These Apple Pie Cookies capture the classic flavor of apple pie in a convenient, handheld form. Each bite features a buttery, flaky pie crust filled with spiced brown sugar apples—perfect for parties, lunchboxes, or a cozy dessert at home.
If you love traditional apple pie but want something smaller and easier to serve, these Apple Pie Cookies are an ideal choice. They are essentially miniature hand pies: crisp on the outside with a tender, flaky crust and a warm, fragrant apple filling inside. Because they are single-serving, they’re easy to eat without utensils and create less fuss than slicing a whole pie.
These bite-sized pies are versatile. You can shape them with a round cutter, make turnover-style pockets, or weave a tiny lattice for a decorative top. They also freeze well, so you can prepare them in advance and bake from frozen—great for planning ahead during busy days or holidays. If you prefer to save time, store-bought pie crust or puff pastry can be used instead of making dough from scratch.
Homemade Pie Crust
A good pie crust balances flour, fat, and liquid. For flavor and structure, this recipe uses an equal mix of cold butter and shortening. Butter gives the crust a rich, delicious taste while shortening helps the dough hold its shape and stay easier to roll. If you prefer, you can use all butter for a richer flavor, but expect the dough to be a bit more delicate to work with.
Important tips: keep the fats very cold—cut them into small pieces and chill or briefly freeze before incorporating. Work quickly to avoid warming the dough. If it becomes too soft while rolling, refrigerate it for 15–30 minutes before continuing. Chilling improves handleability and helps create flaky layers when baked.
Best Apple for the Filling
Choose apples that hold their shape when cooked. Firm, crisp varieties work best because they soften without turning to mush. Granny Smith is a reliable go-to: its tartness and firmness stand up well to cooking and balance the sweetness of brown sugar. You can also mix tart and sweet apples to add depth—just keep to apples that remain relatively firm when warmed.
How to Make Apple Pie Cookies
Prepare the pie crust dough and apple filling ahead of time. For a shortcut, refrigerated pie crusts or puff pastry work fine. Roll out the dough and cut circles with a 3.5-inch (9 cm) cutter—avoid anything smaller than about 3 inches (7.5 cm) so you can fit enough filling inside.
Place about a tablespoon of apple filling in the center of each bottom circle, leaving space around the edges. Top with a lattice or another dough circle, then seal the edges—use a fork to crimp or press edges with your fingers. An egg wash placed along the edge before topping helps seal the two pieces together. For fully enclosed cookies, cut a few small vents in the top to let steam escape. Brush each cookie with egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar if you like a little sparkle and crunch. Bake until golden brown and let cool briefly before transferring to a rack.
More Apple Dessert Ideas
If you enjoy these cookies, try other apple desserts such as apple cinnamon puff pastry, apple cinnamon crepes, apple rose pastries, or apple crumble cookies. These recipes showcase the same comforting flavors in different formats.
Apple Pie Cookies
Handheld mini pies with a buttery, flaky crust and a spiced brown sugar apple filling.
Author: Jaja Bakes
Course: Dessert, Snack | Cuisine: American | Servings: 12
Prep time: 40 minutes | Cook time: 35 minutes | Additional time: 2 hours (chill) | Total: about 3 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup (95 g) cold shortening, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) ice water
Apple Filling
- 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp water (for cornstarch slurry)
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
- Coarse sugar for topping (optional)
Instructions
Pie Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed butter and shortening. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the fats into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Gradually add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough begins to clump together. Stop when large clumps form—do not over-hydrate.
- Divide the dough into two disks, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
Apple Filling
- Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to form a slurry; set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium and melt the butter. Add diced apples and cook 4–5 minutes until they soften slightly, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to low, stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook until the juices thicken. Remove from heat and cool completely before filling the pastries.
Egg Wash
- Whisk the egg and milk together until well combined. Set aside.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk to about 1/8–1/4 inch (3–5 mm) thickness. Use a 3.5-inch (9 cm) cutter to cut circles for the bottoms.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each bottom circle and brush the edges with egg wash.
- For lattice tops: roll the remaining dough and cut 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) strips, weave into a lattice and place over the filling. Trim excess and seal. For closed tops: cut circles from the remaining dough, place on top, seal edges, and cut vents in the tops.
- Crimp edges with a fork, brush the tops with egg wash, and sprinkle coarse sugar if desired.
- Bake 28–32 minutes until golden brown, rotating pans halfway through. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition (per cookie)
Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 300 kcal | Carbohydrates: 31 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 19 g
Additional values: Saturated Fat 8 g | Trans Fat 2 g | Cholesterol 38 mg | Sodium 206 mg | Fiber 2 g | Sugar 9 g
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