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Best Kid-Friendly Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies

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These kid-friendly salted caramel apple hand pies are the perfect weeknight treat or last-minute school bake sale item. With a flaky crust, soft spiced apples, and a salty-sweet caramel filling, they’re comfort food reimagined—faster, easier, but with the same soul-soothing satisfaction.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 medium apples, peeled and diced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, about 450g or 1 lb total)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed (50g)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or full-fat coconut milk for dairy-free)
  • 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (plus more for sprinkling)
  • 1 package refrigerated pie crusts (2 rounds, 14 oz or 400g total)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (or coarse sugar)

Instructions

  1. Peel and dice apples into small, even cubes (about 1/4 inch). Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften.
  2. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely (pop in fridge for 10 minutes if needed).
  3. In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup granulated sugar over medium heat without stirring. Swirl pan occasionally until sugar melts and turns amber (about 4-5 minutes). Add 2 tablespoons cubed butter and whisk until incorporated. Slowly drizzle in heavy cream while whisking constantly. Cook for 30 seconds, then remove from heat and stir in flaky sea salt. Let cool for a few minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out pie crusts on a lightly floured surface. Cut each round into 4 equal squares (or use a 4-inch round cutter for circles) to get 8 pieces total.
  5. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of cooled apple filling in the center of each piece. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of salted caramel over the apples. Brush edges of dough with beaten egg, then fold dough over to form a triangle or rectangle. Press edges with a fork to seal. Cut a small slit in the top of each pie for steam to escape.
  6. Brush tops with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar and a tiny pinch of flaky salt. Place hand pies on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
  7. Bake for 18-22 minutes until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Don’t skip cooling the filling—warm filling will make the crust soggy. Seal edges well with a fork to prevent leaking. Use a light hand with caramel (1 teaspoon per pie is perfect). Let pies rest for at least 5 minutes before serving to avoid burning tongues. For freezing: freeze unbaked hand pies on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 5-7 minutes to baking time.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple hand pies, salted caramel, kid-friendly, easy dessert, fall baking, hand pies, apple dessert

Find it online: https://siennaspoon.com/best-kid-friendly-salted-caramel-apple-hand-pies/