Homemade Mini Apple Pie for Two: All the Flavor In a Smaller Package

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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?

Apple pie with a star-shaped vent cut into the top crust, in an aqua baking dish, with several whole and sliced apples, a spoon, and a blue cloth, printed with orange and white text.

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!

A bowl of red and green apples, with two more in the background, on a gray surface.

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?)

Vertical top-down shot of a pie in a blue baking dish, ready to bake, on a gray surface.

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!

A small apple pie in a robin's egg blue baking dish, with a blue cloth, a spoon, a stack of two plated topped with a slice of fruit, a mason jar of milk, and a few more whole and sliced fruit pieces scattered on the gray surface.

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.

Top-down shot of a mini apple dessert in an aqua baking dish, with a spoon, whole and cut fruit, and a blue-gray cloth, on a gray surface.

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.

Closely cropped oblique shot of a homemade dessert made with a flaky crust, with a slice removed to show the fruit filling, in a robin's egg blue mini baking dish, with a green and white patterned cloth, a stack of two white plates in the foreground, and whole and sliced fruit in the background, on a gray surface.

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.

Top-down vertical shot of a nearly whole mini apple pie with a plated slice, a spoon, a green and white patterned cloth, a glass of milk, and whole and cut fruit, on a gray background.

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!

Print
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Closely cropped closeup of an apple pie with a star-shaped vent in the top crust, with a blue cloth gathered around the dish and topped with a large spoon, and several whole and cut apples in the background, on a gray surface.

Homemade Mini Apple Pie


  • Author: Raquel Smith
  • 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

Scale
  • 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

  1. Prepare the pie dough, then place it in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes, or preferably for 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a mini pie dish.
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. 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.
  6. Pinch the edges of the pie crust together to make a sealed edge.
  7. Cut a small circle or other shape in the top to let steam escape.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.

Closely cropped closeup of an apple pie with a star-shaped vent in the top crust, with a blue cloth gathered around the dish and topped with a large spoon, and several whole and cut apples in the background, on a gray surface.

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).

3 thoughts on “Homemade Mini Apple Pie for Two: All the Flavor In a Smaller Package”

    • 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!

      Reply

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