Easy Brown Sugar Apple Hand Pies

These Easy Apple Hand Pies are filled with warm brown sugar baked apples and are out of the oven in 30 minutes. This recipe can easily be made gluten-free or vegan. This lightened up classic is the perfect fall treat!

Easy Apple Hand Pies, A Simple and Festive Fall Treat!

And... drumroll please! I'd like to welcome these delicious apple hand pies to the blog. These easy brown sugar apple hand pies include warm baked apples with cinnamon and brown sugar and a golden flaky pie crust with festive leaf decorations on top.

This recipe is healthy enough for breakfast and sweet enough to be enjoyed as dessert. Recipes that double as a tasty breakfast and a special dessert are always winners in my book!

Why Hand Pies are Better Than Regular Old Pie!

My love for hand pies is a new one, but I think it will stick around for some time. I've always made traditional pies in the past and enjoyed a slice of apple or pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. However, this year I wanted to create individual hand pies to mix things up!

After making these sweet apple filled treats, I realized how convenient they are to pack for breakfast or for lunch! A slice of pie gets messy and the filling slides out, but these healthier apple hand pies stay fresh and neat for days! I love that they are already a personal serving size and the pie crust leaves for decoration add the sweetest fall touch.

My boyfriend Evan and I actually packed two of these hand pies for a bike ride and picnic day recently and we were so pleased with our choice of snack! You can eat these with your hands and make little mess, except for a few crumbs of buttery pie crust.

How To Make Easy Apple Hand Pies:

Let's make these easy brown sugar apple hand pies in 5 easy steps! 

Before we chop our apples, give them a good wash and peel off the skin using a vegetable peeler.

Now let's move onto step one: dice about four small apples into small cubes. In a small mixing bowl, stir together diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and cornstarch.

Step two is to soften our apples before we will the hand pies. Heat the apple mixture in a small pot over low to medium heat. Stir the pot with a rubber spatula frequently so the brown sugar doesn't burn. Add two pats of butter, about two tablespoons to the apple mixture. This helps us achieve the caramel-like consistency we're going for. Continue stirring for about 15 minutes or until the apples begin to soften.

For step three, roll out three circular pie crusts. Use a pizza cutter to slice each pie crust down the middle, creating two halves. You should have 6 halves. Set aside one half to dedicate to cutting out the leaf pie crust decorations. Use a spoon to add about 3 heaping tablespoons of filling to one side of each pie crust half.

Step four is all about the egg wash. Use a brush to paint a little egg wash around the edges of each pie crust half. This acts at the glue when we pinch the sides of the crust together. Fold the pie crust to cover the apple filling. Use a fork to score/pinch the edges together to create a sealed edge so no filling escapes while baking. Take a sharp knife to cut two or three small slits into the tops of each hand pie to air can escape while they're in the oven.

Finishing Touches with Leaf Pie Crust Decorations:

Finally, for step five, brush the tops of each hand pie with egg wash. You may now add some small leaf crust decorations if you'd like! I used these leaf pie crust cutters when making my leaf decorations for these fall apple hand pies. The last step is to sprinkle each hand pie with turbinado sugar for added color, sweetness and a little crunch! This recipe makes 5 personal sized apple pies.

Once you've completed all five steps, it's time to pop those cutie hand pies into the oven! Bake until the pie crusts are perfectly golden brown. Let cool for a bit and enjoy when they are still warm.

Everything You'll Need

• Apples: Use any variety of apple you have at home. I recommend Gala, Honey Crisp,  Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples.
• Brown Sugar: A little brown sugar helps sweetened the apple filling and creates a caramel-like flavor in this recipe.
• Cinnamon: The combination of cinnamon and sweet apples is so delicate and delicious. And your kitchen will smell amazing!
• Lemon Juice: A squeeze of lemon juice brightens up the filling and adds a subtle tartness.
• Cornstarch: Don't forget to add the cornstarch to thicken our baked apple filling.
• Salted Butter: I found that adding a little butter to the apple filling creates a better consistency and flavor in the end.
• Pie Crusts: Whether you opt for homemade pie crust or storebought, a flaky, buttery pie crust is necessary for these personal apple hand pies.
• Eggs: Brushing an egg wash over the pie crust before baking gives you the perfect golden color on the tops of the hand pies.
• Turbinado Sugar: Sprinkle some turbinado sugar over each hand pie to enhance the golden color, sweetness and texture.

Need to make a substitution?

Apple varieties?

I'm always a work with what you've got kinda person, so any apples you have on hand should work!  Gala, Honey Crisp,  Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples are some of my favorites.

No Turbinado Sugar?

If you don't have turbinado sugar, sprinkle the hand pies with regular cane sugar instead.

Gluten-free?

Look for a gluten-free pie crust recipe like this one from The Spruce Eats or this one from King Arthur Baking. Each of these pie crust recipes call for gluten-free all-purpose flour.

More Easy Dessert Recipes:

• Healthy Blueberry Crisp for Two
• Perfectly Chewy Iced Lemon Cookies
• Healthy 4 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Better Than Grandma's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

If you make these easy apple hand pies, be sure to tag #bakedabundance on Instagram. We’d also love if you would leave a comment below and rate the recipe. We appreciate you! 

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