Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies

Name: Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 package (14 oz) refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts); 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced small; 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash); 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus 1 tablespoon milk (for glaze)

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

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Pie has always had a portability problem. It is wonderful at a table and considerably less impressive when you try to carry a slice around like a sandwich. Air fryer apple hand pies fix that by tucking a warm cinnamon-nutmeg apple filling inside individual rounds of flaky pie crust. Granny Smith apples are cooked briefly with butter, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg so they soften without collapsing into applesauce, and cooling that filling before assembly keeps the pastry from turning soft before it ever reaches the basket.

Once filled, the little half-moons get crimped shut with a fork, brushed with egg, vented, and air fried at 375°F until the crust is golden and flaky. The steam slits matter; without them, each hand pie starts making its own decisions about where the filling should exit. Give them five minutes to cool, then drizzle over the powdered-sugar glaze. You get crisp pastry, tart-sweet apple filling, warm spice, and a dessert that can be eaten with one hand—which is useful if the other hand is already reaching for a second one.

Prep15 minutes

Cook12 minutes

Total27 minutes

Serves12 servings

DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

Servings

1 package (14 oz) refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced small
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
1/2 cup powdered sugar plus 1 tablespoon milk (for glaze)

Instructions

1Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the apples soften slightly. Set aside to cool.
2Unroll the pie crusts and cut each into 6 circles using a 4-inch round cutter or a bowl as a guide.
3Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling onto one half of each circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold the dough over and press the edges with a fork to seal.
4Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Brush the tops of each hand pie with beaten egg and cut 2 small slits for steam to escape.
5Place hand pies in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving space between them. Air fry at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown and flaky.
6Let cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle with the powdered sugar glaze. Try not to eat them all before anyone else gets a chance.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 12 servings.

200Calories

3 gProtein

28 gCarbohydrates

9 gTotal Fat

3 gSaturated Fat

1 gFiber

12 gTotal Sugars

190 mgSodium

18 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Let the apple filling cool completely before assembling or it will melt through the dough and you will have a sticky crime scene in your air fryer basket.
Seal the edges well with a fork -- any gaps will pop open during cooking and the filling escapes like it has somewhere better to be.
Spray the basket with a light coat of cooking spray or use parchment liners to keep the pies from sticking. Nobody wants to pry a hand pie off a basket with a spatula.

Substitutions

This version is written for refrigerated pie crusts and Granny Smith apples. No alternate crust or apple variety is specified as tested on this page.

Keep the egg wash and small steam slits if you want the same sealed, browned hand-pie finish in the air fryer.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate leftover hand pies in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat them in the air fryer or oven so the pastry can crisp again; adding liquid would soften the crust.

Make Ahead

Cook and cool the cinnamon-apple filling ahead, then refrigerate it. Cut and fill the pie-crust rounds when you are ready, and air-fry the sealed hand pies close to serving so the pastry stays crisp; add the glaze after they cool slightly.

Freezing

Yes. Cool the hand pies completely, freeze them in a single layer until firm, then wrap or pack them airtight. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature and reheat in the air fryer or oven so the pie crust can crisp again; add fresh glaze after reheating if needed.