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Two golden mini apple pies with crossed pastry tops on a white plate
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Mini Apple Pies Recipe

Individual all-butter pastry pies with finely diced cinnamon apples and simple crossed-strip tops, baked in a standard muffin pan.
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Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Dough chilling and cooling 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 mini pies
Calories: 244.2
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 g, for the pastry
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 12.5 g, for the pastry
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 3 g
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter 170 g, cold and cubed, for the pastry
  • 5 tablespoons ice water 75 g; add a little more only if needed
  • 4 medium apples 600 g after coring, skins on; cut into 1/4-inch pieces; use weight for accuracy
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 62.5 g, for the filling
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 14 g, for the filling
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice 15 g
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2.6 g
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 8 g, for thickening
  • 1 tablespoon water 15 g, for the filling
  • 1 teaspoon unsalted butter 5 g, for the pan
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 8 g, for rolling
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 8 g, for the tops

Equipment

  • 1 12-cup standard metal muffin pan not a mini muffin pan
  • 1 Rolling pin
  • 1 Large mixing bowl
  • 1 Pastry cutter or fork
  • 1 Skillet for filling
  • 1 Small offset spatula or spoon to lift pies
  • 1 Wire rack

Method
 

  1. Whisk the 2 cups flour, pastry sugar, and salt. Cut or rub in the 170 g cold butter until coarse crumbs remain with some small butter pieces. Add ice water gradually, tossing with a fork until the dough holds when squeezed. Press together without kneading. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Rinse the apples, remove cores, and dice finely, keeping the skins. Melt the filling butter in a skillet. Add apples, filling sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the fruit begins to soften. Mix the filling flour with the tablespoon water, stir into the apples, and cook for about 2 minutes more until the juices thicken and the apples are almost tender. Spread on a plate and let cool completely.
  3. Heat the oven to 375°F. Butter all 12 cups of a standard metal muffin pan. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Keep unused portions refrigerated. Reserve about one-quarter of each portion for its top; roll the rest on the lightly floured surface into a round about 3 3/4 inches wide and roughly 1/8 inch thick. Ease into a muffin cup without stretching, patching any cracks.
  4. Divide all cooled filling evenly among the shells, about 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons each, without heaping above the rims. Roll the reserved dough and cut two narrow strips for each pie. Cross them over the filling and press the ends onto the rim. Lightly dampen the strips with water and sprinkle the finishing sugar evenly over all pies. Chill briefly if the dough has softened.
  5. Bake for 28–35 minutes, until the pastry edges are golden brown and the filling bubbles through the openings. If the tops color early, cover loosely with foil. Check a pie at the edge: the sides should be set and golden, not soft and raw-looking. Continue baking if needed.
  6. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Loosen the rims gently with a thin knife and lift each pie with a small spoon or offset spatula supporting its base. Cool at least 10 minutes more before serving. Refrigerate cooled leftovers, covered, for up to 4 days.

Video

Notes

Contains wheat and milk. Nutrition is estimated per pie, counting the full measured pastry, rolling flour, pan butter, and topping sugar; any unused dough or flour makes the actual amount lower. Timing allows for chilling and cooling, although preparing the filling during the dough chill can shorten elapsed time. Allow longer if the filling or dough is still warm.
Video credit: Laura Vitale, Mini Apple Pie Recipe, Laura in the Kitchen Episode 643, demonstrates pastry cups baked in muffin pans. Her recipe uses egg yolks, shortening, orange zest, and full pastry lids. This version uses an egg-free all-butter crust, precooked skin-on apples, and two crossed pastry strips.