Easy Apple Hand Pies made with fried cinnamon apples, a buttery crust & topped with a simple glaze. These adorable apple hand pies are pure comfort food & taste just like individual apple pies.
Making this apple hand pie recipe is even easier than you may think thanks to premade store-bought ingredients. We just need 4 ingredients and a few minutes of actual work for every batch. Each batch makes about 10 hand pies for the perfect Fall treat.
What is a hand pie?
A hand pie, also commonly called a “pocket pie” is a small and portable pie about a few inches in diameter. It’s a closed crust mini pie often filled with sweet pie filling. They’re less work than traditional apple pies as these don’t require homemade pie crust, rolling out dough circles, etc. Hand pies are very similar to apple turnovers.
Are Little Apple Hand Pies Baked or Fried?
These sweet glazed apple hand pies can be baked in the oven for a traditional taste but if you have an air fryer handy, check out the recipe card below for a few steps on how to bake them in there. Trust me when I say that air fryer mini apple hand pies will change your world, they’re so incredible!
You can also deep fry them as well, if you prefer. I heat oil up to 375 and drop them in 3 at a time, frying until golden brown on each side.
Apple Pie Filling
Traditional apple pie uses a homemade filling made with Granny Smith apples, sugar and butter. You can also use canned apple pie filling as an easier, less time consuming option. You choose what works for you! We love using our Brown Sugar Fried apples in this recipe as a delicious filling.
Homemade Apple Hand Pies Ingredients
-Apple filling: We need a 21 ounce can of prepared canned apple pie filling. You could also use 1 cup of our Brown Sugar Fried apples instead like we did. Yum!
-Pie crust: Using a package of double crust (the store bought box of 2) we can save time and effort, but you can make own pie crust if desired.
-Egg wash: We will make an egg wash using one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water. Brushing this on our pastries will give them a nice golden brown color once baked.
Glaze Ingredients
-Powdered sugar: We need 1/2 cup of powdered sugar for our glaze to be sweet and sticky.
-Water: 2 Tablespoons of water will help us to turn our powdered sugar into a decent glaze.
How to make apple hand pies
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray and setting it aside.
Remove pie crust from packaging and let sit for about 15 minutes before use.
Unroll the crust onto a sheet of parchment paper or on a lightly floured surface. The crust must be thick to hold in the filling so do not roll it out thinner.
Use a 5 inch diameter small bowl or a cookie cutter and place it upside down on the pie crust. Cut out 2-3 circles from the dough. You may be able to get more or fewer pie crust circles depending on the size of biscuit cutter that you use.
Gather the pie dough scraps and roll it out, cutting more circles as needed. I was able to get about 5 from each crust (10 in total between the box of 2 crusts).
In a bowl, blend together the egg yolk and water with a fork.
Brush a bit of the egg yolk mixture around the edges of the circle to help seal it shut after filling.
Place a small scoop of apple pie filling or fried apples into the center of the circle and then fold the pie crust in half to form a crescent shape. Press down along the edges with the backside of a fork to crimp.
Brush dough edges with more egg wash and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and the top is crispy.
Remove the baked pies from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.
Prepare the glaze in a bowl and stir until well dissolved and blended.
Brush 1-3 layers of glaze over the top of each pie, allowing each layer of glaze to set before adding another. Enjoy!
Glazed Apple Hand Pies
Ingredients
- 21 oz apple pie filling or 1 cup Fried Apples
- 1 pkg refrigerated pie crust double crust, thawed for 15 mins
- 1 egg yolk slightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp water
Glaze Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp warm water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Unroll one crust onto a sheet of parchment paper or a lightly floured surface. The crusts must be thick enough to hold the pie filling, so there is no need to roll the crusts out any thinner than they came in the package.
- Use a bowl (5-inch diameter used here) or biscuit cutter, placed upside down, to cut out 2-3 circles from the dough. Depending on which size bowl you use, you will be able to get up to a few circles out of the one layer.
- Gently gather together the scraps, roll out just enough to cut additional circles. I was able to get 5 total circles from each crust (10 hand pies from the double crust total).
- Use a fork to beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush a bit of the egg yolk wash around the edge of the circle to help the sides seal. (Work on just 2-3 hand pies at a time so the yolk wash doesn’t dry up).
- Place a scoop of the fried apples or apple pie filling into the center of the circle. Each hand pie will really only accommodate a few slices of apple. You don’t want to overfill them.
- Fold the pie crust in half to form a crescent shape. Press down (work from the outer edge in) and then crimp with your fingers or a fork to seal the edges.
- Brush the exposed sides of the hand pie with the egg wash and transfer each pie to the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the pies are golden brown and the crust is crispy. (The filling does not need to be cooked so monitor doneness based on the color of the crust.
- Remove baked pies from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by stirring together ½ cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of warm water. Stir until the powdered sugar is fully dissolved in the water.
- Use a pastry brush to spread 1-3 layers of glaze over each hand pie. Allow glaze to dry (about 15 minutes). Serve & enjoy!
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Prepare hand pies according to the instructions above, but DO NOT use egg wash on the outside of the crust.
- Place 2-3 hand pies at a time into the basket of the air fryer.
- Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the hand pies have browned to desired color.
- Allow hand pies to cool for a few minutes before removing from the basket to a cooling rack.
- Continue with glazing instructions per the recipe above.
Notes
Nutrition
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How to store apple hand pies
These apple pies are best if eaten right away. Leftover hand pies can be stored in an airtight container on the countertop or in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. They can also be reheated in the oven or a toaster oven if desired.
Can I freeze apple pies?
Yes, these apple pies can be frozen and they do quite well in the freezer too. You can glaze them beforehand or after they have thawed. Just note that if you glaze beforehand the glaze may sweat as the apple pies come to room temperature and that this is normal. Freeze the pies in an airtight container for up to 6 months and thaw at room temperature or in the fridge until ready to eat.
More easy recipes made with fresh apples:
- SNICKERDOODLE APPLE PIE
- HOW TO MAKE APPLE PIE FILLING
- CRUNCHY CARAMEL APPLE PIE
- APPLE PIE QUICK BREAD
- APPLE PIE BARS
- MINI APPLE PIES
- SNICKERDOODLE APPLE PIE COOKIE CUPS
- APPLE PIE FRIES
- APPLE PIE MILKSHAKES
- CARAMEL PECAN APPLE PIE
- HOT APPLE PIE SIPPER
Easy Apple Hand Pies made with a sweet apple filling, wrapped in a flaky crust & topped with a simple glaze. These hand pies are made with basic ingredients & are a great way to use your favorite apples.
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