Easy Apple Hand Pies (Oven & Air Fryer)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Homemade apple hand pies in adorable shapes are an easy-to-make treat with delicious, juicy cinnamon apple pie filling. Whether you bake them in the oven or air fryer, using ready-made pie crust makes these mini pies super simple.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email, and we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get delicious new recipes from us every Friday!
And they are perfect for so many occasions! Whether it be summer picnics and BBQs or during the fall apple season, or, as I’m doing, passing out to trick-or-treaters, neighbors, and friends for Halloween.
I love that you can bake them in the oven or the air fryer in minutes!
The ingredients are simple (like store-bought pie dough): fresh apples, sugar, and spices. Plus, you can turn them into fun shapes with a cookie cutter (like my apple cookie cutter) or circle shapes using a cutter, glass, or plate.
This is a fun project for kids and adults, and the reward of warm, freshly baked apple pies (in mini form) will have them running in no time.
Have fun!
Apple Hand Pie Ingredients
Here’s what you need:
- Apples: For flavor complexity, consider using 1 tart apple, like a Granny Smith apple, and one sweet apple, like a Honeycrisp.
- Ready-made refrigerated pie crust
- Butter for the filling.
- Sugars: A combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar adds a nice apple pie flavor.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice
- Egg wash: An egg plus water or milk whisked together.
How to Make Apple Hand Pies
Here’s how to make these delicious treats.
For the Apple Filling
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples, sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Stir in water, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice; cook for about 4 minutes more. Let cool completely (I will often refrigerate the filling while preparing the hand pie crust).
Assembling the Hand Pies
Roll the dough into two 12-inch circles and then cut out shapes. You will need 2 shapes per hand pie: a top and a bottom. In half of the shapes, use a sharp knife to cut three slits in the pastry for vent holes.
Arrange half of the circles about 3 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet; this is the bottom. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center, leaving the edges bare. Place the vented top shape over the filling and press around the edges to seal.
Using a fork, crimp the edges of the pies. Lightly brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
Air Fryer
- Place 4 pies (if they fit) in the basket of an air fryer. Cook at 350℉ for 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining pies until done.
Oven
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the pies to the prepared sheet and bake until golden and the filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes.
Alternate Hand Pie Shapes
I love using my apple cookie cutter for these cute treats I’m passing out to the kids on Halloween, but you can also cut circles out of the dough, which is equally cute. A 3.5 inch round cutter works perfectly, but you could also use a glass, jar lid, or plate to help create the round shape.
How to Serve Hand Pies
These little treats are delicious and easy when drizzled with a ready-made caramel sauce (here’s my favorite), but they are just as yummy when served warm from the oven or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Can you make apple hand pies ahead?
Absolutely, it’s one of the things I love about this recipe!
To assemble and bake later:
Be sure the filling is completely cool, then assemble the hand pies, wrap well, and refrigerate until your ready to bake (up to 2-3 days). Don’t apply the egg wash until ready to bake or air fry.
Another option is to make the filling ahead, cut out the pastry shapes, store them separately, and assemble the pies just before baking.
To freeze unbaked hand pies:
Assemble the apple hand pies ahead, seal them, and flash freeze on a flat surface in the freezer for 30-45 minutes (or just until they are mostly frozen). Then, wrap individually in plastic and store in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag.
When ready, apply the egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar over the tops. Bake from frozen (do not thaw) according to the recipe instructions. You may need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time. If they brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
To freeze and reheat baked hand pies:
Let them cool completely, wrap them in plastic wrap, and store them in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 2 months. Let them thaw slightly to reheat, then bake in a 325° oven or a toaster oven until warmed through and crisped.
You can also reheat them straight from the freezer by placing them on a paper towel and microwaving them for about 1 minute.
More Sweet Treats to Try
SAVE THIS AND PIN IT FOR LATER!
If you are not already, you can follow me on Pinterest and keep up with me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. If you make this recipe, I would love it if you would tag me in your photos and leave a star rating below!
To be notified of new recipes, subscribe to my e-mail list. It’s free, and you’ll also receive a free e-book of our reader’s favorite recipes.
Apple Hand Pies (Oven and Air Fryer) Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large apples about 1 lb., peeled and diced small
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch ground nutmeg
- pinch allspice
- 2 unbaked pie crusts rolled into two 12-inch circles
- 1 egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk or water)
Instructions
Apple Filling
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples, sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Stir in water, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice; cook for about 4 minutes more. Let cool completely (I will often refrigerate the filling while preparing the hand pie crust).
Assembling the Hand Pies
- Roll the dough into 12-inch circles (working with one pastry at a time) and then cut out apple shapes or circles of dough. You will need 2 shapes per pie, a top and a bottom. Reroll the pastry scraps until used up. In half of the shapes, use a sharp knife to cut three slits in the pastry for vent holes.
- Make the egg wash by whisking the egg and milk or water together and set aside. Arrange half of the circles about 3 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, this is the bottom. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center, leaving the edges bare. Place the vented top shape over the filling and press around the edges to seal. Using a fork, crimp the edges of the pies. Lightly brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
Air Fryer
- To cook hand pies in the air fryer, place 4 (if they fit) in the basket of an air fryer. Cook at 350℉ for 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining pies until done.
Oven
- Preheat oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer pies to the prepared sheet and bake until golden and the filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Making Ahead and Storing: You can make these hand pies ahead in a couple of ways. You can make the filling ahead and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Assembled and unbaked hand pies can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days (apply egg wash just before baking) or frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen, there is no need to thaw before baking; add a few more minutes to the baking time. Baked hand pies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen hand pies in the refrigerator and then bring them to room temperature before serving.
- Apples: I love a combination of apples for complexity of flavor, one sweet and one tart. A Granny Smith apple is tart, holds it’s shape when baking, is a great choice. Honeycrisp would be a sweet apple.
- Pie Crust: Any store-bought refrigerated pie crust works. I’m loving Trader Joe’s pie crust as it’s the closest to homemade that I’ve found.
- Servings: I used a 3-inch apple cookie cutter which resulted in 14 hand pies. Recipe servings will depend on how large or small your hand pies are.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Amazing!
How many does the apple hand pies make on average please?
Hi Tina! I used a 3 x 3-inch apple cookie cutter and with re-rolling the pastry scraps, it made 14 hand pies. The pastry depth was between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch.
These were a hit! Made them for a family dinner and it was great! Everyone enjoyed having their own piece. Can you freeze these?
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them! Yes, they freeze well in an airtight container. Thank you for trying the recipe!