carefully “crimp” around the edges and place on the baking sheet.
Repeat until all squares are topped and you've made 8 hand pies.
Once all hand pies are laid flat on the baking sheet, gently prick a set of holes on the tops using a fork, lightly brush the tops with egg wash, and sprinkle with the tops with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice until fully covered.
Bake in the oven 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and the filling bubbles at the sides.
Once done, remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes (10 minutes or so) before serving.
Bon Appetit!

Tips & Tricks

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!
VEGAN OPTION: 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.
APPLES: Best apples to use for these hand pies are: Granny Smith, Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, etc.
EQUIPMENT: To see the equipment that I used for these hand pies, see my Baking Essentials list!