These mini apple pies are a bite-sized spin on a classic fall dessert, guaranteed to be a hit at your next gathering.
If you’re on the lookout for more mini desserts to make this fall, be sure to give my Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes a try, too!
Perfect Mini Apple Pies (Baked in a Muffin Tin!)
I’m a sucker for a home-baked apple pie. The cozy flavors, the warm spices, the gooey caramelized apples tucked inside a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth pie crust. Easy to make in a muffin tin, these mini apple pies are a fun, bite-sized version of classic apple pie that you can pick up and eat by hand. They’re perfectly portioned and great for sharing (or not 😉). These mini pies are always a hit at get-togethers and holidays. Everyone gets their own!
Why You’ll Love This Mini Apple Pie Recipe
Skip the forks. If you’re baking a pie for a crowd this Thanksgiving, mini pies are a great way to cut down on clean-up. Mini apple pies are the perfect single-serving dessert that doesn’t require plates or forks.
Classic flavor. This recipe uses the best classic apple pie filling recipe made from just 6 ingredients. It’s quick to make, bursting with juicy fall apples, sticky brown sugar, and cozy cinnamon spice.
Easy to make in a muffin tin. Bake your mini apple pies right in your standard-sized muffin tin! Each pie holds its shape and is just the right portion for one person.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients list is as short and sweet as these tiny pies! Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make them. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full ingredient amounts and recipe details.
Apples: My favorite apples for baking are Granny Smith, but you can make your pie filling with any variety of baking apples, or even a combination (see below). You’ll need to peel and dice your apples into bite-sized pieces before you start.
Sugar: I use both regular granulated sugar and brown sugar for a light yet caramelized flavor. Feel free to use all white sugar or all brown sugar instead.
Flour: Flour helps the juices gel together, thickening the apple pie filling. This keeps the pie from turning out watery.
Cinnamon: No apple pie is complete without a punch of cozy spice. Feel free to use cinnamon, ground nutmeg, or even a pre-mixed blend like apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.
Lemon Juice: To brighten the flavors of the filling. You can use freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice.
Pie Dough: Refrigerated store-bought pie dough is handy, or you can make this recipe with my homemade pie crust.
What Are the Best Apples for Apple Pie?
The best apples for apple pies are firm baking apples like Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, or Braeburn apples. You can even use a combination of different apples if you’d like. These types of apples hold up well at high temperatures and won’t become mushy once baked.
How to Make Mini Apple Pies
These mini apple pies are super quick to make, especially if you’re using a premade pie crust! It takes minutes to prepare the filling and assemble the pies. Here’s how to do it:
Combine the filling ingredients. Add the diced apples to a bowl with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice, and toss to coat.
Roll out the pie dough. Next, roll out the dough for your pie crust on a clean work surface. Once the dough is about 1/8” thick, use a cookie cutter to cut out circles of dough. Save the dough that’s left over, as you’ll use this to make your lattice top!
Assemble the mini pies. Press one dough circle into each well of a greased muffin tin, and fill each crust with the prepared apple pie filling. You can be generous here, as the apples will shrink as they bake.
Add a lattice top. Now, you’ll gather up the remaining pie dough, roll it out, and cut it into thin strips (these strips should be slightly wider than the pies). Carefully lay the strips to form a lattice crust over each filled pie, pressing the edges in place.
Bake. Bake at 425ºF for 18-22 minutes. The crust should be golden and the apples will be bubbling. Once the pies are out of the oven, leave them to rest for a few minutes before removing them from the pan. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges. Serve your pies warm or allow them to cool completely, see below for serving suggestions!
Can I Make a Crumble Topping Instead?
Absolutely.In place of a lattice crust, channel Dutch apple pie and top these mini pies with a buttery crumble topping instead. Simply combine melted butter, light brown sugar, and all-purpose flour and crumble the mixture together using your hands. See the recipe card notes for details. It’s the perfect alternative if you’re pressed for time!
Tips for Success
Follow these tips for the best mini apple pies, every time you make them:
If you’re using a store-bought pie crust, you’ll need one standard package with 2 round pie crusts. You can also use my recipe for homemade pie dough, linked above and in the recipe card.
Get creative with your top crust. Instead of a lattice crust, you can use the leftover pie dough to decorate the tops of the pies any way you’d like. Use mini cookie cutters to create fun shapes, or cover it with a full top crust. Just remember to add air vents so that the steam can escape!
Add a crumble instead. See the section above and the recipe card for instructions on how to make mini apple crumble pies instead.
Use a standard muffin tin. We’re not after mini mini apple pies! Make sure to use a regular 12-well muffin pan and not a mini muffin pan.
How do I keep apples from getting mushy in a pie?
Firstly, make sure that you’re using baking apples (see the ingredients section). Secondly, tossing the apples in flour helps to thicken the filling as it bakes, keeping the pies from becoming mushy and runny. If needed, you can also use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in place of ¼ cup flour in this recipe. Just don’t skip the thickener!
Should I peel apples for apple pie?
I always recommend peeled apples when making apple pies of any size. While peeling loses some of the apples’ nutrition, peeled apples yield a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture without any surprise apple skins in the mix.
Variation Ideas
If you’d like to change up the flavors of these mini apple pies, try one or more of these easy variations:
Chai. For a different flavor variation, borrow the filling from my Chai Dutch apple pie recipe.
Another filling. Try different fillings to make mini versions of homemade pumpkin pie or pecan pie, or another fruit pie like blueberry pie. Note that the exact baking times may vary depending on the filling, so keep an eye on your pies while they bake.
Add-ins. Mix in a handful of fresh blueberries for a blueberry apple pie, or cranberries for cranberry apple pie.
These mini apple pies are delicious whether they’re served warm from the oven or at room temperature. So you can enjoy them freshly baked or make them ahead for your next fall gathering! Here’s some tasty serving inspiration:
How to Store
To Store. Store your mini apple pies at room temperature for up to 2 days, or up to 5 days in the fridge. Make sure that the pies are cooled completely before storing them in an airtight container. You can warm the pies up in the oven at 350ºF or in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
Freeze. These mini pies are great to freeze for longer storage. Once they’ve cooled to room temperature, wrap or store the apple pies airtight, and freeze them for up to 2-3 months. Defrost the pies in the fridge. I like to reheat the pies in the oven to help crisp up the crust again.
These mini apple pies are easy to make in a muffin tin! They’re a bite-sized spin on a classic fall dessert, bursting with juicy apple pie filling and warm spices.
5 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 pre-made pie dough rounds (14-ounces, total for 2) or use my homemade pie crust recipe
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the diced apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir together until the apples are evenly coated and set aside.
Roll the pie dough onto a clean counter, until it’s approximately 1/8- inch thick (about 11- inches in diameter). Using a large biscuit cutter, or round cookie cutter (3 1/2- inches in diameter) cut out 12 circles of dough. Save the scraps to use for your lattice topping. You will have the exact right amount of dough remaining.
Press the rounds into each muffin tin and up the sides.
Distribute the apples evenly between all the pies. I like a heaping mound of apples in each, because they shrink as they bake, so heaping them into the cups makes sure your mini pies are full of apples.
Roll out the remaining pie dough and using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into small strips slightly longer than the diameter of the pies. Lay out the lattice crust on top of the apple filling and gently press the edge of the strips down to secure.
Bake the pies for 18 – 22 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.
Allow the pies to cool for 10 – 15 minutes before running a butter knife around the edges to release and then gently transfer them to a wire rack or serving dish.
Serve warm or room temperature with ice cream, whipped cream, or caramel sauce.
Notes
If using store bought pie dough you will need 1 (14- ounce) package of dough, which will be 2 round pie dough.
Crumble topping: You can also skip the lattice topping and make a simple crumble topping instead, which is also delicious.
Combine 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, and 1/2 cup all purpose flour. Mix together and squeeze into larger crumb pieces with your hands. Evenly divide this among the pies and bake as directed.
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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