This fall, enjoy these mini apple pie bites made with flaky puff pastry. Individual and charming, they feature a homemade apple filling tucked into store-bought puff pastry for a quick, delicious dessert without the fuss of making a crust from scratch.
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Table of contents
- Why These Mini Puff Pastry Apple Pies Are The Best!
- What Is Puff Pastry?
- Key Ingredients
- Step-By-Step Instructions
- Puff Pastry
- Apple Filling
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage Recommendations
- Make-Ahead Tips
- Looking For Other Mini Dessert Ideas? Try These!
Why These Mini Puff Pastry Apple Pies Are The Best!
Apple pie is a classic fall dessert. Tart, crisp apples with warm spices and a flaky crust make a comforting treat for gatherings or an everyday sweet. If making a full pie crust feels intimidating or time-consuming, these mini pies are a perfect alternative. They’re simple to assemble, impressive on a dessert table, and portion-friendly so guests can enjoy a little taste without overindulging.
What Is Puff Pastry?
Puff pastry is a rich, layered dough made from flour, water, and butter. Its hundreds of thin layers puff up dramatically in the oven without yeast, creating a crisp, flaky texture. Producing puff pastry from scratch requires careful folding and chilling, so using frozen sheets from the grocery freezer is an easy, time-saving shortcut for this recipe.
Key Ingredients
Apples – Choose firm baking apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious. Avoid softer varieties such as Gala or Red Delicious.
Puff pastry – Frozen puff pastry sheets are readily available in most grocery freezer sections and make this recipe quick and reliable.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Puff Pastry
Allow one sheet of thawed puff pastry to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes so it’s easier to handle. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin to prevent sticking. Roll the sheet into a slightly larger square, then cut it into 12 equal squares using a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
Press each square gently into a lightly greased muffin tin to form small cups. Prepare an egg wash by beating one egg with a tablespoon of heavy cream or milk and brush the pastry cups lightly. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 8 minutes. When they come out of the oven, press the centers down with the back of a spoon so the filling can fit easily.
While the pastry bakes, peel, core, and dice the apples into small, bite-size pieces so they’ll soften quickly in the pan.
Apple Filling
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1/3 cup brown sugar. Add the diced apples, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Cook for about 10 minutes until the apples soften. This step ensures the apples are tender without overbaking the pastry.
To thicken the juices, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth, then stir it into the apples and cook 1–2 minutes until the liquid becomes a glossy sauce. Spoon the warm apple filling into the pre-baked pastry cups, reserving any extra filling for ice cream or snacking.
Make the streusel by cutting 2 tablespoons cold butter into 2 tablespoons flour, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle the streusel over each filled cup, then bake for another 10 minutes until the pastry and topping are golden.
Remove from the oven and let cool briefly before serving so the filling sets slightly.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm on their own or pair with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce. They’re a lovely bite-sized dessert for gatherings and holidays.
Storage Recommendations
These mini pies are best fresh from the oven while the pastry is crisp. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. Reheat briefly in a 350°F oven to refresh the crispness before serving.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can prepare the apple filling up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it. Rewarm the filling gently on the stovetop before assembling. Because puff pastry is crispest when freshly baked, avoid prebaking the pastry too far in advance.
Looking For Other Mini Dessert Ideas? Try These!
Easy Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Bites Recipe
Mini Key Lime Pie Bites
Mini Chocolate Ganache Tarts (No Bake)
Easy Individual Tiramisu Cups (without Eggs)
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Print Recipe
Mini Apple Pies With Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- flour for dusting countertop and rolling pin
- 1 frozen puff pastry (only 1 sheet from box)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
- 3 large apples, peeled, seeded and chopped into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Streusel Topping
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
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Dust work surface with flour and roll thawed puff pastry into a larger square.
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Cut the pastry into 12 squares and press each into the muffin tin.
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Beat the egg with cream to make an egg wash and brush onto the pastry. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove and press the centers down to create cavities for the filling.
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While pastry bakes, peel and chop apples into bite-size pieces.
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Melt butter and brown sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add apples, spices, and lemon juice, and cook 10 minutes until softened.
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Whisk cornstarch with cold water, stir into the apples, and cook 1–2 minutes until the mixture thickens.
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Fill pastry cups with the apple mixture. There may be extra filling—save it for ice cream or a snack.
Streusel Topping
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Combine cold butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon; cut together with a pastry blender or forks to form crumbs.
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Sprinkle streusel over the filled pastry cups.
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Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately with ice cream, whipped cream, or caramel sauce.
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Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Storage Recommendations
Best fresh from the oven, but leftovers keep 2–3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat briefly to restore crispness.
Make-Ahead
Prepare the apple filling up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently before assembling and baking. Avoid prebaking the pastry too far in advance to preserve flakiness.