These Mini Apple Pies are made in a Muffin Tin and are the cutest individual desserts. This apple pie recipe is so easy to make and uses a store-bought pie crust to save on time. It is a must try Fall Dessert!
We just did our annual apple picking over the weekend, which is always so much fun! I'm not sure if the kids or I enjoy it more. As soon as we got there, we chowed down a homemade apple fritter & an apple cider donut, which were both amazing.
Our family took a wagon ride out to the apple field, and there was 6 apple varieties to pick from. I brought home Suncrisp, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Staymans and Honeycrisp. All so good!
For this recipe, I used a mix of those. What I recommend is to use two sweet apples like a Honeycrisp or Jonagold and two tart apples, such as Staymans or Granny Smith. The combination of sweet and tart apples create the best apple pies!
Love Apple Recipes? Try this Apple and Blackberry Crumble, Apple Pie Filled Cinnamon Rolls, Apple Pie in Graham Cracker Crust, and Phyllo Dough Apple Turnovers.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- The recipe is super easy to make
- It uses fresh apples, which in my opinion are mandatory for apple desserts
- Individual apple pies are so much fun to eat
- Top these apple pies with ice cream and you will be in heaven
If you love Fall recipes, make sure to try this Biscoff No Bake Cheesecake, Air Fryer Acorn Squash and Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting.
The Ingredients:
Apples- The star of the show. I love using a mix of 2 sweet and 2 tart apples here. For me, Apples represent the beginning of Fall and it is my favorite time to enjoy them. Always choose really fresh, crisp apples for apple pie. If you buy them from the grocery store, I suggest buying a few extra in case you run into a mealy one. You don't want to use those in apple pie.
Lemon juice- Adds a touch of acidity & helps the apples from browning.
Pie Crust-In this recipe, we use store bought pie crust to save on time. A biscuit cutter cuts the crust into the perfect circles to fit into muffin tins.
Brown and Granulated Sugar- Add sweetness to the apple filling.
Cornstarch- Thickens the fruit juice released in the baking process.
Cinnamon, Allspice, & Nutmeg- Classic apple pie spices that add the best flavor. If the Fall season itself were a food, it would be completely coated in this spice mixture.
Butter-Salted butter helps soften the apple filling in the skillet prior to baking.
Cooking Spray-Sprayed in the muffin tins to make it easy to remove the pies after baking. You don't want to skip this or the mini pies will be really hard to get out.
See recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations:
You can use any of your favorite varieties of apples for this recipe.
Out of lemons? You can use the bottled lemon juice in a pinch.
Have homemade pie crust available? It should be fine to use for this recipe. Just make sure to roll it out as thin as the store-bought pie crust (can be seen in the step 1 photo below). If they are thicker, they will need to bake longer.
If you don't have a 3" biscuit cutter, trace a 3" circle out of parchment paper and place it over the dough. Run around it with a pizza cutter. It might not be perfect, but it will work.
Don't forget a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a sprinkle of cinnamon! If you have caramel on hand, drizzle it over the top for a decadent treat.
How to Make Mini Apple Pies in a Muffin Tin:
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Here are the Step by Step Instructions for Mini Apple Pies.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin pan generously with cooking spray and set aside. Roll out the store bought pie crust on a piece of parchment paper. Use a 3 inch wide biscuit cutter to cut out each individual pie crust. (Alternative cutting method in variations above)
Step 2: Stretch the dough out just a bit and gently push down into each muffin space. This will make about 8 mini pies. If you want to fill all 12 spots, you will need to roll out the dough again and cut the rest. Place in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Step 3: Peel and core each apple and chop into pieces.
Step 4: Add apples into a large bowl and pour in the lemon juice. Toss. Add in brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Mix with a spoon to combine.
Step 5: In a large skillet over medium low heat, melt the salted butter. Add in the apple filling and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring every minute.
Step 6: Remove the pie crust muffin tin from the fridge and fill each individual pie crust with an ice cream scoop size full of filling. Do not overfill. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
Step 7: Allow the pies to cool for about 15 minutes before removing them from the containers. I find the easiest way is to insert a thin butter knife into one side and they just pop right out. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Make sure to spray the muffin cups with cooking spray really well for an easy removal.
- Don't over fill the pie crusts. Overfilling will make the mixture seep over the edge under the pie and make it difficult to get out.
- Allow the pies to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing. This will make them much easier to get out of the muffin tin.
Recipe FAQs:
Cooking the apple filling in the skillet before baking for 4 to 5 minutes on medium low softens the apples and they will be the perfect texture after baking. Also, it creates the best smell in your house so it's a win win!
The lemon juice prevents the apples from turning brown.
It helps to thicken the fruit juice that releases during baking. Apples don't release a ton of juice, compared to berries for example, so this recipe only uses 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.
This is a controversial topic, but my favorite apples for apple pie are always super crisp. I like using a mix of tart apples like Stayman's and Granny Smith and sweet apples such as Honeycrisp and Jonagold. That tart and sweet combo always turns out to be the BEST flavor.
Storing & Reheating:
Store the leftovers in a sealed container. These mini desserts will taste best warmed up in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes or so, but you can also microwave them for a minute. Eat within 2 to 3 days.
For more muffin tin recipes, try my White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins and Bacon Egg Bites!
More Fall Recipes You Will Love:
If you tried this Mini Apple Pie Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Mini Apple Pies in a Muffin Tin
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 8-12 individual mini pies 1x
Description
These Mini Apple Pies in a Muffin Tin are the cutest individual apple pies. This recipe is so easy to make and uses a store-bought pie crust to save on time.
Ingredients
- 4 fresh crisp apples (2 sweet apple like Honeycrisp & 2 tart like Granny Smith)
- 1 store-bought pie crust from the refrigerator section (not frozen)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- cooking spray
- Optional: vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin pan generously with cooking spray.
- Roll out the store bought pie crust on a piece of parchment paper. Use a 3 inch wide biscuit cutter to cut out each individual pie crust. Gently stretch out the dough just a bit and push down into each muffin space. This will make about 8 mini pies. If you want to fill all 12 spots, you will need to roll out the dough again and cut the rest.
- Place in the fridge until ready to assemble.
- Peel each apple and chop into small pieces (see photo in how to make section)
- Add into a large bowl and pour in the lemon juice. Toss. Add in brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Mix with a spoon to combine.
- In a large skillet over medium low heat, melt the salted butter. Add in the apple filling and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring every minute.
- Remove the pie crust muffin tin from the fridge and fill each individual pie crust with an ice cream scoop size full of filling. Do not overfill. Overfilling will make the mixture seep over the edge under the pie and make it difficult to get out.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow the pies to cool before removing them from the muffin tin. I find the easiest way is to insert a thin butter knife into one side and they just pop right out.
Notes
- Make sure to spray the muffin cups with cooking spray really well for an easy removal.
- Don't over fill the pie crusts. Overfilling will make the mixture seep over the edge under the pie and make it difficult to get out.
- Allow the pies to cool for at least 15 minutes. This will make them much easier to get out of the muffin tin.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooling Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Lisa
So good! They were perfect warmed up with vanilla ice cream.