What's more charming than an apple pie? How about mini apple pies that perfectly capture that warm, cozy feeling of coming home from school on a crisp autumn afternoon? Whether tucked into lunchboxes or waiting on the counter after school, they’re a fall school snack kids can’t resist.
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🥧 About Mini Muffin-Tin Apple Pies
These miniature apple pies made in muffin tins are a delicious snack that your kids will look forward to, whether you're a parent looking for the perfect treat to pack in your kids’ lunch boxes or for an after-school or home-school snack.
They're easy to make and bursting with fresh fruit, sweet brown sugar and cinnamon. You can choose your favorite apples to make them with. You might even sneak a pie or two for yourself!
If you love mini treats like myself, you might also like these electric skillet mini pies, fudgy chocolate brownie bites and delicious, blueberry pancake balls. And, if you are interested in making snacks in muffin tins that aren't muffins, try these taco cups.
🍎 Mini Apple Pie Ingredients
- frozen puff pastry - thawed
- large apple - some choices include Granny Smith, McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Gala and Pink Lady
- brown sugar - I use dark brown sugar
- all-purpose flour - for the filling and to roll out dough scraps
- ground cinnamon - cinnamon adds that nostalgic, comforting aroma, which contributes to the classic apple pie experience
- vanilla extract - can use artificial or pure
- egg - to brush on the pies and give them a glossy appearance
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
🥣 How to Make Mini Apple Pies
- Prep the filling. Heat oven to 425°F. In a bowl, mix the apples with the sugar, flour, cinnamon and vanilla. Cover and set aside while working on the puff pastry.
- Cut circles out of the puff pastry. Unroll puff pastry onto a work surface. Cut into 36 small circles using a cookie cutter (1.75”). Gather the scraps and roll it again over a lightly floured surface to make more circles, if needed.
- Arrange in muffin tin. Press 18 of the circles into the cavities of a mini-muffin tin. They should come up the sides a bit. Add apple mixture evenly to each of the muffin cups (about a teaspoon). Cover with the remaining 18 circles and press down around the edges (they will be lower than the top of the cavity). Brush the tops with the beaten egg.
- Bake. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
- Cool and serve. Let them cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Carefully loosen and remove from muffin tin. Serve!
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
These delicious little pies are a perfect snack for kids, both in and out of the classroom (kids also love my mini falafels!). If you've got a class party coming up, they are a great way to surprise your students. Anyone can bake cookies or brownies, but when's the last time you saw someone bring in homemade, mini pies?
You can even turn it into a lesson for your students by inviting them to make their own miniature pies in the classroom.
These pies are also a great option for parents looking for an after-school snack. They're made with real ingredients like fresh apples, ground cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla.
To make the mini apple pies even more special, you can cut strips out of the spare dough and layer it in a criss-cross pattern over the filling for that classic apple pie look.
When your child gets home from school, sit down with a pie or two and talk to them about their day. You can even make it a routine that they look forward to after school. What better way to bond with your child than by having a conversation accompanied by a tasty snack?
✔️Tips For Success
- Try not to overstuff the pies. The filling can bubble through and cause a mess plus less filling in the end. A teaspoon of filling per mini pie is usually enough for this recipe.
- Cool Before Removing. Let the pies cool slightly before removing them from the muffin tin. This helps them set and reduces the chance of breaking the crust. Use a butter knife to gently loosen the edges if needed.
- Add a Sprinkle of Sugar: For extra sweetness and a bit of crunch, sprinkle a little sugar (or cinnamon sugar) on top of the egg wash before baking.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can, but only for a day or two and then you will want to pop them into the fridge or freezer.
If you want to make them ahead of time, they can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Yes! You can freeze them by wrapping them in plastic wrap, then transferring to freezer bags or a container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
They can be thawed in the fridge. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for a short time--until warmed through.
🧡 More Homemade Fall Treats You Will Love
If you tried this 🍎🥧 Mini Apple Pies Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Mini Apple Pies - Fall School Snack
Ingredients
- 8 ounces frozen puff pastry - thawed
- 1 large apple - peeled, cored and finely chopped ( ¼ -inch pieces)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon all-purpose flour - plus more to roll out dough scraps
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg - beaten
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F. In a bowl, mix the apples with the sugar, flour, cinnamon and vanilla. Cover and set aside while working on the puff pastry.
- Unroll puff pastry onto a work surface. Cut into 36 small circles using a cookie cutter (1.75”). Gather the scraps and roll it again over a lightly floured surface to make more circles, if needed.
- Press 18 of the circles into the cavities of a mini-muffin tin. They should come up the sides a bit.
- Add the apple mixture evenly to each of the muffin cups (about a teaspoon). Cover with the remaining 18 circles and press down around the edges (they will be lower than the top of the cavity). Brush the tops with the beaten egg.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
- Let them cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Carefully loosen and remove from muffin tin. Serve!
Equipment
Notes
- Make sure to let the pies cool slightly before removing them from the muffin tin. This helps them set and reduces the chance of breaking the crust. Use a butter knife to gently loosen the edges if needed.
- If you want to make them ahead of time, they can be left on the counter for a day or two. They can also be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- You can freeze them by wrapping them in plastic wrap, then transferring to freezer bags or a container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- They can be thawed in the fridge. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for a short time--until warmed through.
- To make the pies even more special, you can cut strips out of the spare dough and layer it in a criss-cross pattern over the filling for that classic apple pie look.
- Some apple choices include Granny Smith, McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Gala and Pink Lady.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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