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mini apple pies dusted with powdered sugar on plate with strawberries.
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5 from 15 votes

Mini Apple Pies With Puff Pastry (No Peeling)

These simple mini apple pies feature a classic cinnamon apple filling wrapped in a flaky puff pastry. Delicious little single-serving desserts made in a muffin pan with just 5 ingredients.
Prep Time12 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Cool8 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings (change as needed): 9 mini apple pies
Author: Cheryl Avrich
US Measures - Metric

Ingredients

  • 4 small fresh apples, cores discarded, Note 1 finely diced to 1/4 inch/6 mm
  • 1 tablespoon butter (plus 1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar (use 3 tbsp if you like sweeter or if apples are not sweet)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 sheet puff pastry dough, thawed, Note 2
  • 1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash Optional - helps make a golden brown finish on pies.
  • 2 teaspoons powdered sugar (also called icing sugar or confectioner sugar)
US Measures - Metric

Instructions

  • HEAT OVEN TO 425F. Lightly spray 9 (of the 12) cups in the muffin tin with oil.
  • PRE-COOK APPLES FILLING: Place diced apples, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in medium skillet. Heat to medium high. Stir 2-3 minutes so that apples begin to release juices. Cover, lower to medium heat, and cook 10 minutes. Uncover, and cook 2-3 more minutes until all liquid evaporates.
  • PREPARE PUFF PASTRY: Unfold puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it to ~11x11 inches/ 28 x 28 cm (making it a little bigger on all sides). Alternatively, stretch it out a bit by hand. Cut into 9 squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
    Place each square in a muffin tin cup (stretch it out a tiny bit before placing it in the cup). Press down so that the dough touches the bottom and the corners hang over the top. Repeat with all 9 puff pastry squares.
  • FILL AND COMPLETE PIES: Fill each puff pastry cup with apple mixture about 3/4 full. You will use about 2 1/2-3 tablespoons for each cup. To cover each mini pie with puff pastry: fold the two overhanging corners facing each other towards the middle. Pinch. Then fold the other two corners towards the middle and pinch. Leave a few air vents. No need to be perfect - rustic is fine! I recommend brushing the tops with egg wash using a pastry brush to create a golden brown finish (it's not essential - pies will just be paler). You will not need all the egg wash.
  • BAKE pies in middle rack of oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown with a flaky crust. Most oven temperatures are not accurate so you may need an extra couple of minutes. Transfer the pies to a cooling rack (I gently scoop them out with a soup spoon) to cool for 8-10 minutes.
  • FINISHING TOUCH: Place powdered sugar in a small fine mesh sieve and shake it gently over each pie to distribute over the tops of the pies. If you don't have a sieve, just use your fingers and sprinkle from 10 inches/25 cm above.

Notes

  1. Apple options: Choose apples that will keep their shape such as Granny Smith apples, Gala, Fuji, Bradburn, and Honeycrisp. Use 4 small apples or 3 medium apples. You will need a total of 2 1/2 cups (310 grams) of finely diced apples. I don't peel the apples but you can if you prefer. 
  2. Puff pastry: comes frozen, typically as 2 rolled-out puff pastry sheets per box (1.1 lb/17 ounces/490 grams). Each sheet will be folded in thirds and often unfolds to a 10x10 inch square (25x25 cm). You will need half a box or one sheet (unless you are doubling the recipe). The brands that say "made with butter" will have a richer taste. If your dough comes in a block, you will have to roll it out to an 11 x 11 inch square (28x28 cm). Defrost frozen dough in fridge the night before. If you forget, defrost on the counter for 45-60 minutes. It's easiest to work with cold dough (otherwise it can tear more easily).
  3. Filling variations: you can add to the apple mixture a little dried fruit, a pinch of nutmeg, 1/4 cup/38 grams chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts), a dash of vanilla extract, lemon zest or a splash of brandy.
  4. Finishing touches: Drizzle on a simple icing glaze or maple syrup in addition to or instead of powdered sugar. You can also use extra dough to make little cut-out shapes to add on top of each pie e.g. a leaf or heart.
  5. How to serve: Serve the pies warm with ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce or vanilla sauce. 
  6. Make ahead:
    • A few hours or 1 day ahead: If making the pies a few hours or a day ahead, add a tiny pinch of flour to each puff pastry cup before adding the apple mixture. This will absorb any additional juices that might seep out. If baking the next day, cover the muffin tin with the unbaked pies with foil and place in the fridge. Bake when needed.
    • Storing: Two days at room temperature or 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
    • Freezing: You can freeze the unbaked pies in the muffin tin for a month. Bake from frozen at 375F/190C for about 30 minutes. 
    • Reheating: The best way to reheat the baked puff pastry pies is a 350F/177C for 5-10 minutes. This will crisp up the crust. Microwaving for 15 seconds will warm them, but the pastry will be a bit soggy. 
 
Nutrition values are estimated and include the powdered sugar (not the ice cream!)
Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 72IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg