My husband absolutely loves those little apple hand pies you can get from McDonalds. I always thought he was crazy until I tried a warm one in the middle of a snowstorm, and now I’m HOOKED.
I decided to make my own version at home, and we ate all of them within 2 days! Not the best for us, but MAN, they were TASTY and SO, so easy to make.
They only require a few ingredients. I am all about shortcuts so I used apple filling, but you could easily make your own.
We also use a pre-made pastry crust for this recipe. You could easily make your own, but if you are in a time crunch, this is the perfect way to whip up a fast pastry or dessert.
Related recipe: love a good McD’s copycat? Try our Big Mac Sliders!
Ingredients for Apple Hand Pies:
- 1 lb Granny Smith Apples
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons water, divided
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 puff pastry sheets, thawed
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tablespoon cold water
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
How to make homemade apple pie filling:
Step 1: Peel and core 4-6 apples. I use Gala because they are the cheapest, but you can use any apples for this recipe.
To peel my apples, I usually use a potato peeler. You could also use a knife but it can be tricky and take some time.
Step 2: Cut your apples into slices or chunks. I usually cut mine into bite size chunks because they are easier to eat. Canned apples usually comes in slices, which works, but then you sometimes get bites without apples.
Step 3: Place the apple chunks in a medium sized bowl and toss them with about two tablespoons of lemon juice.
Step 4: In a pot, pour 3 cups water, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.
Step 5: With a whisk, stir until the contents are fully combined. Bring the mixture to a boil, and let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Add the apples to the sauce and let it come back to a boil. Turn to simmer and cover the pot with a lid.
Stir every minutes to rotate the apples. It will take between 6-9 minutes for the apples to soften.
Step 6: Let the apples cool and place the mixture into glass jars or containers. Let it refrigerate overnight. It will thicken as it refrigerates.
