Description
These Mini Apple Pies are a delightful treat featuring tender, cinnamon-spiced apples encased in flaky pie crusts. Perfect for individual servings, they offer a charming presentation and the comforting flavors of a classic apple pie, baked to golden perfection in a muffin pan.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 2 pie crusts (homemade or store-bought)
Apple Filling
- 2 ½ cups chopped apples (315 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (15 grams)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- â…› teaspoon ground nutmeg
Toppings
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15 grams), optional
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Your Tools: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and lightly flour your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Roll and Cut the Pie Crust: Roll the pie crusts out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 3.5-inch cookie cutter or a cup, cut out 12 circles. Re-roll any leftover dough to get all circles needed.
- Shape the Mini Pie Shells: Place each dough circle into the cavity of a standard 12-count muffin pan, pressing gently to ensure the dough fits snugly. Put the pan and any leftover crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the Apple Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped apples, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, pure vanilla extract, and ground nutmeg. Stir thoroughly until the apples are well coated with the mixture.
- Fill the Pie Shells: Remove the muffin pan from the refrigerator and evenly distribute about 3 tablespoons of apple filling into each dough-lined muffin cup.
- Add Butter: Dice the unsalted butter into 12 small pieces and place one piece on top of the filling in each mini pie, if using.
- Top the Pies: Remove the extra pie crust from the fridge, cut out small decorative shapes or lattice strips, and place them over the top of each mini pie for decoration.
- Bake: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until the crusts are golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
- Cool: Remove the muffin pan from the oven and let the pies cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully lift each mini pie out and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Use tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for best flavor and texture.
- You can prepare the mini pies ahead of time and freeze them before baking for a quick dessert later.
- To avoid soggy bottoms, you can blind bake the crusts for 5 minutes before adding the filling.
- Adjust the amount of sugar based on the sweetness of your apples.
- Butter on top helps create a richer, golden finish on each mini pie.
