Gooey caramelized sugar, soft tart apples, and flaky buttery pie crust come together to create these delectable Apple Hand Pies. Made in the air fryer, these warm, cinnamon flavored miniature pies make the perfect fall or winter treat!
Air Fryer Dessert Recipe
I love apple pie, but I don’t love the time and effort it takes to make a good apple pie from scratch; this is why I’ve created this super simple recipe for air fryer apple hand pies!
These delicious individual-sized pies are as easy as whipping up a quick apple pie filling, stuffing it into some premade pie dough, and popping your pastries into your air fryer.
⏲️ Baking time
In just 20 minutes, your home (and your mouth) will be filled with the wonderful flavors and smells of flaky, sweet apple pie. Top with a cold scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel and enjoy this rich and decadent dessert!
🥧 What is a Hand Pie?
A hand pie is a calzone-shaped miniature pie similar to a turnover. These fun pastries have all the textures and flavors of a traditional pie rolled up into a tiny, handheld version.
The first hand pies are thought to have originated in 19th-century England where they were called pasties and were commonly packed as an after-lunch treat for tin miners.
Today, you can find hand pies sold all around the world. Although typically thought of as dessert, you can also find savory lunch or dinner hand pies. In the US, the most popular flavors are cherry, apple, pumpkin, and chicken pot pie.
🥘 Ingredients
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- Granny Smith Apples—Juicy, sweet, and sour, these green apples make the perfect apple filling! This particular variety of apple softens nicely when it cooks and the tart flavors pair really well with the sugary pie crust and filling.
- Pie Crust—This recipe is excellent when made with a homemade oil pie crust; however, if you’re short on time, you can also use store bought pie crust.
- White and Dark Brown Sugar—The soft sweetness of white sugar is combined with the rich caramel like flavors of dark brown sugar to create an oh-so-gooey pie filling.
- Ground Cinnamon—A small amount of ground cinnamon is used to add fun fall spice to every bite of these tiny hand held desserts.
- Vanilla Extract—A splash of pure vanilla extract brings a depth of flavor to this recipe.
🍽 Equipment
Rolling pin, to roll the pastry
Pastry Mat, for rolling the pastry out.
Biscuit cutter, to cut the pastry into circles
Table fork to crimp the edges of the pie.
Air Fryer, a basket air fryer or an air fryer with trays will both work. Cook time may need to be adjusted depending on the size of the air fryer.
🔪 Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the apples, white sugar, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Heat the apple mixture until it comes to a boil, then immediately remove it from the heat and allow it to cool.
- Using a biscuit or circle cutter, cut out six 4”-circles from the pie crust.
- Place a spoonful of the cooled apple pie filling in the center of each of the crust circles.
- Gently fold each crust circles in half, making sure to seal the edges of the semi-circle to enclose all of the filling.
- Place the hand pies into the basket of your air fryer, making sure not to let the pastries overlap.
- Air fry at 400°F for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
💭 Top Tips
- The homemade apple pie filling can easily be replaced with a store-bought filling. Just chop the apples up in the filling into diced size pieces first.
- Brushing the hand pies with melted butter or egg wash before air frying. This should allow the dough to get nice and golden brown in the air fryer.
- For a wider range of fall flavors, try using apple pie spice instead!
- Imitation vanilla work in place of pure vanilla.
Alternative Cooking Methods
Skillet method:
Heat cooking oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, gently place the apple hand pies into the pan. Fry until golden brown, flipping each pastry frequently to ensure an even cook. Allow to cool before serving!
Oven Method
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the apple hand pies on the baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
📖 Variations
- If you prefer more natural sweeteners, substitute coconut sugar in place of the white and brown sugars.
- Substitute Honeycrisp or Fuji apples in place of Granny Smith.
- Garnish the warm pies with a drizzle of caramel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
More Pie Recipes
📖 Recipe
Apple Hand Pies Recipe
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Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 granny smith apples , diced but not peeled
- 2 pre-made pie crusts
Instructions
- Place your white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and diced apples into a small saucepan.
- Heat the apple mixture until bubbling, then allow to cool. This is important to help prevent the mixture from leaking out of the hand pie.
- Using a 4-inch biscuit cutter or small bowl, cut out 6 circles from your two pie crusts.
- Place a spoonful of apple pie filling onto the center of each pie crust circle.
- Fold the pie crust in half to form a calzone shape and use a fork to seal the edges
- Place three hand pies in your air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve your hand pies warm and garnish with caramel drizzle, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, or ice cream.
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