Apple hand pies are small, personal-sized pockets of flaky pastry filled with warm, spiced apple filling — perfect for serving as a portable dessert or snack. These hand pies are shaped to resemble apples for a playful presentation, and they bake up with a golden, flaky crust that pairs beautifully with the soft caramel-like apple interior. Simple to make and irresistibly delicious, they bring the familiar flavors of apple pie into a convenient handheld format.
The crust:
The crust is the foundation of these apple hand pies. We use a cream cheese crust — similar in texture to dough used for rugelach — which yields a tender, flaky pastry that isn’t dry. The combination of cold butter and cream cheese creates layers and a rich flavor, and the dough itself is lovely eaten on its own, especially when dusted with cinnamon sugar. Chilling the dough before rolling helps it hold shape and bake up flaky and golden.
The filling:
The filling is a buttery, caramel-like mixture that gently coats tender apple pieces. The apples are briefly cooked in brown and white sugar with browned butter, cinnamon, vanilla and a hint of lemon zest to enhance brightness. Pre-cooking the apples softens them so they finish perfectly inside the pastry without becoming watery. The resulting filling is thick, saucy and full of warm fall flavors.
Cutting the pie dough into apples:
To shape pies like apples, roll the chilled dough to roughly 1/4″ thickness and cut out apple shapes. If you don’t own an apple-shaped cutter, trace an apple onto parchment paper, cut out the template, and use it as a guide: place the parchment apple on the rolled dough and trace with a knife. You can also cut rectangles or ovals if you prefer a simpler shape — the filling and texture will be just as satisfying.
Assembling the apple hand pies:
Assembling these hand pies is straightforward. Pair two dough shapes for each pie, brush the edge of the bottom piece with egg wash, and spoon about two tablespoons of cooled apple filling into the center. Top with the second dough piece, pressing the edges firmly with a fork to seal. Cut a small vent or a few decorative slits, brush the tops with more egg wash, and finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. Bake until the crust is deep golden and the filling bubbles slightly through the vents.
Apple Hand Pies
1 hour
30 minutes
1 hour
2 hours 30 minutes
4 hand pies
Ingredients
Apple Filling:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 large green apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Sprinkle of mace (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk or cream
Topping:
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar (equal parts cinnamon and sugar)
Crust:
- 3/4 stick cold butter (6 tablespoons), cut into pieces
- 4 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cream Cheese Crust
- Add the cold butter, cold cream cheese, flour and salt to a food processor and pulse until the dough comes together in a rough ball. Handle it gently to keep the butter pieces cold.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface, form into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours) before rolling.
Apple Filling
- In a large skillet, brown the butter over medium heat until it becomes golden and aromatic.
- Stir in the brown and white sugars, salt, cinnamon and vanilla until combined, then add the apple chunks and lemon zest.
- Cook the apples over medium heat for about 8–10 minutes, until they are softened but still hold their shape. Remove from heat and let cool before assembling.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll the chilled dough to about 1/4″ thickness and cut into eight apple shapes or rectangles about 3–4 inches long.
- Spoon roughly 2 tablespoons of the cooled apple mixture into the center of four dough pieces, leaving a border for sealing.
- Mix the egg and milk or cream to make an egg wash and brush a thin layer around the edges of the filled dough pieces.
- Top each filled piece with a second dough shape, pressing the edges together and crimping with a fork to seal. Trim any uneven edges.
- Brush the tops with egg wash, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and cut a small slit or several vents to allow steam to escape.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 30 minutes, until the hand pies are golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents. Let cool slightly before serving.
Tips: Chill the dough well for easiest handling and best flakiness. If the filling is very saucy, let it cool and thicken slightly before filling the pies to avoid soggy bottoms. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or a drizzle of caramel, or enjoy them at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat briefly in a low oven to refresh the crust.