Easy and simple, these apfeltaschen or puff pastry apple hand pies use only 7 ingredients and come together in less than an hour!
Which apples should I bake with?
Really any apples will work in this recipe. However, I do recommend picking an apple that is more likely to hold its shape such as a granny smith or honey crisp!
Store bought or homemade puff pastry?
This recipe will work with either form of puff pastry but to save time I always use frozen, store bought puff pastry. My favorite is from Dufour but the next best puff is from Pepperidge Farms.
Why add lemon juice to apple filling?
Lemon juice is added to the apples for two reasons. Number one is that it helps prevent the oxidation of the apples so it prevents them from turning brown. The second reason is that it adds a little tartness to the apples which is often nice to balance out the sweetness of the dough.
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Tips for making Puff Pastry Apple Hand pies
- If you have time, try to let the apple filling cool for as long as possible to keep it from warming the pastry dough.
- Don’t under bake these hand pies, they should have a nice golden brown color when finished.
- The apple filling needs to be cooked in advance to soften the apples and enhance the flavor. They should be fully softened when finished cooking.
- Allow the pies to cool for at least five minutes before enjoying.
Ingredients
- Puff Pastry: This recipe uses 2 sheets of puff pastry but can easily be scaled up or down. The size/volume of puff pastry sheets will vary from brand to brand. I recommend using your favorite brand or making it from scratch using your favorite recipe. Dufour makes my favorite store bough puff pastry.
- Egg Yolk: The egg yolk is mixed with water to create the egg wash that will be brushed on top to create a nice golden brown color when baked
- Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar in mixed with cinnamon in the filling to give a little sweetness to the apples.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon goes with apples like butter on bread. It adds flavor and enhances the apples
- Butter: The apples are cooked in a little butter to add flavor and soften them.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice is used to balance out the sweetness and enhance the apple flavor.
- Apples: As mentioned in the FAQs above, any apples will work but apples that hold their shape while baking are best. Here is an article that goes into more detail about various apples: The 6 best apples for baking
How to make Apfeltaschen
Make the Filling
- Peel and core the apples. Slice them into thin slices.
- Heat the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Once it is melted, add in the apples and cinnamon sugar. Cook over medium heat until soft, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Assemble and Bake the Apple Hand Pies
- Defrost 2 sheets of puff pastry. Roll them out into 16″ x 16″ squares.
- Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut each sheet into 4 squares. Divide the filling among the 8 squares of pastry.
- Working one square at a time, wet the edges of two adjacent sides of pastry with water. Take the corner of pastry with no water and fold it over the filling until it meets with the opposite corner. Press down the two sides to seal it shut.
- Transfer all of the hand pies to two lined baking sheets.
- Use a fork to clamp the sides of the hand pie. Then, use a sharp knife to cut three slits in the top of each pie.
- Use a fork to whisk together the egg yolk and 2 tsp of water to create the egg wash. Brush the top of each pie with the egg wash.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Rotate and swap the baking sheets after 12 minutes to allow for even browning.
- Once golden brown, remove them from the oven and place on cooling racks to cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Optionally dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Apfeltaschen | Puff Pastry Apple Hand Pies
Easy and simple, these apfeltaschen or puff pastry apple hand pies use only 7 ingredients and come together in less than an hour!
Servings: 8
Calories: 425kcal
Ingredients
Filling
- 650 grams apples peeled and cored
- 30 grams granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 25 grams butter
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Dough
- 2 sheets puff pastry defrosted
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Peel and core the apples and then slice thinly.
- In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Once melted, add in the apples, cinnamon, and sugar. Cook until soft, stirring frequently.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Set aside to cool
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Assemble and Bake
- Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Roll the defrosted puff pastry out into two squares that are about 16"x16".
- Cut each square into quarters and divide the apple filling onto each square.
- Working one square at a time, brush two adjacent edges with water. Then bring the dry corner of the square over the apple filling to meet the wet corner to create a triangle hand pie.
- Press down on the two sides to seal the pie.
- Place each pie on the prepared baking sheets.
- Use a fork to crimp the edges of each pie and a sharp knife to cut three small slashes in the top of each one to allow steam to escape.
- Whisk the egg yolk with 2 tsp of water to create the egg wash.
- Brush each pie with the egg wash.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, rotating after 12 minutes to ensure even browning.
- Once golden brown, remove from the oven and place on cooling racks to cool for at least five minutes.
Notes
These are best right after baking but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days and reheated in the oven at 350 F for 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1hand pie | Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 2mg
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