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Well, hello! You asked for it: More apples again. But this time, I’m bring them to you in pie form.
Fresh, crisp apples all baked up inside a flaky, buttery vegan crust. Does it get any better?
Actually, yes, it does. Because this baby is a mini pie. Mini!
People often go all crazy with purchasing or making the biggest pies possible. I mean, have you seen the size of the pumpkin pies at Costco? It’s ridiculous!
My (almost) mother-in-law recently purchased the biggest home kitchen pie pan I have ever seen. I think she uses something along the lines of 10 apples (ten!) to fill the thing.
I mean, when you’ve got three hungry boys to feed and three other (not-quite-as-but-still) hungry girls, you damn well make a big pie, or else somebody (Jim) is going to be grumpy when there aren’t any leftovers. (Kathy, are you reading this?)
But for us? With only one hungry boy? And a girl who’s gotta fit into her wedding dress in four (4!!!) (!!) months? Mini it is.
Whatever I can get these days will be mini versions, from hand pies to meatloaves to mac and cheese bites.
For my version of a classic apple pie, I use a roughly 6-inch baking dish. The one pictured here is the Fiesta 6 3/8-inch ceramic pie plate. It seems this product has been discontinued, but I also like this set of 6.5-inch mini pie pans from Sweese.
Sweese Porcelain, Mini Pie Pan Set
These are scratch and crack resistant, some in a set of 6 different colors with a cute ruffled edge, and you can even put them in the dishwasher. Find this set now on Amazon.
We each get two respectable slices, servings that don’t make our waistlines bulge, but that are sure to satisfy that pie craving. And then it’s gone in just two days, and I can get back to eating 4 fun-sized pieces of candy that we always seem to have laying around the house for dessert my healthy habits!
This pie is actually rather easy, to make. But, if you’ve ever made a pie before, you probably already know that it tends to take a while.
You have to make the dough (or, if you know of a good brand to buy at the store, go for it!), then peel and chop some apples, roll out the dough, and pop it in the oven.
For all you first-time pie bakers, this is a good one to start with because smaller rounds of dough are always easier to work with, and you honestly can’t mess up this filling.
The crust-sealing is honestly the most difficult part, and it’s only difficult in terms of whether or not you’re successfully able to make look nice.
I really need my mother-in-law to teach me her technique, because she’s rather adept at it (i.e. hers look like she bought them from the store). (Kathy, are you reading this? Help!)
Otherwise, it’s a super simple dessert to make for a small family, or even just for yourself to enjoy.
I used honey and brown sugar to sweeten the filling just a tad, and a bit of cinnamon to warm up the flavors a bit. This means it’s almost vegan; for a truly vegan version, you could easily sub agave syrup for the honey.
Cornstarch thickens the filling, give it that nice gooey texture, and a pinch of salt makes the flavors pop. You really can’t go wrong!
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Homemade Mini Apple Pie
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Mini Apple Pie is as healthy and delicious as pie gets! A mini pie means serving sizes are kept small, while all the flavor is retained in the flaky, buttery crust. Honey and brown sugar sweeten the filling just a bit, and fresh, crisp apples make this dessert just delightful.
Ingredients
- 1/2 recipe vegan pie dough*
- 2 medium apples (a cooking/baking variety is best)
- 1 Tbsp honey or agave syrup
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 1 tbsp vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
Instructions
- Prepare the pie dough, then place it in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes, or preferably for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a mini pie dish.
- Peel the apples, then chop into small 1/2-centimeter cubes. Add the honey, brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon to the apples and stir until everything is evenly distributed.
- Roll out 2/3 of the pie dough into a circle large enough to fit into the bottom of your pie dish, with about 1 inch of excess hanging over the sides. Place in the dish and trim the edges, if necessary (you still want a fair amount of dough hanging over the edge).
- Pour the chopped apple mixture into the pie crust. Roll the remaining pie dough into another circle about 1 inch wider in diameter than the top of the dish. Place this round on top.
- Pinch the edges of the pie crust together to make a sealed edge.
- Cut a small circle or other shape in the top to let steam escape.
- Place in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 350°F. Bake, rotating for 35-40 minutes, rotating halfway through the bake time, until golden on top and the filling is bubbling.
- Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting, to give the filling time to set.
Notes
Replace the unsalted butter in this recipe with chilled vegan margarine.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert
Keywords: fall, apple pie, apple, cinnamon, Thanksgiving
Whenever apples are in season, I love adding them to my cooking at every meal. For more apple-icious recipe ideas, check out our Caramelized Apples and Onions, and Vegan Apple Muffins to get started.
And if you’re looking for more tasty pie recipes, these other apple ones should tickle your palate:
And don’t forget to let us know what you think when you try this recipe! Send us your questions and comments below, and give it a five-star rating while you’re there if you loved it.
Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Sweese. Originally published November 17, 2014. Last updated December 14, 2021. With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Raquel Smith
Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).
Just so you know…honey isn’t vegan…but no biggie (maple syrup should work)? I’m making this for tomorrow!!
We absolutely know- apologies for the editing error! The recipe has been updated, and it’s delicious made with a vegan or non-vegan crust. Maple syrup or agave will absolutely work as substitutes for the honey!
Thanks for sharing recipe and tip on replacing unsalted butter with chilled vegan margarine!