Apple Hand Pies

It’s time to elevate the classic Apple Hand Pies from the microwaved version you get in the drive thru. I’m talking homemade buttery flaky crust, rich sunflower butter, and spiced fresh apples lovingly wrapped into a portable pie. No fork required, just grab one and start eating!

Best Apples for Apple Pie

Let’s start with which apple to choose for your homemade apple pies! The most common apple used for pie is the Granny Smith. It’s firm and slightly sour characteristic pairs nicely with fall spices, while keeping its shape when baked. I also love the use of Golden Delicious because of its mildness and ability to soak up bold flavors. A third option for a crispy and sweet apple is the Ginger Gold. All of these will hold up great in a pie! Sorry, the Macintosh gets a bit to soft for me.

Apple Pie Filling

Most apple pies are filled with apples that have been coated in spices, a little flour, and some sugar. But, why not add a little more? For this recipe I decided to partner with SunButter to jazz up our apple hand pies! Yes, a rich bottom layer of Organic Sunflower Butter mixed with nutmeg, vanilla, and some maple syrup creates a whole new flavor sensation!

Organic SunButter has no added salts or sugars, with 7g of plant-based protein and more vitamins & minerals than most nut butters. Which means a little health benefit in our indulgent apple pie dessert! The layer of sunflower butter also helps the bottom crust from becoming soggy from the apples, maintaining its crispy texture.

Tips for Making Apple Hand Pies

• Make two Homemade Pie Crusts, one with a teaspoon of cinnamon and place in the fridge an hour before making pies.
• Select firm apples great for baking! See tips above. For this recipe I used Golden Delicious.
• Slice your apples in half, remove stem and scoop out core. Then take a sharp knife and cut into slices. I prefer to leave the skin on, but you can peel them if you wish.
• Be sure to stir your Organic Sunflower Butter to distribute the oil before measuring and mixing with spices, vanilla, and maple syrup.
• Use one or both of your pie crusts to create the pastry base.
• Take a section of crust and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Slightly thicker is fine too. Measure and cut ‘four’ 5 inch by 6 inch rectangles. You could also do ‘eight’ 3 inch by 4 inch rectangles if you prefer smaller pies. Save the rest of the dough for your lattice.
• I like to cut my rectangles and then place them on a parchment paper lined tray. For the bigger pies I did two pies per tray.
• Spread a 1/8 inch layer of sunflower butter spread onto the center of the dough, leaving a 1/2 – 2/3 inch border.
• Place sliced sugar coated apples in a row from top to bottom down the sunflower butter spread.
• Roll out the remaining crust to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 1/2 inch strips. Again, if its a little wider, no worries!
• Brush a thin layer of egg wash on the bare dough around the sunflower butter spread.

Final Touches

• I decided to alternate my lattice with strips of plain pie crust and strips of cinnamon pie crust. Lay one type of crust strips diagonally across apples. Then on the opposite diagonal, weave strips over and under until lattice is formed.
• Cut the excess overhang of dough strips form the rectangle.
• Press the lattice gently onto the egg washed bottom pastry layer.
• Smooth the edges with your fingers.
• Apply a thin coating of egg wash across the lattice, sprinkle with sugar.
• Chill pies in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm dough and prevent spreading before baking.
• Bake until lightly golden brown and pastry is firm.
• Let pies cool on pan, on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes before serving.
• Store baked apple pies in an air tight container in fridge.

*This Recipe is Sponsored by Sunbutter. All thoughts and text are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make Two Cups Flour possible.