caramel apple hand pies couldn’t be cuter!
This adorable caramel apple hand pies are easier than traditional pie, and totally deserve a place of honor on your holiday table!
I’m not a “pie person”!
If you’ve been following me for a bit you know that I’m not a traditional “pie person” – I don’t like eating them and I REALLY don’t like making them (read this post for more!). But as a food blogger I know that I at least occasionally have to share a pie – or pie-like – recipe.
I tend to get “creative” when it comes to sharing pies!
So over the years I’ve shared what I call “pie adjacent” recipes – kind of like pies (?) but not really. What do I mean? Well, I’ve used cookies and crackers for the crust. I’ve made ruffled pies using phyllo dough. I’ve shared a cream cheese dough that gets pressed into the pan. And I’ve incorporated my share of frozen pie crusts too. Literally anything to avoid making pie dough, rolling it out and shaping it.
my hands-down favorite way to make pie!
But my most-used – and most-loved – way to make pie is with refrigerated pie crust. Right up there with canned biscuits it’s probably my favorite “shortcut” ingredient, and I’ve shared it often here – in pies, pie cookies, pie “fries” and in these hand pies!
what are caramel apple hand pies?
These cuties are mini pies filled with quick-cooked apples, chopped caramels and flaky sea salt. They bake up flaky and delicious and are perfect on a holiday table! No slicing, no fussing!
what ingredients do you need?
For these salted caramel apple hand pies you’ll need:
- Granny Smith apples
- granulated sugar
- cinnamon
- kosher salt
- refrigerated pie crusts
- caramels
- flaky sea salt
- egg
- raw sugar
how do you make this easy caramel apple hand pies recipe?
Quick cook the granny smith apples, sugar, cinnamon and salt and let cool. You want to soften the apples just a bit, but not cook them down completely.
While the apples are cooling, you’ll chop up the caramels and get your egg wash ready.
Unroll the dough and cut circles, placing half on a lined baking sheet.
Top with some of the cooked apples, caramels and flaky sea salt, and place the remaining circles on top.
Crimp, brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with raw sugar and bake!
can you make these in advance?
Yes! Unlike traditional apple pie, these mini apple pies can be made weeks in advance and frozen – baked or unbaked. I like to freeze them baked so that I don’t have to deal with the oven on the day of, but you can do so if you prefer.
I love serving these in a rustic tin lined with parchment paper, but they’d be just at home on a pretty ceramic tray.
tips for success!
These are truly foolproof, but here are a few tips to ensure success:
- Give the pie crusts a “once over” with your rolling pin – I gently go over the crusts with my rolling pin, to smooth the edges and thin them out just a bit.
- Don’t make these too big – or too small! I use a 3 inch circular cookie cutter; anything from 2 – 3 inches is the perfect size. You can even use a glass if you don’t have a cutter!
- Don’t overfill – this recipe makes enough to fill 12 pies, with some filling left over. You want to use about a scant tablespoon of filling, so that it doesn’t leak out during baking.
- Yes, you can re-roll the dough! If I didn’t re-roll the scraps I’d only get about 9 pies. By re-rolling I can get 3 more, for a total of 12 – and you can’t tell the difference!
Die-hard traditionalists may object but I maintain that these darlings will be a smash with your guests – give ’em a try and let me know what you think!
Caramel Apple Hand Pies!
Ingredients
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled cored and chopped into small dice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts, at room temperature
- 9 soft caramels, each cut into 4 pieces
- flaky sea salt
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- raw sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Combine the diced apples, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool (you can pop the pan in the fridge to speed things up).
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees; line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unroll one of the crusts and gently go over it once or twice with a rolling pin, just to smooth out the edges. Use a glass or cookie cutter (3 1/4") to cut out circles and place on your prepared baking sheet. Top each with some of the apple filling, 3 pieces of caramel and a bit of flaky sea salt. Cut circles out of the remaining pie crust and top the filled crusts, pinching the edges to seal (you can re-roll the scraps to get as many circles as possible).
- Use a fork to crimp the edges, and brush with the beaten egg. Sprinkle generously with the raw sugar and cut small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
- Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or till deep golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool – serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi! I'm Sheri!
Welcome to my little corner of the web where you’ll find easy, delicious recipes, the best kitchen hacks and simple tips for turning your home into a clean haven that is free of toxins. So glad you’re here!
You’re not a pie person? I think you might be! These look so good! I could never stop at just one…or two!!
Nope. Never. 😉