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three apple hand pies stacked on brown parchment paper
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5 from 1 vote

Apple Hand Pies

This recipe for homemade Apple Hand Pies begins with a flaky pie crust and a cinnamon apple pie filling, and they are glazed with a cinnamon icing. These hand held apple pies are baked in the oven until golden brown and bubbly. 
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time28 minutes
Total Time1 hour 28 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple hand pies
Servings: 12 pies
Author: Michelle

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsps salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 8-10 Tbsp ice water

Apple Filling:

  • 2 cups chopped apples, with or without peel (I used honeycrisp apples)
  • 2-3 Tbsp granulated sugar (if you prefer a sweeter filling, use 3 Tbsp)
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2-3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water or milk (for egg wash)
  • raw sugar, for sprinkling

Cinnamon Glaze:

  • 2-3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream (milk is fine as well)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp almond extract (if you don’t have almond extract, you can subtitute vanilla)
  • 1/8 tsp vanilla ectract

Instructions

Crust:

  • In a large bowl, mix all purpose flour and salt together. Using a pastry cutter, a fork, or a standing mixer (on low), cut the butter into the flour mixture, working it into the dough until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (the butter should be about pea-sized at this stage).
  • Next, mix in the ice water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until the dough just comes together.
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and shape the dough into two balls. Then, flatten each into a disc (this makes it easier to roll out into a circle after it chills).
  • Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.

Filling:

  • Mix chopped apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and flour together.
  • Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.

Assembly:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper). Set aside.
  • On a well floured surface, roll each pie dough out into a large circle, about 1/8”-1/4” thick. Using a 3.5” circular cookie cutter (or biscuit cutter), cut out as many circles as you can. If needed, roll out the scraps of dough and cut out more circles. This recipe makes about 12 hand pies, so you need to cut out 24 circles.
  • Place 12 pie dough circles on your baking sheets, leaving a bit room in between each.
  • Divide filling evenly between the 12 pie doughs (it’ll be about 2 Tbsp in each).
  • Place 1-2 small cubes of butter on the filling.
  • Brush the edges of each pie dough with a little egg wash (this will help the top pie crust adhere to the bottom crust).
  • Place the remaining 12 pie dough circles on top of the filling. Using a fork, crimp the edges of the pies together.
  • With a sharp knife, cut slits in the top of each pie (this helps the pie ventilate as it bakes).
  • Brush the tops and sides with egg wash. Sprinkle with raw sugar, if desired.
  • Bake for about 28-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
  • Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Glaze:

  • Whisk powdered sugar, almond extract, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and heavy cream together. If the glaze feels too thin, add in a little more powdered sugar. If the glaze is too thick, add a little more heavy cream.
  • Spoon the glaze on top of each warm pie, and allow the glaze to set before serving.
  • Serve the pies warm, room temperature, or cold.