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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Mini Apple Pies With Puff Pastry

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These mini apple pies with puff pastry are the perfect fix for all of your sweet cravings. Fresh apples, a touch of brown sugar and warm spices are wrapped in a golden-brown, flaky puff pastry to make homemade little apple pies you won’t be able to resist!

Flaky mini apple pies with puff pastry served on a white plate and dusted with powdered sugar.

Apple pie is a classic dessert and is total comfort food. But as much as I adore regular homemade apple pie, I don’t adore the massive amounts of calories or refined sugar that come along with it! 

So I decided to makeover this classic apple dessert recipe, into perfectly sized, individually portioned, mini apple pies with puff pastry! Apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla all come together to make these apple mini pies a staple in your kitchen. And the best part: they are much healthier for you than a regular piece of apple pie!

These mini puff pastry apple pies are the perfect treat for any occasion. They’re so easy to make, you’ll have these mini pies ready in no time!

Whether you enjoy them warm or cold, on their own or with a scoop of ice cream, these mini apple pies are sure to impress.

Feel free to enjoy them on their own, or as part of a mini dessert spread like with these mini chocolate tarts, mini fruit tarts, and mini cheesecake bites. Grab your puff pastry, slice those apples, and discover why this simple yet delicious dessert is a must-try!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

  • Quick Prep Time: Indulge in the flavor of apple pie with puff pastry sheets for a quicker alternative to a homemade crust.
  • Special Treat: Impress guests with these individual apple tarts for birthdays, special occasions, or holiday gatherings. It’s the perfect fall recipe, but honestly tastes great any time of year too!
  • Simple Ingredients: Create a mouthwatering dessert with basic pantry staples and a buttery, flaky crust.
  • Make It Your Own: Swap apple varieties and experiment with fillings and spices for endless variations.
  • Easy Beginner Recipe: Novice bakers can effortlessly master this recipe for mini apple tarts with step-by-step instructions.

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🥘 Ingredients

To create this mini apple tarts with puff pastry recipe, you will need the following simple ingredients:

Ingredients for mini apple pies with puff pastry recipe on a white background.
  • Puff Pastry Sheets: While you can use homemade puff pastry dough, I like using pre-made puff pastry sheets because they’re ready in a fraction of the time and effort, and give you a buttery, flaky crust. Just make sure to thaw them as directed on the packet to unleash their full potential.
  • Apples: Apples are the star of the show with this mini apple pastries recipe. I chose sweeter apples but you can use tart apples too (see our substitutions recommendations below). They add a burst of natural sweetness and delightful juiciness to every bite. 
  • Brown Sugar: This sweet wonder is like a caramel hug for your taste buds. It adds a touch of richness and balances out any tartness from the apples. Go ahead and adjust the amount based on your sweetness meter. We won’t judge if you sneak an extra spoonful or two.
  • Spices: Any of your favorite apple pie spices work well in this recipe! I chose cinnamon and nutmeg – but you can try allspice, cloves, ground ginger, or even cardamom!
  • Slivered Almonds: These crunchy wonders bring a whole new dimension of texture to your mini apple puff pastry pies. They add a delightful little crunch that’ll make you go “Mmm!” 
  • Cornstarch: This humble ingredient helps bring your apple filling together, making it thick & gooey, creating a luscious and velvety blend of flavors. It’s like a culinary superhero, making sure your pies stay intact and easy to eat. 
  • Powdered Sugar (optional): This is the finishing touch that’ll make this mini apple pies with puff pastry recipe feel extra special. A delicate dusting of powdered sugar adds a touch of sweetness and makes your creations look pretty too!

🍲 Substitutions

  • Apple Varieties: While Pink Lady apples work wonderfully in this simple recipe, feel free to try Gala apples, Granny Smith apples, Fuji apples, Red delicious, Golden delicious, or Jonagold apples for their unique flavors and textures.
  • Alternative Fillings: Try out your own fillings with whatever fruits you have on hand. Chop them into small pieces and make your own filling flavor!
  • Homemade Puff Pastry: You can always make your own puff pastry dough for a more ambitious baking project instead of using store-bought sheets of puff pastry. It will take your mini apple pie tarts to a whole new level of flakiness and flavor.
  • Slivered Almonds: For nut-free options, you can omit the almonds or replace them with chopped walnuts or pecans for added crunch.
  • Brown Sugar: You can use any sugar you have available for this delicious recipe. White sugar, coconut sugar, and castor sugar are all great options. 

🔪 How To Make Mini Apple Pies With Puff Pastry

Here’s how to make these super simple individual apple pies with puff pastry! With just a couple of steps and no hard work involved, they will be ready in no time!

Thaw Pastry, Prep Apples: Thaw the puff pastry pie dough as directed on the packet. Peel, core, and finely dice the apples with a sharp knife. Use an apple corer if you have one to make this easy recipe even easier.

Preparing the apples by coring them, peeling and then chopping into small pieces.

Sweet Apple Filling: Next, make the homemade apple pie filling by placing the diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, slivered almonds, and cornstarch into a large bowl and mixing until well combined.

The apple pie filling is being mixed in a large mixing bowl.

Puff Pastry Sheet Prep: Lay a sheet of puff pastry flat on a baking sheet and cut it with a pizza cutter or sharp knife into small squares large enough to cover the holes of the mini muffin tin.

The puff pastry being cut into small squares before being pushed into the muffin tin.

Create Mini Pies: Line the muffin holes with the puff pastry pieces, pressing down into the cavity to make room for the filling. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry in muffin tins until 32 holes have been lined. When all holes have been lined, ¾ fill each hole with apple filling.

Apple filling added to the prepared puff pastry cups.

Bake: Bake the puff pastry mini apple pies in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Crispy and golden baked mini apple pies in the muffin tray.

Allow to Cool: Cool the puff pastry apple pie bites on a cooling rack. Lightly dust with powdered sugar if using.

Puff pastry mini apple pies cooling on a wire cooling rack.

Serve and Enjoy! Enjoy your mini apple puff pastry tarts either warm or cold.

Baked mini apple pies in the muffin tray before being removed to cool.

💭 Expert Tips

  • Quick Cooking Time: Dice the apples into small cubes to ensure they cook quickly and evenly in the puff pastry mini pies. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to keep the apples from going brown.
  • Handling the Puff Pastry: Ensure the store-bought puff pastry is soft and flexible before using to prevent tearing when lining the muffin holes. Chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes if it becomes too warm.
  • Don’t Overfill: Make sure not to overfill the puff pastry – this will cause them to break while baking and all of that delicious filling will ooze out.
  • Preventing Sticking: Lightly spraying the mini muffin tray prevents this apple pie using puff pastry from sticking, so don’t skip this step.
  • No Need to Peel: Feel free to leave the apple peels on for added texture and nutritional value.
  • Freshness: These individual apple puff pastry pies are best enjoyed within 24 hours for ultimate freshness.
  • No Egg Wash: A lot of recipes for small apple pies with puff pastry use a pastry brush to brush an egg wash over the tarts, but there is no need for that in this recipe!

📖 Variations

  • Apple Hand Pies: Shape the pastry into hand-held mini apple turnovers, creating a portable treat perfect for picnics or on-the-go snacking.
  • Apple Pie Cups: Create deeper pastry cups by using a muffin pan with larger cavities. Fill them generously with the apple mixture for a classic pie experience.
  • Mini Apple Pie Bites with Puff Pastry: Use a cookie cutter to cut out small shapes from the puff pastry, place a dollop of apple filling on top, and bake until crispy.
  • Apple Phyllo Turnovers: Replace puff pastry with delicate phyllo sheets for a lighter alternative and make easy mini apple turnovers!
  • Other Fruits: You can easily swap the apples for other fruits. Peaches or pears would both be excellent options. They are sweet and delicious as well. You can try out other fruit fillings, but just know that the results may vary and that’s to be expected.

👨‍👩‍👧 Serving Suggestions

  • Rich Toppings: Serve these individual puff pastry apple pies on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for extra indulgence. They are perfect for afternoon tea, dessert, or as a sweet treat on the go. Drizzle a luscious chocolate sauce or homemade caramel sauce over the top of each pie for a quick treat. Or top each mini apple pie with a dollop of freshly whipped heavy cream. 
  • Coffee Or Hot Drinks: A cup of freshly brewed coffee or a creamy latte makes for a perfect companion for a puff pastry apple pie recipe. Try my Biscoff latte recipe, golden latte, or my creamy mocha latte. They are all great companions for these mini apple pies with puff pastry. Not a fan of coffee drinks? No problem! Try these pies with my oat milk hot chocolate for a decadent treat. 
  • Serve With Ice Cream: Take your apple pies to the next level by serving them with a scoop of your favorite dairy-based or vegan ice cream. I love them with this caramel nice cream, or my vegan matcha ice cream or coconut milkshake!

🫙 Storage Directions

At Room Temperature: These hand held apple pies with puff pastry can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

In the Fridge: Store any leftover apple pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

In the Freezer: If you wrap each apple pastry with foil or plastic wrap, and then place them into an airtight container, you can also put them in the freezer. They will last for 2-3 months in the freezer and can be thawed in the fridge

Reheating: These mini apple pies with puff pastry can be enjoyed warm or cold. For a warm apple pie experience, pop the individual pies in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F / 180 C for a few minutes until gently heated.

❓Recipe FAQs

Is it better to precook apples for apple pie?

Yes! There are 4 main benefits to pre-cooking apples for apple pie:
1) Texture:
Precooking the apples can help soften them, resulting in a more tender filling.
2) No Shrinking: Apples have a lot of water, so they shrink in size when cooked. If you precook your apples you know exactly how much filling you have before assembling your pies.
3) No Extra Water: Precooking can help release some of the moisture from the apples, reducing the risk of a watery pie
4) Flavor: Precooking the apples enhances their flavor as it allows the spices and other ingredients to penetrate the fruit more thoroughly.

Are mini apple pies healthy?

While this puff pastry with apples is still a dessert, it’s much healthier than traditional apple turnovers or apple pie.

Here’s what makes this apple pie with puff pastry dough healthier:
1) Less Sugar:
Each apple pie has only 6 grams of sugar per serving!
2) Low Calorie: Each apple pie has only 114 calories!
3) Whole Apples: We make our homemade apple pie filling from scratch in this recipe, reducing extra added sugars, preservatives, and stabilizers while maintaining great flavor.

Mini apple pies dusted with confectioners sugar served on a white plate.

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🎥 Watch How to Make It

Flaky mini apple pies with puff pastry served on a white plate and dusted with powdered sugar.
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5 from 11 votes

Mini Apple Pies With Puff Pastry

These mini apples pies with puff pastry are the perfect fix for all of your sweet cravings. Flaky crust filled with a sweet and gooey apple filling that’s juicy and packed with flavor. Every bite leaves you in food heaven!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Baking, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 32 servings
Calories: 114kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Thaw the pastry as directed on the packet.
  • Peel, core and finely dice the apples.
  • Place the diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, slivered almonds and cornstarch into a bowl and mix until well combined.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
  • Lightly spray a mini muffin tray with spray oil.
  • Lay a sheet of puff pastry flat and cut into squares large enough to cover the holes of the mini muffin tray.
  • Line the muffin holes with the puff pastry pieces, pressing down into the cavity to make room for the filling. Repeat with all remaining pastry until 32 holes have been lined.
  • When all holes have been lined, fill each hole ¾ of the way with apple filling.
  • Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
  • Cool on a cooling rack. Lightly dust with powdered sugar if using.
  • Enjoy either warm or cold.

Notes

  • I used Pink Lady apples to make this recipe however you could also use Gala, Granny Smith or Jonagold apples.
  • No need to toast the slivered almonds, they cook up really well in this recipe as they are.
  • Lightly spraying the holes of the mini muffin tray prevents the pastry from sticking so be sure to not skip this step.
  • Dice the apples into small cubes to help with a quick cooking time. Use frozen pastry sheets to save time.
  • Ensure the pastry is soft and flexible before using other wise the pastry will tear when lining the muffin holes. If the dough becomes too warm and hard to handle place the pastry sheet back into the fridge to chill for 10 minutes.
  • It’s not essential to peel the apples, you can just leave them on if you prefer.
  • Store leftover apple pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • Apple pies are best enjoyed within 24 hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1mini apple pie | Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g

49 responses to “Mini Apple Pies With Puff Pastry”

  1. If only I could eat these apple pies via my phone, that’s just how fantastic they look. Good job!5 stars

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