Caramel Apples are “nature’s” candy and nature never tasted so good (this is not arguable point)! We are taking nature by storm with caramel apple hand pies. Perfectly baked apple pie filling with melty caramel bits. I do love caramel apples, but hand pies are much easier to eat.
The Kraft caramel tidbits are a game changer! Adding caramel is now simplified and simply delicious.
I like to use 50/50 butter and shortening in the crust, but you can go 100% with either. I like the extra flavor the butter adds. These sweet tart hand pies were served at a picnic with kiddos running around with water guns in one hand and hand pies in the other. I didn’t see a spec of the hand pies hit the ground. However, the adults did get wet from those little water warriors.
The apples are chopped to about 1/2-inch pieces as the baking time is only 25 minutes.
When assembling the pies, use a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons of filling and 1 tablespoon of caramel bits. Cut your shapes out of the top crust before attaching. Wet the bottom edge with egg wash and gently stretch the top crust over the filling. Press the edges with your fingers and use a fork to crimp. To make these Gluten Free, click here to use my Gluten-Free Flour!
Brush the tops with egg wash, top with large granule sugar and bake for 25 minutes. I made these very star-spangled, but you can use ANY shape. You can also simply crimp on the top crust and use a knife to cut 2 to 3 vents. Do what works for you! You will definitely want to save the last hand pie for yourself!
Caramel Apple Hand Pies
Ingredients
Apple Hand Pie Filling
- 5 cups chopped tart apples (Gala, Northern Spy, Granny Smith, Orondo Rose)
- 3/4 cup pure cane sugar
- 1/2 cup food starch (Clear Jelยฎ)** or 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Dash of salt
- 1 bag Kraft Caramel bits (11 oz.)
- 1 egg + 1 Tablespoon water, beaten
- 1/4 cup large granule sugar
- Big Batch Grandma's Pie Crust Pastry (will make about 16 hand pies, 3-1/2 inch round) Recipe for big batch is below
Big Batch Grandma's Pie Crust
- 4 cups all purpose flour (may use gluten free flour)
- 2 cups vegetable shortening (or 1 cup each butter and vegetable shortening, cut butter into very small pieces if cold)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup pure cane sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
Apple Hand Pie Filling
- Peel & chop apples and place into a large bowl of water with 1 tablespoon of salt (stops oxidation).
- In a saucepan combine sugar, food starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple cider, lemon juice, and salt; cook and stir constantly over medium to high heat, until mixture begins to bubble and loses the opaque color and thickens (it will look a little like melted caramel). Remove from heat.
- Drain apples and fold into hot filling, set aside.
Pie Crust
- In very large bowl stir all dry ingredients together.
- Add the shortening (or butter if using) to the dry ingredients. Using a large serving fork, cut into the dry ingredients until crumbly.
- Add the cold water all at once and mix just until forms a ball (do not kneed or over mix). Set aside with plastic wrap on top until ready to form hand pies.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
- In small bowl, beat the egg with the water for the egg wash, set aside.
- Roll out one-fourth of the pie crust dough on a heavily floured surface to about 10 to 11 inches around.
- Use a 3-1/2 inch cookie cutter to cut circles (2 for each hand pie).
- Place the bottoms on parchment lined or silicone lined baking sheet about 1 inch a part. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of filling on to each bottom crust. Top with 1 tablespoon caramel bits.
- If desired, cut out stars (or other shapes) in each top crust before placing them on the hand pies.
- Wet the bottom crust with the egg wash around the edge. Gently stretch the top crust over filling to edges of bottom, press firmly with finger tips to seal, then crimp with fork.
- Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle large granule sugar on top.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Cool before eating.
