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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Baked Goods

    Apple Hand Pies

    Published: Mar 11, 2019 · Modified: Mar 11, 2021 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 33 Comments

    422 shares
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    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Low Fat / Vegetarian


    These sweet and crunchy Apple Hand Pies are the perfect little grab and eat on-the-go dessert and great for little hands to hold. Little circle pastry pockets filled with delicious chunks of sweetened cinnamon-y apples. A great way to use up lots of apples too.

    Apple Hand Pies next to a cup of coffee and an apple

    Whilst we love slicing in to a big apple pie, these cute little apple hand pies are much easier to manage, are great for taking to a picnic and they are toddler friendly too as they can easily hold them themselves.

    What we love about this mini version of a classic dessert is that it's great for portion control. Rather than cutting yourself a huge slice of a pie (we have all been there), they are already portioned out for you and ready to share.

    Jump to:
    • Why should you try it?
    • What you will need
    • Step by step
    • Pie crust
    • What other fruit can be used?
    • How to shape a hand pie
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More dessert recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why should you try it?

    • Kids love these little pies
    • They smell AMAZING when baking
    • Lower in sugar
    • Easy to adapt with different fruit fillings

    What you will need

    Apples - The star of the dish. We like to use Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, but you really could use any apple.
    Pastry - We used a good quality store bought shortcrust pastry. You can make your own though if you prefer.
    Butter - This helps the apples to get golden and caramelised. We used unsalted butter.
    Sugar - We used brown sugar and whilst you might not expect to see sugar in a "healthy" recipe, it really does add so much flavour and we have only used 4 table spoons, the rest of the sweetness comes from the apples.
    Cinnamon - apple and cinnamon is such a classic combination. You could swap the cinnamon for nutmeg or ginger, or even a mixture of all three.
    Vanilla - Make sure to use extract instead of essence, as you will have a chemically flavour.
    Egg and milk - This creates an egg wash and is used to glaze the apple hand pies before they go in the oven to help them brown nicely.

    Step by step

    One: Chop the apples in to small chunks. The smaller the chunks, the easier for them to stay in the little pies.

    A wooden chopping board covered in tiny chunks of chopped apple

    Two: Melt the butter in a large pan and then add the apples, Hermesetas Granulated Sweetener, cinnamon and vanilla and mix well.

    A large pan with chopped apple cooking in it

    Three: Gently cook for 3-4 minutes, until the apples have softened. Allow to cool completely.

    Cooked apples in a large pan

    Four: Roll out the ready make short crust pastry and then using a cup or cookie cutter that is about 4 inches in diameter, cut out 10 circle (this will make 5 pies).

    A large sheet of pastry with a mug being used to cut circles

    Five: Place 5 of the circles on a lined baking sheet (use 2 sheets if there is not enough room) and then divide the apples between them. You will need about 2-3 tablespoon of filling per pie, making sure there is an edge around the pie.

    Three disks of pastry with a small pile of cooked apple on each one

    Six: Put the other pastry circles on top and then carefully crimp around the edge using a small fork. Make a slit in the middle and then after mixing the egg and milk together, use it as an egg wash to brush over the pies.

    Uncooked hand pies on a baking tray

    Seven: Put in a preheated oven at 190C/375F/Gas 5 for 18-20 minutes, until the pastry has cooked.

    Three cooked hand pies on a baking sheet

    Pie crust

    We used ready made pastry, because in all honesty we can't taste the difference between store bought and homemade. I am sure there is some subtle difference. But do I think it's worth the effort of making it when you have a hungry 2 year old hanging off your leg demanding apple pie? Nope! If you want to make your own healthy crust, follow the recipe in our Chocolate Pie recipe.

    Even top chefs used ready made and say they can't taste the difference - so if it is good enough for them... We have also made these with a puff pastry, rather than a short crust that is in this recipe and it makes a nice change.

    What other fruit can be used?

    Whilst apple is a classic filling for a pie, you don't have to use apples. We have made this before with cherries, strawberries, blueberries, pears, peaches and even a combination of a few different fruits.

    You might have to play around with the cooking time if using a different, more juicy, fruit and add some cornstarch to thicken.

    How to shape a hand pie

    We went with a classic circle, but you don't have to. You could do moon (Cornish pasty) type shapes, rectangle, squares or even make mini pies in a shallow muffin tin with cut out pastry shapes as a lid.

    Kids will love making their own pastry shapes and filling them with this delicious apple filling. Just remember to keep the pies small.

    Apple pies next to a dish of yoghurt and a red towel

    FAQs

    How to store apple hand pies and can they be frozen?

    These will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. however they can be frozen too. You can keep these (individually wrapped) in the freezer for 2-3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and then bring to room temperature before serving.

    What apples to use in a hand pie?

    When it comes to the best apple for your an apple hand pie, we like to use a crisp, tart variety that keeps fairly solid when baking. Something like a Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work well. You could use a mixture of the two, or Golden Delicious is another good choice.

    Do you have to cook the apples first?

    Yes, with this recipe you do have to soften them in a pan first. This means that they are cooked at the same time as the pastry.

    What to serve with apple hand pies

    You can top this with some custard, ice cream or Greek yogurt, or just leave it as it is. I personally think that this could be considered a breakfast item, as it's fruit and pastry. That is what we are telling ourselves anyway.
    We topped ours with some vanilla frozen yogurt as a bit more of an indulgent dessert.

    Extra tips

    • You can use any kind of apple for this recipe, or even use a mixture if you have some that need using up.
    • Cut the apples in the small pieces. This way you can get more mixture in to each pie.
    • We went with cinnamon as the spice for these apple pies, but you could swap it for ginger or nutmeg, or use a mixture of all three.
    • Not a fan of apples? You can make a berry version of these or even swap the apple for pears.
    • Feel free to get creative with the shape pies you make, and use cookie cutters.
    • Make sure to look for a ready made pastry that is as low in sugar (or sugar free) as possible.
    • Take these apple hand pies to the next level by finishing them off with a drizzle of salted caramel before serving.

    More dessert recipes

    • Easy Mini Pancakes
    • Apple and Cherry Crumble
    • Chocolate and Banana Puff Pastry Pinwheels
    • Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon and Honey
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    If you’ve tried these apple hand pies or any other recipe on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    DON’T FORGET TO RATE THE RECIPE ↓

    Recipe

    Three apple hand pies surrounded by an apple, cinnamon sticks, yogurt and a cup of coffee

    Apple Hand Pies

    These Apple Hand Pies are the perfect little grab and eat on the go dessert and great for little hands to hold.
    the words low fat in a white circle.
    Low Fat
    An illustration of a v-shaped plant.
    Vegetarian
    4.89 from 34 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, British
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a carton of milk.
    Dairy
    An illustration of a cracked egg.
    Eggs
    An illustration of two ears of wheat.
    Gluten
    Servings: 5 pies
    Calories: 330kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures
    • 375 g Ready rolled shortcrust pastry - (ready rolled)
    • 2 tablespoon Butter
    • 2 Apples
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
    • 4 tablespoon Granulated hermestas
    • 1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon
    • 1 Egg - beaten
    • 1 tablespoon Whole milk

    Instructions

    • Chop the apples in to small chunks. The smaller the chunks, the easier for them to stay in the little pies.
    • Melt the butter in a large pan and then add the apples, Hermesetas Granulated Sweetener, cinnamon and vanilla and mix well.
    • Gently cook for 3-4 minutes, until the apples have softened. Allow to cool completely.
    • Roll out the ready make short crust pastry and then using a cup or cookie cutter that is about 4 inches in diameter, cut out 10 circle (this will make 5 hand pies).
    • Place 5 of the circles on a lined baking sheet (use 2 sheets if there is not enough room) and then divide the apples between them. You will need about 2-3 tablespoon of filling per pie, making sure there is an edge around the pie.
    • Put the other pastry circles on top and then carefully crimp around the edge using a small fork. Make a slit in the middle and then after mixing the egg and milk together, use it as an egg wash to brush over the pies.
    • Put in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 for 18-20 minutes, until the pastry has cooked.

    Notes

    • You can use any kind of apple for this recipe, or even use a mixture if you have some that need using up.
    • We went with cinnamon as the spice for these pies, but you could swap it for ginger or nutmeg, or use a mixture of all three.
    • Not a fan of apples? You can make a berry version of these or even swap the apple for pears.
    • Feel free to get creative with the shape pies you make, and use cookie cutters.
    • Make sure to look for a ready made pastry that is as low in sugar (or sugar free) as possible.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1pie | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 417mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 3.4mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2.8mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Julia

      March 12, 2019 at 2:38 pm

      5 stars
      Nothing better than freshly baked hand pies! :) Love this recipe!

      Reply
    2. Stephanie

      March 12, 2019 at 2:08 pm

      5 stars
      Wow. These sound and look so yummy. Perfect for a portable grab & go treat.

      Reply
    3. Patty

      March 12, 2019 at 12:04 pm

      5 stars
      Hand pies are such a wonderful alternative to large pies, they're delicious little snacks, can't wait to try your recipe, everybody will love it in my home!

      Reply
    4. Rosa

      March 12, 2019 at 11:38 am

      5 stars
      Wow these hand pies look heavenly! Can’t wait to try these.

      Reply
    5. Elizabeth Leaver

      March 12, 2019 at 11:07 am

      Oh, I love these! I'm so glad they're individually portioned - portion control is not my strong suit... Love the step by step photos too, it makes the recipe fool-proof!

      Reply
    6. Nathan Wyper

      March 12, 2019 at 10:48 am

      5 stars
      These hand pies look so delicious, I just love apple pie! Can't wait to make them for my next party!

      Reply
    7. Maya

      March 12, 2019 at 10:15 am

      5 stars
      These would be perfect for my girls! Thanks for the picture instructions, so much easier to follow!

      Reply
    8. Edyta

      March 11, 2019 at 5:20 pm

      5 stars
      These pies look wonderful. I bet my kids would eat them all at once.

      Reply
    9. Tawnie Kroll

      March 11, 2019 at 5:07 pm

      5 stars
      These are so fun, cannot wait to make them!!

      Reply
    10. Vicky

      March 11, 2019 at 5:05 pm

      5 stars
      I just love the idea of having the taste of apple pie in bite sized portions. Plus, I can easily pack these in my kids' lunches at school which I would never do with apple pie.

      Reply
    11. Chris Collins

      March 11, 2019 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      I always have a tub of Hermesetas Granulated Sweetener in the kitchen!! 100% trying this recipe now! Thanks for sharing :)

      Reply
    12. Noelle

      March 11, 2019 at 4:08 pm

      5 stars
      I love mini pies, so much easier to eat!

      Reply
    13. Gina

      March 11, 2019 at 3:49 pm

      I like the idea of doing a cherry version. Or even an apple and cherry version.
      We made your apple and cherry crumble at Christmas and everyone loved it, so I might do the same filling with these. Great idea!

      Reply
    14. Hannah

      March 11, 2019 at 3:47 pm

      5 stars
      I love this low sugar treat recipe Dannii. Do you have plans for any more like this that would be good for summer picnics and such?

      Thanks x

      Reply
    15. Jen

      March 11, 2019 at 12:36 pm

      5 stars
      I love the idea of making a big batch and freezing some when I need a little treat. The filling is so delicious!

      Reply
    16. Helen of Fuss Free Flavours

      March 11, 2019 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      Indiviual apple pies are a great bake, just the right amount to enjoy without over indulging. Perfect for picnics or for popping in a packed lunch.

      Reply
    17. Veena Azmanov

      March 11, 2019 at 10:56 am

      5 stars
      Love the crispy look to this delicious Apple Pie. Have to make some for my family.

      Reply
    18. Rebecca

      March 11, 2019 at 10:08 am

      I love a good apple pie, can't wait to try this!

      Reply
    19. Amy | The Cook Report

      March 11, 2019 at 10:05 am

      5 stars
      These sound so tasty and look perfect!

      Reply
    20. Annie @ Annie's Noms

      March 11, 2019 at 10:03 am

      Pie in portable format?! Yes please, these look awesome and dangerous haha, I know I would eat loads of them!

      Reply
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    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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