These vegan Apple Hand Pies feature a sweet apple pie filling inside a delicious pie crust. They’re so easy to make and ready in only 30 minutes! The perfect recipe for apple season!
The Apple season continues. This means I’m baking a lot with apples, thanks to the big apple tree in our garden which gives us the best and most delicious, juicy, organic apples ever! But this is not the main reason why I love creating new vegan apple pie treats. Not only do I want to use up all these apples, but I also LOVE desserts with cinnamon and apple flavor! Especially when those snacks are mini sized, so you can always grab one of these mini apple pies as a snack on the go! Aside from that, they’re also the perfect treat to serve as a delicious dessert for cozy afternoon coffee and tea party’s, or even for breakfast.
These mini Apple Pies are the perfect sweet treats for anytime!
It was quite a while ago that I shared these vegan apple pie hand pies with you on Instagram. Since then I’ve made them for myself very often, because I love having some treats on hand that I can eat anytime during the day when I crave something sweet. These Apple Hand Pies taste like a piece of cake, or better yet, a slice of pie! But they’re much easier to eat, because of their portable size!
Apple Hand Pies are quick and easy to make!
Start with making the pie crust. Of course, you could use store-bought pie crust instead, but trust me, it’s definitely worth it to make your own because homemade pie crust tastes so much better! It has such an incredibly buttery, flaky texture which tastes absolutely amazing, plus it’s also vegan and contains only plant-based ingredients. Don’t be afraid of making the pastry because the dough for this recipe is really easy to make. It comes together in only 5 minutes, before going in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour to chill, because it’s easier to work with when the dough is cold. You can leave it in the fridge for 2 days before using, or freeze it for another use, so it will last even longer.
Delicious Cinnamon Apples wrapped in a Pie Crust
I filled these little cute mini apple pies with a sweet cinnamon apple filling. It’s truly my fave recipe and I’ve already made it so many times. Also, as a topping for simple french toast or oatmeal, it tastes so good! To make it, peel, core and finely chop the apples. In a pot, combine water, cornstarch, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of vanilla. Then bring it to a boil to thicken while stirring. Next, add chopped apples, stir to mix everything together and set aside. Once the apple cinnamon mixture has cooled a little, it’s ready to use.
I hope you‘ll love this recipe for Apple Hand Pies. It’s:
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Simple
- Super easy and quick to make
- Taste like a mini apple pie
- Can be made refined sugar-free
- So delicious!
- The BEST way to get an apple a day!
A cute dessert for everyone!
I have to admit that these mini apple pies never last long in my kitchen. They’re so delicious, that I can’t keep my hands off of them. But I guess they’re made for picking them up and eating them until they’re gone, because they’re actually hand pies! Anyways, these easy to make hand pies are a great way to change up the traditional slice of pie or cake at your dessert table, for your Thanksgiving feast, or simply any occasion. I also like to heat them up in the microwave for a few seconds, then it tastes like a warm apple pie! However, I guarantee everyone will love these delicious treats, both adults and kids alike!
If you like Apple Pie recipes, you can also check out my recipes for a classic vegan Apple Pie or Apple Pie Roll-Ups. Another great idea is to use my easy vegan pie crust pastry recipe and mix and match all sorts of fruits and berries to suit your taste or fruit season. Have fun trying this yummy recipe and please don’t forget to let me know if you liked it!
Apple Hand Pies (Vegan Mini Apple Pie)
Author:You do not have a fitting cake pan at hand right now? Try my Cake Pan Conversion Calculator!
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (300 g) or gluten-free, if needed
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup vegan butter (180 g) cubed and chilled
- ⅓ cup cold water (75 ml)
Cinnamon Apple Filling:
- 2 apples
- 3 tbsp water (75 ml)
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- a pinch of vanilla
- a squeeze of lemon juice optional
To brush and sprinkle:
- dairy-free milk or cream
- brown sugar
Instructions
*Note: Please watch the recipe video for visual instruction. Also, I recommend measuring the ingredients in grams and ml.
Pie crust:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed vegan butter and work it into the flour with your hands. Gradually, add the cold water, a tablespoon at a time, and knead just until a dough forms. (Optionally, you could also put all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the dough clumps together.) *Note: You can watch the pastry recipe video here!
- Turn the dough to a floured surface and form into a ball, then flatten into a disc. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least ½ hour.
Apple Cinnamon Filling:
- Peel, core and chop the apples into small chunks.
- In a pot or saucepan, mix water, cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickens up.
- Add apples, toss to coat and set aside.
Shape Hand Pies (see step by step pictures in the text above):
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough.
- Cut out circles using a round form (such as a 3,5-inch jar or cookie cutter).
- Form leftover dough to a ball again, reroll and cut out more circles. (Optionally, cut out designs to make decorations or cookies.)
- Place approx. 1 heaped tbsp of the apple filling in the center of each of half amount. Brush the edges with a bit of water so they seal better.
- Place the other half of the pie crust circles on top, then crimp the edges with a fork to seal.
- Brush the top of each pie with a little plant-based milk/ cream, then cut 2 slits in the top of each pie to let steam escape while baking. Sprinkle over some brown sugar, if desired.
- Bake for approx. 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- To make these hand pies gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free flour blend 1:1.
- To make them refined sugar-free, you can use Erythritol.
- You could also use coconut sugar, or regular white sugar, if you like.
- You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
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Hi, I am currently making these so I don’t know the results yet, but the English directions are wrong. There are 15mL in a US Tablespoon, not 25mL, so you need about 1/3 cup of water. And 300g of flour is only 2 cups not 2.5 cups. I switched to Deutsch and metric measurements and the shortcrust was completely different! Following the English recipe, my dough (if you can call it that) was crumbly and dry and would not even form a ball, but using the Deutsch directions it was perfect! I hope the pies turn out well! I just wanted to let you know about the discrepancy in the measurements. This is probably why some people are saying their dough wouldn’t form.
Hi Alexis,
when I google for “1 cup flour in grams”, I can find the answer that 1 US cup of flour is 120 grams. That being said that 2 cups are 240 grams and 2.5 cups are 300 g.
Anyway, I always recommend measurings the ingredients in grams and ml as this is more exact.
I adjusted the 1/3 cup of water.
Many thanks,
Bianca
I meant to update sooner: these turned out amazingly and were a huge hit among the friends I made them for. I am making them again today while visiting my mom. Wonderful recipe!
Hi Alexis. Many, many thanks for your comment! Great that everyone liked them so much. 🙂
Hi there
If I cheat and use shop bought pastry, would it be flaky or shortcrust?
Many thanks
For this recipe, you’ll need shortcrust. If using flaky puff pastry you can try my apple turnovers.
I made these the other day – I think they turned out well, except I didn’t get a shiny top like yours (followed the recipe and brushed on cream/ sprinkled brown sugar!). I’m making them again today, going to reduce the amount of salt in the pastry. Just wondering, how thick should we be rolling out the dough?
Hi Shirley,
you can roll out the dough until it’s about 1/8th – 1/4th inch thick.
Thanks for your great feedback!
xoxo, Bianca
Love these pies! So easy to make – and a definite crowd pleaser. Although mine didn’t look nearly so pretty in reality – they still tasted awesome 😊 I used Bramley apples chopped really small which worked well, but maybe because they are bigger apples, I ended up with a lot more filling than pastry. Not a problem though – the pastry was so simple to make, I’ll just whip up some more! Oh I also added a little bit of vegan caramel sauce – but not enough to cause any soggy bottoms ☺️ Thanks for this – I will definitely make it again.
Yay, that’s amazing! Love the addition of caramel! 😛 Thank you so much! 🙂
I was excited to make this recipe but I found the pastry to be too salty for my taste. I followed the recipe exactly, but I think next time I will leave out the salt or use significantly less. I also found that 20 minutes was not enough time to cook the pies, I had to cook them for an hour. I will try this recipe again, but will make changes to my own liking.
Hi Ava, there’s less salt in the dough so it can’t taste salty.
Also, when you bake them for one hour, they’ll burn! 😀
No idea what you did wrong, sorry.
Super einfach und mega lecker. Die Kinder sind begeistert 😍
Das freut mich wirklich sehr! 🙂
I’ve made this mini apple pies after seeing the IG post some days ago . I had some apples, thought I would bake some galette during weekend. Couldn’t imagine that I love it more than galletes, really! I already make them twice over last 3 days. Very easy to make, amazing “autumnish” taste. I sprinkle them with coconut sugar.
Thank you, Bianca, for the recipe! Looking forward to try it on more recipes from you. Enjoy the autumn !
Hi Catalina,
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! 🙂
So glad you enjoyed these apple pies!
Much love,
Bianca ❤️
First time making this recipe and it was so delicious! It was pretty easy and fun too! Everyone loved them (especially my dad who sadly doesn’t support me & my mom being vegan, he ate like 4 of them haha proved him wrong 😂) 🍎🥧😍
That sounds great! 😃
So glad everyone loved this recipe!
Thank you so much for your feedback! ❤️
Fantastic recipe!! I cut the pastry into rectangles and added a maple glaze to make them into pop tarts.
Sounds great! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you! 🙂
I really liked This Recipe!
Incredibly fast and easy, just how i like it!
They tasted amazing, my sons were Very happy when They walked in after school (They smell amazing as well).
Thnx Bianca!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you so much! 🙂
What type of apples did you use / do you recommend?
You can use any apple that’s available to you. If you choose a sweeter variety, the pies will of course be sweeter than if you use sour apples. However, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar to your desired taste.
I just made these and they are delicious although I had left over pastry so i did some with jam and they are also delicious
I am curious though can you re-heat them
Thank you so much! So glad you love them! 🙂
You can reheat them in the oven for a few minutes!
I loooove your recipe Bianca. They are so delicious! I need to refine a few steps: like the dough making it thinner, I only had 7 pies and they are quite bulky beignet seize. Using only almond milk brushed on top I missed out on a glossy look, I didn’t understand the brown sugar on top was needed to get this effect of gloss. I thought no extra sugar and so they are pale 😉 they taste amazing and I will do it again as love apple pies and bakes with apple fillings. Thanks 🙏😍😘
Thank you so much for this amazing feedback, Rita!
The sugar on top is required for the shiny effect. 🙂
Lots of love to you! 🥰
Mega lecker!
Dankeschön 🙂
i made these today and was very disappointed in the outcome since i love your cooking (expecally your recipe for gingerbread cookies.) however the crust for the pie was very crumbly the first round so then i had to remake it adding more butter (the first round i added more water and it was still crumbly and disgusting) and then the apples weren’t so sweet as i aspected…when i finished assembling the pies i brushed milk and sprinkled brown sugar and it did not come out crispy in-fact it came out raw!! so i ended up cooking them about an hour and 20 mins :/ even after they still tasted off like if the crust wasn’t suppose to be for pie (if that makes sense) so next time i will use a different recipe for pies
Hi Alex, I‘m very sorry to hear that but o have no idea what you did wrong as they turn out always perfect when other readers try this recipe…
Best,
Bianca
Super easy and forgiving to make! Thank you for putting both volume and weight measurements! These were a big hit and you can’t tell they’re animal-free!
So glad you love these apple hand pies! Thank you so much 🙂
I made these today and I was a bit disappointed. While they looked beautiful, they were very bland. I think the sugar and butter is very low in the recipe compared to other pies. The filling wasn’t sweet, the crust was dry and bland, almost like biscuit dough rather than pie crust. I also had to use a bit more water than the recipe said in order to get the dough to form, it was super crumbly as is. I’ll be using a different recipe next time I make hand pies.
Hi Erica, I’m sorry to hear that. Honestly, you’re the first one who does not like this recipe 🙁
I hope you’ll find another recipe that you like.
Great crust, i sub 1/2 cup all purpose flour for whole wheat.
Hi Irene, Thank you so much for your feedback! So glad you enjoyed these mini apple pies! Lots of love, Bianca <3
I brushed the hand pies with a plant-based milk, and the crust didn’t brown at all. 🙁
Hi there, I suggest using rich non-dairy milk or better non-dairy cream, then sprinkle some brown sugar over the top before baking. If using just watery non-dairy milk, it won’t get brown.
Sehr sehr leckere und schnelle Apfeltaschen 😍
Das freut mich sehr zu hören! Ich danke dir! 🙂
Thes hand pies are amazing! Thank you 🙂
So glad you liked them 🙂 Thank you! <3
This recipe was amazing! They tasted so delicious, even the kids loved them. I’ll definitely be making them again
So happy that you liked them! Thank you so much! 🙂
?????this recipe is So amazing….a beautiful Snack indeed…..tried it last Night.so irresistible,but they were very hard as in too crunchy which i didn’t like, wanted to ask,how do you do yours in such a way that they’re not too crunchy,how do yours come out a little bit smooth?
Hi Brenda,
To me, it sounds as if your oven was too hot or maybe you baked them too long. And did you brush them before baking? I recommend to try a lower temperature and reduce the baking time. You could also try to cover them with a piece of aluminum foil the last minutes. Hope this helps.
Lots of love,
Bianca <3
These are so adorable and delicious! We love with our morning coffee, or with ice cream and caramel for dessert. Will certainly be making again and again!
So glad that you liked them! Thank you ?
Lots of love,
Bianca <3
Absolutely delicious! It’s my first time on your website and I found your recipe simple to make and very easy to follow. I used coconut oil since I didn’t have vegan butter on hand and it still worked! I will definitely be sharing your health blog with my friends 🙂
All the best!
So glad that you liked my recipe! ?
When I don’t have vegan butter on hand, I also use coconut oil instead.
Thank you soo much!
Lots of love,
Bianca ❤️
Beautiful recipe, like all of yours ?
Thank you so much ?
Had so much fun making these! I actually used No Name brand mini pie shells so i only had to make the filling and brush the tops I loved it! So easy! Thank you!!
That’s a great idea ?
So glad that you liked it!
Much Love,
Bianca
Absolutely love this recipe! Very easy as well, great vegan snack for when you need something sweet!
Thank you!
So glad that you liked it ?
Lots of love,
Bianca ❤️
These apple hand pies look so delicious. 🙂
I would love to grab some.
Much love, Ela ❤️
Hi Ela,
So glad that you like them!
Thank you for your comment.
Lots of love,
Bianca ?❤️
Turned out great! Had to bake them a bit longer and I used pears as an alternative!
Hi Teodora,
So glad that you liked the recipe!?
Will try it with peas too! Sounds so good to me.
Lots of love,
Bianca ❤️