Apple Hand Pies With Puff Pastry
These delicious apple hand pies with puff pastry are flaky and filled with spiced apples. They're easy to make and utterly irresistible!
Servings 6 hand pies
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the apple pie filling
- 2 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite-sized cubes (400g or 3 cups) (I use sweet apples like Honeycrisp or Gala)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water or apple juice (30ml)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15g)
- 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar (38g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water or apple juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
For the pie crust
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions and refrigerated (it's easier to work with while it's cold)
- some flour for dusting
- 1 beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water
For the cinnamon sugar topping
- 2 tablespoons sugar (30g)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Make the pie filling
- Peel, core and chop the apples into bite-sized cubes.2 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite-sized cubes (400g or 3 cups)
- Add the apples, lemon juice, butter, 2 tablespoons of water, sugar, and cinnamon to a large saucepan. Stir to coat the apples evenly. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender but not mushy.1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water or apple juice (30ml), 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15g), 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar (38g), 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Make the cornstarch slurry: In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water (or apple juice) to make a slurry, ensuring there are no lumps.1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water or apple juice
- Pour the slurry into the saucepan with the apples. Stir and cook until the filling starts to thicken, about 30 seconds.
- Take the saucepan off the heat, stir in the vanilla and let the filling cool for about 10-15 minutes.½ teaspoon vanilla
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
Prepare the puff pastry & assemble the pies
- Dust your work surface with flour. Unroll the puff pastry sheet and dust it with flour. Roll it out slightly to ensure even thickness. Using a pizza cutter or knife, make 2 vertical cuts approximately 5 inches apart. Then, make 1 horizontal cut across the center, dividing the sheet into 6 equal squares.1 sheet puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions and refrigerated, some flour for dusting
- Add about 1 ½ tablespoons of the filling in the middle of each square.
- Brush the edges with the egg wash.1 beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- Starting from the bottom, fold the pastry over to cover the filling.
- Crimp the edges with a fork to seal.
- Cut 3 small slits (about an inch each) on top for ventilation and brush with more egg wash.
- Make the cinnamon sugar topping: In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it evenly over the pies.2 tablespoons sugar (30g), ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pies are golden brown color.
- Let the hand pies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Tips for Perfect Puff Pastry Apple Hand Pies
- Thaw Properly: Follow package instructions for thawing frozen puff pastry.
- Keep it Cold: Work with cold puff pastry to avoid stickiness, making it easier to handle.
- Use a Pizza Cutter: It makes clean, even cuts for your pies.
- Don’t Overfill: Avoid overfilling to prevent bursting during baking.
- Cool the Filling: Use cooled filling to keep the pastry crisp and avoid sogginess.
- Reheat: Use an oven or air fryer to keep the pies crispy, but skip the microwave, which could make them soggy.
