This puff pastry apple pie recipe includes a fantastic caramel apple filling, and uses store bought puff pastry for convenience. Hand pies are great for a tasty snack, and perfect for the lunchbox!
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These easy mini apple pies with puff pastry are fun and easy to make. Each individual slab pie is packed with a sweet caramel apple filling, covered with flaky puff pastry.
I always bake a lot with apples in September and October, at the peak of apple season. If you like this apple pie recipe, you will also love my Norwegian Apple Cake, Instant Pot Apple Cider or Apple and Plum Crumble.
Why you'll love it
- Really easy to make
- Excellent apple pie recipe for fall
- Convenient individual hand pies
- They taste way better than McDonald's apple pies
- A great way to use up any surplus of apples
Ingredients
Apples: Use any apples that you like. I love using Granny Smith apples or Gala apples, or a combination of several apple varieties.
Puff pastry sheets: Store bought puff pastry sheet is super convenient, and comes out flaky and delicious. You can also use homemade puff pastry dough if you prefer, but it's very time consuming to make. If you want to use frozen puff pastry, you will have to thaw it before use.
Brown sugar: Makes a sweet, caramel like sauce for the filling.
Butter: Use real butter or a vegan spread.
Ground cinnamon: Apples and cinnamon is a winning flavor combination!
Cornstarch: Thickens the caramel sauce.
Egg: Brushing egg on top of pastry will give it a nice, golden shine. This is only added for the appearance, and can easily be omitted.
Instructions
You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
One: Peel the apples, and remove the cores. Dice into small bite sized pieces.
Two: Add the apples to a small pot along with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Warm it up over medium heat. The sugar and butter will melt to form a sauce. Allow the apples to simmer until they are soft, around 3-5 minutes.
Three: Combine cornstarch with cold water in a small bowl to form a cornstarch slurry. Add this to the apples, and stir. This will allow the sauce to thicken quickly.
Four: Cut pre-rolled puff pastry sheets into 4 equally sized rectangles. Using two sheets, you should have 8 rectangles in total. Add a spoonful of the apple filling on one half of each piece.
Five: Fold the pastry over the filling. Use the prongs of a fork to press down the sides of the pies to seal the edges. Slice three cuts in each pie with a sharp knife. Crack the egg into a small bowl, and whisk it quickly. Use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of egg over the apple pastries.
Six: Place the pies on a baking sheet or sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Bake them in the middle of a preheated oven at 425 F / 220 C for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry puffs up and develops a lovely golden brown color.
Top tips
- The optional egg wash makes the pastries extra golden and shiny, but you can omit it if you prefer.
- Keep an eye on the pies, as they can turn from golden to burnt quickly.
- The exact cooking time can vary depending on the exact temperature of your oven, the temperature of the pastry and more.
- Avoid overfilling the pastries. You should be able to comfortably seal the edges without any filling seeping out on the sides.
- Make sure that the oven is preheated before you bake the apple pies.
- Use chilled pastry straight from the refrigerator. If the pastry is warm or room temperature, it will be hard to work with, and might not cook as well.
- If the apple pie filling is still too runny, you can add more cornstarch slurry to thicken it further.
Serving suggestions
Serve your puff pastry apple pie on its own as a quick treat or sweet breakfast.
Alternatively, you can dust some powdered sugar on top, or serve with custard, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top if you want to serve them as a dessert.
Variations
Pear pies: Replace the apples in this recipe with diced pears for a tasty alternative. Pears are sweeter than apples, but taste similarly in pies.
Seasoning: Replace the cinnamon with gingerbread seasoning, apple pie seasoning or pumpkin pie seasoning. These autumnal spice mixes add a little extra flavor to the pies.
Egg free: Omit the optional egg, and make sure that your puff pastry doesn't contain eggs (they typically don't).
Vegan apple pies: Omit the egg. Use a vegan butter alternative, which can be found next to regular butter in most supermarkets. You also have to use vegan puff pastry. Many puff pastry brands are actually plant based, so make sure to read their label.
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need a baking sheet or a sheet pan. You will also need parchment paper to prevent the pies from sticking to the pans while baking.
Additionally, you will need a small pot to make the easy apple pie filling. Using an apple corer will make the job of cleaning the apples much easier.
Storage
Store any leftover apple hand pies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
The apple pie is delicious at room temperature, but you can also reheat them in a warm oven for a few minutes if you like them hot.
Frequently asked questions
Hand pies are pies that you can eat with your hands. They are small pies made in individual serving sizes, and the filling is usually completely enclosed in pastry. They are easy to eat on the go, and easy to store and serve.
If your pastry puffed up, but didn't turn golden, you might have cooked it at a too low temperature. The pastry will also be less golden and shiny if you forget to add the egg wash before you bake it.
This usually happens if the temperature in your oven is too low. The pastry must be baked in a preheated oven, at 400 F or 200 C or higher. This can also happen if the pastry is too warm before it's placed in the oven, or if you cut the dough with a blunt knife. To achieve the best results, you should try to transfer chilled dough directly to a preheated oven.
Absolutely! Puff pastry is fantastic for pies, especially fruit pies or other sweet pies.
You might also like these recipes
- Raspberry Turnovers
- Puff Pastry Mince Pies
- Brandied Pears
- Cinnamon Puff Pastry Rolls
- Apple and Plum Crumble
- Air Fryer Baked Apples
- Instant Pot Apple Cider
- Dried Apple Slices
- Peanut Butter Apple Nachos
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Puff Pastry Apple Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large apples (Granny Smith)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Pre heat your oven to 425 F / 220 C / 200 C fan oven.
- Peel the apples, and remove the cores. Dice into small bite sized pieces.4 large apples
- Add the apples to a small pot along with the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Warm it up over medium heat. The sugar and butter will melt to form a sauce. Allow the apples to simmer until they are soft, around 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Combine cornstarch with cold water in a small bowl to form a cornstarch slurry. Add this to the apples, and stir. This will allow the sauce to thicken quickly.1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon water
- Cut pre-rolled puff pastry sheets into 4 equally sized rectangles. Using two sheets, you should have 8 rectangles in total.2 sheets puff pastry
- Add a spoonful of the apple filling onto each of the 8 puff pastry rectangles. Try to place the filling slightly off center to make it easier to close up the pies after.
- Fold the pastry over the filling to form an envelope shape on each of the pies. Use the prongs of a fork to press down the sides of the pies to seal the edges. Slice three cuts in each pie with a sharp knife.
- Crack the egg into a small bowl, and whisk it quickly with a fork or small whisk to make an easy egg wash. Use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of egg over the apple pastries.
- Place the pies on a baking sheet or sheet pan covered with parchment paper.
- Bake them for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry puffs up and develops a lovely golden brown color.
Video
Notes
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Keep an eye on the pies, as the cooking time can vary.
- Make sure to use chilled pastry, and bake it in a preheated oven for the best results.
- Use any apples that you like. Granny Smith or Gala apples are ideal for this recipe.
Nutrition
Food safety tips
- Use oven gloves when handling hot pans
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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