Ingredients
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced small
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 8 soft caramel candies, halved
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water
- Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Heat and toss. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Toss the diced apples with the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and lemon juice.
- Cut the rounds. Unroll the pie crusts and cut four 4-inch rounds from each. Re-roll scraps once if needed.
- Fill. Place 2 tablespoons of apple filling on one half of each round and nestle in 2 caramel halves. Brush the edges with beaten egg.
- Seal and vent. Fold into half-moons, crimp the edges firmly with a fork, and cut a small vent in the top of each.
- Bake. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and bake 22-25 minutes until deeply golden. Cool 10 minutes — the caramel is lava — then serve warm.
💡 Hand pie smarts
Dice the apples small — big chunks stay crunchy while the pastry overbrowns. Seal the edges firmly with a fork and always cut a vent; trapped steam makes hand pies burst. Let them cool a full 10 minutes before biting in — molten caramel burns are the only downside of this recipe.
Common questions
Store-bought or homemade pie crust?
Both work beautifully. Refrigerated pie crusts make this a genuine 25-minute project; homemade is flakier if you have the time.
Can I freeze apple hand pies?
Yes — freeze them unbaked on a sheet pan, then bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding about 5 minutes.
What can I use instead of caramels?
A spoonful of dulce de leche or caramel sauce thickened with a pinch of flour works in a pinch.
How do I avoid soggy bottoms?
Bake on a preheated sheet pan and don't overfill — 2 tablespoons of filling per pie is plenty.
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