Cure your craving for McDonald’s apple pies with our homemade take on this restaurant favorite. Featuring a crisp, golden crust packed with gooey cinnamon apple filling, these hand pies will quickly become your new favorite fall bake.
While the OG crust might seem closer to pie dough, our recipe opts for store bought puff pastry, which gives you a crisp, buttery crust with lots of flaky layers. It also means you get to bake these instead of frying, which saves you tons of time and mess. And if you’re looking for something to do while the pies are in the oven, we highly recommend making a batch of homemade caramel sauce to drizzle on top for an extra special treat.
Read on for more tips on these iconic hand pies. Looking for more copycat recipes? Check out these homemade crunchwrap supremes– you won’t believe they didn’t come from the drive-through!
Can I use homemade pie dough?
Using a store bought puff pastry saves you a ton of time with excellent results, but if you want to make your own pie dough, you absolutely can. Just make sure to allow it to chill and rest before you roll it out to the 12”x12” square specified in the recipe. From there, you can cut and crimp it the same as you would with the puff pastry. Pie dough won’t give you the super flaky layers that puff pastry will, but it will still be buttery, crisp, and delicious.
What’s an eggwash and why are we using it?
An eggwash is typically a mixture of whisked egg thinned out with a little water that’s brushed over pie dough or pastry before baking. It gives the baked pastry a beautiful shine and glossy finish. It’s not absolutely necessary, but it makes the pies look extra pretty.
Can I freeze these?
Absolutely. For best results, we actually recommend freezing the unbaked pies. Assemble them just as if you were about to bake, then freeze individually on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once they’re frozen solid, you can transfer them to an airtight container. Frozen, they should be good for at least a month. When you’re ready to bake, we recommend thawing completely in the refrigerator (overnight is best) before baking as directed in the recipe.
Have you made these yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Editor’s Note: The introduction to this recipe was updated on August 24, 2022 to include more information about the dish.
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Yields:
4
servings
Prep Time:
0
hours
15
mins
Total Time:
1
hour
0
mins
apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
c.
packed brown sugar
All-purpose flour, for surface
sheet puff pastry, thawed
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- Preheat oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment. In a medium pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add apples, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook until apples are soft and most of the juice has cooked off, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry out to a 12” square. Divide into 8 rectangles.
- Spoon apples into center of 4 rectangles, leaving a ¼” border around puff pastry. Top with remaining rectangles and crimp edges together with a fork. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut 4 slits into tops of each pie.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg with 1 tablespoon cold water to create an egg wash. Brush onto pies. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Place pies onto prepared pan and bake until golden, 25 minutes.
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Parker Feierbach
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