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Easy Homemade Apple Hand Pies Recipe

Easy Homemade Apple Hand Pies

Flaky individual apple pies made with refrigerated pie crusts and a quick cinnamon-apple filling. This recipe makes 8 hand pies and can be finished with coarse sugar or a simple vanilla glaze.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pastry
  • 2 crusts Refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts
Apple Filling
  • 3 medium apples Medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced small
  • 2 tablespoons Unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup Packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour or cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
Assembly
  • 1 egg Large egg
  • 1 tablespoon Water or milk
  • 1–2 tablespoons Coarse sugar
Optional Glaze
  • 1 cup Confectioners’ sugar
  • 1–2 tablespoons Milk or cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced apples, brown sugar, flour or cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon juice, nutmeg, and salt, then cook for 5–8 minutes until slightly softened and thickened.
  2. Cool the apple filling completely. Heat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  3. Roll the crusts slightly thinner if needed and cut eight 4- to 5-inch circles, rerolling scraps once if necessary.
  4. Place 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of cooled filling in each circle. Moisten the edge, fold the pastry over, press to seal, crimp with a fork, and cut two or three vents in each top.
  5. Whisk the egg with water or milk and brush it over the pies. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and chill assembled pies for 10–15 minutes if the pastry feels soft.
  6. Bake at 375°F for 18–22 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool for at least 10 minutes, then drizzle with glaze if desired.

Notes

Use Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, or a tart-sweet mixture. Cook and cool the filling before assembly, avoid overfilling, and vent each pie to release steam.