Mini Apple Pies

Recently, I shared a recipe for my mini pecan pies. Not surprisingly, I was asked if I had a mini apple pies recipe as well. Apple pie is one of the top holidays favorite pies alongside pecan, pumpkin, and sweet potato pies. These mini apple pies and the mini pecan pies would be great to take to a Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving gatherings.

I brushed off an old apple recipe and converted it into a mini pie version. I also tested out a couple of ways to top the pies. See my notes below.

Notes:

Apples – pick apples that are crisp and tart. Granny Smith is great pies. For this recipe, I use went both ends of the tartness spectrum and used Granny Smith and Gala for balance. Also, those are typically the apples that I have in my fruit drawer and there’s nothing wrong with using what you already have. If you don’t have Granny Smith or a tart variety, you can use a sweeter variety and add a squeeze of lemon. I ended up using two Granny Smiths and two Gala apples. The weight of the peeled, cored, and chopped apples totaled 500 grams give or take a few grams.
Sugar – For the filling, I used a mixture of both granulated and brown sugar for depth of flavor. You can use all (3/4 cup) granulated sugar and it will still work. The amount of sugar could be adjusted up to 1 cup depending on how tart the apples are.

Pie crust** – when using store-bought dough, note that you may not have as much extra dough as a homemade pie crust because store-bought crusts are already rolled and cut into rounds. They don’t have the extra scraps. You may need more than just the double crust if you plan on making the lattice top.

Streusel top preferred – this is my preferred topping for these mini pies because, firstly, you don’t have to worry about extra pie crust if you are using a store-bought pie crust which doesn’t have as much extra crust. Secondly, the flour mixture in the streusel top does a great job of soaking up the extra juices that you tend to get with the cooked apples. I also love that it adds a different texture to the pie that is not all crusts. These are small pies. Ask yourself how much you like crusts?
Pan – I used a Wilton muffin pan, which has a fairly wide edge. If you are using a pan that does not have that wide edge, you may want to consider placing the muffin pan on a baking sheet. Although the streusel top does a decent job of soaking up some of the bubbly juices, there’s no guarantee that it won’t bubble over.
Bake time – as always note that each pan, crust recipe, and oven are different. Bake until you get a nice golden-brown crust and the filling is bubbly.

Storage – best if eaten the same day, but may be stored in airtight container, at room temperature for 3-4 days. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly and place in a freezer safe bag. Let thaw unwrapped on the counter for an hour to two or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie without resistance. Just like my mini pecan pies, after they have thawed, bake at 325℉ for 5-7 minutes. 10 minutes max. I usually just plop them back into the same muffin pan that they were originally baked in. This helps to kind of awaken the pie again and reduce some of the moisture that comes with freezing.

Mini Apple Pies

Makes: 12 mini pies
Time: 50 minutes

1 double pie crust (Easy Pie crust) or store-bought pie crust
4-5 (500g) medium apples- peeled, cored, and chopped (I used Granny Smith and Gala)
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (54g) packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon (2g) salt
1 teaspoon (3g) ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon (.25g) ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
Cooking spray to grease muffin pan

Lattice top:
2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, divided
Extra pieces of pie crust from above – **See note
Milk or heavy cream
Granulated sugar or coarse decorating sugar

Streusel top (Preferred):
2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (65g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (70g) packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon (1.5g) ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon (.5g) salt

• Preheat oven to 375℉. Lightly grease muffin pan.
• Roll out the pie crust to 1/8-inch thickness. Use a 3.5-inch biscuit or cookie cutter to cut out 12 discs. You may need to ball up extra pieces of pie crust dough, roll it out again to get the required number of discs. Press the disc into the lightly greased cavity of a muffin pan. Place the pan and any extra pieces of crust dough into the fridge while you prepare the filling.
• To make the filling, in a large bowl, combine the chopped apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and flour. Mix well.
• Fill each prepared pie crust with a couple tablespoons of filling mixture.
• For a lattice top: Dollop a piece of butter on top of each mini pie. Roll out the extra pie crust dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut thin strips and form lattices on top of each pie. Brush with a little bit of milk and sprinkle with sugar.
• For a streusel top: In a small bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, and salt until well combined. Work the butter into the mixture with your hands until you get a mixture that looks like coarse sand. Sprinkle on top of each mini pie.
• Both versions bake at 375℉ for about 32-36 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and filling is bubbly.
• Let cool slightly. Enjoy!