Apple Hand Pies are made with apple pie filling, homemade pie crust or biscuit dough. Buttery, flaky pie crust, warm, tender cinnamon-coated apples that makes a perfect hand-held dessert. Watch the video below of how to make them!
While we love them fried, they can also be baked in the oven or in the air fryer. This apple pie recipe has been shared nearly 200,000 times- one of our most popular recipes!
This easy to make apple dessert is perfect for picnics, barbecues or as a holiday dessert.
We’ve used our favorite pie crust recipe that makes a consistent flaky pie dough. It’s the perfect compliment to this apple dessert! This is the perfect way to use freshly-picked apples.
I’ve recreated Grandma’s Apple Jack recipe. This is the perfect easy to make dessert recipe for any backyard BBQ, potluck or family gathering!
Assemble ahead of time, placed on half sheet pans and frozen for later. They’re easy to make using either homemade or store bought pie crust or biscuit dough. Although, personally we prefer homemade pie crust.
Be sure and try one of our other cobbler recipes using fresh or frozen fruit including; blueberry cobbler, apple cobbler, blackberry cobbler, peach cobbler and cherry cobbler any time of year.
Why this recipe works
- Uses simple ingredients – This apple pie recipe uses ingredients readily available at most grocery stores.
- Prep ahead of time – Make the pie filling ahead of time. Refrigerate it for a few days or freeze for 1-2 months.
- Flavor – Flaky pie crust and chunks of apples with warm spices.
- Freezer friendly – Assemble ahead of time, place on half sheet pans lined with parchment paper and freeze. Cover the entire pan with plastic wrap to prevent frost bite.
- Makes a great individual dessert – The perfect hand-held dessert for summer picnics, barbecues or even a Thanksgiving dessert. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with caramel sauce.
What you’ll need
- Apples – Granny Smith, Macoun, McIntosh and Honeycrisp are great options for apple pie. Granny Smith is tart and holds up well. Use another variety, such as McIntosh that will break down and create an apple sauce texture.
- Cinnamon & nutmeg – Warm spice of cinnamon adds plenty of fall spice to your apple pie.
- Cornstarch – Helps thicken the pie filling. Make a slurry with cornstarch and cold water mixed together.
- Butter – Adds a nice touch of flavor to the filling.
- Pie crust – Use homemade or store-bought pie dough. Refrigerated biscuit dough rolled out will also work well.
How to make apple hand pies
- Make apple pie filling – Let it cool completely. You can even make this a few days ahead of time to save time!
- Cool completely – It’s very important to let pie filling cool completely before assembling hand pies. If you put hot pie filling inside the pie dough it will melt it.
- Make pie dough – Prep and put in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours or overnight.
- Roll out pie crust – Roll out biscuit dough or pie crust on a lightly floured surface, into 4-6 inch ovals.
- Fill with cooled pie filling – Scoop about 1 tablespoon or so of the cooled filling in the center of each round.
- Seal pie crust – Fold over, lightly press down on the filling, trim and crimp edges with a floured fork. (If a little pie filling leaks out, toss a little flour on it!)
- Place on sheet pan – Place hand pies on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Chill – Refrigerate or freeze for later. (Our preferred method is to freeze pies right away! This prevents pie filling from leaking and chills the pie dough well.)
- Fry or bake – They can be either fried or baked in the oven.
Best apples for pie
- Granny Smith – Granny Smith apples have a tart and tangy flavor, along with firmness. They are also readily available in most grocery stores.
- Macoun – A variety native to New England and perfect for pie. It’s a cross between the ‘McIntosh’ and ‘Jersey Black’ cultivars. Sweet, slightly tart and perfect for pie.
- McIntosh – This variety is sweet and tart. It also tends to break down when it cooks.
- Honeycrisp – This variety is sweet, firm, and great apple flavor. This combination of flavor and texture makes it a great choice for pie.
This heirloom recipe is just like grandma’s! Grandma would be proud!
As you create each hand pie, place them on a half sheet pan lined with a piece of parchment paper. Overlap them slightly with 5-6 in each row, with a total of 3 rows per sheet pan.
What is a Apple Hand Pie?
When we moved to North Carolina, a local gentleman asked me to make something called “Apple Jacks.” These yummy individual pies are small pieces of dough with a dollop of apple pie filling, then crimped and fried.
They are an old-fashioned tradition here in the South. Sprinkle with sugar or drizzle with a simple glaze.
History of Apple Jacks
Years ago, when ladies made these, they certainly were not using store-bought crusts. They likely did not have the disposable income that many of us have today, nor did they have access to convenience products such as these. Traditionally, they used dried apple pieces, mixing those with water, sugar and cinnamon.
Recipe FAQs
I personally love a combination of Granny Smith and either Macoun, Macintosh or Honey Crisp. This brings the perfect amount of texture and flavor.
Absolutely! I make them the night before and slightly overlap them on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Loosely cover the entire sheet pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer.
How to freeze hand pies
- As you make each hand pie, place onto a half sheet pan lined with a piece of parchment paper. Overlap them just a tad and be able to fit about 5-6 in each row, with a total of 3 rows per sheet pan.
- Wrap entire sheet pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer flat. Be sure the entire sheet pan stays flat. Once they are completely frozen you can stack another sheet pan on top, if needed. But, not until they are completely frozen– otherwise you will squish them!
Thawing Hand Pies
- Thaw in the fridge, uncovered. This also makes the pie dough super cold when you fry them, helping them become perfectly flaky.
- NOTE: If you leave them covered with plastic wrap after being frozen, they end up with too much condensation! Just remove the plastic wrap and they’ll thaw perfectly overnight.
- Fry them right out of the fridge. You want them to be cold so the pie crust stays flaky!
More Pie and Cobbler Recipes
- Apple Pie
- Blueberry Pie
- Blueberry Hand Pies
- Blueberry Crumble Pie
- Blackberry Cobbler
- Blackberry Hand Pies
- Cherry Hand Pies
- Cherry Crumb Pie
- Cherry Cobbler
- Peach Hand Pies
- Peach Cobbler
- Pecan Pie
- Peach Crumb Pie
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Apple Hand Pies
Equipment
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 5 medium/large apples Granny Smith & Macoun
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼-1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Homemade pie crust or biscuit dough
Instructions
Apple Pie Filling
- Peel, core and chop the apples into small pieces. Melt the butter in a 10-12 inch skillet or Dutch oven. Cook the apples over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle with brown sugar, sugar, and lemon juice while they cook.
- Stir with a wooden spoon occasionally, making sure they do not burn.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in about ¼ cup of cold water. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the cornstarch mixture once they are almost done and let cook to thicken the apples and juice. The pie filling will need to bubble up around the edges for the cornstarch to properly thicken.
- Remove from the heat and add the cinnamon, nutmeg and stir to combine. Let the pie filling cool completely.
Apple Hand Pies
- Roll out your biscuit dough or pie crust on a lightly floured surface, into 4-6 inch ovals, about ⅛-1/4-inch thick.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon or so of the cooled pie filing in the center of each round.
- Fold over, lightly press down on the filling and the edges. (Lightly wet edges with water, using your fingertip if needed) Crimp the edges of the dough with a floured fork.
- Or cover the sheet pan loosely with plastic wrap and place into the freezer for later use. Overlap them slightly on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer. Cover the tray loosely with plastic wrap.
- Place uncooked pies on a half-sheet pan which is lined with parchment paper. Place the entire tray into the refrigerator while the oil heats.
- Fill a fry pan with about 2-3 inches of canola oil. Heat the oil until very hot (about 370 to 375 degrees F).
- Place only a few hand pies in the hot oil at a time, as to not overcrowd the pan or let the oil cool. Fry until they are brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from the hot oil and let drain on paper towels on a half-sheet pan. Sprinkle with granulated sugar or dust with powdered sugar while they are still warm.
- Or drizzle each hand pie with a simple glaze. Let dry slightly before handling.
- These are best served warm. Delicious served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with warm caramel sauce.
Video
Recipe Notes
Hand Pies
Assemble AHEAD of time. Overlap them slightly on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer. Cover the tray loosely with plastic wrap. Thawing Remove the plastic wrap that was covering the tray and discard it. It will have extra moisture you DO NOT want! Let them thaw, uncovered in the refrigerator overnight OR on the counter for 1-2 hours. You still want them very cold when frying. Cooking Use canola oil heated to 375 degrees. This is so the pies do not absorb any odd flavors. OR bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven. Place hand pies on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the pie crust is golden browned. Monitoring the oil temperature If you do not have a thermometer. You can test if the oil is hot enough by sprinkling a tiny bit of flour off of your fingers into the center of the oil. If the flour bubbles out to the edges of the pan quickly, the temperature is ready.Nutrition
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Ham says
A true belle would never use biscuit dough; and most old timers use dehydrated apples (soaked) over fresh apples. Pie crust is so easy to make and worth the effort.
Jessica Robinson says
Thanks so much for visiting! Yes, traditionally they would use dried apples. But we find homemade apple pie filling to be so tasty!
Kandy says
I tried looking through the comments to see if anyone said anything about this, but didn’t find it. Sorry if I just missed it. Just wondering how these are baked. I don’t know if I have time to fry all I need to make. Also, how are the on day 2 or 3?
Jessica Robinson says
Kandy,
You can certainly bake these. I would bake them at 375 to 400 degrees F. Probably 30 minutes or until the crust is nice and golden. Brush with egg wash before baking!
You can make them ahead of time and freeze. Or put in the fridge overnight. They are delicious a few days later! (but I’d recommend baking day of if you can)
Kandy says
Thank you! I’ve never fried my hand pies, I’ve always baked them. They make a great addition to a meal that has to go out to the field!! The guys always like their desserts! This time I’m feeding my son’s football team, so figured I better use a recipe instead of just winging it like I always do.
Jessica Robinson says
Of course!! Thanks for trying out my recipes Kandy!
Diane says
Race team loved these fried apple pies. Made 42. Didn’t bring any home. Lol This is a keeper!
Jessica Robinson says
So glad to hear that Diane!! Thanks for letting me know!
Rita says
This also works well with dried apricots that have been prepared as pie filling and used as the apples here.
Fried pies are AWESOME!
Jessica Robinson says
Thanks Rita! Dried Apricots sounds amazing!
Chris Lewis says
Wondering if anyone has done these in an air fryer???
Jessica Robinson says
Yes!! You can certainly put them in an air fryer. Use the same temperature (375 degrees Fahrenheit) and about 2 to 3 minutes.
Just check them and see how they look. Essentially, you are just trying to cook the pie crust, because the filling is already cooked.
Laurie says
wondering if I could bake these instead of frying them
Jessica Robinson says
Laurie,
Absolutely. I would refrigerate them first, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown. (remember you’re just trying to cook the crust because your filling is already cooked)
Renee Yor says
My mom cooked them in the oven basting them with butter! Homemade flaky crust,
Jessica Robinson says
You can definitely put these in the oven vs. frying. I usually brush with egg wash first before baking.
Ann says
My Mother makes dried peach pies as well as apple. She buys dried peaches, cooks them in a little water until they’re stewed, adds sugar to taste. Then she rolls out her biscuit dough and makes them as you do, except she pricks the pies 3 or 4 times on their tops to release air. Yum!!!
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says
I always take my grandpa an apple pie when I visit, but it’s messy and a whole pie is really more than he can eat on his own. I’m definitely going to have to make these for him instead!
Jessica Robinson says
Claire,
Thanks for visiting! Yes, these pies are the bomb!! So good and so easy to make. You can even freeze them and fry up only a few at a time when you want them!
Anna says
Handpies are one of my favourite treats, and these look so delicious! And the combo of apples with cinnamon- nothing beats these flavours!
Kushi says
Looks so flaky and delicious. What a great idea.
Kiki Johnson says
Usually I’m a made- from-scratch kinda girl but pie crust is an exception I am very willing to make. I love the look of these hand pies and the hint of nutmeg and cinnamon just add that certain pinch of cosy everyone loves. A great recipe.
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
I love the little history lesson you’ve given with this recipe! Lots of great tips, too. It’d be interesting to see how they’d be different with biscuit dough vs. pie crust. Either way, I’m sure they’re DELICIOUS!
Jenni LeBaron says
Yum! My mom used to make wonderful handpies and this recipe takes me back – what a fantastic treat!
Patti @ Patty Cake's Pantry says
My grandmother used to make these in her cast iron skillet on the wood stove. She always used biscuit dough. These are amazing. You have just the right ratio of sugar and cinnamon to make them perfect.
Natalie says
I’m hosting a family dinner this weekend and this pies are just what I’ve missed on my menu list. I know everyone will love these because they look absolutely delicious.