Apple Hand Pies – All Butter Crust Recipe

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Today I’m sharing my recipe for apple hand pies. This is one good recipe you’ll want to try making, baking and enjoy eating. We’ll take you through all the steps on how to make hand pies.

Do you love making treat recipes for the family? 

Well, with the weather cooling down a bit I’m finally getting in the kitchen to bake a bit more, which is always exciting to me. Do you enjoy baking too? Sammie loves her apple hand pies topped with vanilla ice cream. I love them warm, just cooled enough to bite into. Either way your sure to enjoy this hand held apple dessert treat. PS They don’t have to be perfect to enjoy eating them. Wink, wink.

Apple Hand Pies

First you’ll want to make your pie crust, in this case pie dough for your hand pies. (Or use a pre-made pie dough) It’s really easy to make crusts. Although, there are some rules, for making them super yummy.

• If you’ve never made pies before you might enjoy taking this online e course pies and tarts for every season with video tutorials covering everything you need to know about baking pies, tarts, and more for every season.

But, I’ll walk you through making today’s dough.

How to make pie dough

One rule, I’ll share with you is don’t over work your dough. I used my favorite pie crust recipe from the New York Times. If you are making more than 3-4 hand pies, you will need to double this recipe. It’s an all butter pie crust. (full printable recipe below)

Ingredients for pie dough

• butter

• white all purpose flour

• pinch of salt

• ice water

You want your butter to be chilled, and the water to be ice cold. 

The best tool for making pie crust is a pastry cutter. If you make pies, it’s worth owning one, and they can be used for other things too, such as cutting up bananas for banana bread….The pastry cutter is for mixing the flour, and butter, your cutting in butter with the dough. For other recipes it’s great for cutting butter, sugar together.

Once you have it mostly mixed, looking crumbly you will need to add one tablespoon or two of the ice water to get it the right consistency for the pie dough. Flour your hands, and finish mixing the dough with your hands in bowl, until round shape is formed. (that is why I have no photo for this step)

Then put dough onto a floured counter, and cover with saran wrap, and place into the fridge until you need it, up to an hour later. Yes, it can be stored longer, but you may need to soften the dough slightly, to roll it out. You want the dough chilled not hard. 

Wrap and chill your dough

Time to make your filling for the hand pies. 

How to make apple pie filling

We had picked up these wonderful big, McIntosh apples. You’ll need 3-7 depending on how many hand pies you want to make.

We used 3 large apples, it will make 4-6 hand pies depending on the apple slice sizes and dough wrap size. 

How to peel and slice your apples

First you’ll wash, and rinse them. We received these T-fal products for free, to use while making our recipe. 

Then peel your apples. 

Then you will slice them, I used my new apple slicer, and corer which really saves you time. (handy for prepping apple snacks too, comes with a cover to protect blades)

You can slice your apples thinner with your paring knife if you like. Any size peeled, sliced apples are going to work just fine. I see some people pre cook their filling. I never do. I like a natural bite to them. But, you can do it the way you like. (if you would like to pre cook the filling see the same video tutorial for crimping dough, listed later in post)

Apple hand pie filling recipe

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1 tsp. flour

• 2 tablespoons butter

Next mix up your pie filling ingredients with your sliced apples. Completely cover your apples with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Insert into rolled out dough one by one.

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, while filling your hand pies. 

How to fill your hand pies

1. Roll out your dough using a rolling pin
2. cut into circles 4-6 inch (or any size you like)
3. add filling to dough center
4. fold over dough just shy of bottom edge
5. close 
6. fold back over edges slightly, go around edge
7. go back and crimp edges (to get a crimp: press with one finger, holding dough with two fingers.) Or you can use this kitchen tool as a hand pie crimper.

Prepare your hand pies for baking: 

1. brush with an egg wash or brush with butter
2. sprinkle with sugar
3. make air holes

Place your prepared hand pies on a silicone baking mat, or parchment paper.

How to bake apple hand pies

• Bake at 400 degrees about 20-30 minutes.
• Pull out when browned.
• Let cool prior to eating. 

NOTE: Need a tutorial for how to crimp your apple hand pies? Check out this  hand pie recipe video tutorial. 

Continue to Content

Yield: 4

Apple Hand Pies All Butter Crust

Print

Yummy hand pie treat recipe. Eat alone or add to a bowl, and top with vanilla ice cream. This is a small batch recipe that can be doubled.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• Pie Crust
• 1-1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp.fine kosher salt
• half a cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold and cut into cubes)
• 2 to 3 cold water (add in a little at a time as needed)
• Apple hand pie filling recipe
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 white granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. flour
• 2 tbsp. butter

Instructions

Begin by making your pie dough - For Pie dough, follow steps in post or visit https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/448-all-butter-pie-crust? (for full directions)

1. Make your pie dough, and refrigerate until needed. Use all butter recipe, such as the one I recommend.
2. Make your Apple hand pie filling from above recipe or use your favorite filling.

Apple Pie Filling recipe instructions:

1. Mix up your pie filling ingredients with your sliced apples.
2. Completely cover your apples with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Insert into rolled out dough one by one.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, while filling your hand pies.

How to fill your hand pies

1. Roll out your dough
2. Cut into circles 4-6 inch (or any size you like)
3. Add filling to dough center
4. Fold over dough just shy of bottom edge
5. Close
6. Fold back over edges slightly, go around edge
7. Go back and crimp edges (to get a crimp: press with one finger, holding dough with two fingers.) Or you can use this kitchen tool as a hand pie crimper.

Prepare your hand pies for baking

1. Brush with an egg wash or brush with butter
2. Sprinkle with sugar
3. Make air holes by pricking with a fork or making tiny slits with a knife
4. Place your prepared hand pies on a silicone baking mat, or parchment paper.
5. Bake at 400 degrees about 20-30 minutes.
6. Pull out when browned. Let cool prior to eating.

Notes

Prep dough 1st. per directions, keep in fridge until ready to roll out pie shape.

If you prefer: You may pre cook filling by warming in a sauce pan, softening apples, and then adding to pie dough.

Adapted from Pie Crust - NYTimes (All Butter Pie Crust)

Nutrition Information

Yield

1

Serving Size

4 servings
Amount Per Serving Calories 3766Total Fat 109gSaturated Fat 49gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 52gCholesterol 122mgSodium 1301mgCarbohydrates 630gFiber 26gSugar 136gProtein 65g

Not all nutritional information is always 100% accurate.

Looking for more apple recipes?

• Apple Muffins
• Apple Crisp
• Apple Cider Muffins
• Apple Crisp in Mason Jars
• See all our baking recipes, treat recipes

Have you tried making apple hand pies?

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