Name: Easy Apple Hand Pies Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 2/3 cups (about 2-3 apples) of peeled, cored and sliced Ginger Gold Apples (or apples that bake well); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 3 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 tbsp softened butter; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 3 1/2 all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp granulated sugar; 1 tsp salt; 1 1/2 cold and cubed butter; 2 lightly beaten eggs; 1/3 cup milk

Jump to Recipe

Hand pies are not as hard to make as they look. If you’re in need of an easy Apple Hand Pies recipe for your Thanksgiving dessert or just to enjoy the flavors of fall, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

I remember being a big fan of Apple Hand Pies growing up. As an adult, the store-bought ones just don’t taste right. They can be overly sweet and synthetic tasting.

Making hand pies at home is simple and probably cuts way down on the sugar and adds the flavor.

Do you peel apples for baking pie?

Leaving the peel can add color to the pie and some flavor but it will keep the apples from properly blending in with one another for that warming texture when taking that first bite. It is best to peel the apples before baking.

What is the best way to slice an apple for pie baking?

I personally prefer to spiral cut my apples using my KitchenAid attachment. It makes life easier and the thin slices make it easy to mix the filling and the apples to bake evenly.

What you need to make Apple Hand Pies

(For the ingredients measurements and full recipe, please scroll to the bottom of this post for the printable recipe card.)

For the Pie Crust

all-purpose flour
granulated sugar
salt
cold and cubed butter
lightly beaten eggs
milk

For the Filling

peeled, cored, and sliced Ginger Gold Apples (or apples that bake well)
granulated sugar
all-purpose flour
softened butter
lemon juice
ground cinnamon

How do you make hand pies from scratch?

For the Pie Crust

In a large bowl stir together flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Stir in the eggs. Add 1 tablespoon of milk over the mixture and toss the dough. Repeat by gradually adding in all of the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Gather the dough into a ball and kneed gently until it holds together. Divide pastry into fourths and press into discs. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Chill for about 1 hour.

For the Filling

Combine apples, sugar, all-purpose flour, butter, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Be sure to continue stirring to keep the filling from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Cool the filling completely before adding to the crust.

How to Put the Hand Pies Together

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking sheets or parchment paper.

Roll out each pastry disc to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4-inch rounds using a floured cutter.

Brush edges with milk to help them adhere. Spoon about a tablespoon of the filling onto each half of the circles.

Fold the remaining circle over the other half with the filling. Seal the edges using the tines of a fork and cut small slits on the top.

Transfer the prepared pies to the baking sheets. Brush pies with additional milk. Bake for 20-minutes or until golden brown.

Remove and cool on wire racks before enjoying.