Baking

Apple Hand Pies: Pocket-Sized Fall. All Year.

2 min

Cook the diced apples down with the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon until they slump, then stir in the cornstarch slurry and give it a minute to go glossy and thick. Let that filling cool all the way before it goes near the dough. Warm filling melts the fat in the crust, and then you get leaks and a greasy bottom. I usually park mine in the fridge while I roll out the pastry. Granny Smith holds its shape and stays tart; Honeycrisp cooks down softer and sweeter.

By Nora Calloway

A little backstory

Hand pies come out of old kitchen economy, a way to wrap one serving of filling in dough and carry it to a field or a lunch pail. The Cornish pasty is the famous version, with a thick crimped edge that miners could supposedly hold by while they ate and then throw away. Sweet fruit pockets followed the same portable logic. Calling these pocket-sized fall is half a joke, since with frozen or stored apples you can make them in July.

Apple pie is great. Apple pie you can eat with your hands? Genius.

Flaky crust. Warm cinnamon-spiced apples. Baked until golden. Dusted with sugar. No fork required. No plate required. Just hungry hands.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1 1

Preheat and Cook Filling

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line baking sheet with parchment.

In a skillet, cook apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, butter, and lemon juice over medium heat for 5 minutes until apples soften.

Stir in cornstarch slurry. Cook 1 minute until thickened. Let cool.

2 2

Cut the Crust

Roll out pie crusts. Use a 4-inch round cutter or trace a bowl to cut circles.

Reroll scraps to make more circles.

3 3

Fill and Seal

Place 1 tbsp filling in center of each circle.

Fold dough over. Press edges with a fork to seal.

Cut small slits on top for steam.

4 4

Egg Wash and Bake

Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake 15-18 minutes until golden brown.

5 5

Serve

Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm. Maybe with vanilla ice cream (if you have a plate).

Summary

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15-18 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 8-10 hand pies

Difficulty: Easy

Storage Notes

Room Temp:

Store in an airtight container for 3 days.

Freezer Friendly:

Freeze unbaked hand pies for 3 months. Bake from frozen at 400°F for 18-22 minutes.

Pro Tip:

Don’t overfill. Less filling = easier sealing = no blowouts.

The Ingredients

Everything you need.

Prep

15 minutes

Cook

15-18 minutes

Total

30 minutes

Yield

8-10 hand pies

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 hand pies.

1 box (14 oz) refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts) or homemade
2 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled and diced
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water (slurry)
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

1
Preheat and Cook Filling. Preheat and Cook Filling. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line baking sheet with parchment. In a skillet, cook apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, butter, and lemon juice over medium heat for 5 minutes until apples soften. Stir in cornstarch slurry. Cook 1 minute until thickened. Let cool. 2 2
2
Cut the Crust. Cut the Crust. Roll out pie crusts. Use a 4-inch round cutter or trace a bowl to cut circles. Reroll scraps to make more circles. 3 3
3
Fill and Seal. Fill and Seal. Place 1 tbsp filling in center of each circle. Fold dough over. Press edges with a fork to seal. Cut small slits on top for steam. 4 4
4
Egg Wash and Bake. Egg Wash and Bake. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake 15-18 minutes until golden brown. 5 5
5
Serve. Serve. Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm. Maybe with vanilla ice cream (if you have a plate)
6
Room Temp:. Room Temp:. Store in an airtight container for 3 days
7
Freezer Friendly:. Freezer Friendly:. Freeze unbaked hand pies for 3 months. Bake from frozen at 400°F for 18-22 minutes
8
Pro Tip:. Pro Tip:. Don’t overfill. Less filling = easier sealing = no blowouts

Swaps & Substitutions

Refrigerated pie crust → homemade all-butter crust tastes better; chill it well before cutting so it doesn't soften and tear.
Cornstarch → swap in an equal amount of arrowroot, or use 2 tsp flour cooked a bit longer. Flour gives a cloudier, less glossy filling.
Butter → a dairy-free stick butter holds up fine in both filling and crust, though the flavor is slightly flatter.
Egg wash → brush with a little cream or milk for color, or plain water if you skip dairy and eggs. The shine won't be as deep.
Turbinado sugar → regular granulated sugar adds sparkle without the crunch, or leave it off.
Lemon juice → a splash of apple cider vinegar does the same brightening job in a pinch.

Questions & Answers

Why did mine leak filling all over the pan?

Usually overfilling or warm filling. Stick to about 1 tablespoon per circle, leave a clean border for the seal, and make sure the apples are fully cooled before they go in.

Can I make these ahead?

Yes. Assemble and freeze them unbaked on the sheet, then bake straight from frozen with a few extra minutes. The filling alone keeps in the fridge for three or four days.

How do I know they're done?

Go by color and a little bubbling at the vents. The crust should be evenly golden, usually around 15 to 18 minutes at 400.

How should I store the baked pies?

Loosely covered at room temperature for a day, or in the fridge up to four days. Reheat in a 350 oven for a few minutes so the crust crisps back up. The microwave makes them soft.

Do I really have to seal with a fork?

The fork crimp is the easiest reliable seal, but press firmly so the layers actually fuse. A dab of egg wash along the edge before folding helps it grip, and the steam vents keep them from bursting.

Apple Hand Pies: Pocket-Sized Fall. All Year.