Mini Apple Pies

These Mini Apple Pies are baked in a muffin tin for an easy and fun twist on a classic apple pie. Grab some apples at a local orchard and whip up a batch of these pies for dessert!

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I’m gaining a healthy respect for my muffin tin lately. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved my muffin tin for muffins. Muffins should be an official food group in my opinion! However, I’ve had fun using that muffin tin for other recipes besides muffins, too.

Earlier this year, I shared this fun recipe for Muffin Tin King Cakes. The other day, I was craving a good apple pie – ’tis the season for apple pie, right? That’s when it hit me. I wonder if I could make mini apple pies in a muffin tin?! The answer? Yes!

Mini Apple Pies

A few years ago, I shared a recipe for Individual Apple Pies. I absolutely love that recipe! In truth, though, the apple pies are a bit on the larger side. We’ve made that recipe a number of times, and Laura and I usually end up splitting one of those pies. So this time I decided to go smaller – like muffin tin smaller.

This recipe for Mini Apple Pies is literally the same recipe that I use when making those Individual Apple Pies. It could also be used to make a traditional 8″ or 9″ apple pie, too. This mini version is really fun, but sometimes you just want a classic apple pie!

One slight change in this recipe is that I went with my vodka pie dough recipe. I’ve become a huge fan of that one. Not only is it easy to make in a food processor, but it produces a delicious flaky crust. Check out this post for more details on why vodka is a good choice for pie dough – it seems odd, but the science backs it up. Yay, science!

It will take a bit longer to cut and shape the dough for these Mini Apple Pies. It’s not a hard process at all, but you are basically making 12 mini pies. The process is simply to cut a circle of dough that gets pressed into each cavity of the muffin tin. From there, the cooked pie filling gets added and then you weave small strips of dough across the top of each pie.

Cooked vs Uncooked Apples

When it comes to apple pies, I personally prefer cooking the apple pie filling before baking the pie in the oven. This yields a softer apple…more of a “classic apple pie” taste. With that said, you could absolutely skip the cooking step. If you go that route, the apples will be a bit firmer, although I do recommend dicing ’em rather than slicing ’em.

What are the best apples for apple pie?

When it comes to picking apples for baking, you have a lot of options. I generally try to go with a mix of tart and sweet apples. Granny Smith apples are my go-to tart apple, and then I’ll add in a couple of sweeter varieties, too. Jonagold, Gala, Crispin (also called Mutsu), and Honeycrisp apples are all excellent choices.

Can Mini Apple Pies be frozen?

Absolutely! These pies freeze beautifully! To freeze these Mini Apple Pies, let them cool at room temperature until completely cool. Next just place ’em in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

The nice thing about these pies is because they are individually sized, you can literally pull out one or two for dessert. Just let the pies thaw at room temperature. They can be eaten at that point, but I typically like to warm ’em back up in an oven or toaster oven. Just bake them in a 400°F oven for 10-15 minutes, and you’ll be all set. The flavor will be fantastic!

If you’re hunting for a fun twist on a classic apple pie, then put this mini pie version on your list. They’re delicious, and they sure didn’t last long around our house. Happy baking!

Did you make a batch of these Mini Apple Pies at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Mini Apple Pies

These Mini Apple Pies are baked in a muffin tin for an easy and fun twist on a classic apple pie. Grab some apples at a local orchard and whip up a batch of these pies for dessert!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 pies

Calories: 379kcal

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Ingredients

For the Dough

• 2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter cold
• ¼ cup vodka see note
• 2-4 Tbsp cold water

For the Filling

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 pounds apples peeled, cored and sliced into ¼” slices (~3-4 large apples)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tbsp of water
• 2 Tbsp coarse sugar such as sanding sugar or turbinado

Instructions

For the Dough

• Using a food processor, add flour, brown sugar and salt; pulse until well combined.
• Cut butter into small cubes and add to the food processor; pulse until a crumbly mixture forms.
• Add vodka and 2 Tbsp of water; pulse until well combined. Continue adding water 1 Tbsp at a time (and pulsing) until dough comes together in a ball.
• Shape dough into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Note: Dough can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight.)
• Working on a well-floured surface, roll pie dough until it is ¼” thick. (Note: This will be an approximately 12”x15” rectangle.)
• Using a 4” round cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as possible. Reroll the dough and continue cutting circles until you get 12 total circles of dough. (Note: Save excess dough for the top lattice.)
• Gently press each circle into the bottom and sides of each muffin tin cup. Place muffin tin in the refrigerator while you cook the filling.

For the Filling

• Using a large, deep skillet, add butter and place over medium-high heat.
• Once butter has melted, add apples, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and salt; stir until well combined. Let cook for 5-7 minutes, or until apples have begun to soften.
• Add flour and cornstarch; stir until well combined. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 more minutes.
• Transfer apples into a large bowl. Add lemon juice; stir until well combined. Let mixture cool completely (~30 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Remove muffin tin from refrigerator and divide apple filling evenly into the pie crusts.
• Cut the remaining dough into thin ¼” strips and add a woven lattice on top of each pie.
• Brush tops of dough with the beaten egg wash. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top.
• Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until tops of pies are golden brown.
• Let pies cool for 30 minutes before serving. (Note: To remove pies from muffin tin, slide a butter knife around the outer edge of each pie first.)

Notes

The alcohol in the crust will evaporate while baking. Substituting vodka (or another 80-proof alcohol) for some of the liquid in pie dough will lead to a flakier crust once baked. Try it out! (If you don’t want to use vodka, you can use water instead.)

Looking for more apple dessert recipes? Check out these other favorites, too: