Step 1: Begin by combining your peeled and finely diced apples, dark brown sugar, aromatic spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice), all-purpose flour, fresh lemon juice, and a tablespoon of butter in a medium-sized pan or saucepan. Place the pan over low heat and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften and the filling visibly thickens. This gentle cooking process usually takes about 8 minutes. Pre-cooking the filling ensures the apples are tender and juicy inside the hand pies without requiring a long bake time that could overcook the crust.

Step 2: Once the filling has reached the desired consistency and the apples are tender, remove the pan from the heat and set the filling aside to cool. Allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes. This cooling step is crucial as it prevents the warm filling from melting the butter in your pie crust during assembly, which could lead to a less flaky texture. While the filling cools, it’s the perfect time to roll out your pie crusts.

Step 1: In a small bowl, crack one large egg. Add one tablespoon of heavy cream to the egg and whisk the mixture thoroughly until well combined. This egg wash will be used to seal the pie crusts and give them a beautiful golden sheen when baked. Set it aside while you prepare your pie crusts.

Step 2: Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with all-purpose flour. Unwrap one piece of your chilled pie crust dough and place it onto the floured surface, sprinkling a little more flour on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pie crust evenly to approximately ⅛ inch thick. Aim for a consistent thickness to ensure even baking.

Step 3: Using an apple-shaped cookie cutter (or a 4-inch round cookie cutter for classic hand pies), cut out eight shapes from the rolled-out dough. Carefully transfer these cutouts to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this process with the second piece of pie crust dough to create another eight shapes. Any leftover dough scraps can be gently re-rolled once to cut out additional shapes or decorative elements like small leaves.

Step 4: For the filling stage, take one of your soft caramels, unwrap it, and gently flatten it slightly with your fingers. Place this flattened caramel onto the center of one of your pie crust shapes on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, spoon approximately one heaping tablespoon of your cooled apple filling directly over the caramel. Ensure the filling is centered and leaves a border around the edges for sealing.

Step 5: Dip your finger or a small pastry brush into the prepared egg wash and lightly brush the entire perimeter of the pie crust shape that holds the filling. This acts as an adhesive, helping to seal the two crust pieces together securely and prevent the filling from oozing out during baking.

Step 6: Carefully place an unfilled piece of pie crust directly on top of the filled and egg-washed bottom crust. Gently press down around the edges to adhere the two pieces. You can then use the tines of a fork to crimp and seal the edges all around, or if you have a hand pie maker, use it to create a perfectly crimped and sealed edge. Repeat this assembly process for all the remaining pie crusts and filling. As each pie is assembled, carefully transfer it to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Once all pies are assembled, place the entire baking sheet into the freezer for 15 minutes. This chilling step is vital for ensuring the crust holds its shape and bakes up beautifully flaky. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

Step 7: Remove the chilled pies from the freezer. Lightly brush the tops of each pie with the remaining egg wash. If you plan to add a sweet glaze after baking, you might want to omit the coarse sugar at this stage to prevent the pies from becoming overly sweet. However, if skipping the glaze, sprinkle a generous amount of coarse sugar over the egg-washed tops for a lovely crunch and sparkle. For decorative flair, you can cut out small leaf shapes from any excess pastry and attach them to the tops of your apple-shaped pies before baking. Crucially, poke several small holes or slits into the top layer of each pie’s crust with a fork. These vent holes allow steam to escape during baking, preventing the pies from bursting and the filling from bubbling out.

Step 8: Bake the pies in your preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the pastry turns a beautiful golden brown. Keep a close eye on them; it’s important not to overbake, as this can cause the delicate filling to overcook and potentially ooze out completely, leading to a drier pie. The goal is a perfectly crisp, golden crust with a tender, juicy interior. Once baked, remove the pies from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely before proceeding to the glazing step, as applying glaze to warm pies will cause it to melt and run off.

Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar with two tablespoons of milk or cream. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and forms a pourable glaze consistency. If the glaze appears too thick, add a tiny bit more milk, a half teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired pourable thickness. For a fun, apple-themed presentation, you can optionally divide the glaze: set aside about a tablespoon and color it green with food coloring, then color the remaining larger portion red.

Step 2: Once the pies are completely cool, use a spoon to drizzle or paint the glaze over the tops of each pie. If you used colored glazes, apply the red glaze first to the main body of the apple, and then carefully add a touch of green glaze to simulate a leaf. Place the freshly glazed pies back onto a clean parchment-lined baking sheet to catch any drips and allow the glaze to set. Let the glazed pies rest for at least 15 minutes for the glaze to partially set before enjoying. While the glaze will take approximately 1 hour to set completely, you can certainly dig in sooner! These pies are best enjoyed warm or at room temperature for optimal flavor and texture.

✔️ Expert Tips for Flawless Hand Pies

1. Mind the Liquid in Your Pie Crust: When preparing homemade pie crust, be cautious not to add too much liquid. Excessive water can lead to over-development of gluten, resulting in a tough and chewy crust rather than the desired tender and flaky texture. Add ice water gradually, just until the dough comes together in cohesive clumps.
2. Pre-Cook Your Apple Filling: To ensure your apples are perfectly tender and juicy within the short baking time of hand pies, it’s essential to cook the filling down beforehand. This step also thickens the filling, preventing it from becoming watery and potentially making your crust soggy or causing the filling to ooze out excessively during baking.
3. Always Chill Pies Before Baking: This is a non-negotiable step for achieving beautifully shaped and flaky hand pies. Chilling the assembled pies for at least 15 minutes in the freezer helps the butter in the crust solidify. When the cold butter hits the hot oven, it creates steam, which is what gives pie crust its characteristic flaky layers, and also helps the pies maintain their defined shape, preventing shrinkage and spreading.
4. Don’t Overcrowd the Baking Sheet: Give your hand pies space to breathe! Arrange them on your parchment-lined baking sheet with sufficient room between each pie. This allows for proper air circulation, ensuring that each pie bakes evenly and achieves a consistent golden-brown color and flaky crust.

For the most flavorful and texturally pleasing apple hand pies, we recommend using firm, tart apple varieties. Granny Smith apples are an excellent and widely available choice, as they maintain their shape and offer a delightful tanginess that balances the sweetness of the caramel. If you can find them, dedicated “pie apples” are also superb. Other good baking apples include Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Fuji, which hold up well under heat and contribute great flavor. Avoid softer, sweeter varieties like Red Delicious, as they tend to become mushy.

Absolutely! Using a premade pie crust is a fantastic shortcut that significantly reduces preparation time, making these hand pies even easier to make. Look for a quality all-butter pie crust in the freezer section of your grocery store for the best flavor and flakiness. Alternatively, you can also use butter puff pastry, which will yield a slightly different but equally delicious and flaky result. Just follow the package instructions for thawing before rolling and cutting.

Cutting small vents or holes into the top crust of your hand pies is a crucial step in pie baking. These openings allow steam to escape from the hot apple filling as the pies bake in the oven. Without these vents, the trapped steam would build up pressure, causing the pie crust to puff up excessively, crack, or even burst open, leading to a messy leakage of the delicious filling. The vents ensure a beautiful, intact pie with an evenly cooked filling.

We strongly advise against using hard caramels in the pie filling. While they might seem like a convenient option, hard caramels will likely remain very firm or even harden further once baked and cooled. This can result in an unpleasant, chewy, and sticky texture that could get stuck in your teeth or even be a choking hazard. For the best gooey, melt-in-your-mouth caramel experience, stick to soft, chewy caramels or omit them altogether if preferred.

Caramel Apple Hand Pies