I fell in love with these hand pie molds and knew I wanted to make something special with them. So this recipe for Apple Hand Pies was born and I am also including two bonus variations for Boysenberry and Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Cheesecake. They are equally as good as the apple with caramel.
I lovingly refer to these as my Caramel Apple Hand Pies. It makes me feel like they are extra cozy in the fall, cause you know, caramel apple season. These are great for fall festivals, hayrides, or Halloween parties.
Ingredients
Apples, butter, caramel, and some spices are all you need to make the apple filling. They get cooked together quickly and as soon as they are cool you can begin assembling the pies.
Below are the ingredients that you will need for the bonus recipes I am including, the Boysenberry and Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
To make the filling for the Apple Hand Pies I saute the apples in a little butter and some spices. Drizzle in the caramel and stew them down until soft and most of the liquid has evaporated out of the pan. I reserve a handful of the apples and stir them in at the end for a little extra texture.
Then place the cooled apple filling mixture into the pie dough and press it between the mold to form the hand pies. If you don't have these molds, you could alternatively cut circles out and place the filling between two, just be sure to cut some air holes in the top piece. Also, be sure to use a little water around the outside of the pastry to get the top and bottom to attach securely.
At this point, you can bake the pies after resting them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up the pie dough. You could also freeze them for baking at a later time. I freeze them on a flat sheet pan until firm, then place them in a freezer bag.
When you are ready to bake the pies, brush them with an egg whisked together with a little bit of heavy cream or water, forming an egg wash. I also like to top my sweet pies with some sanding sugar.
Bake the hand pies until they are golden brown and crisp.
Notes & Tips
Things I learned while using the hand pie molds:
I was afraid that using the cookie-cutter side wasn't going to make the pie crust big enough to cover the indent of the filling side. But it actually works perfectly. Simply place the two pieces of crust in the mold and firmly press them together. The pressure will fill the mold and press the crust all the way to the outside.
When making these, find a rhythm and it will go quickly and easily. Turn on some music and don't let yourself get stressed. It can be a little tedious, but again, find a rhythm and you will do great.
Roll your pastry out for the first time, and cut your pie tops. Then collect the scraps and roll the dough out a second time and cut the bottoms. This gives you really nice-looking tops, and if there are any imperfections they will be on the bottom.
Substitutions
Feel free to use any kind of apple you like for the apple filling. Honeycrisp is my favorite so that is what I used. The key is to keep some raw pieces out and fold in after cooking for a little crunch after baking the pies.
For the boysenberry filling, you can use the same recipe and swap the berries for any type of berry. Raspberry, blackberry, or blueberry would all work well.
More delicious pie recipes
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📖 Recipe
Apple Hand Pies
These Apple Hand Pies are a fun way to enjoy the season's fresh fruit. I really enjoy making them in the fall, and I usually bank some in the freezer for use around Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
Honeycrisp Apple and Caramel
- 3 medium Honeycrisp Apples, diced small, ¾ cup reserved
- ⅓ cup Caramel Sauce or Dulce de Leche
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
- ⅓ teaspoon Nutmeg, ground
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 large Egg, beaten with a splash of water or cream to form an egg wash
- Sanding Sugar, optional
- 1 recipe Pastry, see below
Boysenberry and Dark Chocolate
- 2, 8-ounce packages Boysenberries, frozen
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 5 tablespoons Cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice, fresh
- 1 large Egg, beaten with a splash of water or cream to form an egg wash
- Sanding Sugar, optional
- 1 recipe Pastry, see below
Chai Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 1 cup Canned Pumpkin Purée
- 2 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Chai Spice
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Cream Cheese, room temp
- 1 large Egg Yolk
- 1 large Egg, beaten with a splash of water or cream to form an egg wash
- Sanding Sugar, optional
- 1 recipe Pastry, see below
Pastry
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 16 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cold
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt, cold
Instructions
Honeycrisp Apple and Caramel
- Reserve about ¾ cup of the diced apples for later use.
- In a skillet, combine the remaining apples, caramel, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
- Stirring occasionally, simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes, or until the apples become soft, and little liquid remains in the pan.
- Remove the mixture from the heat, and allow it to cool until just warm, but no longer hot.
- Stir in the reserved apples while the mixture is still warm, this will keep the apple firm, but prevent browning. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
- The filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, once cooled, until needed.
Boysenberry and Dark Chocolate
- In a large bowl, add the boysenberries, and sprinkle over the sugar, corn starch, and salt. Toss to coat the berries.
- Place the berries in a saucepan and add lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Heat the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the mixture comes to a simmer. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked berry mixture to a heat-proof bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature before using.
- The filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, once cooled, until needed.
Chai Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
- In a saucepan, combine the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, chai spice, and vanilla extract, over the stove set to medium heat.
- Stirring constantly, whisk the mixture together for 5 minutes to cook out any excess moisture from the pumpkin.
- Let the mixture cool, just till warm, but not hot.
- Add the cream cheese and egg yolk to the pot and stir till smooth and creamy.
- Allow the filling to cool completely before using.
- The filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, once cooled, until needed.
Pastry
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter, and work it in at low speed to make a coarse/crumbly mixture. Leave most of the butter in large, pea-sized pieces.
- Add the greek yogurt, and mix until the mixture starts to come together in chunks. Turn it out onto a floured work surface, and bring it together with a few quick kneads between your hands.
- Pat the dough into a rough log, and roll it into an 8" x 10" rectangle. Dust both sides of the dough with flour, and starting with a shorter end, fold it in three like a business letter.
- Flip the dough over, give it a 90° turn on your work surface, and roll it again into an 8" x 10" rectangle. Fold it in three again.
- Wrap the dough, and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.
- To make the hand pies, roll the pastry out on a floured surface to about ⅛th inch thick. Cut your shapes, or simple circles, squares, or triangles freehand.
- Using two pieces that are roughly the same size and shape, place your filling of choice in the center of one piece, brush some water around the outside of the pastry, and place the second piece of pastry on top. Press the top pastry onto the second where the water is to secure the pastry. Crimp the edges with a fork, or if using hand pie molds, press the pastry together.
- Continue until all the pastry or filling has been used. You may have excess filling depending on the shape of your pies.
- Place filled pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. At this point, after they firm up on the tray, you could place them in a freezer bag for later use if desired.
- To bake the pies, make an egg wash by combining one egg, and a tablespoon of cream together in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Brush each pie with the egg wash and dust with sanding sugar if desired.
- Bake in a 400-degree oven for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp.
- Allow the pies to cool completely before serving as the hot filling can burn your mouth or tongue.
Notes
Notes & Tips
Things I learned while using the hand pie molds:
I was afraid that using the cookie-cutter side wasn't going to make the pie crust big enough to cover the indent of the filling side. But it actually works perfectly. Simply place the two pieces of crust in the mold and firmly press them together. The pressure will fill the mold and press the crust all the way to the outside.
When making these, find a rhythm and it will go quickly and easily. Turn on some music and don't let yourself get stressed. It can be a little tedious, but again, find a rhythm and you will do great.
Roll your pastry out for the first time, and cut your pie tops. Then collect the scraps and roll the dough out a second time and cut the bottoms. This gives you really nice-looking tops, and if there are any imperfections they will be on the bottom.
Substitutions
Feel free to use any kind of apple you like for the apple filling. Honeycrisp is my favorite so that is what I used. The key is to keep some raw pieces out and fold in after cooking for a little crunch after baking the pies.
For the boysenberry filling, you can use the same recipe and swap the berries for any type of berry. Raspberry, blackberry, or blueberry would all work well.
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